Rahul had cracked the online examination of a corporate giant and received the highest package in his batch. People started coming to him, asking for his advice.

One day, his best friend Anjali was sitting alone in the classroom, clearly worried about something. When Rahul talked to her, she said, “I have studied so hard, prepared for all the technical sections and interviews, but I am not able to clear even the first round. The reason – Logical Reasoning.” She was afraid that people would make fun of her if she told them that she was having trouble with the easiest looking section of the test.

Rahul came to her rescue and answered all the questions that were bugging her.

Why is Logical Reasoning important?

Every human being can reflect consciously on his/her actions and reason out situations. Logical reasoning helps in building rationale thoughts which allow people to come to conclusions by involving facts and experiences. Finding out the best solution to a problem will not be possible without logical reasoning.  It is used not just in situations requiring immediate solution of problems but also in anticipating problems that may arise in the future.

Why do employers use Logical Reasoning assessments for hiring?

Measuring the mental ability of any employee before their selection is a very important criterion for all the corporates. Logical reasoning helps determine an employee’s ability to adjust to a company’s environment. It also helps the employer gain more understanding of the candidate’s behaviour or personality.

Each employee contributes immensely to an organisation’s worth. Hence, it is necessary that before the selection of an employee is done, their abilities in terms of adaptive skills, cognitive abilities, and reasoning skills are tested out thoroughly.

What are the components of Logical Reasoning Assessment?

Rahul told Anjali his story of how he had prepared for Logical Reasoning.

He took out a notebook from his bag and presented it to Anjali. It was the notebook in which he had analysed the Logical Reasoning section when he was preparing for his placements.

Anjali reviewed the notebook and noted important points.

In the end, here’s what she had collected in her notebook…

• Odd One Out/Analogy

These were one of the easiest types of questions in the Logical Reasoning section. Anjali had to look for the best possible relationship between the given words. Although in the beginning, it was hard to find any possible connections, with time and regular practice she was able to solve these questions well.

• Series
  • Numeric series – From simple addition and subtraction of the numbers to complex exponential patterns, these types of questions need to be identified carefully. But in any case, if Anjali was not able to deduce the pattern in the first 30 seconds, Rahul suggested her to leave the question and move on further. She could revisit the question if she had time later.
  • Alphabetic series – These types of questions were easier as the number of operations that can be performed on the alphabets is limited.
  • Alphanumeric series – The easiest of the series, if Anjali was not able to find the pattern between the numbers, she could find the relationship between the alphabets.

• Coding-Decoding

These questions are an important part of Logical Reasoning section. Here words are coded using various logics such as jumbling the words, exchanging positions of the alphabets, arranging them in ascending or descending order, etc. To solve these questions, one has to correctly identify the logic behind the code and then apply that code to another word.

Trick – Represent the alphabets using numbers (as shown in the table below) and then analyse the correct patterns.

• Flowchart

Rahul told Anjali that there are mostly two types of flowcharts used in logical reasoning assessments:

• Process flowcharts – Here the questions are based on what the result of one or two deciding steps of the flowcharts will be. In these kinds of questions, it becomes important to identify which steps are the decision steps and which ones are the process steps.
• Data flowcharts – Here the flowchart would have some operations to be performed on each step. These are very easy if solved carefully.

• Visual Reasoning

This category has a wide variety of item types under it. Picking the odd image out of the given ones, identifying the image that follows the correct sequence, image analogies, the list seemed endless. But how to approach these types of questions? Easy, start with the elimination of incorrect options, and after that find the differences between the leftover options and similarity of options with the images in the question. This way she could easily arrive at the correct answer.

• Data Sufficiency

These types of questions also involve using Mathematical concepts. They consist of a question which is followed by two or more statements. One needs to decide whether the information given in the statements is sufficient to answer the question or not. As easy as this seems, one needs to know the correct approach to solve the question, without which they would not be able to answer correctly.

• Attention to Details

This is one of the most desired skills that corporates like to test, making it one of the most important types of questions one needs to work on. The best part – these questions are always comparatively easier. From counting the number of specific characters in a sentence to finding the word which can be created using a given set of alphabets, the variety of question types in this category is diverse.

