Statement & conclusion: Reasoning Ability Notes for Puducherry PSC

Statement & Conclusion – Reasoning Ability

Puducherry PSC – Study Notes

Term	Definition
Statement	A fact or proposition that is explicitly given in the passage.
Conclusion	An inference that follows logically from the statement(s) but is not stated outright.

In the exam, you’re usually given a short paragraph (Statement) and two options (Conclusion A & Conclusion B). Only one conclusion is valid.

Rule	What it Means
Rule‑1	Conclusion must be deducible* from the statement.* If the statement alone does not guarantee the conclusion, it’s wrong.
Rule‑2	Conclusion must be necessary. If there are other plausible conclusions, discard it.
Rule‑3	Conclusion must be correct. No contradiction with the statement or with common knowledge.
Rule‑4	Conclusion cannot be derived from additional assumptions. Only what’s inside the statement is permitted.

Check for Logical Necessity
- Does the statement force the conclusion?
- Example: “All dogs bark.” → “This animal barks.” → Only if the animal is a dog.
Look for Contradictions
- If the statement contains a negative or an exception, a positive conclusion may be invalid.
Exclude Unnecessary Inference
- If the conclusion adds information not implied, discard it.
Use the “If‑then” Test
- Convert the statement to a conditional form:
  
  If [condition in statement], then [conclusion].
- Test if the statement actually satisfies the condition.
Beware of “And” / “Or”
- “And” → Both conditions must be true.
- “Or” → At least one condition is true.
- Misinterpreting them leads to wrong conclusions.

“A man, who was a vegetarian, had a headache and did not take any medication.”

A. The man is suffering from an allergic reaction.
B. The man’s headache was probably due to lack of sleep.

Step	What to Check	Result
1	Identify key facts.	Vegetarian; has headache; no medication.
2	Apply Rule‑1 (deducible).	Neither fact alone deduces allergy or sleep loss.
3	Apply Rule‑4 (no extra assumptions).	“Allergy” or “lack of sleep” are extra facts not in statement.
4	Conclusion?	None of the options is necessarily true. Both are possible but not deduced.

Both options are invalid. The correct answer would be: None of the above (if offered).

Pitfall	How to Avoid
Assuming “vegetarian” → “no medication”	The statement already says no medication; vegetarian is irrelevant.
Reading “headache” → “allergy”	Allergies can cause headaches, but not a necessary inference.
Ignoring “did not take any medication”	This negates any conclusion that depends on medication being taken.

Item	What to Remember
Statement	Explicit fact(s) given.
Conclusion	Logical inference not stated.
Rule‑1	Must be deducible.
Rule‑2	Must be necessary.
Rule‑3	Must be correct.
Rule‑4	No added assumptions.
Logical Test	“If … then …” → does the statement satisfy the antecedent?
Common Mistake	Adding facts not in the statement.
Practice Tip	Convert statement to a conditional; check each option for necessity.

Keep these points handy while solving PSC reasoning questions. Good luck!