Reasoning questions

Reasoning Updated 11 Oct 2026

These reasoning questions with answers cover every topic that appears in the reasoning section of SSC CGL, SSC GD, bank, railway and other competitive exams. Each question has four options, the correct answer and a short solution that shows the working.

The 40 questions are grouped by topic: number series, letter series, coding-decoding, analogy, odd one out, blood relations, direction sense, ranking, clocks, calendars, mathematical reasoning and syllogisms. Use them as a quick test of where you stand before moving on to the full topic pages.

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Number series reasoning questions

Q1. Find the next number: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
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Answer: C. 42
The terms are 1x2, 2x3, 3x4, 4x5, 5x6, so the next is 6x7 = 42.
Q2. Find the next number: 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ?
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Answer: C. 127
Each term is double the previous term plus 1: 63 x 2 + 1 = 127.
Q3. Find the next number: 1, 8, 27, 64, ?
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Answer: D. 125
The series is the cubes 1^3, 2^3, 3^3, 4^3, so the next is 5^3 = 125.
Q4. Find the next number: 7, 10, 16, 25, 37, ?
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Answer: A. 52
The differences are 3, 6, 9, 12, so the next difference is 15: 37 + 15 = 52.
Q5. Find the next number: 2, 5, 14, 41, ?
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Answer: A. 122
Each term is 3 times the previous term minus 1: 41 x 3 - 1 = 122.

Alphabet and letter series questions

Q6. Find the next letter: A, C, F, J, O, ?
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Answer: D. U
The gaps grow by one each time (+2, +3, +4, +5), so the next gap is +6: O (15) + 6 = U (21).
Q7. Find the next term: AZ, BY, CX, DW, ?
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Answer: D. EV
The first letter moves forward one step and the second moves back one step: E and V.
Q8. Find the next letter: Z, X, V, T, R, ?
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Answer: C. P
Each letter moves two steps back in the alphabet: R minus 2 gives P.
Q9. Which letter is 7th to the right of the 12th letter from the left end of the English alphabet?
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Answer: D. S
The 12th letter is L. Counting 7 more to the right gives the 19th letter, S.
Q10. If the English alphabet is written in reverse order, which letter will be 5th from the left?
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Answer: B. V
In reverse order the 5th letter from the left is the 5th from Z: 27 - 5 = 22nd letter, V.

Coding-decoding questions

Q11. If CAT is coded as DBU, how is DOG coded?
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Answer: B. EPH
Each letter moves one step forward: D to E, O to P, G to H.
Q12. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter two places before it. How is BOOK written?
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Answer: D. ZMMI
B minus 2 is Z, O minus 2 is M and K minus 2 is I, giving ZMMI.
Q13. If MANGO is written as OCPIQ, how is GRAPE written in that code?
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Answer: B. ITCRG
Each letter moves two places forward: G to I, R to T, A to C, P to R and E to G.
Q14. If RED is coded as 18-5-4, how is BLUE coded?
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Answer: B. 2-12-21-5
Each letter is replaced by its position in the alphabet: B=2, L=12, U=21, E=5.
Q15. If sky is called water, water is called road, road is called tree and tree is called sky, where do fish live?
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Answer: B. road
Fish live in water, and in this code water is called road.

Analogy and odd one out questions

Q16. 6 : 37 :: 9 : ?
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Answer: C. 82
The second number is the square of the first plus 1: 6^2 + 1 = 37, so 9^2 + 1 = 82.
Q17. 2 : 6 :: 6 : ?
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Answer: A. 210
The rule is n^3 - n: 2^3 - 2 = 6, so 6^3 - 6 = 216 - 6 = 210.
Q18. Find the odd one out: 27, 125, 200, 343
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Answer: C. 200
27, 125 and 343 are perfect cubes (3^3, 5^3, 7^3) and odd numbers; 200 is not a cube and is even.
Q19. Find the odd one out: 13, 17, 21, 29
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Answer: B. 21
13, 17 and 29 are prime numbers, but 21 = 3 x 7 is not prime.
Q20. Find the odd one out: ACE, BDF, GIK, LNQ
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Answer: C. LNQ
In the other groups each letter is 2 steps after the previous one. In LNQ the second gap is 3 (N to Q).

Blood relation questions

Q21. Pointing to a boy, Riya says, "He is the son of the only son of my father's father." How is the boy related to Riya?
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Answer: D. Brother
The only son of Riya's father's father is Riya's father, so his son is Riya's brother.
Q22. M is the sister of N. K is the mother of N. J is the father of K. How is M related to J?
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Answer: D. Granddaughter
M is a daughter of K, and K is the child of J, so M is the granddaughter of J.
Q23. Ravi's mother is the only daughter of Suresh's father. How is Suresh related to Ravi?
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Answer: B. Maternal uncle
The only daughter of Suresh's father is Suresh's sister, who is Ravi's mother, so Suresh (a man) is Ravi's maternal uncle.
Q24. P is the brother of Q. Q is the son of R. R is the wife of S. How is P related to S?
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Answer: A. Son
P and Q are children of R, and R's husband is S, so P (a brother) is S's son.
Q25. Introducing a girl, Aman says, "Her mother is the wife of my father's only son." How is the girl related to Aman?
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Answer: C. Daughter
Aman's father's only son is Aman himself, so the girl's mother is Aman's wife and the girl is his daughter.

