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Reasoning for SSC CGL

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning: analogy, series, coding, blood relations, puzzles, syllogism, figures and more. It is 25 questions in Tier 1 and a 90-mark module in Tier 2, and it is one of the quickest sections to improve with practice.

13 guides·Conducted by Staff Selection CommissionOfficial website

Study in this order

  1. 1Reasoning for SSC CGL: strategy and weightageGeneral Intelligence and Reasoning is the section where SSC CGL candidates can come closest to full marks. The question types are limited, they repeat every year, and most can be solved in under forty seconds with practice. Weightage in both tiers, the verbal and non-verbal types, a study order, daily practice routines and exam-time habits that protect accuracy. 3 min read
  2. 2Analogy and classification for SSC CGL"Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?" and "find the odd one out" look like the easiest questions in SSC CGL reasoning, yet they cost marks when two rules seem to fit. The relationship types, a four-step method, six worked examples and eight practice questions with explained answers. 7 min read
  3. 3Number and letter series for SSC CGL"Find the next term: 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ?" Series questions reward method, not flashes of insight. A fixed checking order, the patterns SSC actually uses, six worked examples and eight practice questions with explained answers. 7 min read
  4. 4Coding and decoding for SSC CGLIf PENCIL is written as QFODJM, how is ERASER written? Coding–decoding in SSC CGL uses a handful of rule types. How to crack each one by writing positions and comparing, six worked examples and eight practice questions with explained answers. 6 min read
  5. 5Blood relations for SSC CGL"Pointing to a photograph, a man said, 'She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son.' How is the woman related to him?" Blood relation questions look like riddles, but a family tree drawn with a few standard symbols solves them in seconds. Relationship vocabulary, the tree method, pointing-type and coded-relation questions, and worked examples with answers — without assuming anyone's gender that the question doesn't state. 4 min read
  6. 6Direction and distance for SSC CGLA person walks 10 m north, turns right, walks 6 m, turns right again, walks 18 m… Where are they now, and which way are they facing? Direction questions are solved by drawing — never by imagining. The eight directions, left and right turns, net displacement with Pythagoras, shadow-based questions and angle turns, with worked examples and answers. 3 min read
  7. 7Syllogism for SSC CGL"All pens are books. Some books are bags. Conclusions: I. Some pens are bags. II. Some bags are books." Syllogism questions test pure logic — what must be true from given statements, regardless of the real world. The Venn diagram method, the four statement types, "possibility" conclusions and "either–or" cases, with worked examples and answers. 3 min read
  8. 8Venn diagrams for SSC CGLWhich diagram best represents the relationship between doctors, women and singers? How many people like tea but not coffee? SSC CGL uses Venn diagrams in two ways — choosing the diagram that shows how three groups relate, and reading numbers from overlapping circles. Both are quick once you learn the standard relationships and the counting formulas. Worked examples and answers. 3 min read
  9. 9Seating arrangement and puzzles for SSC CGLSix friends sit in a row, or eight around a table; some face north, some face the centre; clues tell you who sits next to whom. Seating and puzzle questions are the longest reasoning questions in SSC CGL, but they follow a fixed method: draw the frame, place the definite clues first, branch on the uncertain ones, and eliminate. Linear and circular arrangements with worked examples and answers. 4 min read
  10. 10Order and ranking for SSC CGL"P is 12th from the left and 17th from the right. How many are in the row?" Order and ranking questions are really about counting without an off-by-one error. The formulas and why they work, swaps, minimum-queue and comparison questions, six worked examples and eight practice questions. 7 min read
  11. 11Mathematical operations and missing numbers for SSC CGL"If + means × and − means ÷…" Symbol-substitution, sign-swapping and missing-number questions blend reasoning with arithmetic. They are quick marks if you substitute first, apply BODMAS correctly and test every rule on every row. Seven question types, eight worked examples and a practice set with answers. 8 min read
  12. 12Non-verbal reasoning for SSC CGLMirror images, water images, paper folding and cutting, embedded figures, figure series and completion make up a steady share of SSC CGL reasoning. There are no formulas, but there is a method. Know exactly what each transformation does, track one element at a time, and eliminate options. Rules, grid-based worked examples and practice with answers. 8 min read
  13. 13Dice and cubes for SSC CGLWhich number is opposite 4 on this die? How many small cubes have exactly two painted faces? Dice and cube questions look three-dimensional, but a few rules solve almost all of them. The common-face and two-common-face rules, the "adjacent to four" rule, net folding, and painted cube and cuboid counts, with worked examples and practice. 8 min read

New Reasoning guides are added regularly. Back to all SSC CGL guides