Syllogism Reasoning, Strategies, Forms, Concepts, Tips & Tricks

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Syllogism is an interesting topic in logical reasoning. Syllogism questions are often easy but tricky to solve. These types of questions, if answered correctly, are less time-consuming and scoring. However, identifying the correct answer is the real trick. In this blog, we have provided all the details about Syllogism strategies, concepts, tips and Syllogism tricks to answer these questions correctly in one go.

What Is Syllogism in Reasoning?

Syllogism is a type of logical reasoning question where you are given a set of statements and asked to determine which conclusions logically follow from them.

These questions are frequently asked in competitive exams to test a candidate’s deductive reasoning skills. Candidates need to understand the relationships between the given statements and use logic (not assumptions) to arrive at valid conclusions.

Skills Required:

Deductive logic
Statement interpretation
Visual reasoning (Venn diagrams)
Elimination technique

Why Are Syllogism Questions Important in Competitive Exams?

These types of questions are mainly used to assess an aspirant’s thinking and understanding skills. They are tricky, as sometimes candidates are not just asked which conclusions follow, but also which conclusions do not follow to confuse them in the exam hall. The number of questions from this topic asked in various exams is as follows:

Exam	No. of Questions	Difficulty
SSC CGL / CHSL	1-2	Easy
IBPS PO / SBI PO	2-3	Moderate
RRB NTPC / Group D	1	Easy
State PSC / Police	1-2	Moderate

Syllogism is a scoring topic and can be solved in under a minute with proper techniques. It is also part of Logical Reasoning in many state and national-level exams.

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Terms Used in Syllogism Questions

There are various terms used in syllogism questions. The details of the terms most commonly used in the exam are as follows:

Term	Meaning
Premise	A given statement (e.g., All A are B)
Conclusion	Deduction based on premises
Universal Positive	All A are B
Universal Negative	No A is B
Particular Positive	Some A are B
Particular Negative	Some A are not B
Venn Diagram	Diagrammatic tool used for visualizing logical relations
Complementary Pairs	Pairs like “Some A are B” and “Some A are not B” (can both be false)

Also check: Number Series Questions

Tricks to Be Followed to Solve Syllogism

There are various key concepts that aspirants must keep in mind while solving this topic. The details of the tricks that candidates must follow while solving syllogism questions are as follows:

Concept	Explanation
Universal Statements	Begin with “All” or “No”; have broader validity
Particular Statements	Begin with “Some”; limited validity
Basic Diagrams	A → B (All A are B), A × B (No A is B), etc.
Immediate Conclusion	Derived without combining multiple premises
Mediate Conclusion	Combines two or more statements
Either–Or Case	Occurs when both conclusions are wrong individually but one must be true

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What Are the Types of Syllogism Questions in Reasoning?

Types of questions that are mostly asked in the exam are as follows:

Type of Syllogism	Key Features	Simple Example
Basic / Standard Syllogism	Direct statements with definite conclusions. Answer must be 100% true.	Statement: All cats are animals. Conclusion: All cats are animals – True
Either–Or Syllogism	Two conclusions are given; both cannot be true together but one must be true.	Statement: Some pens are pencils. Conclusions: (1) Some pens are not pencils. (2) All pens are pencils. – Either (1) or (2) is true
Coded Syllogism	Uses symbols/letters to represent statements; must decode before solving.	If A # B = All A are B If A @ B = Some A are B
Sequential Syllogism	Multiple statements connected in a chain; conclusion follows step by step.	Statement 1: All dogs are animals. Statement 2: All animals are living beings. Conclusion: All dogs are living beings – True

Syllogism Formulas for Reasoning

These are the logic that aspirants must apply while solving the reasoning questions, the details of the formulas are as follows:

All A are B – Some B are A (Possibly True)
No A is B – No B is A (Definitely True)
Some A are B – Some B are A (Possibly True, Not Always True)
All A are B + All B are C – All A are C
All A are B + No B is C – No A is C

Also check questions based on Clock Reasoning

Syllogism Tricks for SSC CGL, Bank PO and Other Exams

Some of the common tricks that candidates must always use to solve syllogism questions are as follows:

Use Venn diagrams for accuracy
Avoid assumptions – only trust what’s given
Eliminate invalid conclusions first
Use “complementary pair” logic for either–or
Revise symbol-based codes regularly
Practice reverse testing (assume conclusion and check statements)
Mark conclusions as True, False, or Can’t be determined

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Solved Syllogism Questions from 2024–25 Exams

Some of the types of questions that are asked in the examination are as follows:

Question 1

Exam: SSC CGL 2024 Tier 1 (Shift 2 – Memory-Based)
Statements: All books are pens. Some pens are papers.
Conclusions:
I. Some papers are books.
II. All pens are books.
Answer: Neither follows
Explanation: No direct link between books and papers. All pens being books contradicts the first statement.

