The Secret to Solving Inferential Questions _ GP Ka Funda

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Gejo

Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases of demand of cotton

on the world market. Knowing that cotton plants mature quickly, many soybean growers in Ortovia plan to cease

growing soybeans, the price of which has long been stable and to begin raising cotton instead, thereby taking advantage

of the high price of cotton to increase their income significantly over the next several years.

The Secret to Solving Inferential Questions | GP Ka Funda http://www.gpkafunda.com/?p=585

1 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM


2 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM


3 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

112 THOUGHTS ON “THE SECRET TO SOLVING INFERENTIAL QUESTIONS”

Tweet 0 ShareShare

sunil negi

on September 9, 2012 at 6:51 pm said:

thank u very much sir…..i always use to left the question unanswered which

involved selecting the option which weakens the argument….hope dat the tricks

taught by u works for me……..

sir plz help me out wid parajumbles as well…..sometimes i m not able to find the

link between sentences as they don’t seem to be connected in anyway wid each

each other…..

26LikeLike


4 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Himanshu


Thank u Sir!

Thorough reading gave me feel that i attended a F2F class of inference based

questions!

Dwaipayan


Perfect !!

Will let you know of the feed back after 7 days

ashlesha

on September 10, 2012 at 2:45 am said:

well i’ll implement it and tell u d results soon sir!

prateek


sir,waiting for your analysis of VA-LR section of proc test-8 .all the good work done

in quant was ruined by the wrong attempts in va-lr

Lavanya


sir…plz give insights on para jumbles also


5 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

santosh


it,help me

sir ,if u please suggest few tips on para complition

navneet


thanks a lot sir, your posts are really helpful . keep writing

Arpit


Thank you sir for ths

Shantanu


Sir,

I am quite good at basic logic and do well in inferential questions . I am comfortable

with reading.But I end up doing most RC questions wrong…..

Please show me some way out!

Neeraj


Gejo Sir,

Since GP sir have been busy in visiting cities for QUANT sessions, can you plz do

the PROC MOCK ANALYSIS for the last mock?? I have been really missing that..

Also may be we will get to know another opinion on how to attempt a mock

other than the strategy that GP sir uses.

M sure it will be really helpfull for all of us.

Pl reply..

Gejo


6 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM


Ok Neeraj. WIll do that. Give me a days time.

Regards

Gejo

Arpan


Who is the cartoonist for the faces accompanying your article sir??

Thumbs up! to both of you.

Thanks!

Gejo


A graduate from JJ School of Arts

Vikram Agarwal


Sir, in inferential questions if we have two probable solutions. one is explicitly

stated in the passage and one is inferred or we can understand that by way of

critical reasoning. Then which one will be correct. Will the one explicitly stated be

wrong?

Please reply

Gejo


Hi Vikram,

Ideally what is inferred is what is implied – (not stated). So yes, the one that

is explicitly states in the passage is not really inferred. But then, you have to

remember that you need to choose the best option. If the rest of the options

cannot be directly inferred from the passage, then we have no choice but to

mark the one that is explicitly stated.


7 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

So suggestion is that – do not go by any specific rule. Just identify the

answers on a case-to-case basis.

Regards

Gejo

Arpit


Yes passage and cartoon both are fantastic

Gejo


Thanks Arpit.. With a face like mine, it must be a treat for any cartoonists

Rahul Sharma


Hello Sir,

Your articles are really helpful, and an eye opener-as to how we need to approach

a particular sum/question. This was one of them.

Sir, I am facing difficult in getting the “Identify the sentence that are correct in terms

of gammar and usage”. Also, in fill in the blanks kind of questions. Sometimes I get

100% accuracy, and sometimes 50%. Please help me, and if are planning any

article on these I would be glad to know.

Aashima


Thank you so much Sir for all the wonderful help you are providing us… Could you

please highlight the topics of utmost importance that have been coming in CAT

almost every year?

It would be really helpful especially in the quant section since I am not very good in

it and I don’t want to leave out something that effects my percentile badly.

thanx in advance sir


8 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Gejo


Hi Aashima,

When you look the quant section in the CAT in the recent years, there is a

fair mix of all the areas. What I suggest would be look at last 00 to 08 CAT

papers and solve the questions once.

This will help you get a handle on the things that you will have to work in the

days nearing to the CAT.

Regards

Gejo

Aashima


Thank you so much Sir

I will certainly look into the previous years question papers

kanika pathela


A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been deleted. From

the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most

appropriate way.

Individuals owed their existence to their parents; without their countless sacrifices,

they would never survive nor grow into sane human beings. They realised their

potential in a stable and peaceful society, made possible by the efforts of

thousands of anonymous men and women. They became rational, reflective and

moral beings within a rich civilisation created by scores of sages, saints, savants

and scientists.______________________.

a) Even a whole lifetime was not enough to pay back what they owed their parents,

let alone all the others.

b) In short, every human being owed his humanity to others and benefitted from a

world, to the creation of which he had not contributed anything.

c) To talk about ‘repaying’ the debts did not therefore make sense except in a

clumsy and metaphorical way of describing one’s response to unsolicited but

indispensable gifts.

d) Every individual is born with a debt, which is beyond his capacity to repay.


9 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Answer option is b. Why can’t be a.

In passage it never stated that he ddnt/did contributed anything

Pratyay

on February 2, 2013 at 3:45 pm said:

I think the correct option is (b) because all other options are talking about

repaying of debt.But the passage does not talk about repayment.It only

states that a person is indebted to humanity for his existence and

well-being.So the other 3 options are out of scope.Please refer to GP sir’s

article on para completion for more details.

Gejo


Hi Kanika,

The sentence should immediately follow the paragraph given.

If you look the passage, it goes — individuals owed – existence to parents;

realized their potential because of society; became mortal being because of

saints, scientist.

So between (a) and (b), what gives a better sense is option (b).

