What Statement & Conclusion Questions Test
- Conclusions that follow directly from a statement
- Implicit assumptions behind a statement
- Strong vs weak arguments
- Appropriate courses of action
Question bank coverage by sub-pattern
How Statement & Conclusion Appears in SSC CGL
Statement & Conclusion is part of the General Intelligence & Reasoning section (25% of the SSC CGL syllabus). See the full SSC CGL Tier-I breakdown.
Statement & Conclusion Solved Examples for SSC CGL
9 exam-pattern statement & conclusion questions from the practice bank, each with a full solution.
Statement: "We should promote tourism to boost our economy." Assumption:
- A.Tourism always benefits the economy.
- B.Tourism can contribute to economic growth.Correct
- C.Our economy is currently weak.
- D.Promoting tourism is expensive.
Solution
The statement suggests that promoting tourism will improve the economy. This assumes that tourism has the potential to positively impact economic growth. If tourism had no effect or a negative effect on the economy, the statement would be illogical.
Statement: Many students are opting for engineering courses, leading to a shortage of skilled professionals in other fields. Course of Action: I. The government should encourage students to pursue courses in other fields by offering scholarships and incentives. II. Engineering colleges should reduce their intake capacity. III. All students should be mandated to take a career aptitude test before selecting a course.
- A.Only I and II follow
- B.Only I and III followCorrect
- C.Only II and III follow
- D.All I, II and III follow
Solution
Offering scholarships and incentives can attract students to other fields. Aptitude tests can help students make informed career choices. Reducing the intake capacity of engineering colleges might not be the best approach as it limits choices.
Statements: 1. All pens are books. 2. Some books are copies. 3. All copies are erasers. Conclusions: I. Some erasers are books. II. Some copies are pens. III. All pens are erasers. IV. Some erasers are pens. Which of the conclusions logically follow?
- A.Only I followsCorrect
- B.Only I and III follow
- C.Only I and IV follow
- D.Only II and IV follow
Solution
Let's analyze each conclusion: I. Some erasers are books: Since all copies are erasers and some books are copies, it follows that some erasers are books. (TRUE) II. Some copies are pens: There is no direct relation between pens and copies. (FALSE) III. All pens are erasers: All pens are books, and some books are copies, which are all erasers. However, it does not necessarily mean that all pens are erasers. (FALSE) IV. Some erasers are pens: No direct relation between pens and erasers can be derived from the statements. (FALSE) Therefore, only conclusion I logically follows.
Statement: "Smoking is injurious to health."
- A.Smoking is definitely harmful.Correct
- B.Smoking is probably harmful.
- C.Smoking might be harmful.
- D.Smoking is beneficial.
Solution
The statement "Smoking is injurious to health" is a well-established fact, implying a definite negative impact on health. The word 'injurious' means causing or likely to cause damage or harm, making 'definitely harmful' the most accurate degree of truth.
In each question below is given a statement followed by two conclusions numbered I and II. You have to take the given statement to be true even if it seems to be at variance from commonly known facts, and decide which of the conclusions logically follows from the statement. Statements: Environmental monitoring stations in the industrial cluster recorded sulfur dioxide concentrations forty percent below the statutory permissible ceiling. Conclusions: I. Atmospheric sulfur dioxide emissions in the industrial zone complied comfortably with environmental regulatory standards. II. The ambient air in the industrial area is completely pristine and free of all particulate matter.
- A.Only conclusion I followsCorrect
- B.Only conclusion II follows
- C.Neither conclusion I nor II follows
- D.Both conclusions I and II follow
Solution
Logical Deduction: Conclusion I: Concentrations 40% below the ceiling directly confirm full statutory compliance. Conclusion II: Compliance regarding sulfur dioxide does not imply that particulate matter and all other pollutants are zero. Therefore, only conclusion i follows.
Statement: "The company's profits have increased significantly this quarter."
- A.The company will definitely continue to grow.
- B.The company will probably continue to grow.
- C.The company's future growth cannot be determined.Correct
- D.The company will definitely face losses next quarter.
Solution
While increased profits are a positive indicator, they do not guarantee future growth. Many factors can influence a company's performance, so the future growth is uncertain based solely on this quarter's results. Therefore, the degree of truth is that it cannot be determined.
Statement: The number of students opting for arts stream in colleges has decreased significantly over the past few years.
- A.Conclusion: Arts stream is no longer relevant.
- B.Conclusion: Students are more inclined towards science and technology.Correct
- C.Conclusion: Colleges are shutting down arts departments.
- D.Conclusion: There are fewer colleges offering arts courses.
Solution
The decrease in students opting for arts stream suggests that students are choosing other streams, and science and technology are popular alternatives. This is a reasonable and direct inference. The other options require additional assumptions.
Statements: Some cats are dogs. All dogs are animals. Conclusions: I. All cats are animals. II. Some animals are cats.
- A.Only conclusion I follows
- B.Only conclusion II followsCorrect
- C.Both I and II follow
- D.Neither I nor II follows
Solution
Given statements: Some cats are dogs (C ∩ D), All dogs are animals (D→A). Conclusion I: All cats are animals is incorrect because only some cats are dogs, and all dogs are animals. It doesn't imply all cats are animals. Conclusion II: Some animals are cats is correct because since some cats are dogs, and all dogs are animals, it follows that some animals are cats. Hence, only conclusion II follows.
Statements: 1. All apples are bananas. 2. No banana is a cherry. 3. Some cherries are dates. Conclusions: I. Some dates are bananas. II. No apple is a cherry. III. Some apples are dates. Which of the conclusions logically follow?
- A.Only I follows
- B.Only II followsCorrect
- C.Only I and II follow
- D.Only I and III follow
Solution
Let's analyze each conclusion: I. Some dates are bananas: There is no direct or indirect relationship between dates and bananas. (FALSE) II. No apple is a cherry: Since all apples are bananas and no banana is a cherry, it follows that no apple is a cherry. (TRUE) III. Some apples are dates: There is no direct or indirect relationship between apples and dates. (FALSE) Therefore, only conclusion II logically follows.
Statement & Conclusion — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the golden rule for conclusion questions?
Use only what the statement says — no outside knowledge, however true. A conclusion "follows" only if the statement makes it necessarily true, not merely plausible.
How do I judge strong vs weak arguments?
Strong arguments are specific, feasible and tied to the issue's core; weak ones are generic, extreme or address a side issue. Emotional appeals without mechanism are weak by definition.
How many Statement & Conclusion practice questions does Parikshala have for SSC CGL?
105 exam-pattern Statement & Conclusion questions for SSC CGL Reasoning, each with a step-by-step solution. Practice is free — no sign-up needed to start.