Question 2

Exam: IBPS PO Prelims 2024 (Memory-Based)
Statements: No fruit is vegetable. All vegetables are green.
Conclusions:
I. No fruit is green.
II. Some green are vegetables.
Answer: Only Conclusion II follows
Explanation: “No fruit is green” is not directly inferred. But “Some green are vegetables” is definitely true.

Question 3

Exam: SBI Clerk 2025 (Memory-Based)
Statements: All dogs are animals. Some animals are cats.
Conclusions:
I. Some dogs are cats.
II. All dogs are cats.
Answer: Neither follows
Explanation: No direct relationship established between dogs and cats.

Tips to Solve Reasoning Questions

Some common terms frequently asked in reasoning syllogism questions, along with tips on understanding these terms and the process to solve questions based on them:

Definite Conclusion Rule: If a definite conclusion is false in any of the possible diagrams, it is considered false.
Positive and Negative Statements: If all statements are positive, then all negative conclusions will be false in definite cases, and vice versa.
Complementary Pair “Some + No”: For this pair, the subject and predicate can be interchanged when analyzing conclusions.
Either-Or Case Rule: If two conclusions have the same subject and predicate and form a complementary pair but only one conclusion is true, it does not form an either-or case; “Some + Some” is not valid.
Possible Conclusion Rule: If a possible conclusion is true in any one of the possible diagrams, it is considered possibly true.
“Only a Few” Meaning: The phrase “Only a few” indicates that both conclusions are definitely true, e.g., “Some A are B” and “Some A are not B.”
Valid Complementary Pairs for Either-Or: In either-or cases, the valid complementary pairs are “Some + No” and “All + Some not.”
Subject and Predicate Consistency: Both conclusions should have one of the valid complementary pairs; subject and predicate must remain the same and cannot interchange; the answer is usually “Can’t say.”
General Rule for Candidates: Always follow these rules carefully while solving syllogism questions to improve accuracy and reduce mistakes.

Syllogism Concepts for Bank Exams

Bank exams like IBPS PO and SBI PO often test syllogism with symbolic logic. Example:

Statement: A % B means “All A are B”; A $ B means “No A is B”
If P % Q, Q $ R, then
Conclusion: No P is R – Follows
You need to decode symbols and apply logical templates to arrive at answers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Syllogism

While solving syllogism reasoning questions, candidates must keep the below-mentioned details in mind:

Assuming Unstated Information: Drawing conclusions that are not explicitly mentioned in the statements.
Confusing “Some” with “All”: Misinterpreting “Some A are B” as “All A are B” or “Some B are A”.
Ignoring Venn Diagrams: Not using visual tools like Venn diagrams, which help validate conclusions clearly.
Incorrect Use of Either–Or Logic: Applying either–or when the conclusions are not mutually exclusive and independently false.
Using Intuition Over Logic: Relying on guesswork instead of logical reasoning leads to incorrect answers.

What Are Related Topics I Should Revise Next?

Topics you should revise next are as follows:

FAQs

Q1. How can I solve syllogism questions quickly in exams?

Use Venn diagrams for visual clarity, memorize standard logic rules, and practice “either or” conditions to reduce time.

Q2. What are the different types of syllogism questions?

Common forms include direct verbal syllogism, coded symbol-based questions, either–or conclusions, and mixed statement types.

Q3. What are some proven tricks to solve syllogism?

Use Venn diagrams, avoid assumptions, eliminate false conclusions, decode symbols properly, and practice regularly to master it.

Q4. What are symbol-based syllogism questions?

They use codes/symbols in place of statements. You must decode and apply logic accordingly.

Q5. How to handle confusing or lengthy syllogism statements?

Break them down step by step, use short-hand diagrams, and analyze one conclusion at a time for clarity and speed.

Saloni Singhal

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