Here’s the full text from where it is picked:

An individual owed his existence to his parents without whose countless

sacrifices he would neither survive nor grow into a sane human being. He

grew and realised his potential in a stable and peaceful society, made

possible by the efforts and sacrifices of thousands of anonymous men and

women. He became a rational, reflective and moral human being only within

a rich civilization created by scores of sages, saints, savants and scientists.

In short, every human being owned his humanity to others, and benefited

from a world to the creation of which he contributed nothing. As Gandhi put

it, every man was ‘born a debtor’, a beneficiary of others’ gifts, and his

inherited debts were too vast to be repaid. Even a whole lifetime was not

enough to pay back what a man owned to his parents, let alone all others.

Furthermore the creditors were by their very nature unspecifiable. Most of

them were dead or remained anonymous, and those alive were so

numerous and their contributions so varied and complex that it was

impossible to decide what one owed to whom. To talk about repaying the

debts did not therefore make sense except as a clumsy and metaphorical

way of describing one’s response to unsolicited but indispensable gifts.


10 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Vikram Agarwal


Thank you very much sir for solving my query. I have one more regarding sentence

correction. I am good in grammar but i dont know all the rules of Grammar given in

Wren And Martin. Can you please suggest as to what i should do in order to be

sure to get 80% accuracy in the topic.

kanika pathela


Thank you sir:)

1. Some pins are made of tin 2. All tin is made of copper

3. All copper is used for pins 4. Some tin is copper

5. Some pins are used for tin 6. Some copper is used for tin

a. 123 b. 356 c. 341 d. 125

Sir, in such type of questions, intelligence doesnot mean same as intelligent.

Siblings doesnot mean brothers?? Is it??

SAYANTAN GHOSH


I think the answer is option C.

B is very close but does not satisfy the requirement.

C is the best choice.

Jitesh


This is CR tip.Where is the tip for inference ques of RC as your topic says so.

GP


CR and Inference questions are the same.

Jitesh



11 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

But sir how can we attempt an inference ques coz we hav to gues its

answer from the entire paragraph

Gejo


Hi Jitesh,

Inference based questions in RC is not necessarily from the

entire passage. In most of the cases, it would be from certain

part of the passage and therefore, the skill-set required is

exactly the same as that of Critical Reasoning.

When you see an inference based question, the first step is

to identify from which part of the passage is the inference

drawn and then check whether it is the correct inference or

not.

The rule of the game is same as that of CR and therefore, if

you know how to handle CR you will know how to handle RC

inference based questions.

Regards

Gejo

Jitesh


Sir, I fall into trap into these questions which demand

answers which are not explicitly stated in the

passage rather they are implied due to lack of good

vocabulary.

Sir,could you please elaborate on how to find that

part of passage from which inference question is

drawn.

Gejo


Hi Jitesh,

An inference means, a conclusion. So what you need

are the ‘reasons’ for the inference that is drawn. So

after reading an option, you must evaluate what are

the likely reasons from which the inference is drawn.

Then check the part of the passage where those

reasons are given. That is the first part. Once you


12 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

have identified the part of the passage, the next

check is to see whether the stated inference in the

option can be logically drawn.

The better you are in CR, the better you will be in this

type of question. One suggestion that I have is to do

a bit of CR questions so that you develop the

skill-set.

Regards

Gejo

Tushar


Good Afternoon sir. I had one question in regard to

this sir. In proc mock 8 ques 42 why is the answer

option (a) then shouldn’t it be option (d) as the

aesthetic standpoint is discussed in option (d).

Please reply to this sir thank you so much.

Yours Sincerely,

Tushar.

kanika pathela


What is the value of a3 + b3 ?

I. a2 + b2 = 22

II. ab = 3

Sir in this question answer can be determined by second statement alone since a

and b can take values 1 and 3 only

but in answer thy have stated that answer cant be dtrmnd by 2 statmnts 2gthr.

Gejo


a and b can also take values other than natural numbers. example a = 1/3

and b = 9.

Therefore, you will get multiple solutions and hence statement II alone


13 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

cannot give the answer.

Siddhartha


In this question it’s not mentioned that and b are no.s. so it should be done

using both statement together…a3+b3=(a+b)(a2+b2-ab)=. If it was

mentioned statement b would have been sufficient enough to answer the

question……

Vikram Agarwal


from the second statement a and b can take many values.not just 1 and 3. Like 6

and 1/2, 9 and 1/3. nowhere its mentioned that a and b has to be integers.

And the answer cannot be determined even with both the statements because the

value of a+b is not given. break a^3 + b^3 in the formula we get (a+b)(A^2 – ab +

b^2).

Hence the value cannot be determined even with the help of both the statements.

Paras


Sir, from where can I download cat papers for the years 1990-2000? Tried

searching on google, but couldn’t find anything relevant.

Tushar


Check the e-lib link in ur SIS page

Cheers

Tushar


14 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM


Good Afternoon sir. In proc mock 8 ques 42 why is the answer option (a) shouldn’t

it be option (d) as the aesthetic standpoint is discussed in option (d) and an

aesthetic view of things is necessary to understand and live a full and a versatile

life. Please reply to this sir thank you so much.

Yours Sincerely,

Tushar.

Tushar

on October 4, 2012 at 7:41 pm said:

Gejo sir pls reply here.

Thank You.

vaishnavi agrawal


hello sir

While doing RC all d points in the paragraph start confusing me.As soon as i

submit d test if a question is wrong i can immediately pick the right ans without

seeing the ans.

Please suggest something so that i can change this.

Please reply sir


15 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

vaishnavi


plz rply sir

Gejo

on October 3, 2012 at 2:54 am said:

Hi Vaishnavi,

Clearly, the challenge that you are facing is NOT one of lack of

concepts. What I feel is that most probably you are hurrying a bit to

answer fast. During the CAT, take your time and solve. You have 70

minutes for 30 questions. Plan the 70 minutes in such a manner that

you are able to give enough time for those questions that need time.

Regards

Gejo

Deepakshi


Sir,

I have booked my CAT slot for the 18th. With exactly 10 days in hand what, as per

you, should I be concentrating on?

