What Syllogism Questions Test
- Basic two-statement syllogisms
- Multi-statement chains (three or more premises)
- Possibility conclusions ("can be true")
- Either-or (complementary pair) cases
Question bank coverage by sub-pattern
How Syllogism Appears in IBPS PO
Syllogism is part of the Reasoning Ability section (20% of the IBPS PO syllabus). See the full IBPS PO Prelims breakdown.
Syllogism Solved Examples for IBPS PO
12 exam-pattern syllogism questions from the practice bank, each with a full solution.
Given the conclusion: 'Some A are C'. Which of the following statements, when added as a premise, would make the conclusion valid, given the premise 'All B are A'?
- A.Some B are C
- B.All C are B
- C.Some C are BCorrect
- D.No C are B
Solution
To derive 'Some A are C' from 'All B are A', we need a connection between C and B. If 'Some C are B' is true, then some C are included in B, and since all B are A, it follows that some C are A.
Identify the statement that exemplifies a 'Particular Negative' proposition.
- A.All apples are red.
- B.No apples are green.
- C.Some apples are not sweet.Correct
- D.Some apples are sweet.
Solution
A Particular Negative proposition (O-type) asserts that some members of one class are not members of another class. 'Some apples are not sweet' is an example.
In the proposition 'Some cars are not electric', which term(s) are distributed?
- A.Cars only
- B.Electric onlyCorrect
- C.Both cars and electric
- D.Neither cars nor electric
Solution
In a Particular Negative (O-type) proposition like 'Some cars are not electric', only the predicate term ('electric') is distributed. The subject term ('cars') is undistributed.
Statements: Some pens are pencils. No pencil is an eraser. Conclusions: I. Some pens being erasers is a possibility. II. All pens being erasers is a possibility.
- A.Only conclusion I followsCorrect
- B.Only conclusion II follows
- C.Both I and II follow
- D.Neither I nor II follows
Solution
Statement 1: Some pens are pencils. Statement 2: No pencil is an eraser. Since no pencil is an eraser, the pens that are pencils cannot be erasers. However, the pens that are NOT pencils *could* be erasers. Therefore, *some* pens being erasers is a possibility. However, it is not possible for *all* pens to be erasers, because some are pencils, and no pencil is an eraser.
Based on the logical principles of Negative Syllogism, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- B.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
- C.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
- D.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
- E.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
Solution
In Negative Syllogism, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Statements: Some P are Q. All Q are R. No R is S. Conclusions: I. Some P are R. II. No Q is S. III. Some P are S.
- A.Only I and II followCorrect
- B.Only II follows
- C.Only I and III follow
- D.All follow
Solution
From the statements, we can conclude that some P are Q and all Q are R, which implies some P are R. Also, all Q are R and no R is S, which implies no Q is S. Therefore, conclusions I and II follow. Conclusion III does not necessarily follow.
Statements: Some X are Y. No Y is Z. Conclusions: I. Some X are not Z. II. All X are not Z.
- A.Only conclusion I followsCorrect
- B.Only conclusion II follows
- C.Both I and II follow
- D.Neither I nor II follows
Solution
Statement 1: Some X are Y. Statement 2: No Y is Z. Since some X are Y, and no Y is Z, it follows that some X are not Z. We cannot conclude that ALL X are not Z, as only the X that are also Y are definitely not Z.
Based on the logical principles of Definite Conclusions, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
- B.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- C.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
- D.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
- E.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
Solution
In Definite Conclusions, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Based on the logical principles of Complementary Pairs & Either-Or, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
- B.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
- C.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- D.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
- E.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
Solution
In Complementary Pairs & Either-Or, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Based on the logical principles of Reverse Syllogism & Coded Syllogism, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
- B.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
- C.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
- D.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- E.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
Solution
In Reverse Syllogism & Coded Syllogism, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Based on the logical principles of Complementary Pairs and Either-Or, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- B.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
- C.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
- D.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
- E.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
Solution
In Complementary Pairs and Either-Or, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Statements: All books are pens. All pens are pencils. Conclusions: I. Some pencils are books. II. All books are pencils.
- A.Only conclusion I follows
- B.Only conclusion II follows
- C.Both I and II followCorrect
- D.Neither I nor II follows
Solution
Statement 1: All books are pens (A-type proposition). Statement 2: All pens are pencils (A-type proposition). Combining these, we get 'All books are pencils' and 'Some pencils are books'. Therefore both conclusions I and II follow.
Syllogism — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest method for syllogism questions?
Venn diagrams — draw the minimal diagram the statements force, and test each conclusion against it. For "possibility" conclusions, ask instead whether ANY valid diagram allows it.
When does an either-or answer apply?
When two conclusions are individually not certain but form a complementary pair — same subject and predicate, covering all cases between them (e.g. "some" + "no"). Then "either I or II follows".
How many Syllogism practice questions does Parikshala have for IBPS PO?
94 exam-pattern Syllogism questions for IBPS PO Reasoning Ability, each with a step-by-step solution. Practice is free — no sign-up needed to start.