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CSAT · 69 questions

Logical & analytical reasoning

Every UPSC CSAT question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Logical & analytical reasoning questions per year: 2016: 5, 2017: 8, 2018: 4, 2019: 8, 2020: 7, 2021: 7, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 7, 2025: 7, 2026: 6 Asked in 11 of 11 years · most in 2019 (8)
Timed · 30 minutes a set Practise Logical & analytical reasoning as timed tests 3 sets of about 20 questions with UPSC's CSAT marking. Start practising

UPSC syllabus: “Logical reasoning and analytical ability;” Sub-topics in the detailed syllabus →

CSAT 2024 · Q56

Medium

एक व्यक्ति अपने घर से सीधा 100 m चलता है, बाएँ मुड़ता है और 100 m चलता है, पुनः बाएँ मुड़ता है और 300 m चलता है, फिर दाएँ मुड़ता है और अपने कार्यालय पहुँचने के लिए 100 m चलता है। यदि उसका कार्यालय सटीक उत्तर-पूर्व दिशा में है, तो वह प्रारंभ में अपने घर से किस दिशा में चलता है?

Read this question in English

A person walks 100 m straight from his house, turns left and walks 100 m, again turns left and walks 300 m, then turns right and walks 100 m to reach his office. In which direction does he walk initially from his house if his office is exactly in the North-East direction?

(a) North-West · (b) West · (c) South · (d) South-West

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (c) दक्षिण

Assume he starts facing North and trace the walk: the office ends up 200 m West and 200 m South, i.e. South-West. For it to be North-East the whole path must be turned through 180°, so he actually started walking South.

  1. Try starting North: 100 m North; left, so 100 m West; left again, so 300 m South; right, so 100 m West.
  2. Net: 300 − 100 = 200 m South and 100 + 100 = 200 m West, so the office would be South-West.
  3. The office is actually North-East, exactly opposite, so rotate everything by 180°: the first walk was South.
  4. Check: 100 m South; left, 100 m East; left, 300 m North; right, 100 m East. Net 200 m North and 200 m East, i.e. North-East.

Remember · Assume North, solve, then rotate the whole figure to match the given final direction.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q57

Easy

एक व्यक्ति 100 m पश्चिम की ओर चलता है, फिर बाएँ मुड़ता है और 100 m चलता है। फिर वह घड़ी की सुई की दिशा में (दक्षिणावर्त) 225° मुड़ता है। अब वह किस दिशा में चल रहा है?

Read this question in English

A person walks 100 m Westward, then turns left and walks 100 m. He then takes 225° turn clockwise. In which direction is he walking now?

(a) South-West · (b) South-East · (c) North-West · (d) North-East

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) उत्तर-पूर्व

Walking West and turning left, he faces South. A 225° clockwise turn from South (bearing 180°) brings him to bearing 405° − 360° = 45°, which is North-East.

  1. Walking West, a left turn makes him face South.
  2. Clockwise from South: 90° brings West, 180° brings North, and 225° is 45° beyond North towards East.
  3. So he now faces North-East.
  4. Check with bearings: 180° + 225° = 405°, i.e. 45°, which is North-East.

Remember · Convert to bearings (N 0°, E 90°, S 180°, W 270°), add clockwise turns, and subtract 360° if needed.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q58

Easy

एक कथन दिया गया है, जिसके बाद दो निष्कर्ष दिए गए हैं, जिनके क्रमांक I और II हैं। कथन और निष्कर्षों पर विचार कीजिए।

  1. कथन.भारत विश्व का सबसे बड़ा दूध उत्पादक है।
  2. निष्कर्ष–I: भारत विश्व का सबसे बड़ा दूध निर्यातक है।
  3. निष्कर्ष–II: भारत दूध का आयात नहीं करता है।

निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा सही है?

Read this question in English

A Statement is given followed by two Conclusions numbered I and II. Consider the Statement and the Conclusions.

Statement. India is the world’s largest producer of milk.

Conclusion–I. India is the world’s largest exporter of milk.

Conclusion–II. India does not import milk.

Which one of the following is correct?

(a) Only Conclusion–I follows · (b) Only Conclusion–II follows · (c) Both Conclusion–I and Conclusion–II follow · (d) Neither Conclusion–I nor Conclusion–II follows

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) न तो निष्कर्ष–I और न ही निष्कर्ष–II निकलता है

Being the largest producer says nothing about exports or imports: a country may consume most of what it produces, and may still import some. Neither conclusion follows from the statement.

  • ✗ I Large production does not mean large exports; home consumption may take most of it. The statement gives no trade data.
  • ✗ II Producing the most does not rule out importing, for example particular milk products or to meet demand in some years.

Remember · A conclusion must follow from the statement alone; production figures never settle questions of trade.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q74

Medium

एक मुख्य कथन है, जिसके बाद P, Q, R और S द्वारा चिह्नित चार कथन हैं। कथनों के उस क्रमबद्ध युग्म का चयन कीजिए जहाँ पहले कथन में दूसरा कथन अंतर्निहित है, और दोनों कथन तार्किक रूप से मुख्य कथन के साथ संगत हैं।

  1. मुख्य कथन: प्रदीप या तो एक निर्देशक या एक निर्माता बन जाता है।
  2. कथन P: प्रदीप एक निर्देशक है।
  3. कथन Q: प्रदीप एक निर्माता है।
  4. कथन R: प्रदीप एक निर्देशक नहीं है।
  5. कथन S: प्रदीप एक निर्माता नहीं है।

सही उत्तर चुनिए।

Read this question in English

A Main Statement is followed by four Statements labelled P, Q, R and S. Choose the ordered pair of the Statements where the first Statement implies the second, and the two Statements are logically consistent with the Main Statement.

