Reasoning Ability – Statement & Conclusion
DRDO Recruitment – Core Question Type
Used in: General Aptitude, Reasoning, Logical Reasoning sections
1. Simple Explanation
| Term | What it Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | A factual claim or premise that is given in the question. | The manager is on vacation. |
| Conclusion | A logical inference that follows from the statement. | The manager will not be available for meetings today. |
In a Statement–Conclusion (S–C) question you are given a Statement (S) and a Conclusion (C).
You must decide whether the conclusion is:
- True – logically follows from the statement.
- False – contradicts the statement.
- Cannot be determined – insufficient information.
Key Idea: A conclusion is true only if it is necessary given the statement. A conclusion is false if it is inconsistent with the statement. Otherwise, the answer is cannot be determined.
2. Key Points & Rules
| # | Rule | What to look for | Typical Pitfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Logical necessity | Conclusion must be necessary for the given statement. | Assuming it is sufficient (i.e., if the statement is true, the conclusion is true). |
| 2 | Contradiction | If the conclusion contradicts the statement, answer: False. | Confusing contradiction with impossibility. |
| 3 | Insufficient data | If the statement does not provide enough information to derive the conclusion, answer: Cannot be determined. | Over‑interpreting “possible” as “certain.” |
| 4 | Negation of the statement | If the statement is negated, treat the negation as the new premise. | Forgetting to convert “not” before evaluating. |
| 5 | Multiple sentences | For multi‑sentence statements, treat all of them together; they may impose additional constraints. | Ignoring one part of the statement. |
| 6 | Contextual cues | Words like always, never, only, sometimes dictate necessity vs possibility. | Misreading sometimes as always. |
| 7 | Logical connectors | If…then, unless, either…or, and, or, not. | Misinterpreting or as exclusive when it is inclusive. |
3. Worked Example
Statement (S):
If it rains today, the ground will be wet.
Conclusion (C):
The ground is wet.
Step‑by‑Step Analysis
| Step | What you do | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify the type of statement | Conditional (“If p then q”). | The statement gives a relationship, not a direct fact. |
| 2. Translate to logical form | (p \rightarrow q) where (p) = “It rains today”, (q) = “The ground is wet”. | Helps visualise the implication. |
| 3. Check if conclusion is necessary | Does (q) necessarily follow from (p \rightarrow q)? | No, because (p) might be false. |
| 4. Check for contradiction | Does (q) contradict (p \rightarrow q)? | No. |
| 5. Evaluate possibility | Is it possible that the statement is true and the conclusion false? | Yes (if it does not rain, the ground may still be wet or dry). |
| 6. Decide | Cannot be determined. | The statement does not guarantee the conclusion. |
Answer: Cannot be determined.
Another Example (True)
Statement (S): All cats are animals.
Conclusion (C): Mittens is an animal.
Analysis:
- Translate: ( \text{Cat}(x) \rightarrow \text{Animal}(x) ).
- We know Mittens is a cat (implicit from context or given).
- Therefore, by modus ponens, Mittens is an animal.
Answer: True.
Another Example (False)
Statement (S): No student in the class has a blue pen.
Conclusion (C): Sita has a blue pen.
Analysis:
- The statement says none of the students have a blue pen.
- Conclusion asserts that a specific student does.
- Contradiction → False.
4. Quick Revision Summary
| # | What you need to remember |
|---|---|
| 1 | True = conclusion is a necessary consequence of the statement. |
| 2 | False = conclusion contradicts the statement. |
| 3 | Cannot be determined = statement gives no guarantee about the conclusion. |
| 4 | Always translate statements into logical form (p → q, p ∧ q, etc.). |
| 5 | Pay attention to modal words (always, never, sometimes). |
| 6 | For conditional statements, remember that the truth of the premise is not guaranteed. |
| 7 | Practice quick “test‑case” checks: assume statement true, see if conclusion must hold. |
| 8 | Keep a mental checklist: necessity → True, contradiction → False, else → Cannot be determined. |
Quick Practice Question (for you to try)
Statement: If a person is a bachelor, then the person is unmarried.
Conclusion: All unmarried people are bachelors.
Answer?
(Think: Does the statement guarantee the conclusion? Use the checklist above.)
Final Tip: In exam time, don’t overthink.
- Convert to logical form.
- Check for necessity or contradiction.
- Pick the answer.
You’ll be done