Reasoning · Methods · Worked examples
Reasoning for Punjab Competitive Exams: Topic-Wise Methods with Worked Examples
Reasoning is the section where practice pays off fastest, because the same ten or twelve question types repeat in almost every Punjab exam. Each type has a method that, once learned, turns a confusing question into a routine one. This guide explains those methods with worked examples.
How to practise reasoning
- Learn one type at a time with its method.
- Do 15–20 untimed questions of that type until accuracy reaches 80–90%.
- Then time yourself: most reasoning questions in Punjab exams should take 30–60 seconds.
- Mix the types in sectional tests once you know each method.
Write down the method for each type on a single page; revise that page before every mock.
1. Number series
Check differences first, then ratios, then special patterns.
- Differences: 3, 7, 13, 21, 31, ? → differences 4, 6, 8, 10 → next difference 12 → 43.
- Ratios: 2, 6, 18, 54, ? → ×3 each time → 162.
- Mixed (×2 + 1): 5, 11, 23, 47, ? → 47 × 2 + 1 = 95.
- Squares and cubes: 1, 8, 27, 64, ? → cubes → 125.
- Alternating series: 2, 10, 4, 20, 6, 30, ? → two series (2, 4, 6, … and 10, 20, 30, …) → 8.
2. Letter series and alphabet positions
Learn the positions A=1 … Z=26 and the reverse positions (A=26 … Z=1). A useful memory aid is EJOTY: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25.
- B, E, H, K, ? → +3 each time → N.
- AZ, BY, CX, ? → first letter forward, second backward → DW.
3. Coding-decoding
Write the word and its code one above the other and compare letter by letter.
- If TRAIN is coded USBJO, each letter moves +1, so PLANE → QMBOF.
- If CAT = 24 (3 + 1 + 20), then DOG = 4 + 15 + 7 = 26.
- Reverse coding: if BOOK is written KOOB, the word is simply reversed.
4. Blood relations
Draw a small family tree: use + for male, − for female, a horizontal line for siblings, a vertical line for parent and child, and a double line for spouses. Start from the end of the sentence and work backwards.
Example: "Pointing to a woman, Aman said, 'She is the daughter of the only son of my grandfather.'" The only son of Aman's grandfather is Aman's father; his daughter is Aman's sister.
5. Direction sense
Draw the directions every time: North up, East right. Use Pythagoras for the shortest distance.
Example: A man walks 6 km north, turns right and walks 8 km. How far is he from the start? He walked north then east, so the distance is √(6² + 8²) = √100 = 10 km, towards the north-east.
Remember the turning rules: facing North, a right turn means East and a left turn means West.
6. Order and ranking
- Position from the right = Total − Position from the left + 1.
- Total = Position from the left + Position from the right − 1.
Example: Ravi is 12th from the left and 9th from the right. Total = 12 + 9 − 1 = 20.
7. Syllogisms
Draw Venn diagrams for each statement and test every conclusion. A conclusion follows only if it is true in every possible diagram.
Example: All pens are books. Some books are bags. - Conclusion I: Some pens are bags — does not follow (the bags may lie outside the pens). - Conclusion II: Some books are pens — follows (since all pens are books).
Learn the "either-or" case: if two conclusions are "Some A are B" and "No A is B", and neither is definite on its own, then either I or II follows.
8. Seating arrangement
- Draw the seats first (a straight line or a circle).
- Place the most definite clue first ("A sits at the extreme left").
- Then place clues that relate to people already placed.
- Leave "negative" clues ("B does not sit next to C") for last.
In a circle with everyone facing the centre, the person on your right is anticlockwise in the diagram — draw arrows to avoid confusion.
9. Calendars and clocks
- Odd days: an ordinary year has 1 odd day and a leap year 2. So if 1 January is a Monday in an ordinary year, 1 January next year is a Tuesday.
- Leap years: divisible by 4; century years only if divisible by 400 (2000 was a leap year, 1900 was not).
- Clock angle: θ = |30H − 5.5M|. At 3:15, θ = |90 − 82.5| = 7.5°.
10. Analogy and classification
Find the exact relationship (worker–tool, product–raw material, country–capital, whole–part) and apply the same relationship to the options. In classification ("odd one out"), check category, number properties (prime, square, even/odd) and letter patterns.
A two-week reasoning plan
| Days | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Number and letter series |
| 3–4 | Coding-decoding, analogy, classification |
| 5–6 | Blood relations, direction sense |
| 7 | Mixed sectional test + analysis |
| 8–9 | Ranking, calendar, clock |
| 10–11 | Syllogisms, statements and conclusions |
| 12–13 | Seating arrangement and puzzles |
| 14 | Mixed sectional test + analysis |
Practice questions
Q1. Find the next number: 3, 7, 13, 21, 31, ?
- (a) 41
- (b) 43
- (c) 45
- (d) 47
Show answer
Answer: (b) 43 — Differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, so the next difference is 12: 31 + 12 = 43.
Q2. If TRAIN is coded USBJO, how is PLANE coded?
- (a) QMBOF
- (b) OKZMD
- (c) QMBNF
- (d) PMBOF
Show answer
Answer: (a) QMBOF — Each letter is shifted forward by one place.
Q3. A man walks 6 km north, turns right and walks 8 km. What is the shortest distance from the starting point?
- (a) 14 km
- (b) 10 km
- (c) 12 km
- (d) 8 km
Show answer
Answer: (b) 10 km — √(6² + 8²) = √100 = 10 km.
Q4. Ravi is 12th from the left and 9th from the right in a row. How many students are in the row?
- (a) 19
- (b) 20
- (c) 21
- (d) 22
Show answer
Answer: (b) 20 — Total = 12 + 9 − 1 = 20.
Q5. What is the angle between the hands of a clock at 3:15?
- (a) 0°
- (b) 7.5°
- (c) 15°
- (d) 22.5°
Show answer
Answer: (b) 7.5° — θ = |30 × 3 − 5.5 × 15| = |90 − 82.5| = 7.5°.
Q6. Statements: All pens are books. Some books are bags. Conclusions: I. Some pens are bags. II. Some books are pens.
- (a) Only I follows
- (b) Only II follows
- (c) Both follow
- (d) Neither follows
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only II follows — II follows because all pens are books; I is only a possibility.
Q7. Which of the following years was NOT a leap year?
- (a) 1996
- (b) 2000
- (c) 1900
- (d) 2024
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1900 — Century years are leap years only if divisible by 400; 1900 is not.
Q8. Find the odd one out: 11, 13, 17, 21, 23
- (a) 13
- (b) 17
- (c) 21
- (d) 23
Show answer
Answer: (c) 21 — 21 = 3 × 7 is not prime; the others are prime numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Which reasoning topics are most common in Punjab exams?
Series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, ranking, analogy, classification and syllogisms appear most often. Seating arrangement and puzzles are more common in banking and higher-level exams.
How fast should I solve a reasoning question?
Aim for 30–60 seconds for most questions. Puzzles and seating arrangements take longer but usually have several questions based on one set-up.
Do I need shortcuts?
Methods matter more than tricks. Once a method is clear, speed comes from practice.
Official sources
Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.