Logical Reasoning in the CET

Attend a Special CPLC Workshop on Changes in

MBA-CET paper pattern and its implications on
Test-taking on Sat, 5-Mar from 4.00-7.00 p.m.
at WeSchool, Matunga Central. FREE Video
Lectures of Visual Reasoning questions from
Actual CET and 2 MockCET papers in the new
format for everyone attending the Workshop.

By now we know that Reasoning forms the most

important part of the MBA-CET exam and accounts for
about 37.5% of the total questions (75 Qs out of 200).
In
fact, it is your ability to do well in reasoning questions
that will decide how useful your score is. Thus,
mastering reasoning questions forms the key to
getting into the top institutes through MBA CET. One
more reason for this is that the kind of reasoning
questions asked in the CET are not asked in any
other MBA entrance exams. Hence most students,
even those who have prepared for exams like the
CAT, struggle in the CET when it comes to reasoning.
Reasoning questions can be categorized into the
following 7 types:
1. Logical Puzzles (Mathematical and Verbal)
2. Matrix Arrangement
3. Linear Arrangement
4. Circular Arrangement

5. Logical Data Sufficiency

6. Verbal Reasoning (Syllogisms)
7. Critical Reasoning
8. Special Reasoning Questions
1. Logical Puzzles

Type 1: Math Based Puzzles

1.
Complete the following series: 57 58 118 357 ?

(1) 1315 (2) 1075 (3) 1432 (4) 1071 (5) 1236

2.
If + stands for division, - stands for addition, x
stands for subtraction, stands for multiplication,
then
insert
the
missing
signs
in
the
dashes given below.

4____3____2____20____2 = 0
(1) +, x, -, (2) -, , x, + (3) -, x, +, (4) +, x, ,
(5) x, +, ,

3.
Starting from a point M, Shekhar walked 18 metres
towards south. He turned to his left and walked 25
metres. He then turned to his left and walked 18
metres. He again turned to his left and walked 35
metres and reached a Point P. How far is Shekhar
from the point M and in which direction?

(1) 10 metres West (2) 10 metres East (3) 10 metres

South (4) 15 metres West (5) 35 metres West

4.
Four of the following five numbers are alike in a
certain way and so form a group. Which is the one
that does not belong to the group?

(1) 93 (2) 26 (3) 34 (4) 69 (5) 42

Type 2: Verbal Puzzles

Directions
for
questions
5
and
6
: Answer the following questions based on the
following alpha-numeric series

PT5M39BKR4D8FG76Y2IHPWJN

5.
4 of the following 5 characters are alike with respect
to their position in the above sequence and form a
group. Which is the one that does not belong
to that group?

(1) T (2) M (3) K (4) R (5) D

6.
Which character is the 6th to the right of the
14th character from the left hand, if the second half of
the
above
series
is
reversed?

(1) Y (2) 1 (3) B (4) 9 (5) H

7.
If
the
word
COURAGEOUS
is
written
as
HFPVTDPVSB, how will you write the word
COWARDLY?

(1) HFMZDPXB (2) SEMZDPXB (3) HFZMPDXB (2)

SEZMDPXB (5) SEMZPDXB

8.
While walking with his friend, Mahesh meets another
man whose mother is the wife of Maheshs fathers
only son. How is the man related to Mahesh?

(1) Son (2) Nephew (3) Cousin (4) Uncle (5) Father

9.
If a word can be formed using the 1st, 3rd, 5th and
8th letter of the word CONTEMPORARY then what
would
be the first letter of that word. If no such word can be
formed, mark the answer as (4) and if more than one
word can be formed, mark the answer as
(5)?

(1) O (2) C (3) N (4) No word (5) More than one word

10.
How many such pairs of letters are there in the word
ADVERTISE, each of which has as many letters
between them in the word as they have in the
English alphabet?

(1) None (2) One (3) Two (4) Three (5) None of these

2. Matrix Arrangement
A building of seven floors (the ground floor counted
as first floor) is owned by seven different persons
(one person owns one floor). Six out of these
seven floors are used for different businesses while
one of the floors is vacant.

The floor that has the library is owned by K and it has

three floors below it. There are three floors between
the Insurance Company and the Newspaper
office. The Grocery and the Newspaper office have
one floor between them. The Bank is below the Travel
Agency and they have two floors between them.
The Newspaper office is just below the Library.

Js floor is below Ks floor and there are two floors

between them. O owns a floor below Ps floor and
there are two floors between them. Ns floor is
immediately below Ls floor. M is one of the owners.

There are usually 5 questions following the above

information.

3. Linear Arrangement
Twelve cars viz. Mercedes, Swift, Santro, Accord,
Innova, Polo, Punto, Figo, Civic, City, Ferrari and
Landrover are parked in two parallel rows
containing six cars each, in such a way that there is
an equal distance between adjacent cars. The cars
parked in row-l are parked in such a manner
that the driver seated in the cars would face the
South. In row-2 cars are parked in such a manner that
the drivers seated in these cars would face the
North. Therefore, in the given parking arrangement
each car parked in a row faces .another car of the
other row.

