Patterns, sequences, premises and arguments, across the five formats employers set: deductive, inductive, diagrammatic, abstract and critical reasoning. Every question comes with a worked solution.
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A logical reasoning test measures how well you spot patterns and follow rules to reach a sound conclusion. Employers use it to sift applicants before interview, often without any need for words or numbers. You are shown a sequence or set of relationships and asked to work out what comes next or what must be true, choosing the best answer from four options. Clear thinking matters as much as speed.
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Question 1 of 10
In the sequence B, D, G, K, P, … each step follows a fixed rule. Which letter comes next?
Answer: B. V
Using each letter’s position (B=2, D=4, G=7, K=11, P=16), the gaps grow 2, 3, 4, 5, so the next gap is 6. Adding 6 to P’s position of 16 gives 22, which is V. The letter U (21) keeps the gap at 5; T (20) keeps it at 4; W (23) jumps the gap to 7. Only a gap of 6 continues the pattern.
Question 2 of 10
In a certain code, FISH is written as GJTI. Using the same rule, how is BIRD written?
Answer: A. CJSE
Each letter moves one place forward in the alphabet: F to G, I to J, S to T, H to I. Applying the same shift to BIRD gives C, J, S, E, so CJSE. AHQC moves each letter one place backward instead of forward. CJSD leaves the final D unshifted. DKTF moves every letter two places forward rather than one.
Question 3 of 10
Author is to book as composer is to which of the following?
Answer: C. Symphony
An author is the creator of a book, so by the same creator-to-creation relationship a composer is the creator of a musical work, and a symphony is the only created work among the options. An orchestra performs a work but does not compose it, confusing creator with performer. An instrument is a tool used to play music, not the work produced. A concert is the event where a work is performed, not the work itself.
Question 4 of 10
Four of these five numbers share a property that the fifth does not: 12, 16, 20, 25, 28. Which is the odd one out?
Answer: D. 25
The numbers 12, 16, 20 and 28 are all multiples of four; 25 is not (it is also the only odd number), so 25 is the odd one out. Singling out 16 as the only power of two still leaves it a multiple of four, the property the other three share. Singling out 12 or 28 picks them by size or by an unrelated factor, yet both remain multiples of four.
Question 5 of 10
A sequence begins 4, 9, 19, 39, 79, … Each term follows the same fixed rule. What is the next term?
Answer: A. 159
Each term is double the one before plus one: 4, then 9, 19, 39, 79, so the next is 79 times 2 plus 1, which is 159. Equivalently the gaps double (5, 10, 20, 40, then 80), giving 79 plus 80 = 159. The value 158 doubles 79 but forgets the plus one. The value 119 keeps the gap fixed at 40 (79 + 40). The value 99 uses the earlier gap of 20 (79 + 20).
Question 6 of 10
A parcel routing rule states that parcels heavier than 2 kg go by courier and lighter parcels go by post. Courier parcels are insured; postal parcels are not. A parcel weighs 3 kg. Which of these is certain?
Answer: C. It is insured.
At 3 kg the parcel is heavier than 2 kg, so it goes by courier, and courier parcels are insured; therefore it is insured. Concluding it goes by post misreads the weight rule, since 3 kg is above the 2 kg threshold, not below it. Concluding it is not insured applies the postal branch, which does not apply here. Concluding it could go either way ignores that the two rules together fix the outcome exactly.
Question 7 of 10
If, in a code, CAT is written as 3-1-20 by replacing each letter with its position in the alphabet, what is the code for DOG?
Answer: B. 4-15-7
Replace each letter with its alphabet position: D is the 4th letter, O the 15th and G the 7th, giving 4-15-7. Writing 4-14-7 puts O at 14, one short of its true position. Writing 3-15-7 puts D at 3, which is C’s value, not D’s. Writing 4-15-8 puts G at 8, one past its true position of 7.
Question 8 of 10
Four colleagues each speak a different number of languages: 1, 2, 3 and 4. Rhea speaks more than Sam. Sam speaks more than Uma. Uma speaks more than Tom. How many languages does Rhea speak?
Answer: D. 4
The clues chain into Rhea more than Sam more than Uma more than Tom. With the four distinct counts 1, 2, 3 and 4, that ordering forces Rhea 4, Sam 3, Uma 2 and Tom 1, so Rhea speaks four. The value 3 is Sam’s count, one place down the chain; 2 is Uma’s count. Concluding it cannot be determined overlooks that the chain, with distinct values, fixes every figure.
Question 9 of 10
Four of these five words go together by a simple rule and one does not: DELIVER, RECEIVE, DISPATCH, SEND, TRANSMIT. Which is the odd one out?
Answer: A. RECEIVE
Deliver, dispatch, send and transmit all describe sending something outward; receive means to take something in, the opposite direction, so it is the odd one out. Transmit stands out only for its technical tone, but it still means to send. Deliver and dispatch are everyday words that, like the rest, also mean to send outward.
Question 10 of 10
In a sequence, the letter pairs run AZ, BY, CX, DW, … What is the next pair?
Answer: C. EV
The first letters ascend A, B, C, D, so the next is E. The second letters descend Z, Y, X, W, so the next is V. The pair is therefore EV. EU overshoots the descending letter to U. FV overshoots the ascending letter to F. EW leaves the descending letter stuck at W instead of moving to V.
| Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 | Comfortably above the bar for most graduate schemes |
| 7 to 8 | Around the typical pass mark. Worth practising for speed |
| 5 to 6 | Below most employer thresholds. Focus on method before speed |
| 4 or fewer | Work through the worked solutions above before retrying |
Employers set their own thresholds and many sift on the top percentage of applicants rather than a fixed mark, so treat these as a guide.
One test tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: batches under time pressure, marked, with the working shown.
Logical reasoning is an umbrella term: your invitation may name any of five related formats, each with its own free test and guide. If it does not name one, practise across them.
Stated premises, usually word problems, and the conclusion that must follow.
Practise deductive reasoningShapes, patterns and sequences: find the most probable next step or the odd one out.
Practise inductive reasoningInputs, outputs and operators: which processes produce a given effect.
Practise diagrammatic reasoningFind the rule linking a visual sequence: inductive reasoning under another name.
Practise abstract reasoningWord-based arguments, evidence and whether a conclusion holds. Watson Glaser is the test employers set for it.
Prepare for Watson GlaserMost employers score you against other candidates, not against a fixed pass mark: your raw score becomes a percentile. Attempting questions matters, because most tests are built so few candidates finish, and guessing usually pays: negative marking is rare, but check the instructions.
Timing is tight, usually around a minute a question, and the tests are built so that few candidates finish comfortably. ** A minute spent on one stubborn item is a later question you never reach, and both cost the same mark.
Practice Aptitude Tests · Original data
Results from every test in our Logical Reasoning pack, past and present.
Key finding55% of Logical Reasoning test takers score 80% or more.
55% scored 80% or more, and 9% scored under 40%.
Share of sittings in each score band.
Regular practisers went from 77% on their first test to 81% on their fifth.
8,934 people who took five or more tests.
Rushing costs marks. The quickest quarter scored 5 points lower than the slowest.
Typical pace: 42 seconds a question.
The methods behind the questions above, from our team