Essential Skills for Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning or abstract reasoning tests may require you to code the items and search for rules that describe transformation of one item into another. The below briefly summarises what it takes and key skills you need to develop to do well at logical reasoning tests.
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Inductive reasoning skills
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To do well at logical reasoning tests you need to have good inductive reasoning abilities as most of the problems in logical reasoning or abstract reasoning tests are problems of inductive reasoning. In general terms, inductive reasoning abilities are cognitive abilities that help you to manage uncertainty. For example, on a daily bases you may draw inferences of how someone may act, what the weather will be like or how your meeting with your manager will go. All of these are regarded as inductive inferences, that is, you draw conclusions that go beyond the information given.
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Similarly, in logical reasoning tests such as those involving recognition of sequences you need to employ your inductive reasoning abilities to identify tile that comes next in the sequence. For example, if all diamonds in the heptagon are black then the next heptagon with diamond in it will be black (see question 1 and figure 1 below). If white circle moves by three places clockwise then the white circle in the next step of the series must be moved accordingly. Remember, inductive reasoning is not about guessing, inductive reasoning has a rational basis in an idea or in observation.
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Figure 1 |
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Question 1
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Which tile should follow? |
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Critical thinking and information processing skills |
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Inductive reasoning may employ your critical thinking skills, information processing or your working memory. For example, to identify the pattern of sequence you need to focus your attention and evaluate each tile in the sequence in systematic and constructive way. You need to identify underlying rules of how the pattern works. You need to apply reasoned and disciplined thinking and analyse and evaluate your ideas in detail:
- Why the shapes change their colours?
- How does this rule work?
- Is my solution correct?
- Is there another solution?
That is, to do well at logical reasoning tests you must employ your critical thinking skills to focus your attention to examine the patterns in systematic and constructive way so that you can encode, infer and transform attributes of each item. |
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