Statements and conclusions for RRB Group D

Statement questions look like easy English, which is exactly why candidates lose marks on them. You agree or disagree with the statement and answer from your own opinion. The examiner is testing the opposite skill: can you judge only from what is written?

There is no calculation here, so once the rules are clear each question takes under a minute. This guide covers conclusions and courses of action in detail. Assumptions and arguments have their own guide, statements, arguments and assumptions, and a short recap sits below.

The three common types

The answer options are usually the same five:

• Only I follows
• Only II follows
• Either I or II follows
• Neither I nor II follows
• Both I and II follow

The wording in your paper may differ slightly, so read the options once before you start.

Conclusions: what "follows" means

A conclusion follows when it is true, or clearly implied, by the statement alone. Not by the news, not by what usually happens, not by what you think is fair. Four checks cover almost every case.

1. Stay inside the statement. If the conclusion needs a fact the statement never gave, it does not follow, even if the fact is true in real life.
2. Watch extreme words. "All", "only", "always", "never", "best", "most" and "every" push a conclusion beyond what the statement says. If the statement itself does not use the word, the conclusion usually fails.
3. Do not assume a cause. "Prices rose" does not tell you why they rose or who gained.
4. Some is not all. "Many students failed" supports "some students failed", never "all students failed".

Either I or II

Use "either" only when the two conclusions are the only two possibilities and the statement does not tell you which one is true. If one of them must happen and they cannot both happen, the answer is "either I or II".

Worked examples: conclusions

Example 1. Statement: "Only candidates who clear the written test will be called for the interview."

• I. A candidate who fails the written test will not be called for the interview.
• II. Every candidate who clears the written test will get the job.
• I says the same thing as the statement in reverse, so it follows. II talks about getting the job, which the statement never mentions. Answer: only I.

Example 2. Statement: "Mango trees in this village flowered early this year because of a warm winter."

• I. A warm winter can make mango trees flower early.
• II. Mango is the most popular fruit in India.
• I is given in the statement. II may or may not be true, but it is outside knowledge. Answer: only I.

Example 3. Statement: "The exam result will be declared either on Monday or on Tuesday."

• I. The result will be declared on Monday.
• II. The result will be declared on Tuesday.
• Neither is certain alone, but one of them must happen and both cannot. Answer: either I or II.

Example 4. Statement: "The price of vegetables rose sharply last month."

• I. Farmers earned more money last month.
• II. People stopped buying vegetables.
• I assumes a cause and a result the statement never gave; the extra money may have gone elsewhere. II is extreme: "stopped" means nobody bought any. Answer: neither.

Courses of action

Here the statement describes a problem, and you judge whether each action is a sensible response. A good course of action is:

• practical: it can actually be done by the people responsible;
• related: it tackles this problem or its cause, not some other issue;
• proportionate: it does not create a bigger problem than it solves.

Extreme actions such as "ban", "shut down permanently", "dismiss everyone" or "stop all trains" almost never pass. But "both" is common here: one action often gives immediate relief and the other prevents a repeat.

Example 5. Statement: "Several passengers fell ill after eating at a food stall on a station platform."

• I. Health officials should inspect the stall and test its food.
• II. The passengers who fell ill should be given medical help.
• I tackles the cause; II gives immediate relief. Both are practical. Answer: both.

Example 6. Statement: "Accidents keep happening at level crossings in a district because people cross while the gate is closed."

• I. Run awareness drives and fine people who cross a closed gate.
• II. Close every level crossing in the district to road traffic for ever.
• I is practical. II would cut off roads for everyone and create a larger problem. Answer: only I.

Assumptions: a quick recap

An assumption is something the speaker must have believed before making the statement. The quick test is to deny it: if the statement stops making sense, it is an assumption. A sign saying "Do not cross the tracks" assumes that some passengers may cross them; it does not assume that all passengers ignore signs.

Common mistakes

• Answering from general knowledge. A true fact that the statement does not give does not follow.
• Accepting a conclusion because you agree with it. Agreement is not evidence.
• Marking "either" whenever the two items look opposite. They must be the only two possibilities, and one must be true.
• Rejecting a mild action because it will not solve the problem completely, or accepting a harsh one because the problem sounds serious. Actions only need to help, in proportion.

Practice set

1. Statement: "The library stays open till 8 pm on weekdays." Conclusions: I. The library is closed on Sundays. II. On a Wednesday the library is open until 8 pm.
2. Statement: "Drink only boiled water during the rainy season." Assumptions: I. Unboiled water may carry germs in the rainy season. II. People never boil water.
3. Statement: "Some trains are running late because of fog." Courses of action: I. Passengers should check the running status before leaving home. II. All trains should be stopped permanently.
4. Statement: "Many students failed maths this year." Conclusions: I. Some students did not pass maths this year. II. All students failed maths.
5. Statement: "The new bridge will be opened either on 15 August or on 2 October." Conclusions: I. It will open on 15 August. II. It will open on 2 October.
6. Statement: "A water pipeline has burst and a colony has had no water for two days." Courses of action: I. Repair the pipeline at once. II. Send water tankers to the colony until the repair is done.
7. Statement: "Mobile phones are not allowed inside the exam hall." Conclusions: I. A candidate cannot use a mobile phone inside the exam hall. II. Mobile phones are harmful to health.
8. Statement: "A survey found that many people in a town skip breakfast." Conclusions: I. Everyone in the town is unhealthy. II. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Answers:

1. Only II. II restates the statement. Sundays are not mentioned.
2. Only I. Without I the advice would be pointless. II is extreme.
3. Only I. II is extreme and creates a bigger problem.
4. Only I. "Many" supports "some", never "all".
5. Either I or II. One date must be true and both cannot be.
6. Both. I removes the cause; II gives relief meanwhile.
7. Only I. II is outside the statement.
8. Neither. I is extreme; II is an opinion the statement never gives.

What to do next

• Learn the four conclusion checks and the three tests for a course of action.
• Solve 10 statement questions a day for a week and write one line of reason for each answer.
• Move on to statements, arguments and assumptions, then decision making, which uses the same habit of reading only what is given.