Study Notes & Short Tricks: PUZZLES

As per today’s scenario in the Banking exam even in other exams like SSC, it has become important that to solve a particular problem quickly you have to know the concept behind the question and also the way how to solve that problem quickly. Keeping in mind that thing we are providing here some important study notes and short tricks of various topics of Reasoning Ability so that a student can attempt more questions in less time (especially in Banking and SSC exams) and can make a higher probability of being selected. Best of hard work to all students. Keep using Bankersadda.

Here are the study notes of Reasoning Ability based on PUZZLES which will help you to ace your preparation.

•  According to the latest exams like IBPS PO, RRB PO, IBPS clerk , SBI PO and SBI clerk, we analyze that more than 50-60% of the questions consists of puzzles. Therefore, rather than by saying “Reasoning Ability” section we can say “Puzzles Ability” section. Now the first question arises in our mind 

1. What is Puzzles ??

     

Explanation:– Puzzles is a set of information which is given in complex or twisted form and by applying your reasoning ability you have to simplify the complex information.

• Approach to attempt puzzles:–

1. In puzzles, first of all collect all the direct information which is given.
2. Arrange them in simplified form.
3. Point out all the negative information.
4. Other facts can be find out from the indirect information.
5. The most part is that in many cases there will be more than one possibility.
6. Don’t hesitate to go for possibility, take all conditions.
7. And at a point all possibilities which violates other information in puzzles except one all possibilities will be cancel.
8. By following this process, you will get the desired result.

• Classification of puzzles :–

According to questions which are coming in exam we are classifying different types of puzzles:–
a. Puzzles based on categorization.
b. Puzzles based on comparison.
c. Puzzles based on Blood Relation.
d. Day/month based puzzles.
e. Floor based puzzles.

• Now we will discuss each types of puzzles :–

a. Puzzles based on categorization
The most simple type of questions on this topic comes under this category where you would be suppose to analyze the given information you would be suppose to analyze the given information and simply arrange different variables in different categories.

Examples :–  There are six cities A, B, C, D, E and F and they belong to alteast one of the types of places i.e. Historical, Industrial and Hill station. B is not an industrial area. C and F belongs to all types of places. E is both industrial and Hill station. A is not a hill station. B and E are not historical places. D is not an industrial city. A and D are not historical cities. A and B are not alike.

b. Puzzles based on comparison:
In this types comparison of different objects or persons have to made and conclude the final result on the basis of comparison.

Comparison can done for different variables:–
(i) comparison of heights
(ii) comparison of marks
(iii) comparison of age, etc.

Example:– Among four friend A, B, C and D. A is taller than B, who is shorter than D. D is not the tallest and A is shorter than D.
Solution:– C > D > A > B
(Tallest to shortest)

c. Puzzles based on blood relation:–
Problems of this type involve analysis of certain blood relations and then inferring on the basis of the given information.
Generation tree is the important tool to solve question based on this topic.

Example:– All the six members of a family A, B, C, D, E and F are travelling together. B is the son of C and C is not the mother of B. A and C are a married couple. E is the brother of C. D is the daughter of A. F is the brother of B.
Solutions :–

d. Day/month based puzzles:– In this type of puzzle, information will be given related to days or month. The basic step to solve this types of puzzle is to fix days/months from top to bottom and arrange information according to given condition.

Example:– Seven persons R, J, M, Q, L, T and K conduct workshop on developing Managerial skills in seven different companies A, B, C, D, E, F and G on a different day of the week from Monday to Sunday. The order of persons, companies and days of the week are not necessarily the same. J organizes workshop in company D on Wednesday. Q does not conduct workshop for companies A or C and conducts on the next day of L who conducts the workshop for company F. T conducts workshop for company E on Friday. K conducts workshop on Monday but not for company C or G. M conducts workshop for company A but not on Tuesday.
Solutions:

e. Floor based puzzle :– This is the next type of puzzle in which different persons are arranged on different floors. Information will be given in complex form, you have to simplify it by applying your puzzles ability and sometimes some more variables will be there in the question. You have to just identify the direct, negative and indirect information and solve puzzles accordingly.

Examples :– A building has eight floors 1 to 8 in such a way that ground floor in numbered 1, topmost floor is numbered 8. Eight persons G, P, M, Q, A, D and C are staying each on one of these floor mentioned above. A is staying on floor no. 6 . There is a gap of three floors between G and R. C is staying on the topmost floor. Neither P nor M is staying on floor no. 5. Q is staying in the middle of floor P and M. R is staying on floor no. 1. M is not an immediate neighbour of G.
Note:– The basic rule to solve the questions of floor is to fix the floor number from top to bottom or bottom to top as information given in the question and then arrange other variables according to information of question.
Solutions :–

• Some time miscellaneous types of puzzles also comes in which there will be combination of two types (i.e. floor-Blood relation, Days-Blood Relation, Days and categorization etc.) so, basic rule to attempt these questions is also same. 
• Puzzles are always tricky so, take care of every words and sentence. 
• So, Dear friends puzzles is one of the most important part of reasoning section and practice is most important for this topic. As much you will practice you will get better results. 

“This is all about the concept of “puzzles”. We have tried our best to make clear each and every point in puzzle. For more practice you should attempt our Mocks. “