Decision Making

Decision making carries a lot of importance in our daily life. There are occassions in our life when the
right and the best decision help us tide over even the most complex of problems. Success of financial
institutions like banks depends a great deal on timely decision.
Questions based on decision making have become a regular feature of most of the competitive
examinations. Such questions are intended to check the decision making abilities, general intelligence,
power of judgement and coordination and presence of mind of the candidates.
Here we deal with a few types of decision making tests.
TYPE -1
In this type of questions a symbol is given between two letters of the alphabet. You have to find out the
meaning of each symbol by carefully studying the directions. In the questions that follow a statement is
given which is followed by two conclusions. You have to find which of the conclusions logically follows the
statement. Give answers as per the directions given.
Example :
Directions (Q.186-190) : In the following questions the symbols #, *, @. $ and =are used with the
following meanings:
A #B means A is greater than B.
A * B means A is greater than or equal to B.
A @ B means A is equal to B.
A $ B means A is lesser than B.
A =B means A is lesser than or equal to B.
Now in each of the following questions, assuming the three statements to be true, find which of the two
conclusions I and II given below them is/are true. Give answer.
1) if only conclusion I is true
2) if only conclusion II is true
3) if either conclusion I or conclusion II is true
4) if neither conclusion I nor conclusion II is true
5) if both conclusions I and II are true.
1. Statements : P #Q, R $ P, R * O
Conclusions : I. Q #R II. Q $ R
2. Statements : P =Q, T @ R, R #P
Conclusions : I. T =Q II. Q *T
3. Statements : P @ Q, L @ M, P #L
Conclusions : I. Q #M II. M $ P
4. Statements : P #M #L, L#N @ Q,
Q $ S @ R
Conclusions : I. R @ M II. L @ R
5. Statements : P * Q, Q@ T, T * L
Conclusions : I. Q #L II. T #P
ANSWERS WITH EXPLANATIONS
1. 4; P >Q, R<P, R > O Q > R or Q s R
2. 3; P s Q, T =R, R >P T s Q or T > Q
3. 5; P =Q, L =M, P >L Q >M and M <P
4. 4; P>M >L; L >N =Q; Q <S =R
5. 4; P > Q, Q =T and T > L Q > L
PRACTICE TEST
Directions (Q. 1 - 5) : In the following questions, the symbol o, |, o, and q are used with the following
meaning.
P o Q means P is greater than Q.
P | Q means P is either greater than or equal to Q.
P o Q means P is equal to Q
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P Q means P is smaller than Q.
P q Q means P is either smaller than or equal to Q.
Now in each of the following questions assuming the given statements to be true, find which
of the two conclusions I and II given below them is/are definitely true? Give answer.
1) if only conclusion I is true; 2) if only conclusion II is true;
3) if either I or II is true;
4) if neither I nor II is true; and
5) if both I and II are true.
1. Statements : P o A, I D, K q A, I | P
Conclusions : I. I o K II. D o A
2. Statements : U | S, N A, H o U, A q S
Conclusions : I. U o A II. A U
3. Statements : E q D, K | A, E o R, Ao D
Conclusions : I. K o A II. K R
4. Statements : Y | L, A q R, M o Y, M q R
Conclusions : I. R o L II. A o M
5. Statements : E o L, A q N, E V, A o V
Conclusions : I. N o V II. A E
Directions (Q. 6-10) : In the following questions, the symbol @, @ | , * and are used with the following
meaning:
P @ Q means P is greater than Q.
P @ Q means P is either greater than or equal to Q.
P | Q Means P is equal to Q.
P * Q means P is smaller than Q.
P Q means P is either smaller than or equal to Q.
In each of the following questions, assuming the given statements to be true, find which of the two
conclusions I and II given below them is/are definitely true. Give answer.
1) if only conclusion I is true;
2) if only conclusion II is true;
3) if either I or II is true;
4) if neither I nor II is true; and
5) if both I and II are true.
6. Statements : R S, M | S, I @ S, S P
Conclusions : I. S | P II. R I
7. Statements : K @ L, M N, L | M
Conclusions : I. K @ N II. L | N
8. Statements : D @ E, E F, G @ F
Conclusions : I. D @ G II. F | G
9. Statements : P A, N * K, A | N
Conclusions : I. K @ P II. A K
10. Statements : S @ A, N K, K | A
Conclusions : I. K * S II. K | S
Directions ( Q. 11-15) : In the following questions the symbols +,,, and = are used with the following
meanings :
E +F means E is greater than F.
E - F means E is either greater than or equal to F.
E F means E is either smaller than or equal to F.
E F means E is smaller than F.
E =F means E is equal to F.
Now in each of the following questions, assuming the given statements to be true, find which
of the two conclusions I and II given below them is/are definitely true.
Give answer (1) if only conclusion I is true; give answer (2) if only conclusion II is true; give answer (3) if
either I or II is true; give answer (4) if neither I nor II is true and give answer (5) if both I or II are true.