Should I do last 10 years’ papers or should I utilize these days appearing for as

many MOCK Exams (UnProc) as possible?

GP


Deepakshi, you can take a upto three Mocks with last last one on 14th and

also revise important questions from the already attempted Mocks and past

CAT papers. In addition you can practice QA, DI & EU sections of the

unattempted CAT papers. Effective 15th you should focus only revision.

Rajan Dokania



16 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Sir, My CAT date is 30th Oct.

Please suggest what should be the best strategy for coming 19 days. I have always

been clearing cut offs in Sec1, but Sec2 i never crossed 40′s mark, I hardly

remeber clearing cut offs of Sec2. These days I am giving 1 unproctored daily. But I

find quant as well as LR’s of the unproctored mocks very tough, and low scores de

motivates me.

How to tackle ? Please suggest strategy for coming 20 days.

Should i solve previous CAT question or take mocks.

GP


Rajan, I am not in agreement with a mock a day approach, this does not

allow you to revise or to correct your errors. Suggest that you take a break

from Mocks for 4 days and in this period revise (two times) all the important

questions of QA, EU, DI and LR from the Mock CATs that you have

attempted. After revising these questions you can take a Mock CAT once

every 3 days with the last Mock CAT on 26th Oct. To improve in EU you

should do the EU section of all CAT parers from 1990-2008 and revise

these questions regularly. The RC passages of CAT 1990-2000 should be

used for practice these are lengthy but similar to the type of passages that

have come in CAT this year. For QA go thru CAT papers of 1990-2008 and

CAT 1990 -2000 for DI.

ujwal gupta


sir, is it possoble that an ans to an inference question can be a satetment from the

passage itself??…..

Team CL


Ujwal, yes it is possible. Whatever you understand/conclude on the basis of

the passage is an inference even if it has been stated in the passage.

praveen kumar

on August 4, 2013 at 10:17 am said:

sir


17 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

its taking a lot of time for me to read rc passages if i try to read fast i will not

understand and i had to regress anyway my accuracy is very good if i do it slowly i

read the speed reading topic in the funda book and tried it but it was hard to

maintain both speed and the understanding

is there anyway i would be able to increase my speed reading maintaining the

same accuracy??

GP

on August 4, 2013 at 2:47 pm said:

Praveen, speed increase is a slow process and will not happen overnight.

Continue with the process but do not try to increase speed significantly in a

short span of time and accuracy should not be sacrificed for speed.

Sharan Bakshiram


Respected Sir

I’m planning to take CAT’13 exam on 16th Oct. Is there any bad consequence for

the same?

Please reply soon sir.

GP


Sharan, there is no problem in taking the paper on 16th Oct.

Javed Iqbal


Sir,I am a test series student of CL.Where can I find questions and material for

critical reasoning?I also use the SIS but in the E-lib section I cannot find anything

related to critical reasoning.

GP


Javed, as a test series student you will have limited access to the online

material. For extra practice you can consider past CAT/XAT papers or enroll

for Test Gym or Smart CAT Cracker.


18 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Javed Iqbal


Thank you Sir.I am using the test gym and the adaptive version is

addictive .Great initiative by CL.

Abhinav Gupta


Sir,

In the VA section, I am able to solve my Unproctored mocks as well as the test gym

and get a good score. However, during the proctored mocks, I don’t know if my

concentration goes down or I get scared but I am not able to get the desired result.

What strategy should I adopt to counter it? Also, I am able to solve the English

section in 45 mins (barring LR, I am able to read and analyse the questions

properly.

What strategy should I adopt?

Gejo


Hi Abhinav,

The simple answer is to adopt a strategy that works for you.

But the difficult question is which strategy would work for you?

I can offer you a suggestion:

70 mins –> 15 min | 20 min | 20 min | 15 min

First 15 min – VA/VR –> Target : 8-9 questions

Second 20 min – LR or RC (one of the them) – Target: 2 sets

Third 20 min — LR or RC (if you chose LR first, then you do RC here) –

Target 2 sets

Last 15 min — Either 1 set from LR or 1 RC passage.

Break your task in smaller units and try your next mock.

Vishwaas



19 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Sir I have 1 ques..

Following 5 sentences are given-

A- Actors know english.

B-He does not know engish.

C-He is an actor.

D-He is not an actor.

F-He should know english.

does ADB follow logically or ACF and why???

Gejo


ABD does NOT follow logically

Actors know english…He is not an actor…Therefore, He does not know

engish.

Please note that it is NOT that ONLY Actors know english. Non-actors can

also know English. Therefore, if someone is not an actor, we cannot

conclude that he/she does not know english.

ACF follow logically

Actors know english….He is an actor… Therefore, He should know english.

This logically follows. When it is said that actors know English, it means ALL

Actors know English. So, if he is an actor, he must know ENglish

Vishwaas


thank u sir…actually the opposite was mentioned in verbal logic

book.

(Deductive logic type A q.5)

thank u for clarifying.

Palak Sood


Sir what is the logic actually?I didnt get it and how can we apply these logic to Para

Completion as mentioned by you?


20 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Gejo


Logic is a subject under philosophy which deals with understanding how to

make valid inferences.

That said, its application to para completion is this:

The last sentence must be written by the same person!

So

(a) the TONE must not change

(b) the subject in discussion must not change

(c) It must connect to what is in discussion

Gejo

Ishita Rai


Read the argument given below and answer the question that follows.

At the height of the Italian Renaissance, people believed they were living in an age

of decline and even that the end of the world was imminent. Similarly, in the first

decade of the 21st century, we believe we are living in a catastrophic time, a time of

crisis – but if you compare life for the majority of people in the developed world with

any other place or time, this looks like colossal self-pity. Now it’s Britain that seems

in the spotlight of moral anxiety. Our institutions, from parliament to hospitals, are

believed by many to be failing. A country that was recently full of self-congratulation

now has to face the fact that its economy may not after all be streets ahead of

European neighbours like Germany and France. But life is complicated.

