General Mental Ability

What the official syllabus says

HCS Preliminary Examination, Paper I: General Studies:

General Mental Ability.

On general mental ability, the candidates will be tested on reasoning and analytical abilities.

Topics in detail

In Paper I these questions count towards the score that decides who goes on to the Main Examination. The question types below are the standard tests of reasoning and analytical ability; practise each against time.

Verbal reasoning

• Analogies: word, number and letter
• Classification: finding the odd one out
• Series: number series, letter series and mixed series; missing terms
• Coding and decoding: letter, number and symbol coding
• Blood relations, including coded relations
• Direction sense and distance
• Order and ranking; position in a row or queue
• Alphabet test and word arrangement in dictionary order
• Mathematical operations and symbol substitution

Arrangement and puzzles

• Linear and circular seating arrangement
• Floor, box and scheduling puzzles
• Comparison and ordering (who is tallest, heaviest and so on)
• Calendar problems: day of the week for a given date, leap years
• Clock problems: angles between hands, gain and loss of time

Logical reasoning

• Syllogisms and Venn diagrams
• Statements and conclusions; statements and assumptions; statements and arguments
• Cause and effect; course of action
• Assertion and reason
• Inequalities (coded and direct)
• Data sufficiency

Non-verbal reasoning

• Figure series, analogy and classification
• Mirror and water images
• Paper folding and cutting; embedded figures; completion of figures
• Counting figures (triangles, squares)
• Cubes and dice

Analytical ability with numbers

• Number puzzles and number ranking
• Simple arithmetical reasoning: ages, averages, percentages applied in reasoning questions
• Reading simple tables and charts to draw conclusions
• Input and output (machine) questions: tracing the rule step by step
• Matrix and grid questions; logical order of words

How to practise

• Learn the standard method for each question type before speed
• Draw a quick diagram for arrangement, direction and blood-relation questions
• Weigh negative marking: for a question whose answer cannot be narrowed down, darken option E (not attempted) rather than guess
• Take timed sets mixed with the other subjects of the paper, as the examination does

Overlaps

• Logical reasoning, analytical ability and general mental ability are also named in Prelims Paper II (CSAT), a qualifying paper; practice for one serves both.