UPSC Prelims 2015 · CSAT

Question 11: Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability

Consider the figures given below :

To fit the question mark, the correct answer is

A row of five boxes, each a T-shaped line figure with small triangle, square, open circle and filled circle symbols attached at its ends; the fifth box holds a question mark. Below are four answer options (a) to (d), each a similar T-shaped figure.

a[figure a]

b[figure b]

c[figure c]

d[figure d]

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

Track the three shapes on the T. In frame 1 the left end, right end and stem bottom hold a filled circle, a square and a hollow circle. Each next frame shifts them round: the right end's shape moves to the left, the stem's shape to the right, and the left shape to the stem. Frame 4 has filled, square, hollow, so frame 5 has the square at left, the hollow circle at right and the filled circle on the stem. The triangle moves clockwise through the corners, pointing up, down, up, down: after bottom-left pointing down comes top-left pointing up.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Right: square left, hollow right, filled on the stem, and the upward triangle at top-left.
(b) Wrong: filled circle at right and square on the stem break the shifting order.
(c) Wrong: the symbols are right but the triangle points down at top-right; it should point up at top-left.
(d) Wrong: filled circle at right and hollow on the stem are the wrong shift, and the triangle is misplaced.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

Practise this paper timedPrevious question Next question

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.