Generalisations are facile. Things have never been worse. Or better.

Which of the following psychological tendencies mainly characterises the

paragraph?

a. A tendency to become cynical when one is facing criticism.

b. A tendency to imagine a downfall when things are at a peak

c. A tendency to resort to self-pity when faced with criticism.

d. A tendency to introspect when things are looking up.

In test gym adaptive answer is given as option b. But no where in para is

mentioned or implied that things were at peqk sometime. So how is this true??

Gejo



21 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Yes it is implied:

“AT THE HEIGHT of the Italian Renaissance……………..”

That would imply, at the peak of Renaissance..

Lubina Anand


Q. 13. Direction for question: Read the short passage given below and answer the

question that follows it. Bookmark Add Bookmark

According to McNeill, a Brahmin priest was expected to be able to recite at least

one of the Vedas. The practice was essential for several centuries when the Vedas

had not yet been written down. It must have had a selective effect, since priests

would have been recruited from those able or willing to memorize long passages. It

must have helped in the dissemination of the work, since a memorized passage

can be duplicated many times.

Which of the following can be inferred from the above passage?

a. Reciting the Vedas was a Brahmin’s obligation.

b. McNeil studied the role of Brahmin priests in Ancient India.

c. McNeill studied the behaviour of Brahmin priests.

d. Vedic hymns had not been scripted.

e. The Vedic priest was like a recorded audio cassette.

Gejo


Inferences have to be 100% TRUE based on the passage.

We can eliminate FALSE or UNCERTAIN inferences.

a. Reciting the Vedas was a Brahmin’s obligation.

UNCERTAIN.

Passage mentions – “….be able to recite at least one of the Vedas”

AT LEAST ONE = SOME

Option says – “Reciting the Vedas was a Brahmin’s obligation”. That means

ALL

SOME is NOT EQUAL to ALL!

INCORRECT

b. McNeil studied the role of Brahmin priests in Ancient India.

UNCERTAIN..


22 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

All we know from the passage is – McNeil has some thoughts on Brahmin

priest. Whether he studied them is not mentioned in the passage.

INCORRECT

c. McNeill studied the behaviour of Brahmin priests.

UNCERTAIN

Same problem as option b

d. Vedic hymns had not been scripted.

UNCERTAIN

The passage says — Vedas had not been written..”

Option says – “Vedic hymns..”

hymns are poems. Not mentioned in the passage. In fact the passage says

– “memorize long passages”

INCORRECT

e. The Vedic priest was like a recorded audio cassette.

This is TRUE analogy…

Passage says: “ince priests would have been recruited from those able or

willing to memorize long passages. It must have helped in the dissemination

of the work, since a memorized passage can be duplicated many times.”

That’s like a recorded audio cassette.

CORRECT

akshat bhatnagar


Sir can u please help me with this one:

It was co-incidental that two separate teams of scientists discovered the remains of

tyrannosauruses on two separate locations of the same island. The first team found

that the tyrannosaurus, who was a female, had developed wings; however, it was

not possible for it to fly and support its weight during its flight. The other team

discovered that the tyrannosaurus, who was a male, had no traces of wings and its

structure was no different from what was already known to the scientists.

Eventually, both the discoveries made the scientists and island dwellers realize that

the island contained many undiscovered treasures and answers.


23 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following

statements can be inferred from the argument?

a. There are certain islands where traces of dinosaurs and other ancient species

can still be unearthed and studied to fill in the gaps.

b. The history of evolution provides ample evidence to justify the difference among

the male and female species of a race.

c. It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wings, but, whether

this physical feature was only specific to females is open to further discovery.

d. The tyrannosaurus was the only species of dinosaurs that had wings but could

not fly due to their humungous bodyweight.

e. Scientists are confident that they have already unearthed most of the information

about this species of dinosaurs and can make accurate guesses.

Gejo


Whatever can be inferred must 100% TRUE based on the passage

Best is to eliminate options rather than select the right one.

a. There are certain islands where traces of dinosaurs and other ancient

species can still be unearthed and studied to fill in the gaps.

TOO BROAD – The passage mentioned on island. So cant infer ‘certain

islands’.

INCORRECT

b. The history of evolution provides ample evidence to justify the difference

among the male and female species of a race.

ALIEN – history of evolution is not mentioned in the passage.

INCORRECT

c. It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wings, but,

whether this physical feature was only specific to females is open to further

discovery.

GOOD ONE

PASSAGE: “The first team found that the tyrannosaurus, who was a female,

had developed wings…”

PASSAGE: “….both the discoveries made the scientists and island dwellers

realize that the island contained many undiscovered treasures and

answers.”

So, we can infer that there is more to be learnt. So, whatever is been

discovered about female T-Rex is open to verification.

d. The tyrannosaurus was the only species of dinosaurs that had wings but

could not fly due to their humungous bodyweight.

EXTREME – ..was the only species of dinosaurs..

INCORRECT

e. Scientists are confident that they have already unearthed most of the

information about this species of dinosaurs and can make accurate

guesses.


24 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

CONTRADICTION.

The passage clearly says – “..the island contained many undiscovered

treasures and answers.”

How can they make accurate guesses.

INCORRECT

akshat bhatnagar


thank you so much sir..ill try to keep all the above mentioned things

in mind while doing CR.

Gejo


Let’s look at each of the options:

//a. There are certain islands where traces of dinosaurs and other ancient

species can still be unearthed and studied to fill in the gaps.//

This inference would be ‘UNCERTAIN’ based on the passage. The passage

mentions ‘ONE island’. From there, one cannot make a TRUE inference for

‘certain islands’

INCORRECT

//b. The history of evolution provides ample evidence to justify the difference

among the male and female species of a race.//

This is completely outside the scope of the passage. The passage has NO

reference to ‘history of evolution’.