• Case Puzzles

The best and the worst types of questions are from this section. Why so? – if one can solve the passage, one would be able to score more than 1 mark by solving just 1 passage. She identified that case puzzles were majorly categorised as:

• Arrangements based – Seating people in circles, in a straight line or any other patterns.
• Grouping based – Where the data pertaining to people are given and they have to be segregated in different groups based on the same.

• Blood Relationships

These were Rahul’s favourite questions. He had found a great trick on one of the websites. The trick is to learn how to draw the family tree. One can use their own symbols to represent different relations and the answer would be very easy to find.

Note – One should never take a person to be a male or a female based on their names. These are methods used by question creators to confuse the candidate and to make them answer the question incorrectly.

• Assumptions & Arguments

These questions consist of a statement (argument) and other statements (assumptions) that follow the argument. To solve such questions, one must focus on understanding what the argument indicates. The strongest assumption would be the one that validates the argument and the weakest one would be the one which completely denies the assumption.

• Statement & Conclusions

These questions, most of the times, depend on “Syllogisms”. Rahul had studied how to crack syllogisms-based questions from various books to answer such questions. Rahul’s most important learning here was that one should never take the statements in the literal sense. He had to assume all the given statements to be true.

• Directions

These are the questions where someone starts travelling from one point to another (mostly taking random turns). Anjali used to face a lot of problems in attempting these questions. The mistake she used to make was that she used to try solving these questions without using pen and paper. The result – no answers or incorrect answers. But taking Rahul’s advice, she started making diagrams step by step and slowly started getting correct answers.

Taking help from what she had learnt from Rahul, and a whole lot of resources and website links that he had shared with her, she improved a lot. She also got a significant amount of help from books in her college library.

Anjali now started having fun solving the questions that she had once dreaded. She felt a sense of achievement as she was able to complete questions from books which were famous for having tough questions.

A month later when another lucrative placement drive was set to begin, Rahul wished Anjali good luck. She went to appear for the preliminary assessment with her confidence level at an all-time high. Later in the evening when she met Rahul she shared the wonderful news that she had bagged the most vied-for job role that the company used to offer. She was happy beyond measure. While they were celebrating, Rahul saw Tina sitting nearby with a similar look Anjali once had before he helped her. She had problems with the Numerical section.

Want to know how Rahul helped Tina?

STAY TUNED

P.S. – If you have any questions for Rahul, post them in the comments and he’ll get back to you.

The fact that you have made it to a reputed engineering college shows how hard you have prepared to crack the entrance exams. However, as soon as you enter the first year, you are sure to come across various myths, regarding your studies or the overall college experience. But beware they can detract you from achieving anything worthwhile.

The hype around these myths will make it impossible to survive your college years. Below are a few common myths and the tips to avoid them.

GPAs not important, only practical knowledge matters

The dangerous myth being bandied among most engineering students is that GPAs don’t matter much. However, this is not true and this can cause a lot of regrets after it’s too late to do anything about it. In this day and age, companies receive a large number of resumes and your GPA often matters during your interview, as that is the first thing the interviewer looks at. Your academic grade reflects your ‘practical knowledge’ and, hence, interviewers don’t consider GPA as just a number, but an initial screening criterion. You’re better off by not falling prey to this myth.

I can catch up later

As a first-year engineering student, you would encounter many people who will tell you that you don’t have to start worrying right from the start; there’s still a lot of time. It’s quite easy to come under the influence of peers and skip your classes. Do not listen to them, and tackle your difficulties then and there rather than procrastinating. Your school days when you had a limited syllabus and teachers to spoon-feed are behind you. Engineering college is the beginning of the real life where you must start doing things on your own. So it is advisable you stop pushing things till the last moment and start solving your problems as soon as possible. In short, if you want to survive four years of engineering, then you need to pull up your socks from the first year itself!

