Analytical Reasoning

Analytical Decision Making

• The action or process of making important decisions for selection of a
candidate is known as Decision Making. In this logical
reasoning section, criteria for selection of any post or admission will
be given, which a candidate must need to fulfil in order to get
selected for a particular job or post.
• In other types of questions, a paragraph of information is given and
based on which the questions are to be answered in a relevant
manner. Decision Making reasoning questions are designed to judge
the decision making capability of a candidate.
Types of Decision Making Reasoning
1. Eligibility Test
• In these type of Decision Making Reasoning questions, a set of
necessary conditions and qualifications required to be fulfilled by the
candidate for a certain vacancy in a job/promotion/admission in a
college, along with the bio data of certain candidates who have
applied for the same will be given. Candidates are required to
evaluate and assess a candidate’s eligibility and decide the
appropriate course of action to be taken from the given alternatives.
Contd..
2. Passage Based Decision Making
• In these type of Decision Making Reasoning questions, generally
a paragraph or a group of statements is given followed by some
questions, and a candidate is required to read the data carefully and
decide accordingly, which option follows from the data.
How to Solve Decision Making Questions –
Tips and Tricks
• Tip # 1: For solving the decision making reasoning questions,
candidates need to analyze the statements given very carefully before
attempting the question.
• Tip # 2: Analyze the statements along with the bio data given for
every candidate to eliminate the options and get the correct answer.
• Tip # 3: Candidates need to follow the course of actions based on the
instructions given. Points should be according to conditions provided.
For a candidate, only one exceptional condition will be allowed.
Example
• Before attempting the sample decision making reasoning questions read the directions
given below.
• Following are the conditions for selecting trainees for winter internship at ICICI bank. The
candidate must
1. Be at least 19 years in case of females and 21 years in case of males, but not more
than 25 years of age for either case as on 31.03.2012
2. Be a Graduate in any discipline with at least 55% aggregate marks
3. Have secured at least 50% marks in the selection test.
• The conditions for arrangement of Money Deposit are as follow:
a. Money Deposit of Rs. 40000 along with the application form if the candidate has passed
graduation with less than 60% marks but more than 55% marks.
b. If the candidate has secured more than 80% marks at graduation, the money deposit is Rs.
25000. If the candidate has secured marks between 60% and 80% then deposit is Rs. 30000.
c. If the candidate is the son/daughter of a serving employee, the amount of the deposit will be
one third of that applicable to others, keeping the merit criteria the same.
Contd..
• In case of the candidate who fulfil the required conditions but
a. Can pay only 3/4th of the applicable amount, he/she may be
provisionally selected.
b. Can pay only half of the applicable amount, he/she may be referred
to the Manager.
c. Have secured below 50% marks but above 45% marks in the
selection test, he/she may be referred to the Manager.
Contd..
• Question 1: Rahul has passed B.Com with 50% marks and secured 55% in the selection test. Born
on 28 January, 1988, he can pay the required amount for recruitment.
• Solution: If we analyze the given data with the statements given above, we see that since the
information provided does not happen when graduation is below 55%, the data is inadequate.
• Question 2: Max has passed B.A. with 82% and secured 69% in the selection test. He is the son of
a teacher and he was born on 12 September, 1989. He can pay a maximum of Rs. 14000 as Money
deposit.
• Solution: If we analyze the given data with the statements given above, we see that the candidate
must be referred to the Manager, as he can pay Rs.14000 which is more than required Rs. 12500.
• Question 3: Riya Sharma was born on 31st May 1992 and has passed B.Sc. with 62% marks and
secured 49% marks in the selection test. She is the daughter of cashier of the Bank and can pay a
maximum of Rs. 10000 as deposit.
• Solution: The candidate has secured below 50% marks but above 45% marks in the selection test,
thus he/she may be referred to the Manager for recruitment.
Example
• Refer to the information given below and answer the following questions:
• In a school in New Delhi, a panel of three senior teachers has been formed to
elect the Head Boy of the school. Three probable candidates have been selected
by the students: Ajay, Veer and Nitin. Each teacher has to vote either in against or
for each student.
• The following criteria are known to us about the selection:
• Exactly two teachers vote for Ajay
• Exactly one teacher votes for Veer
• Exactly one teacher votes for Nitin
• Teacher 1 votes for Ajay
• Teacher 2 votes against Ajay and Nitin
• Teacher 3 votes against Nitin
Contd..
1. Which of the given statements is definitely true?
a) Teacher 2 votes against Nitin
b) Teacher 3 is in support of Ajay but against Nitin
c) Teacher 1 is against Ajay
d) Teacher 3 is against Veer
e) None of the above
2. Based on the given information, which of the statements is completely false?
a) If Teacher 3 votes against Veer, then Teacher 2 would have voted for Veer
b) Teacher 1 was against making Veer the Head Boy of the school
c) Teacher 3 voted for Ajay
d) Veer was not supported by Teacher 1
e) None of the above
Example
• Analyze the information given below about an election campaign
strategy and answer the following questions:
• You are supposed to prepare a strategy for election campaigning
which is going to start in 6 months time. This is to be done at multiple
constituencies involving many agencies. There would be a huge
amount of logistical support which would be required once the
format has been decided. The Minister has called for a meeting to
hear your action plan and you need to be prepared for it.
Contd..
1. What would be the most effective answer?
a. Concentrate on coordinating with the different agencies and having
them approve the strategy
b. Concentrate on setting deadlines, targets and checkpoints in order
to meet the deadlines.
c. Concentrate on getting an immediate feel for the contents design
and layout of the strategy.
d. Concentrate on logistics: how to move people and equipment from
one place to another smoothly
Contd..
2. What would be the least effective answer?
a. Concentrate on coordinating with the different agencies and having
them approve the strategy
b. Concentrate on setting deadlines, targets and checkpoints in order
to meet the deadlines.
c. Concentrate on getting an immediate feel for the contents design
and layout of the strategy.
d. Concentrate on logistics: how to move people and equipment from
one place to another smoothly
Example
• As a relatively small part of your role, you are responsible for the maintenance of a
database of statistical information regarding meteorological data and its link to road
traffic levels at the Indian met department. This is drawn upon every three months for
analysis, although for the past few years the results have been consistent and predictable
and some people have questioned the need for such detailed data. In order to compile
the information, you rely on daily input of information from a number of people in
different localities. One day, one of these individuals comes to you to request that data
be submitted on a weekly rather than daily basis, to save time. Your boss is on holiday
and you are left to make the decision. Which of the given options must not be
considered by the employee?
a. Inform them that you cannot authorize it until your boss is back from leave.
b. Make the change as it seems more sensible, and inform your boss when he returns.
c. Inform him that there is no chance of any change in the reporting pattern.
d. Ask the other person involved in it and what is their take and tell this to your boss
once he comes back.
Example
• You are new to your department and your boss has handed you a brief for a presentation that
covers what you should tell your department about the new IT system that is being introduced.
Your boss would have done it himself, but he has annual leave for the next few days. It contains a
lot of facts and you are aware that your boss prefers a more factual dry presentation style.
However, you are concerned that the audience would find the content dull and you want to make
a good first impression on them. What would be the least effective answer?
a. Respect the approach that your superior would have taken and present just the facts, but try to
do so quickly so that the audience doesn’t get too bored.
b. Introduce a range of interactive, entertaining elements to the briefing that increase audience
engagement with the content prepared by your boss, but might not reflect the style of your
boss.
c. Send a brief around in email form prior to the meeting and then engage in a two-way
discussion with the audience about the system.
d. Suggest to your boss that he may like to present the content when he returns, as this will
ensure that it is delivered in the way he intended.