Mercedes being a big car must be parked at one of

the extreme ends. Mercedes is parked second to the
left of Santro. Santro faces Figo.
Punto and Innova are parked immediately next to
each other. Neither is parked next to Figo or Santro.
Civic is parked in such a manner that its driver
when seated in the parked car would face South.
Civic is parked third to the left of Polo.
City is parked in such a manner that it faces Ferrari.

Ferrari is parked second to the left of Landrover.

Landrover faces North and is not parked next to Figo.
Swift is parked third to the right of Ferrari and faces
Innova.

(NOTE: Left and right parking directions are with

reference to the driver as if the driver is seated in the
car.)
There are usually 5 questions following the above
information.

4. Circular Arrangement
Six friends P, Q, R, S, T and V are sitting around a
circular table facing either centre or outside.

P sits third to the left of R. R faces the centre.

V sits second to left of P.
Q sits second to right of V.
T sits to immediate right of Q.
Immediate neighbors of P face direction opposite to
that of P.

S
sits
second
to
left
of
R.
There are usually 5 questions following the above
information.

5. Logical Data Sufficiency

Directions

for

questions

13

to

16:

Each of the questions below consists of a question

and two statements numbered I and II given below it.
You have to decide whether the data provided in
the statements are sufficient to answer the question.
Type 1: Arrangement Based
13.
Who is sitting around Rahul around a rectangular
table?

(i)
Mohan and Sunil are sitting next to each other
(ii)
Abhay is sitting to the right of Sunil
Type 2: Relationship Based
14.
How is Q related to D?

(i)
B and C are sisters of D
(ii)
M is the husband of Q

Type 3: Coding Based

15.
What is code for drink in a code language?

(i)
pic natos means go drink it in that language
(ii)
jana pod means drink some water in that language
Type 4: Comparison Based
16.
How many people are between P and Q when P, Q, R,
S, T, U are arranged in decreasing order of their
heights?

(i) P is taller than R but not the tallest

(ii) There are two people who are taller than R, U but
shorter than S, T.

6. Verbal Reasoning / Syllogisms

These are questions based on finding conclusions and
assumptions based on a set of statements, finding
strong and weak arguments from a set of arguments,
finding the degree of truth and falsity in conclusions,
determining the correct courses of action, finding
which statement is a cause and which one is an
effect, and critical reasoning. We will be dedicating

full article to syllogisms and hence will refrain from

giving any examples here.
7. Critical Reasoning
India and China make competing plans for the river
Brahmaputras precious waters. The dams and
hydropower projects planned are stated to have a
potential of about20,000 MW. There is, however,
apprehension in the Indian water and power
ministries that Chinas similar dam construction
programs
all the same river could adversely affect this
potential.
A.
Brahmaputra river passes through both the countries.
B.
India should take the lead and begin construction of
dams for hydropower projects before China does.
C.
Building cascades of dams at multiple locations in the
river would have massive environmental impacts.
D.
A dam built by China on river Xang, close to Indian
border, led to severe floods in India and some parts of
China last year.
E.
Similar dams built on the river Xang which passes
through both the countries did not affect the power
generating capacity of either dam.

Q1. Which of the statements numbered (A); (B), (C),

(D) and (E) mentioned above represents an
assumption implicit in the given paragraph or an
inference which can be drawn from it?
A. Only A B. Only B C. Only.C D.Only D E. Both A and
C
Q2. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B). (C),
(D) and (E) mentioned above would weaken the case
for both the countries to build dams on the
river?
A. Only A B. Only B C.Only C D.Only D E. Both C and D
Q3. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C),
(D) and (E) mentioned above would case Indias
apprehensions regarding Chinas similar dam
construction projects?
A. A B. B C.C D.D E. E
Q4. Which of the statements numbered (A), (B), (C),
(D) and (E) mentioned above would best represent a
course of action which can be taken by the
Indian government to counter Chinas competing
plans?
A. A B. B C.C D.D E. E

8. Special Reasoning Questions

Type 1: Sequential Output Tracing

In these questions, an input statement is given (that
can consist of words and numerals). This statement is
sequentially arranged in different steps. You
need to crack the logic of re-arrangement and answer
the questions pertaining to a different input
statement.
Type 2: Decision Making
In these questions, certain conditions for selection of
candidates into an institute or an organization are
given. Based on these you need to take suitable
course of action on different candidates.
Break-up of Reasoning Questions in the past
CET papers.

Matrix Arragements
Linear / Circular Arrangements
Logical Puzzles
Decision Making
Sequential Output Tracing
Logical Data Sufficiency
Critical Reasoning

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

5 Qs

3 Qs

13 Qs

21 Qs

5 Qs

5-10 Qs

5 Qs

5 Qs

8 Qs

10 Qs

25 Qs

5-10 Qs

35 Qs

27 Qs

17 Qs

24 Qs

24 Qs

15-20 Qs

10 Qs

10 Qs

8-10 Qs

5 Qs

6 Qs

7 Qs

6 Qs

5 Qs

3 Qs

5 Qs

5 Qs

10 Qs

32 Qs

5 Qs

4 Qs

9-10 Qs

Syllogisms
Total

25 Qs

15 Qs

6 Qs

6 Qs

11 Qs

10-15 Qs

85
Qs

75
Qs

85
Qs

78
Qs

80
Qs

65-70
Qs

You can read the full article here: Logical Reasoning in

the CET