Syllogism Concept with Example for LIC AAO Exam

Syllogism is an important topic of the Reasoning Ability section of the LIC AAO exam. Questions from this topic are most frequently asked in the exam for 3 to 5 marks. This topic is considered scoring but many aspirants lose easy marks by skipping this topic. If you learn the basic concept of this topic, you will get a few sure shot marks in the reasoning section. Thus, this topic is proved to be a score booster in the reasoning section. Not only in the Prelims, this topic is also  asked in the Mains exam. Thus, preparing syllogism concepts with solved examples is essential if you are aiming to clear the LIC AAO exam this year. 

What are Syllogisms asked in the LIC AAO Exam?

Syllogism is an important topic of logical reasoning where your analytical thinking is tested. In this type of question, you are asked to deduce correct conclusions from the given statements. In some questions, multiple statements are given involving words like ‘All’, ‘Some’, ‘a few’, ‘No’, ‘Only’, and ‘Only a few’. 

In short, Syllogism involves drawing inferences from two or more given statements and then evaluating a set of possible conclusions. You should not involve your prior knowledge and work strictly with the information provided in the statements.

Types of Basic Statements in Syllogism

Generally 5 types of statement is asked in the exam as shown below:

1. Universal Affirmative: “All A are B”
2. Universal Negative: “No A is B”
3. Particular Affirmative: “Some A are B”
4. Particular Negative: “Some A are not B”
5. Special types: “Only a few”, “Only”, “Either-or”, “Almost”

Syllogism Approach for Beginners

A step-by-step to solve syllogism questions is provided below:

Step 1: Read statements carefully and break down logical relations.

Step 2: Draw Venn diagrams, representing each statement visually.

Step 3: Check each conclusion by mapping with diagrams rather than memory.

Step 4: Evaluate possibilities and definite scenarios.

Syllogism Solved Example 1

Statements:

1. All pens are books.
2. Some books are papers.

Conclusions:
I. Some pens are papers.
II. All books are pens.

Solution:

• Visualize Statement 1: Every pen falls under the category of books.
• Visualize Statement 2: There is some overlap between books and papers; not necessarily involving pens.
• Testing Conclusion I: “Some pens are papers.”
  • Since all pens are books and some books are papers, it’s possible that pens could be part of papers, but it’s not definite. So, Conclusion I is possible but not definite.
• Testing Conclusion II: “All books are pens.”
  • Only “All pens are books” is given; the reverse cannot be assumed. So, Conclusion II does not follow.

Final answer: Neither conclusion follows definitely.

Syllogism Solved Example 2

Statements:

1. Only a few cars are bikes.
2. All bikes are vehicles.

Conclusions:
I. Some cars are not bikes.
II. All vehicles are bikes.

Solution:

• Statement 1 (“Only a few cars are bikes”) means some cars are bikes, most are not.
• Statement 2 (“All bikes are vehicles”) means every bike is within vehicles.
• Conclusion I: “Some cars are not bikes” directly follows from “only a few,” as yes, most cars are not bikes.
• Conclusion II: “All vehicles are bikes” does not follow, as vehicles could include other types beyond bikes.

Final answer: Only Conclusion I follows.

Special Patterns to Remember

• “Only a few”: Means some, not all.
• “Some…not”: Implies a particular exclusion within a group.
• “Either-Or” Case: When only one of two complementary conclusions can be true.

Syllogism Example 3

Statements:
All dogs are animals.
Some animals are cats.

Conclusions:
I. Some dogs are cats.
II. All cats are animals.

• Conclusion I: Not definite
• Conclusion II: Definite

Tips to Solve Syllogism Quickly in Exam

Follow the tips given below to solve syllogism questions quickly in exams. 

• Always draw Venn diagrams for clarity.
• Focus on negative statements for elimination. Negative statements are most likely incorrect options, so check carefully.
• Try to solve 20 to 25 syllogism questions in the form of time-bound tests.
• In “either-or” cases, both conclusions must relate to the same terms and be mutually exclusive possibilities.
• Practice a variety of patterns and combinations for maximum confidence.

Conclusion

Mastering the syllogism concept with Venn diagrams and practical examples prepares beginners to solve all possible question types in the LIC AAO exam’s Reasoning section. With regular practice of 20 to 25 questions, you can easily solve these types of questions within a few seconds. These topics are scoring that you can attempt in the exam and boost your overall  score. Topic tests, mini mocks, and rank boosters are available at PracticeMock platform that prepares you to tackle each topic of various difficulty levels in the exam. Make your remaining days count and make the best use of the available resources. All the best for your preparation!

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