Reasoning

Syllogisms Guide & Practice

Understand Syllogism Venn Diagram representations, categorical statements (Some/All/No), solved exam questions, and online tests. Explore dynamic solver blueprints, master fundamental equations, examine step-by-step solved examples, and practice with real exam-grade mock test sets.

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Reasoning

Syllogism - Set 5 Practice Test

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25 Qs
37 min
Hard
Reasoning

Syllogism - Set 4 Practice Test

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Reasoning

Syllogism - Set 2 Practice Test

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Video Tutorial

Syllogisms Short Tricks & Formulas

Watch this short trick video explaining high-speed shortcuts, mental math formulas, and patterns for Syllogisms. Master the theory and start practicing with the tests below.

Foundation & Concepts

Syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two or more given propositions (premises).

1. Parts of a Proposition

Standard form: Quantifier + Subject + Copula + Predicate

  • Quantifier: Specifies quantity (All, No, Some).
  • Subject: The word about which something is said.
  • Predicate: What is affirmed or denied about the subject.
  • Copula: Relationship between subject and predicate (is, are, are not).

2. Four-fold Classification (A, E, I, O)

SymbolPropositionQuantityQualityVenn Diagram Hint
AAll A are BUniversalAffirmativeA is entirely inside B
ENo A is BUniversalNegativeA and B are disjoint
ISome A are BParticularAffirmativeA and B overlap
OSome A are not BParticularNegativePart of A is outside B

Patterns/Rules

1. Immediate Inferences (Single Statement)

  • All A are B (A) → Implies: Some A are B; Converts to: Some B are A.
  • No A is B (E) → Implies: Some A are not B; Converts to: No B is A.
  • Some A are B (I) → Converts to: Some B are A.
  • Some A are not B (O) → No definite immediate inference.

2. Mediate Inferences (Two+ Statements)

  • Positive + Positive = Positive Conclusion.
  • Positive + Negative = Negative Conclusion.
  • Negative + Negative = No definite conclusion.
  • Particular + Particular = No definite conclusion.
  • Alignment: The "Middle Term" (term common to both premises) must be distributed at least once.

3. Complementary Pairs (Either-Or Case)

"Either I or II follows" applies when:

  1. Both individual conclusions are false/uncertain.
  2. The subject and predicate are the same in both.
  3. They form a pair: (I + O), (A + O), or (I + E).

4. Possibility

  • If no definite relation exists between two terms, any "Possibility" between them is True.
  • If a definite relation exists, a contradicting "Possibility" is False.

Typical Exam Weightage

ExamTypical Questions
SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS)1–2 questions
Banking (IBPS / SBI)3–5 questions

One of the highest-weightage Banking reasoning topics — the Venn-diagram method is faster and more reliable than verbal elimination for complex statement sets.

Figures are typical ranges based on recent-year patterns, not a guarantee for any specific upcoming paper — always cross-check against the latest official syllabus and previous-year papers for Syllogisms.

Solved Examples

1Solved Example
Easy

Q1. Statements:

  1. All gardens are schools.
  2. All schools are colleges. Conclusions: I. All gardens are colleges. II. Some gardens are colleges.
2Solved Example
Moderate

Q3. Statements:

  1. Some boys are students.
  2. All students are teenagers. Conclusions: I. All teenagers are students. II. Some boys are teenagers.
3Solved Example
Hard

Q5. Statements:

  1. Some birds are trees.
  2. Some trees are hens. Conclusions: I. Some birds being hens is a possibility. II. All trees being hens is a possibility.