Basics of Puzzles Question for Bank/ SBI/ IBPS PO , Govt PSU Exams

What are Logical Puzzles?

Logical Reasoning Puzzles require you to analyze the given piece of information, pick the information that is important and leave out the information that is not required in solving the given set of questions. Reasoning puzzles are mostly based on blood relations, arrangements, inequalities, etc. Sometimes, the questions test your lateral thinking and may not require any deduction or analysis.

Basic steps to solve Logical Puzzles

1. Take a quick look at the question.
2. Develop a general idea regarding the theme of the problem.
3. Select the data that is giving you some concrete information out of total information given. Also, select the data which helps in ruling out certain possibilities.

1. Useful secondary information: Generally, the first few sentences of the given data give you the basic information that is required to know the general idea of the problem. This is called the ‘useful secondary information’.
2. Actual information: Data left after putting aside the useful secondary information is called actual information. While trying to solve the problem, you should begin with the actual information while the useful secondary information should be kept in mind.
3. Negative Information: Some parts of the actual information may consist of negative information. Negative information does not inform us anything exactly but it gives us a chance to eliminate a possibility. Sentences like “P is not the mother of Q” or “B is not a hill-station” are called negative information.

Example: Read the given information carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. Five friends Ami,Bimi, Cal, Dan and Eco travelled from  Darjeeling to five different countries US,UK,China,Canada,Russia by 5 different modes of transport: Cycle,Rocket,Time Machine ,Yacht, and Bike.
2. The one who travelled to China did not travel by Bike.
3. Cal went to Canada by Yacht and Bimi went to UK  by Time Machine.
4. Dan travelled by Bike and Eco travelled by Rocket.
5. Darjeeling is not connected by Cycle to US and China.

1. Which of the following combinations of person and mode is not corrected?

A. Ami — Cycle 

 B. Bimi — Time Machine

C. Cal — Yacht

D. Dan — Bike  

E. Eco — Time Machine

Solution: 

(A) Mode of Transport: Cal travels by Yacht, Bimi by Time Machine, Dan by Bike ,and Eco by Rocket. Now, only Ami remains. So, Ami travels by Cycle.

Now Lets practice Some Questions:

Direction (1-7) : Study the following information carefully to answer the given question.

Six lectures are organized during a week, starting from Monday & ending on Sunday. Computer Science is not on Tuesday or Saturday. Psychology is exactly after the Organizational Practices. Statistics is not on Friday & there is a holiday for one day between Statistics & Research Methods. There is not any lecture before Economics (because it a holiday & Monday is not a holiday).

1. Which of the following is the last lecture organized?

(A) Statistics

(B) Research Methods

(C) Psychology

(D) Cannot be determined

(E) None of these

2. If Wednesday is the holiday, then the code will be 2 – 4. If Thursday is a holiday, then the code will be 3-3. Which of the following codes is corrects on the basis of the holiday?

(A) 2-4

(B) 3-3

(C) 4-2

(D) Cannot be determined

(E) None of these

3. Which lecture will be conducted on Friday?

(A) Economics

(B) Psychology

(C) Computer Science

(D) Cannot be determined

(E) None of these

Question 2: Read the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow:

There are six cities A, B, C, D, E and F.

A is not a hill station.

B and E are not historical places.

D is not an industrial city.

A and D are not historical cities.

A and B are not alike.

Q1. Which two cities are industrial centres?

(a) A and B         (b) E and F           (c) C and D             (d) B and F           (e) A and D

Q2. Which two cities are historical places?

(a) A and C         (b) B and F           (c) C and F              (d) B and E           (e) A and D

Q3. Which two cities are hill stations?

(a) A and B        (b) C and A           (c) B and D              (d) A and F           (e) None of these

Q4. Which city is a hill station and an industrial centre but not a historical place?

(a) E                    (b)F                       (c) A                          (d) B                       (e) C

Q5. Which two cities are neither historical places nor industrial centres?

(a) A and B        (b) D and E          (c) F and C              (d) B and D            (e) None of these

Question 3: Directions for Questions 01-05:

Answer the questions on the basis of the following information There are five persons Sarthak, Prachi, Rohan, Kanika and Gagan. Two of them are Doctors, while other three are Engineer, Architect and Chartered Accountant. A doctor and the Chartered Accountant own a same car Superb. The other three own different cars viz. City, Innova and Verna. Two of the five persons stay in Mumbai, while the other three persons live in three different cities viz. Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. The Chartered Accountant is the tallest, while the doctor who is an ENT is the shortest. The other doctor is an eye specialist and lies between the Engineer and Chartered Accountant height wise. Kanika is an eye specialist and owns Superb while Gagan lives in Delhi and owns a Verna. The engineer lives in Pune and owns a City. Prachi lives in Bangalore, while Sarthak lives in Mumbai and is an ENT.

Q1. What is Prachi by profession?

A) Engineer

 B) Chartered Accountant

C) Architect

 D) Doctor

 E) Cannot be determined

===========================

Q2. What is Gagan by profession?

A) Engineer

B) Chartered Accountant

C) Architect

 D) Doctor E) Cannot be determined

 ===========================

Q3. What is Rohan by profession?

A) Engineer

B) Chartered Accountant

C) Architect

D) Doctor

E) Cannot be determined