LOGICAL REASONING - FOR MDCAT

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According To PMDC Syllabus 2024
Content List for Logical Reasoning

INTRODUCTION
Logical Reasoning questions evaluate the ability to analyze, evaluate, and complete arguments as they occur in ordinary language. The questions are based on short arguments drawn from a wide variety of sources.

Each Logical Reasoning question requires you to read and comprehend a short passage, then answer one question about it. The questions are designed to assess a wide range of skills involved in thinking critically, with an emphasis on skills that are central to reasoning.

Types of reasoning questions that may come in the MDCAT:

1. Critical Thinking
2. Letter and symbol series
3. Logical deduction
4. Logical problems
5. Course of action
6. Cause & effect

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a process of evaluation which uses logic to separate truth from falsehood, reasonable from unreasonable beliefs.

Sample Question
Read the following passage. Then, decide whether the three statements below are “True”, “Probably True”, “Insufficient Data to Say True or False”, “Probably False”, or “False” – based purely on the information provided in the text.

Ahmed's company has been successful for the past 5 years. Reported profits have been rising each year, with 2018 being the strongest year yet, To celebrate, Ahmed treated his staff to meal at a 5-star restaurant in the city.

1. Ahmed is rich.
2. Ahmed‟s staff are happy
3. Ahmed‟s company performed well in 2017

2. Letters & Symbol Series
Letter and Symbol Series are a sequential order of letters, numbers or both arranged such a way that each term in the series is obtained according to some specific rules. These rules can be based on mathematical operations, place of letters in alphabetical order etc.

Sample Question
Look carefully at the sequence of symbols to find the pattern. Select correct pattern.

3. Logical deductions
Logical reasoning is a type of thinking in which statements and relations between statements are used in a precise manner to make conclusions that are meant (or implied) by the statements and the relations. Logical deduction is a type of reasoning; it assesses a candidate's ability to use structured thinking to deduce from a short passage which of a number of statements is the most accurate response to a posed question.

Sample Question:
There is a family of six persons G, J, B, E, T, and Z. Their professions are teacher, writer, actor, singer, dancer and lawyer but not respectively in the same order. G is a teacher. Z is a dancer. B is neither writer nor actor. E is neither singer nor lawyer. T is an actor. J is a lawyer.
From the information given above, try to answer the following question.
Q.1 − Who among them has a profession of lawyer?

1. J
2. B
3. E
4. T

4. Logical Problems
Logic problems are puzzles which require people to use deductive reasoning skills, meaning they need to look at different pieces of information in order to arrive at an answer.

Sample Question
A lullaby is a song. No song is prose. Some proses are epics.
Conclusions:

1. Some proses are songs.
2. Some epics are lullabies.
3. Some songs are lullabies.

Which of the following is most appropriate in the above case?

• Only II
• Only III
• I, II and III are inappropriate

5. Course of Action
A course of action is a step or administrative decision to be taken for improvement, follow-up or further action in regard to the problem, policy, etc. On the basis of the information given in the statement to be true, test-takers should decide which of the suggested courses of action logically follow(s) for pursuing.

Sample Question
Statement: Power supply on state X is terribly poor.

Courses of Action:
I) WAPDA should urgently take action against power theft.
II) The government should generate more power.

1. if only I is most appropriate
2. if only II is most appropriate
3. if either I or II is most appropriate
4. if neither I nor II is most appropriate
5. if both I and II are most appropriate

6. Cause & Effect
Cause and effect is the relationship between two things when one thing makes something else happen. When examining events, people naturally seek to explain why things happened. This search often results in cause-and-effect reasoning, which asserts or denies that one thing causes another, or that one thing is caused by another.

Sample Question
Statements:
I. The standard of living of people of the average income group has been rising since the last two years.
II.Pakistani economy has been showing a significant growth.

1. Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect.
2. Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect.
3. Both the statements I and II are independent causes.
4. Both the statements I and II are effects of independent causes.
5. Both the statements I and II are effects of some common cause.