Main Statement. Pradeep becomes either a Director or a Producer.

Statement P. Pradeep is a Director.

Statement Q. Pradeep is a Producer.

Statement R. Pradeep is not a Director.

Statement S. Pradeep is not a Producer.

Select the correct answer.

(a) SP only · (b) RQ only · (c) Both SP and RQ · (d) Neither SP nor RQ

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (c) SP और RQ दोनों

Under ‘either a Director or a Producer’, ruling out one role forces the other. So ‘not a Producer’ implies ‘a Director’ (SP), and ‘not a Director’ implies ‘a Producer’ (RQ).

  • ✓ SP If Pradeep is not a Producer (S), the Main Statement leaves only Director (P). S implies P.
  • ✓ RQ If Pradeep is not a Director (R), he must be a Producer (Q). R implies Q.

Remember · For ‘either A or B’, the valid pairs are ‘not A, therefore B’ and ‘not B, therefore A’.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q76

Medium

यदि P का अर्थ ‘से बृहत्तर (>)’ है; Q का अर्थ ‘से लघुतर (<)’ है; R का अर्थ ‘से बृहत्तर नहीं (≯)’ है; S का अर्थ ‘से लघुतर नहीं (≮)’ है और T का अर्थ ‘बराबर (=)’ है, तो निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.यदि 2x(S)3y और 3x(T)4z, तो 9y(P)8z.
  2. 2.यदि x(Q)2y और y(R)z, तो x(R)z.

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/कौन-से सही है/हैं?

Read this question in English

If P means ‘greater than (>)’; Q means ‘less than (<)’; R means ‘not greater than (≯)’; S means ‘not less than (≮)’ and T means ‘equal to (=)’, then consider the following statements:

1. If 2x(S)3y and 3x(T)4z, then 9y(P)8z.

2. If x(Q)2y and y(R)z, then x(R)z.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only · (b) 2 only · (c) Both 1 and 2 · (d) Neither 1 nor 2

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) न तो 1 और न ही 2

Statement 1 gives 2x ≥ 3y and 3x = 4z, which lead to 9y ≤ 8z, so ‘9y > 8z’ fails. Statement 2 gives x < 2y and y ≤ z, which still allow x > z (for example x = 1.5, y = z = 1). Neither is correct.

  1. Decode: P is >, Q is <, R is ≤ (not greater than), S is ≥ (not less than), T is =.
  2. Statement 1: 2x ≥ 3y gives 9y ≤ 6x; 3x = 4z gives 8z = 6x. So 9y ≤ 8z, which rules out 9y > 8z. Incorrect.
  3. Statement 2: x < 2y and y ≤ z. Take x = 1.5, y = 1, z = 1: both conditions hold, but x ≤ z fails. Incorrect.
  4. So neither statement is correct.
  • ✗ 1. From 2x ≥ 3y and 3x = 4z, 9y ≤ 6x = 8z, so 9y can never be greater than 8z.
  • ✗ 2. x < 2y and y ≤ z only give x < 2z; x = 1.5, y = z = 1 satisfies both conditions but has x greater than z.

Remember · Decode the symbols, bring both sides to a common term (here 6x), and use one counter-example to kill an ‘always’ claim.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q77

Easy

यदि एक निश्चित कोड में, ‘ABCD’ को 24 के रूप में लिखा जाता है तथा ‘EFGH’ को 1680 के रूप में लिखा जाता है, तो इस कोड में ‘IJKL’ को कैसे लिखा जाता है?

Read this question in English

If in a certain code, ‘ABCD’ is written as 24 and ‘EFGH’ is written as 1680, then how is ‘IJKL’ written in that code?

(a) 11880 · (b) 11240 · (c) 7920 · (d) 5940

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (a) 11880

Each letter stands for its position in the alphabet and the code is the product: 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24 and 5 × 6 × 7 × 8 = 1680. So IJKL = 9 × 10 × 11 × 12 = 11880.

  1. ABCD: 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24, which matches.
  2. EFGH: 5 × 6 × 7 × 8 = 1680, which matches.
  3. IJKL: 9 × 10 × 11 × 12 = 90 × 132 = 11880.

Remember · When letters become numbers, test alphabet positions with sum and product first.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2024 · Q78

Easy

यदि एक निश्चित कोड में, ‘POT’ को ATOP के रूप में लिखा जाता है तथा ‘TRAP’ को APART के रूप में लिखा जाता है, तो इस कोड में ‘ARENA’ को कैसे लिखा जाता है?

Read this question in English

If in a certain code, ‘POT’ is written as ATOP and ‘TRAP’ is written as APART, then how is ‘ARENA’ written in that code?

(a) AARENA · (b) AANREA · (c) AANEAR · (d) AANERA

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) AANERA

Each word is reversed and an A is put in front: POT → TOP → ATOP, and TRAP → PART → APART. ARENA reversed is ANERA, so the code is AANERA.

  1. POT reversed is TOP; with A in front it is ATOP, which matches.
  2. TRAP reversed is PART; with A in front it is APART, which matches.
  3. ARENA reversed is ANERA; with A in front it is AANERA.

Remember · When a code looks like a real word, check for reversal plus a fixed added letter.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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