It is too much for me

It’s true that the first year can seem a little too overwhelming and you may feel a bit lost and stressed. There might be a time when your inner voice whispers, “you are not good enough for college, and you will not pass”. Do not pay attention to these voices; keep reminding yourself that you have great potential and if you didn’t have what it takes to succeed; you wouldn’t have reached here in the first place.

Remember to be your greatest supporter and celebrate your little achievements. Get yourself a slice of pizza or a cup of coffee for that ‘A’ on your test. The positive reinforcement will encourage you and boost your confidence.

Finally, we would like to say that when you are facing something new in life, it is natural to seek information from everywhere you can. But it is not necessary to absorb everything, just observe and don’t let these myths turn into self-limiting beliefs.

The move from high school to college can be terrifying, especially for engineering students. You must go through so many stringent screening and selection processes before you get an entry into your dream college that you completely overlook the challenge ahead, which is surviving the first year of engineering.

First-year can be a nightmare for students, with the sudden change of environment and the pressure to adjust and adapt to it. Additionally, you are expected to be more responsible, be in control of your habits, and much more. Fret not, here are a few tips that will help you get through your first year of college.

Learn all about GPAs

Grade Point Average, also known as GPA is very important throughout your academic year. It is a standardized method of calculating how you perform in a semester. To a great extent, your chances of bagging your dream job depend on your GPA. On top of that, if you wish to apply for a master’s degree or MBA to universities outside India, then your GPA plays a crucial role. While most colleges in India employ a 10-point GPA scale, the 4-point GPA scale is prominent in the US. Below is a table that will help you understand the Indian GPA system:

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_India

Maintain your GPA

At the end of the engineering course, your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is calculated, which is the sum average of your individual GPAs. It plays a crucial role for an engineering graduate when applying for a job or a college for higher studies. So, ignore the late-night study advice given by your seniors and study consistently right from the first term without losing your focus. Besides, scoring marks in the first year won’t be a problem as the first year’s syllabus mostly comprises of basic concepts. Follow this tip and you are sure to score excellent marks without burning the midnight oil.

Maintain a budget

First-year college students are highly susceptible to overspending. It is mostly because this is the first time that they are given complete freedom to manage their expenses, with minimal supervision. Hence, establishing a practical budget is essential. You can classify your spending in categories such as needs, wants, fixed expenses, variable expenses, and emergency funds. This will help you evaluate what expenses are essential and what you can do without. However, while you are planning your budget, keep some money aside for a short getaway at the end of your semester. After all, you deserve a break.

Study in groups

You often have to deal with the stress of transition and academic pressure during the first year of engineering college, and studying in groups can help you cope up with this stress. Many students have even stated that being in a group has been a great help when it comes to sharing or managing their problems on a personal and/or academic level. So, try to find a group of friends who have similar interests and form a peer group not only to handle your academic and study-related problems but who can also help you in your hour of need.

The first year is definitely a challenge but keep up your persistence and determination as it is true that the greatest rewards come with the greatest struggle. To sum it up all, the first year won’t be such a nightmare if you follow the aforementioned tips.

In this competitive world, going for a job interview with an academic gap can often make you feel under-confident. However, the fact is that most students who have taken a gap year find that it has benefited them greatly. Though challenging, explaining these benefits in a way which strikes a chord with an employer is crucial.

Here are a few effective methods that you can use to showcase your academic year gap as an advantage during your first job interview.

Be transparent

If you have had a gap year in your academic timeline, the first thing you should do is own it without being ashamed about it. There can be several reasons for this; maybe there was a financial crisis in the family, you were undergoing health issues or maybe you were preparing for a competitive exam. Irrespective of the reason, explain your past situation to the interviewer and be honest about it. Do remember that you probably won’t lose out on being considered for the job because you experienced a complex situation. But you are more likely to lose out if the interviewer believes you are lying or you come across as if you’re trying to cover up something.

Be concise yet comprehensive

It is important that you don’t bore the interviewer with details or come across as you are defending your decision by taking too long to put forth the reasons that led you to consider a gap year. Often, giving too much explanation can seem like you are trying to cover something up by presenting an alternate version. Also, being confident and brief will increase your interviewer’s trust in your presentation and communication abilities.