INCORRECT

//c. It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wings, but,

whether this physical feature was only specific to females is open to further

discovery.//

Let;s look at what is mentioned in the passage:

(1) ” The first team found that the tyrannosaurus, who was a female, had

developed wings; …..”

(2) “…..realize that the island contained many undiscovered treasures and

answers”

They found remains of one female T-Rex in the island… There are more

undiscovered remains…

Therefore, If you connect these two statements, one can conclusively derive

– “It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wing…”

CORRECT


25 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

//d. The tyrannosaurus was the only species of dinosaurs that had wings but

could not fly due to their humungous bodyweight.//

ELIMINATE – The option says : “The tyrannosaurus was the ONLY

species..”

Such extreme words like ONLY cannot be concluded.

INCORRECT.

//e. Scientists are confident that they have already unearthed most of the

information about this species of dinosaurs and can make accurate

guesses.//

FALSE! This contradicts the information given in the passage.The passage

says – “island contained many undiscovered treasures and answers…”

Abheek


Dear Gejo,

The funny thing about the MBA entrances is the similarity in the question sets that

are common.

GMAT and CAT tend to work on the contrary as each other’s opposite.

While certainly the GMAT quant is at a lower lever than the CAT.The verbal takes

an ambitious jump to the higher echelon of difficulty.

But, the irony is this the GMAT Verbal is segregated into 3 types.

RC, CR, SC.

While the latter two do not make a significant appearance in the CAT.but being well

versed in CR/SC helps to master the CAT like CR/SC( if there are any to be

noteworthy).As someone who has taken the GMAT and is now sturdily preparing

for the CAT’14, I am faced with a glorious dilemma.The idea of prioritising clearly

loses it’s charm if you have taken the GMAT and follow the same approach for

CAT.I honestly thought CR and SC would form a notorious place in the paper.But,

due to their scattered presence my focus shifts more towards RC,PJ,PC questions

the latter two replace what a GMAT test taker would say are the core of the Verbal

Section.I can’t help but it be a little awed by the GMAT english.It clearly takes a big

bite out of the difficulty level and complexity.While giving the many CAT mocks i

noticed it was far easier to gain up in verbal than quant.So to put in a layman’s term

just as for the GMAT the verbal section was the ‘baap’ section for the CAT quant

takes away that coveted position.

It’s funny how these exams work.Who knows maybe 10-20 years down the line all

the MBA papers would be more uniform in there upbringing.

Till then a happy CAT taker who will not be disillusioned by his percentile scores.

Regards,

Abheek


26 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Gejo


Hi Abheek,

Every test has its own DNA.

For instance a GRE does not have any question on Sentence Correction

but asks Text Completion.

XAT has a very challenging Quant & Logical Reasoning section.

Unlike GMAT, CAT does not clearly mentions the specific areas that it will

test you on.

Uniformity will be difficult to achieve unless there is just one test.

What can I say, you have to live with it and enjoy the challenge.

Regards

Gejo

Shruti


student and I have doubt in the following Fact-Judgement-Inference Questions :

1 Ten of thousands may more experience complications that will leave them with

severe disabilities.

Answer is inference

But according to me “may” word indicates judgment as it depicts uncertainty. For

inference, conclusion should be true. Isnt it?

2 The South Indian Superstar Rajnikant is all set to star in his next movie Shivaji

Ans is Fact

But we were taught that Fact is confined to what one observes, cannot be made

about the future. ISnt future is indicated here

3 A clear majority of voters and national govts are set on limiting these freedoms

How is it a Judgement?? Cant it be a fact??

4.The truth is that we have more red tape-we take eighty nine days to start a small

business, Australians take two.( VA 15 CL assignment)

Ans is Fact…Why cant it be a Inference “The truth is…..”

Thank You!!

Gejo



27 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

//1 Ten of thousands may more experience complications that will leave

them with severe disabilities.

Answer is inference

But according to me “may” word indicates judgment as it depicts

uncertainty. For inference, conclusion should be true. Isnt it?//

The inference being drawn is – “..will leave them with severe disabilities”

from the premise “Ten of thousands may more experience complications..”

A causal argument [ Cause & Effect]. Hence, it is Inference. In fact,

inference, judgement – you solely go by how it is defined.

//2 The South Indian Superstar Rajnikant is all set to star in his next movie

Shivaji

Ans is Fact

But we were taught that Fact is confined to what one observes, cannot be

made about the future. ISnt future is indicated here//

Please go by the how it is defined. Fact – deal with pieces of information

that one has heard, seen or read, and which are open to discovery or

verification.

It is open to verification or discovery as to whether Superstar is starring in

the next movie Shivaji.

//3 A clear majority of voters and national govts are set on limiting these

freedoms

How is it a Judgement?? Cant it be a fact??//

Well… how can you verify it?

Judgement – are opinions that imply approval or disapproval of persons,

objects, situations, and occurrences in the past, the present or the future.

Here the statement is hinting a disapproval.

4.The truth is that we have more red tape-we take eighty nine days to start

a small business, Australians take two.( VA 15 CL assignment)

Ans is Fact…Why cant it be a Inference “The truth is…..”

Its a fact. Something that can be verified.

All that the statement is doing is merely stating that a fact is true. We can

verify as to whether it is so.

He is not making any inference from it.

Shruti


Thank you so much sir..Just one more doubt that only Cause-effect

argument will be inference??Nothing else?


28 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Gejo


There are broadly three types of arguments:

An argument consists of premise(or evidence) from which

one infers a conclusion.

1. Generalization: Part –> Whole

Eg: Since all the elephants I have seen are black, all

elephants must be black.

2. Causal argument: Cause –> Effect

Eg: The interaction in the class becomes high when there

are more than 20 students. Therefore, the number of

students is a key criteria in understanding the level of

interaction in a class.

3. Argument from Analogy: A is similar to B. A has a quality

Q. Therefore P has a quality Q.

Fetus is a human being. Killing human beings is murder.

Therefore, killing fetus is murder.

Regards

Palak Sood


It is estimated that 30 percent of Indians are below the

poverty line.

