Deductive Reasoning Test – Learn and Practise

This PrepPack™ contains 13 different tests to give you the best chance of passing your deductive logical thinking tests.

As well as the tests, which you can take in both timed and step by step modes, there is also helpful guides and tutorials to give you a complete understanding of the tests.

Deductive reasoning tests are a type of aptitude assessment that measures the ability to draw logical conclusions from a set of premises that are known to be true.

Questions on deductive reasoning tests may ask you to complete scenarios or to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a given argument.

Here are some examples of different deductive reasoning tests.

The factory manufactured a thousand soft toys in the last month and eleven hundred in the month before that. Therefore, raising employees' salaries helped improve the factory's productivity. Which assumption underlies the above argument?

• Toy factories manufacture about a thousand toys each month.
• Two months ago, the factory made twelve hundred toys.
• Raising employees' salary always increases productivity.
• The factory used to manufacture less than a thousand soft toys a month.
• The factory produced a thousand computers last month.

Computer companies are always looking for new employees. Company A is a huge computer company. Company B is a huge food company. Computer companies are sometimes small. Which statement must be true?

• Company B is looking for new employees.
• Company A and Company B are not small companies.
• Company B is a small company.
• Companies A and B are not hiring at the moment.
• Company A is a food company.

People often confuse inductive and abductive reasoning with deductive reasoning. These three types of reasoning all fall under the umbrella of logical reasoning.

As explained above, deductive reasoning or deduction is a method in which one applies a certain rule given by a statement or argument to reach specific conclusions. In contrast, inductive reasoning or induction is when a given statement or a set of repetitive occurrences help one define or identify a certain rule. 

Deduction: a rule or general principle leads to a specific conclusion.

Induction: a specific example, or a set of repetitive occurrences, lead to a rule or a general principle.

Abductive reasoning, on the other hand, is similar to inductive reasoning in the sense that conclusions are based on probabilities. In abductive reasoning, it is presumed that the most plausible conclusion is the correct one.

Syllogisms are one of the most popular and common forms of deductive reasoning tests. A syllogism is a certain form of argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a logical conclusion. Using syllogisms is considered a good way to ensure validity when assessing deductive reasoning.

Major premise: All plants are photosynthetic.

Minor premise: Algae are plants.

Conclusion: Algae are photosynthetic.

Another popular form of deductive reasoning question is seating arrangements. This type of question requires you to arrange certain items or persons according to a set of given rules regarding their placements.

Dan, Sam, and Peter are standing in line.

Dan is not behind Peter.

Sam is last in line.

Who is standing first in line?

Answer: Dan.

According to the above set of rules, there is only one logical way to arrange Dan, Sam, and Peter in line—Dan is 1st, Peter is 2nd, and Sam is 3rd.

Some questions on a deductive reasoning test may be presented verbally, while others may require numerical calculations.

You will either receive questions in the syllogism format displayed above or in a story format. Deductive reasoning is commonly required in the many different fields of work that require decision-making.

Candidates applying for roles in industries such as Science and IT, Engineering, Software Development, and Technical Design may be asked to take a deductive reasoning test as part of the assessment process.

There are two main test providers for deductive reasoning tests. The first one is CEB’s SHL Deductive Reasoning Test.

CEB's SHL, the world leader in talent assessments for employers, also uses deductive reasoning tests in its assessments. For years, JobTestPrep has been preparing candidates for SHL's tests. In fact, our verbal practice packs also include deductive reasoning questions.

SHL Verify Deductive Reasoning Test

Candidates for jobs that involve analysis of scenarios and evaluation of arguments are required to sit this test. It is administered online and includes 20 questions that must be completed in 18 minutes. Those who pass the Verify stage of SHL's deductive reasoning test will then be asked to sit a supervised verification test.

This test requires you to read a passage and choose if a subsequent statement is true/false according to the passage. The other company to provide deductive reasoning tests is Kenexa.

The Kenexa deductive reasoning test is designed to assess how well you can follow the logic of a set of premises through to a conclusion. Kenexa is a major assessment provider, developing aptitude tests and other screening tools for employers' recruitment needs.

There are many assessments that Kenexa uses to evaluate candidates with a number of different skills. The Kenexa deductive reasoning test contains 20 seating arrangement questions. In this style of question, you are given a set of statements with information about the positioning of a group of items. Using that information, you must be able to follow the logic and place the items to answer the question.

Deductive reasoning tests measure your ability to make logical arguments and form sound conclusions. These abilities are extremely important at work, and employers will be keeping a close eye on the results of your test. To perform well on deductive reasoning tests, practice is essential.

Becoming familiar with the structure of the test brings confidence, which in turn results in improved test performance. To ensure your success, JobTestPrep has made sure to include popular deductive reasoning tests in its verbal reasoning practice packs.