Logical & analytical reasoning

Answer: (d) SODBHU

Each letter moves 3 places forward in the alphabet: Z → C, E → H, R → U, O → R. Moving each letter of PLAYER 3 places forward gives SODBHU.

1. Z + 3 = C (wrapping round after Z), E + 3 = H, R + 3 = U, O + 3 = R, so ZERO → CHUR.
2. PLAYER: P + 3 = S, L + 3 = O, A + 3 = D, Y + 3 = B, E + 3 = H, R + 3 = U.
3. So PLAYER is written as SODBHU.

Remember · In letter coding, find the shift for each letter (remember the wrap-around after Z); a constant shift applies letter by letter.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (c) All four statements together are sufficient to answer the Question.

A and C are sisters and D is C's father, so D is A's father too, and E, D's son, is A's brother. A, a woman, is married to B, so B is A's husband and E is B's brother-in-law. Every one of the four statements is used in this chain.

1. Statement-4: A and C are sisters, so both are female. Statement-2: D is C's father, so D is A's father as well.
2. Statement-3: E is D's son, so E is the brother of A and C.
3. Statement-1: A and B are married; A is female, so B is A's husband.
4. E is the brother of B's wife, i.e. E is B's brother-in-law.
5. Without Statement-2 or Statement-4, E cannot be linked to A; without Statement-1, B is unconnected. So all four are needed.

• ✗ (a) Without Statement-4, nothing links A (and so B) to C, D or E.
• ✗ (b) Without Statement-2, D (and so E) is not linked to A and C.
• ✓ (c) Together they give: E is A's brother and B is A's husband, so E is B's brother-in-law.
• ✗ (d) The four statements together do answer the Question.

Remember · In blood-relation sufficiency questions, trace one chain from the first person to the second; every link used is a required statement.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (b) Only Conclusion-2 follows from the Statement.

Decode the symbols: + is >, − is ≤, × is ≥, ÷ is < and ± is =. The Statement gives Q ≤ P ≤ T < R = S, so S > Q follows, but Q = T does not, since Q may be smaller than T.

1. Meanings: A + B → A > B; A − B → A ≤ B; A × B → A ≥ B; A ÷ B → A < B; A ± B → A = B.
2. Statement: P × Q → P ≥ Q; P − T → P ≤ T; T ÷ R → T < R; R ± S → R = S.
3. Chain: Q ≤ P ≤ T < R = S.
4. Conclusion-1 (Q ± T, i.e. Q = T): we only know Q ≤ T — does not follow.
5. Conclusion-2 (S + Q, i.e. S > Q): S = R > T ≥ P ≥ Q — follows.

Remember · Translate coded symbols into >, ≥, <, ≤, = first, build one chain, then test each conclusion against it.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Since 'at least one of R and S was selected' is false, neither R nor S was selected. That leaves only P, Q and T as possible selections — at most three people — so neither conclusion can be drawn.

1. The false statement means neither R nor S was selected.
2. So only P, Q and T could have been selected: at most three candidates.
3. Conclusion 1 (at least four selected) is impossible.
4. Conclusion 2 (S selected) contradicts the false statement.
5. Check: the third statement (at most two of R, S, T) holds, since only T can be among them.

• ✗ 1. With R and S both out, at most P, Q and T can be selected — never four.
• ✗ 2. The false statement tells us S was not selected.

Remember · The negation of 'at least one of X and Y' is 'neither X nor Y'. Negate the false statement first; it usually settles the case.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (a) 1 only

If P and R were both true, P would make S true, and R with S would make T false. So whenever T is true, P or R must be false. 'If Q is true, then P is true' merely reverses statement I, which never follows.

1. Test Conclusion 1: suppose T is true while P and R are both true.
2. By I, P true makes Q and S true; so R and S are both true.
3. By II, R and S true makes T false — contradicting T true. So Conclusion 1 follows.
4. Test Conclusion 2: take Q true, P false (S, R, T anything consistent). Statement I is not violated, since it says nothing when P is false.
5. So Q can be true without P; Conclusion 2 does not follow.

• ✓ 1. P and R both true would force S true and then T false; so with T true, P or R must be false.
• ✗ 2. It is the converse of statement I; Q can be true while P is false.

Remember · 'If A then B' gives 'if not B then not A', never 'if B then A'. Test a conclusion by assuming it fails.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error