Why is it a Judgement and not a fact??

Team CL


Dear Palak,

This is only an estimate. Different people may come

up with different estimates. Thus, this is only an

opinion and not a fact at all.


29 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Sudhanshu


Hi Gejo Sir,

Here I am another MBA aspirant. I dont have too much of high hope for the exams.

But very much interested in doing brand management. So want to crack MICAT.

Please give some awesome tips to nail this exam.

Will be very helpful

Team CL


Dear Sudhanshu,

The MICAT is unlike other entrance tests. This test focuses more on

creativity than on pure aptitude. Go through past years’ papers of MICAT.

That would give you an overview of the test and will help you plan your

preparations. Do practise writing a few essays/short stories. These would

help you a lot in MICAT. Also practise word puzzles, word games, etc.

These too should help you.

avdhesh


I have been giving cl mocks using chrome browser and have been facing issues

with di and rc passages as the question gets hanged. Neither I am able to select

option nor change question. I have to go next set then come back still the question

remains hanged. Should i use Windows explorer?

Team CL


Dear Avdhesh,

You should use Mozilla Firefox. You should not encounter such problems

with Firefox.

Ankita



30 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Sir

I could’nt solve this questn from CL Test gym adaptive…..could you help by solving

this in your way……

A. According to materialists, the universe was eternal, and therefore, there was no

purpose or special creation in it.

B. Claiming that everything came into being as the result of unconscious atoms

assembling at random, they believed that no matter how much complexity, balance

and magnificent regularity was exhibited by the external world, these were still the

result of purposeless coincidences.

C. Materialists imagined that all the balances, equilibrium, harmony and order in

the universe were solely the results of chance.

D. Since materialism rejected the concepts of purpose and creation to the universe,

it also denied the existence of a Creator.

E. Materialist minds had held such preconceptions ever since the days of Ancient

Greece.

a. CBED

b. EBDC

c. DBEC

d. DCEB

e. ECBD

Team CL


Dear Ankita,

In this question, statement A is already correctly placed (as per the

directions). Statement C will follow A as it elaborates the idea expressed in

A. E talks about “such preconceptions”. But, A only presents one idea, not

several preconceptions. Hence, E cannot follow A. Similarly, D talks of

creator which no other statement talks of. Hence, D should come at the end

of the paragraph. CB is a mandatory pair – C talks of “solely the results of

chance and B elaborates this with “assembling at random” and

“purposeless coincidences”. Based on these clues, it is clear that CBED will

be the right answer.

Ishita Rai


My take option e bcoz CB being a mandatory pair and E seems to follow A only

and nothing else

Team CL



31 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Dear Ishita,

In this question, statement A is already correctly placed (as per the

directions). Statement C will follow A as it elaborates the idea expressed in

A. E talks about “such preconceptions”. But, A only presents one idea, not

several preconceptions. Hence, E cannot follow A. Similarly, D talks of

creator which no other statement talks of. Hence, D should come at the end

of the paragraph. CB is a mandatory pair – C talks of “solely the results of

chance and B elaborates this with “assembling at random” and

“purposeless coincidences”. Based on these clues, it is clear that CBED will

be the right answer.

Navodita Singh


Ques from adaptive gym

Deepa Metha’s Fire is under fire from the country’s self-appointed moral police.

Their contention is that the film is a violation of the Indian cultural mores and

cannot be allowed to influence the Indian psyche. According to them, such films

ruin the moral fabric of the nation, which must be protected and defended against

such intrusions at all cost, even at the cost of cultural dictatorship.

Based on the information in the above passage, it can be inferred that

a. the assumption underlying the moral police’s critique of Fire is that the Indian

audience is vulnerable to all types of influences.

b. The moral police is duty bound to protect Indian audience against all types of

influences.

c. the moral police thinks it has the sole authority to pass judgement on films

screened in India.

d. The moral police has observed that movies like ‘Fire’ can influe the Indian

psyche.

e. The assumption underlying the moral police’s critique of Fire is that the Indian

audience is impressionable and must be protected against ‘immoral’ influences.

I have confusion between d and e

Team CL


Dear Navodita,

While e is an assumption, d is an inference. We do not know whether the

moral police have observed anything or they have been told something or

they simply believe in something, etc. Thus, d is simply a conclusion and is

not the right answer.


32 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Navodita Singh


How can assumption be an inference?? Moreover Inferenence is

100 per true and there is no where written that indians are

impressionable… It is talking about only Fire

Team CL


Dear Navodita,

An inference that is based purely on stated facts is

necessarily true. But an inference that is based on

assumptions is not necessarily true. An assumption is the

missing link between stated facts and the inference. In verbal

reasoning questions that ask “Which of the following is the

assumption made in the above paragraph/argument?”, you

are required to identify the missing link (i.e. the assumption)

between the stated facts and the inference. In other words,

you are required to identify/deduce/conclude/infer the

assumption that has been made in the given paragraph. For

example, consider a paragraph that states “X is an apple. X

is green. Therefore, all apples are green.” In this paragraph,

the first two statements are facts, the last statement is the

inference and the assumption is that all apples are like X.

The given facts talk only about X whereas the author has

drawn an inference about all apples. Thus, the author

assumes that all apples are like X. In other words, it can be

inferred that the author assumes that all apples are like X.

Questions that require you to strengthen/weaken an

argument or ask you to identify the flaw in the argument

involve an inference that is based on assumptions. In the

given question, it is stated that “…self-appointed moral

police. Their contention is that the film is a violation of the

Indian cultural mores and cannot be allowed to influence the

Indian psyche. According to them, such films ruin the moral

fabric of the nation…” This clearly implies that the moral

police believe that Indians are impressionable. It is not

talking only about Fire. Please go through the basic concepts

of critical reasoning once more.


33 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Jasmeen Kamboj


I am a CL student and hve a dbt in this ques:

Thomas Malthus, the British clergyman-turned economist, predicted that the planet

would not be able to support the human population for long. His explanation was

that human population grows at a geometric rate, while the food supply grows only

at an arithmetic rate.