Plan your speech

You shouldn’t create or plan a fake plot. However, it is important to revisit the gap year and arrive at some key highlights about how you used that time in a productive manner and the specific skills you acquired during that time. Doing this will make you more confident and less defensive at the time of the interview. Furthermore, if you stumble or fidget when discussing your gap year, your interviewer might think that you’re hiding something, even if you aren’t. Hence, preparing beforehand is very crucial.

Emphasize on the positive

While explaining your gap year, be sure to give emphasis to the constructive activities that you undertook during your gap year. This could be additional courses that you took to develop your skills, internships, volunteer work, etc. It could be even something unstructured that you might have pursued. Bring light onto the positive experiences and explain how they have helped you evolve in different areas of your life.

Show your commitment to stability

Lastly, to ensure your gap year does not create uncertainty in the mind of an employer with regards to your commitment, take time to explain how you are now ready to commit to your current career development phase. If your break was recent, talk about long-term so the hiring manager is convinced about your commitment. If it was a while ago, talk about how the break has made you realize an even greater need for stability over the years.

To sum it up, use the gap year as an opportunity to communicate that you are driven and willing to learn. Be confident and go through the above pointers to be interview ready and no gap year can hold you back from securing your dream job.

Preparing for the first job interview can be overwhelming. No matter how well prepared you are, there can always be a few unexpected questions coming your way. Some are tricky while others are designed to put you on the spot to see how you react. Then, there are those that don’t have a right or wrong answer: these questions are designed to understand your thought process. With these, how you react is as crucial as what you say when you answer.

These  questions have a purpose. Since you are at your first job interview and have no work experience, these questions will mostly be asked to understand your personality and characteristics.

Let’s take a look at some of the common yet tricky questions that employers often ask, along with advice on how to respond to each of them.

How would you describe yourself in one word?

Employers often ask this question to elicit several data points:  your personality type, how confident you are in your self-perception, and whether you’re fit for the job. This question can be a bit challenging because you don’t know what personality type the employer is seeking. There is a fine line between self-admiration and self-confidence. People are multifaceted, so defining oneself in one adjective can seem impossible. So proceed cautiously; use this as an opportunity to describe how your best attributes are a great match for the job.

For instance, if you are applying for a technical position and you are good at adapting to different situations easily, then you can describe yourself as ‘agile’. If problem-solving comes come naturally to you and you’re applying for a programming job then you can even describe yourself as an ‘analytical person’. Depending upon your strengths and the type of role you are applying for, you need to come up with a few suitable descriptions.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This again is a tricky question. Your strengths and weaknesses say a lot about who you are as a person. The interviewer is looking for deal-breaker and red-flags. Each role has its unique requirements, so make sure your answers showcase strengths that fit the requirements. Your weaknesses should always have a silver lining. For instance, maybe you can’t multitask but you are good at focusing on one project at a time and delivering error-free work.

Why do you want to work here?

Hiring managers often ask this question because they want to judge your level of interest in the job. They want to see if you have taken the time to research the company and understand their culture. Interviewers know that your first job is very important for your career trajectory; if you don’t fit the company’s culture, you will not be motivated to perform. They also want to know that you understand their vision and want to be a part of it. When the interviewer asks this question, respond with skills that correspond closely with the company’s mission.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

You may have already said why you want to work for this company but interviewers test you further by asking this question. For instance, if your five-year goal is to become a financial advisor, then it would be hard for them to believe that the position of an IT manager would be a good fit for your career strategy. Additionally, companies invest a lot of resources in hiring and training a candidate for a particular role; they don’t want to hire someone who is already planning to leave for a better opportunity the minute it comes along.

So, always use this question as an opportunity to talk convincingly about why you want to invest the next five years in the company you are interviewing at.

To sum it up, these questions might look very simple on the face of it but as you may have realized, they can be quite tricky.  You’d do good to not take answers to these questions for granted; but instead, use them as an opportunity to help the interviewers see the best in you.