Direction sense questions

Q26. A man walks 10 km north, turns right and walks 6 km, then turns right again and walks 10 km. How far is he from the starting point?
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Answer: B. 6 km
The two 10 km walks (north, then south) cancel out, leaving only the 6 km walked east.
Q27. Seema walks 3 km east and then 4 km north. What is the shortest distance between her and the starting point?
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Answer: C. 5 km
The path forms a right angle, so distance = square root of (3^2 + 4^2) = square root of 25 = 5 km.
Q28. A girl faces north. She turns 90 degrees clockwise and then 180 degrees anticlockwise. Which direction is she facing now?
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Answer: A. West
North turned 90 degrees clockwise is east; east turned 180 degrees is west.
Q29. A boy walks 8 km south, turns left and walks 6 km. In which direction is the starting point from him?
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Answer: B. North-west
Turning left while walking south means walking east, so he is south-east of the start and the start lies to his north-west.
Q30. Early in the morning, a boy's shadow falls exactly to his right. Which direction is he facing?
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Answer: C. South
In the morning the sun is in the east, so shadows fall to the west. If west is on his right, he is facing south.

Ranking, calendar and clock questions

Q31. Rohan is 14th from the left end and 9th from the right end of a row. How many students are in the row?
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Answer: D. 22
Total = left position + right position - 1 = 14 + 9 - 1 = 22.
Q32. In a class of 40 students, Meena ranks 15th from the top. What is her rank from the bottom?
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Answer: C. 26th
Rank from bottom = total - rank from top + 1 = 40 - 15 + 1 = 26.
Q33. If 1 January 2005 was a Saturday, what day of the week was 1 January 2006?
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Answer: C. Sunday
2005 is not a leap year, so it has 365 days = 52 weeks + 1 odd day. The day moves one step from Saturday to Sunday.
Q34. What is the angle between the hour hand and the minute hand of a clock at 3:30?
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Answer: A. 75 degrees
Angle = |30H - 5.5M| = |90 - 165| = 75 degrees.
Q35. What is the angle between the hands of a clock at 4:20?
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Answer: D. 10 degrees
Angle = |30 x 4 - 5.5 x 20| = |120 - 110| = 10 degrees.

Mathematical reasoning, syllogism and inequality questions

Q36. If + means x, x means -, - means / and / means +, find the value of 8 + 3 x 12 - 4 / 2.
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Answer: A. 23
Replace the signs: 8 x 3 - 12 / 4 + 2 = 24 - 3 + 2 = 23.
Q37. If 2 * 3 = 13 and 3 * 4 = 25, then 4 * 5 = ?
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Answer: A. 41
The rule is a^2 + b^2: 2^2 + 3^2 = 13, 3^2 + 4^2 = 25, so 4^2 + 5^2 = 16 + 25 = 41.
Q38. When a number is multiplied by 3 and then 5 is added, the result is 32. What is the number?
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Answer: A. 9
Work backwards: 32 - 5 = 27 and 27 / 3 = 9.
Q39. Statements: All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Conclusions: I. Some roses are red. II. All flowers are roses. Which conclusion follows?
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Answer: B. Neither I nor II follows
The red flowers need not include any roses, and 'all roses are flowers' does not make all flowers roses, so neither follows.
Q40. Statements: All dogs are animals. All animals are living beings. Conclusions: I. All dogs are living beings. II. Some living beings are dogs. Which conclusion follows?
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Answer: D. Both I and II follow
Dogs are inside animals and animals are inside living beings, so all dogs are living beings, and therefore some living beings are dogs.
Q41. If A > B, B >= C and C = D, which of the following is definitely true?
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Answer: A. A > D
A > B >= C = D gives A > D. B could equal D, so B > D is not certain.

How to prepare

Treat reasoning as a set of patterns. For series, write the differences or ratios between terms; for coding, write the alphabet positions (A=1 to Z=26) above the word; for blood relations and directions, draw a small diagram instead of solving in your head. These three habits solve most questions in under a minute.

Learn a few fixed formulas: total in a row = left rank + right rank - 1, clock angle = |30H - 5.5M|, and an ordinary year moves the day of the week forward by one. For syllogisms, draw circles and accept a conclusion only if it is true in every possible diagram. Time yourself on each section, then revisit the ones where you were slow.

Study tips

Memorise the alphabet positions and their reverse (A=1, Z=26 and A=26 in reverse) so coding questions become quick.
Always draw a family tree or a direction diagram rather than solving blood relation and direction questions mentally.
Practise one topic at a time until you are accurate, then mix topics to build exam speed.

Questions people ask

What are the main topics in reasoning for competitive exams?

Common topics are number and letter series, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, blood relations, direction sense, ranking, syllogism, inequality, clocks, calendars, puzzles and input output. SSC and bank exams use most of them.

How can I improve my speed in reasoning questions?

Learn the standard patterns and formulas, draw quick diagrams, and practise timed sets every day. Speed comes from recognising a question type at once, which needs regular practice.

What is mathematical reasoning in exams?

Mathematical or arithmetic reasoning questions use numbers with a logical twist, such as replacing signs, finding the rule behind number pairs or working backwards from a result. They need basic arithmetic and careful reading.

Are reasoning questions in SSC and bank exams different?

The topics overlap, but bank exams give more puzzles, seating arrangements and inequalities, while SSC exams give more series, analogies, classification and non-verbal questions. Practising both styles helps in either exam.

How do I solve syllogism questions correctly?

Draw Venn diagrams for the statements and check each conclusion. A conclusion follows only if it is true in every possible diagram, not just in one.

Every question on this page is written and fact-checked by the GK Quizzes team. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it. How we make our questions.