Statements, conclusions and assumptions for RRB NTPC: what really follows

These questions give you one short statement, often a notice, an advertisement or a line from a news report, followed by two items to judge. The options are usually: only I, only II, either I or II, neither, or both.

They look like common sense, and that is the trap. Candidates pick the conclusion that sounds sensible, not the one the statement supports. The skill being tested is discipline: judge only from the words on the screen.

Three question types

The RRB NTPC syllabus lists statement–conclusion and statement–courses of action. Assumption questions use the same reading skill, so learn all three together.

Courses of action have their own four-question test, covered in statements and courses of action. This post concentrates on conclusions and assumptions.

Conclusions: what the statement supports

A conclusion follows if a careful reader could draw it from the statement alone. It does not have to be the only possible reading, but it must not add facts, extend "some" to "all", or turn "may" into "must".

Signs that a conclusion does not follow:

• It uses an extreme word the statement does not use: only, all, always, never, best.
• It brings in a cause or motive the statement never mentions.
• It talks about the future or other places when the statement is about one case.
• It contradicts part of the statement.

Assumptions: what the speaker took for granted

An assumption is unstated. The speaker believes it, otherwise they would not have said or done what they did. Notices, requests and advertisements always rest on assumptions: that the reader will read, that the action is possible, that it will have some effect.

The negation test

Reverse the assumption and ask: does the statement still make sense?

• Notice: "Use the stairs; the lift is under repair."
• Assumption: "People can read the notice." Negated: "No one can read the notice." Then putting it up makes no sense, so the assumption is implicit.

Words that decide the answer

Worked examples

Example 1 (conclusion): "All candidates must carry an admit card to the exam centre."

• I. A candidate without an admit card may not be allowed to enter. Follows. "Must" implies a consequence.
• II. The admit card is the only document candidates need. Does not follow. The statement never says "only".
• Answer: only I.

Example 2 (conclusion): "Ticket sales at the station rose after the new foot overbridge opened."

• I. The overbridge caused the rise in ticket sales. Does not follow. The statement gives a sequence, not a cause. Other factors could explain it.
• II. Ticket sales were higher after the overbridge opened than before. Follows. This restates the statement.
• Answer: only II.

Example 3 (conclusion): "Some trains on this route run late in winter."

• I. All trains on this route run late in winter. Does not follow ("some" is not "all").
• II. No train on this route runs on time in winter. Does not follow. It says the same thing as I in other words.
• Answer: neither follows.

Example 4 (assumption): A notice at a station: "Passengers are requested to keep their luggage with them at all times."

• I. Some passengers may leave luggage unattended. Implicit. Otherwise there would be no need for the notice.
• II. All luggage left alone is stolen. Not implicit. Far too extreme.
• Answer: only I.

Example 5 (assumption): An advertisement: "Learn typing in 30 days with our online course."

• I. Some people want to learn typing. Implicit. No one advertises a course nobody wants.
• II. Typing cannot be learnt without an online course. Not implicit. The advertiser does not need to believe this.
• Answer: only I.

Example 6 (assumption): "The railway plans to add more general coaches to crowded trains on this route."

• I. Adding coaches will reduce crowding to some extent. Implicit. It is the reason for the plan.
• II. It is possible to add coaches to these trains. Implicit. No one plans the impossible.
• Answer: both are implicit.

Example 7 (course of action): "Many passengers at a station complain about long queues at the ticket counters."

• I. More ticket counters or ticket machines should be provided. Follows. Practical and directly addresses the problem.
• II. The station should be closed. Does not follow. Extreme, and it creates a bigger problem.
• Answer: only I.

Common mistakes

• Treating "may" as "must", or "some" as "all".
• Accepting a conclusion because it is true in real life, even though the statement does not support it.
• Rejecting an obvious assumption because it seems too simple. The simplest assumptions (people can read, the plan is possible) are the ones most often implicit.
• Choosing "either–or" loosely. It needs two options where exactly one must be true, which is rare in this topic.
• Rejecting a mild, practical action because it would not solve the problem completely.

Practice set

1. Statement: "Regular practice improves typing speed." Conclusions: I. People who practise regularly are likely to type faster. II. Practice is the only way to improve typing.
2. Statement: "The school has announced extra classes for students who scored below 40% in mathematics." Assumptions: I. Extra classes may help these students improve. II. All students will attend the extra classes.
3. Statement: "Several trains were delayed this week because of fog." Courses of action: I. Better fog-safety equipment should be used where possible. II. All trains should be cancelled in winter.
4. Statement: "Some candidates reached the exam centre late because of traffic." Conclusions: I. Traffic can affect travel time to the centre. II. All candidates were late.
5. Statement: A notice in a library: "Mobile phones must be kept on silent." Assumptions: I. A ringing phone may disturb readers. II. Readers will stop using the library if phones ring.
6. Statement: "The price of the monthly season ticket has been kept unchanged this year." Conclusions: I. The price was not raised this year. II. Season-ticket holders will increase this year.

Answers:

1. Only I. "Improves" supports "likely to type faster"; nothing says "only".
2. Only I. Extra classes are planned because they may help. The school need not believe every student will attend.
3. Only I. A targeted safety step is practical; cancelling every winter train is extreme.
4. Only I. The statement is about "some" candidates, so II goes too far.
5. Only I. The rule exists because phones can disturb readers. II is an extreme prediction the library need not believe.
6. Only I. I restates the statement. II is a prediction the statement does not support.

What to do next

• Underline every only, all, never, some and may in the next 20 questions before choosing.
• Use the negation test on every assumption option for a week.
• Work through statements and courses of action for the action-type questions.
• Revise syllogism, where "follows" has a stricter, diagram-based meaning.