Which one of the following, if true, would not undermine the thesis offered by

Malthus?

[1999]

a. Population growth can be slowed down by the voluntary choices of individuals

and not just by natural disasters.

b. The capacity of the planet to feed a growing human population can be enhanced

through biotechnological means.

c. Human systems, and natural systems like food supply, follow natural laws of

growth which have remained constant, and will remain unchanged.

d. Human beings can colonize other planetary systems on a regular and ongoing

basis to accommodate a growing population.

Answer is c but d is equally good an option bcoz in d it is expecting life on other

planets and hence in no way affecting the fact that earth wont be able to support

life for long.plz justify.

Team CL


Dear Jasmeen,

The explanation offered by Malthus is that human population grows at a

geometric rate while food supply grows only at an arithmetic rate. Option a

contradicts this explanation by pointing out that population growth can be

slowed down voluntarily. Similarly, b contradicts this explanation by stating

that food supply can be enhanced. Similarly, d contradicts the explanation

by stating that humans may populate other planets and thereby, the

population of people on this planet may decline or grow at a lower pace.

Option c is the only option that does not contradict/counter the explanation

offered by Malthus.

Ayushi


Hello Sir,

I am not sure whether this is the right place to talk about it but I had no other place


34 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

to contact you. I have recently enrolled into the Smart Cat Cracker. And I am

exceedingly indebted to you for all the efforts that you and Gp sir have put in to

make such High-end learning so easily accessible to people like me, who live in

cities where there is no conventional coaching available, means a lot to me. I love

the entire courseware and the enthusiasm with which you teach. From being a

person who used to right away go and click the “Next” button whenever I came

across a reading comprehension, I have become a person who first of all attempts

RC in the mocks. The way you say “alright” keeps echoing in my mind whenever I

do any RC and am able to get to the main idea. The only quibble is I don’t know

where and whom to write in case I have a doubt.

Thank You so much sir for making the entire learning experience so enjoyable and

great and for changing the whole CAT and RC perspective of mine. I wish I could

someday attend your live session too.

Your sincerely,

Ayushi

Team CL


Dear Ayushi,

It is good to hear from you. We are always happy to help students. You can

write to us with your doubts, queries, concerns, feedback, etc. at:

[email protected] In order to attend a live session, you can

check the schedule of upcoming SQC sessions at:

http://www.careerlauncher.com/mba/sqc/

Jasmeen Kamboj


This ques from test gym:

The time has changed for the world’s superpowers to play their respective

supremacy in the field of economy. The importance of the developing countries

economies in the present day world is rising very fast. Both in terms of size and

weight the contribution of the developing countries is very note worthy. Out of

which, the developing nations led the way with GDP growth of 6.4 percent and high

income countries, at 2.8 percent in the same year. The Global Development

Finance report in the year 2006 says that the net private capital inflows to

developing countries reached high level of US$491 billion in the year 2005. The

foreign direct investment from developing countries to other developing countries

was estimated in the order of $47 billion.

Which of the following, if true, would best explain why the developing nations are

experiencing a better platform for operating?

a. The growth rate of the developing countries is reliable and more satisfactory in


35 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

comparison to the others.

b. The Latin American and the Caribbean grow by an average of 3.8 percent.

c. The present world economic scenario depicts that the economic concentration is

changing and is more favorable on the part of the developing nations.

d. The developing nations account for 20 percent of the global GDP and 26 percent

of world trade presently.

e. The FDI among the developing countries originated with middle-income country

firms and is invested in the same region.

Team CL


Dear Jasmeen,

Option (a) is the right answer. The question asks you about all developing

countries. But option (b) only talks about Latin American and Caribbean

regions. Hence, option (b) is insufficient. Option (c) only says that some

change is occurring – it does not provide any reasons and hence, cannot be

the answer. Option (d) actually goes against the question asked. If

developing nations account for only 20 percent of the global GDP, then

other countries account for 80% of global GDP. Thus, other countries

should have a better platform. Hence, option (d) also cannot be the answer.

Where FDI originated from is not likely to have any impact on an economy –

only the quantum of the FDI will have an impact. Thus, option (e) also fails.

Option (a) talks about some good attributes of the economies of developing

countries. Thus, if true, it would explain why developing nations are

experiencing a better platform for operating.


36 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Jasmeen Kamboj


On the basis of your negating option C, even in option A it is not

giving any solid reason..It is saying that economy is more reliable

but reason is not there.

Team CL


Dear Jasmeen,

The paragraph says that the importance of developing

countries is rising. Option c simply repeats this statement

and does not give any reason for this. On the other hand,

option a points out that the growth rate of developing

countries is better than that of others. This is the reason for

the increase in the importance of developing countries.

Jyoti Garg


Plz help me solve this para completion ques :

But it is important to mention that the European commission is the leading voice in

the “chorus” calling for sustainability criteria – by establishing such criteria for

biofuels that can be consumed in the EU. The new directive for renewable energy

sources will call for the promotion of only sustainable biofuels, i.e. those that save

at least 35% CO2 compared to the oil that would be consumed instead.

______________

a. On the contrary, it is delivering significant greenhouse gas reductions compared

to oil.

b. The commission strongly disagrees with the assumption that the overall

environmental effect of existing biofuel policy is negative.

c. The directive also stresses on the renewal of unconventional sources of energy,

bringing into limelight the wind energy.

d. Today there are only three ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from

transport: the shift to less polluting and more energy efficient modes of transport

(i.e. rail, sea shipping, public transport); the promotion of less consuming cars

through CO2 /km targets; and biofuels.

e. At the same time the directive will include robust sustainability standards to

prevent damaging land – use change and the destruction of rainforests.


37 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Team CL


Dear Jyoti,

The given paragraph talks about “the new directive…will call for…”. This

implies that the directive has not yet been issued. Option (a), on the other

hand, talks about something that is already happening – “it is delivering…”.

Hence, (a) cannot complete the paragraph. Option (c) gets rejected for the

same reason – it talks about something that is already present. The

paragraph says that “will call for the promotion of only sustainable biofuels”.

This suggests that changes to existing policy will be asked for. Option (b),

on the other hand, implies that the commission supports existing policy.

Hence, option (b) also does not fit the given context. Option (d) is a general

discussion about ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport,

whereas the paragraph talks about a specific commission and its

forthcoming directive. Thus, option (d) will not follow the paragraph. Option

(e) continues the discussion of the attributes/features that the directive will

have. Hence, option (e) is the right answer.

Saanya Jain


Sir I had no idea in solving this parajumble…please help me.with this…thnx

Q. 4. Direction for question : The sentences given in the question, when properly

sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a letter.

Choose the most logical order of sentences among the given choices to construct a

coherent paragraph. Bookmark Add Bookmark

A. Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into

the true nature of life.

B. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years

has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path — a

path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

C. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to

develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom.

D. Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god,

some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense.

E. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing

is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. to realise

and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully

responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.

a. BCDE

b. CBED

c. CBDE

d. BEDC


38 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

e. ECDB

Team CL


Dear Saanya,

In the given question, sentence A is fixed. The other 4 sentences need to

be arranged in a logical sequence. Sentence E introduces the topic and

mentions the basic tenets of Buddhism. Further, E talks of transforming and

C develops the idea of change further. EC is thus a mandatory pair. Looking

at the options, ECDB therefore, should be the answer.

Shivanshi Sethi


I am a cl student

Hownto solve such para completion ques where u have no idea what the passage

is talking about:

From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the

most appropriate way.

Future social historians will note the extraordinary centrality of food to national

discourse on both sides of the Atlantic. Celebrity chefs and lifestyle experts attempt

to reform bad habits. Doctors debate the health benefits and risks of modish diets,

from raw greens to bone marrow. Class warriors deplore as snobbish dismissals of

cheap battery-farm chickens. And the gulping majority grow obstinately fat on salty,

sugary, pre-packaged slop, swelling the coffers of the multinationals and delivering

fiscal nightmares to those who must foot the bill. But, despite this glut of media

coverage, the provenance of most food is little known or understood.Consumers

must take vendors’ avowals of freshness on trust. Few question exactly what

knowledge a sell-by date imparts. ______________________________

a. Ancient cultures used preservative methods, such as salting and pickling, in

order to extend the durability of produce for domestic use.

b. Refrigeration delivered a paradigm shift by removing the site of production from

the sight of consumers.

c. The idea of freshness emerged to fill the conceptual ellipsis that resulted.

d. The numinous meaning of freshness, as with all cults, is apprehended only

vaguely by its followers.

e. Adam had no need to question the physical integrity of the apple Eve offered

him, whatever its moral risks

Team CL



39 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Dear Shivanshi,

For such questions, it is useful to try and identify the major keywords and

focus purely on those words. Then work with the options and try to identify

how each option relates to those keywords. In the given question, for

example, the initial part of the paragraph may be ignored (almost

completely). The last three lines talk about freshness of food (provenance of

food means = source/origin of food, vendors’ avowals = vendors’ claims).

Now, looking at the options, (a) talks about what ancient cultures did, which

does not at all connect to the problem that consumers today do not know

how fresh their food is. Option (b) talks about shifting the place where

production happens. It does not at all connect to the last line of the

paragraph, which talks of sell-by date (expiry date). (c) talks of “… the

conceptual ellipsis that resulted”. This begs the question as to what was the

origin/source of the conceptual ellipsis – what did it result from. The last line

of the given paragraph does not provide any such source. (e) talks of Adam

and Eve which again does not at all connect to the last line of the given

paragraph. Hence, by elimination, we are left with option (d). The last lines

of the passage talk of “little known or understood”; (d) similarly talks of

“apprehended only vaguely by its followers” (apprehended here means =

understood, numinous means = mysterious). Thus, option (d) fits the given

context.

DIPAYAN PAL


Hello Sir,

I followed the above mentioned advice for solving the critical reasoning questions

but I am not being able to achieve 85% accuracy. On the contrary, i got both the

critical reasoning questions incorrect in the last Mock which i had given. Could you

please help me out with this? As to how can I improve this aspect of the paper?

Gejo


Dipayan,

In every critical reasoning question – the author makes an argument (

premise –> conclusion ). Simply put – author tries to make a claim by

stating some reason. The first step is identify those.

The questions can be one of the following:

Assumption – the things that links premise to conclusion. This that are

needed for the argument to be true.

Ex: Alcohol should be banned because it causes lot of harm.

Assumption here – Banning alcohol will reduce/eliminate consumption of


40 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

alcohol.

TIP: The answer will be the one which is MOST obvious! The one that

directly connects.

Strengthen/Weaken – additional data which either supports or weaken

either the stated reason or the assumption.

Here, eliminate the ones which are irrelevant. And then evaluate the rest.

Inference or Conclusion – same like how you do in RC – something that is

true based on the passage.

Practice a few CR questions – Analyse all the questions once to solve them

and you will be able to handle CR.

Regards

Shivanshi Sethi


Logical consistency:

Rohit is in the class when Puneet is in the lab.

A. Puneet is in the lab

B. Rohit is not in the class

C. Puneet is not in the lab

D. Rohit is in the class

Both AD AND BC are correct?

Gejo


Hi Shivanshi,

Yes!

The basic logic works like this:

If P then Q.

P —-> Q.

Not Q —-> Not P

In this case:

Rohit is in the class when Puneet is in the lab.

If Puneet in Lab, then Rohit in class

Puneet in Lab —-> Rohit in class

Rohit not in class —> Puneet not in Lab


41 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

AD and BC are correct links.

Regards


42 of 42 5/30/2015 9:03 PM

Documents

The Secret to Solving Inferential Questions _ GP Ka Funda