Reasoning Ability - MCQ Practice Questions

Understanding:

We are given a universal negative and a universal affirmative and must test both conclusions.

Step 1: Test Conclusion I

Since no exam is easy, exams are completely outside the set of 'easy things'. Since only easy things (as per Premise 2) are said to require less effort, exams — being entirely outside the easy-things group — do not require less effort. Therefore, NO exam requires less effort. Conclusion I follows validly.

Step 2: Test Conclusion II

Conclusion II directly contradicts Conclusion I and also contradicts the reasoning above. Since no exam is easy and only easy things require less effort, some exams requiring less effort is impossible under these premises. Conclusion II does not follow.

Answer:

Only Conclusion I follows from the given statements.

Quick Tip:

When a Universal Negative (No A is B) is combined with a Universal Affirmative (All B are C), you can validly conclude No A is C — because A and B share no members, so A cannot inherit any property exclusive to B.

Understanding:

We must decode the machine's rule from the given input-output steps, then apply it to the new input to find the output after Step 4.

Step 1: Identify the rule from the example.

The original input is: bright 48 calm 17 dense 63 easy 29

Observing the pattern:

Let us verify step by step:

Step 1: Place the smallest word (calm) at the front → calm bright 48 17 dense 63 easy 29

Step 2: Place the smallest number (17) next → calm 17 bright 48 dense 63 easy 29

Step 3: Place the next word (dense) next → calm 17 dense bright 48 63 easy 29

Step 4: Place the next number (48) next → calm 17 dense 48 bright 63 easy 29

Step 5: Place the next word (easy) next → calm 17 dense 48 easy bright 63 29

Step 6: Place the next number (29) next → calm 17 dense 48 easy 29 bright 63

The rule is confirmed: alternately place the next alphabetically smallest remaining word, then the next numerically smallest remaining number, building from left to right.

Step 2: Identify elements for the new input.

Input: forest 55 age 82 jump 34 over 19

Step 3: Apply the rule step by step.

Input: forest 55 age 82 jump 34 over 19

Step 1: age forest 55 82 jump 34 over 19 (place 'age')

Step 2: age 19 forest 55 82 jump 34 over (place '19')

Step 3: age 19 jump forest 55 82 34 over (place 'jump')

Step 4: age 19 jump 34 forest 55 82 over (place '34')

Answer:

After Step 4, the output is: age 19 jump 34 forest 55 82 over

Quick Tip:

In alternating word-number arrangement machines, always sort words alphabetically and numbers in ascending order separately first — this lets you predict any step without tracing every previous one.

Understanding:

This question had an internal inconsistency in the rule extraction. It is replaced by a clean question below. Please see Question 2 replacement.

Answer: