Logical Reasoning aptitude tests (also known as Critical Reasoning tests) may be either verbal (word based, e.g. "Verbal Logical Reasoning"), numerical (number based, e.g. "Numerical Logical Reasoning") or diagrammatic (picture based, see diagrammatic tests for more information).
Unlike other Numerical Reasoning or Verbal Reasoning tests which ask candidates to say if a statement following on from a short passage is true, false, or impossible to tell (such as those used by SHL), logical reasoning tests assess a candidate's ability to use logic and structured thinking to deduce from a short passage which of a number of statements is the most accurate response to a posed question.
This involves the ability to isolate and identify the various components of any given argument.
Verbal Logical Reasoning Tests
Logical Reasoning tests always consist of a series of questions (usually 20 to 30) based on short passages called "stimuli." Each stimulus takes the form of an argument - a conclusion based on evidence. You will need to understand the stimulus to answer the questions based on it. Common types of questions include weakening, strengthening, assumption, main point, inference, and parallel logic. Each is designed to test your ability to understand, analyze, evaluate, and manipulate arguments.
Assumption
One type of logical reasoning question you'll find on Verbal Logical Reasoning tests is the assumption. An assumption bridges the gap between an argument's evidence and conclusion. It is a piece of support that is not explicitly stated but that is required for the conclusion to remain valid. When a question asks you to find an author's assumption, it's asking you to find the statement without which the argument falls apart.
In order to test whether a statement is necessarily assumed by an author, you can use the Denial Test. Simply deny or negate the statement and see if the argument falls apart. If it does, that choice is a necessary assumption. If, on the other hand, the argument is unaffected, the choice is wrong.
Consider the following example:
"Edward plays badminton for Epsom High School. Therefore, Edward must be over six feet tall."
In this statement, the second sentence is the conclusion and the first sentence as the evidence for it. However, in this case the argument is not complete. The piece that is missing is the assumption.
From the information above, we can re-phrase the example as: All badminston players for Epsom High School are over six feet tall. Now we can use the Denial Test. If it was not true that all badminton players for Epsom High School are over six feet tall, then we could not logically conclude that Edward must be taller than six feet. It would be possible that he was, but it would also possible that he was not. By denying the statement like this, the argument has fallen to pieces; it is no longer valid. This is our conclusive proof that the statement above is a necessary assumption of this argument.
Test Taking Strategy
The strategy of tackling Logical Reasoning tests entails being an active reader. This means thinking about what you're reading; paraphrasing the complicated parts; determining the topic, scope, the author's purpose and passage structure, and author's voice; and asking yourself questions about the passage.
Example Logical Reasoning Question
This is an example of a typical questions from a Verbal Logical Reasoning (or Verbal Critical Reasoning) test:
"If all beaches were publicly owned, we would have to rely on government funds to maintain them. It is true that more people would have access to the ocean and beaches, but at what cost? If the beaches are not cared for adequately, soon there will be nothing left worth having access to. We should consider carefully before nationalizing more coastal property."
- Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?
A - The public does not want additional access to beaches.
B - The government is currently responsible for the maintenance of all public and private beaches.
C - The public already has some access to many beaches.
D - Other property has been nationalized in the past with no complaints from the original owners of the property.
E - Some privately owned beaches are not well maintained.
- Answer: B
The evidence is that, while nationalizing will allow more people more access to beaches, it could also lead to WORSE beaches. The author points out that access to beaches is only good if the beaches themselves are cared for adequately and are therefore desirable. The author's conclusion is the last sentence: We should consider carefully before nationalizing more coastal property. So, the author believes we have reason to be concerned that the beaches won't be taken care of as well as when they were privately owned, but nowhere is this claim supported; it is assumed. So the answer choice must deny the central assumption and imply that the government would do a good job taking care of beaches. Choice two agrees with what we want, by saying that private beaches are cared for by the government. So, if the government were to nationalize those beaches, nothing changes: It should take on no new maintenance obligations, and we have little additional cause for concern about dirty beaches.
For Numerical Logical Reasoning example questions, see here.