11. Statements : P +C, T J , C =T
Conclusions : I. P+J II. C =J
12. Statements : Y =Z, Z W, V +Y
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Conclusions I. Z V II. Y +W
13. Statements : AB, C +O, A =O
Conclusions : I. C +A II. B C
14. Statements : A +B, P =Q, Q A
Conclusions : I. P +A II. B Q
15. Statements : G H, J K, G K
Conclusions : I. G =J II. J G
Directions (Q. 16 -20 ) : In the following questions, the symbols , =, @ and @ are used with the
following meanings :
P Q means P is greater than Q.
P Q means P is greater than or equal to Q.
P =Q means P is equal to Q.
P @ Q means P is smaller than Q.
P @ Q means P is either smaller than or equal to Q.
Now in each of the following questions assuming the given statements to be true. Find which
of the two conclusions I and II given below them is/are definitely true. Give answer.
1) if only conclusion I is true;
2) if only conclusion II is true;
3) if either I or II is true;
4) if neither I nor II is true; and
5) if both I and II are true.
16. Statements : H @ V, A =Z, H Z, F V
Conclusions : I. A =H II. H A.
17. Statements : Q @ R, C D, F R, D =F
Conclusions : I Q @ C II. C F.
18. Statements : M=X, L @ Q, N M, L @ X
Conclusions : I. N L II. X @ Q.
19. Statements : I O, R I, Z =R, J @ Z
Conclusions : I. Z =I II. Z I.
20. Statements : S @ F, K @ S, B =K, R B
Conclusions : I. F K II. K @ R.
ANSWERS WITH EXPLANATIONS
1. 4; P >A.....(i), I <D.... (ii), K s A.....(iii)
I> P .....(iv)
From (i), (iii) and (iv), I > P>A > K I >K, Hence I is not true.
From (i), (ii) and (iv), D>I > P>A D>A, Hence II is not true.
2. 3; U > S....(i), N <A....(ii), H >U..... (iii),
A s S...... (iv)
From (i) and (iv), U > S > A U > A Either U =A or U >A or A <U. Hence either I or II is true.
3. 4; 4. 1; 5. 4.
6. 2; R s S....(i), M =S ...... (ii), I> S.....(iii),
S s P (iv)
From (iv), I may be true but not necessarily so.
From (i) and (iii), R s S s I R I. Hence II is true.
7. 4; K >L....(i), M s N ..... (ii), L =M....(iii)
From (ii) and (iii), we get, L =M s N L s N ......(A)
Hence II may be true but not necessarily so.
From (A) and (i), we get, K >L s N no conclusion.
Hence I is not true.
8. 4; 9. 1; 10. 3
11. 4; P >C...... (i) T s J ..... (ii), C =T..... (iii)
From (ii) and (iii), we get, C =T s J
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C s J ...... (A).
Hence II may be true but not necessarily so. Now from (i) and (A), we get P >C s J no conclusion.
Hence I is not true.
12. 1; Y =Z.....(i), Z s W..... (ii), V>Y...... (iii)
From (i) and (iii), we get, Z=Y <V Z<V.
Hence I is true.
From (i) and (ii), we get, Y =Z s W Y s W.
Hence II is not true.
13. 5; A > B...... (i), C >O .... (ii), A =O......(iii)
From (ii) and (iii), we get C >O =A
C >A.
Hence I is true.
Now, from (i) and I, we get, C >A> B
C>B or B <C. Hence II is true.
14. 2; A>B..... (i), P =Q..... (ii), Q > A ..... (iii)
From (ii) and (iii), P =Q > A P > A. Hence I may be true but not necessarily so.
From (i) and (iii), we get, Q > A >B
Q >B or B <Q. Hence II is true.
15. 3; G <H....(i), J s K ..... (ii), G > K ...... (iii)
From (ii) and (iii), we get, J s K s G
G > J . Hence either I or II is true.
16. 3; H s V...... (i), A =Z..... (ii), H> Z....... (iii), F >V .... (iv)
From (ii) and (iii) A =Z s H Either A =H or A <H i.e. H >A is true.
17. 5; Q <R..... (i), C >D.... (ii), F > R...... (iii), D =F ...... (iv) Combining all these equations, we get
Q <R s F =D<C
Hence both Q <C..... (I) and F <C or
C >F .... (II) is true.
18. 1; M =X.... (i), L<Q..... (ii), N >M.... (iii), L s X ..... (iv)
From (i), (iii) and (iv) N >M =X > L
N >L. Hence I is true.
From (ii) and (iv) Q >L s X No conclusion. Hence II cant be determined.
19. 3; I >O.... (i), R > I ..... (ii), Z =R ..... (iii),
J <Z...... (iv)
From (ii) and (iii) Z =R > I Z >I or
Z =I . Hence either I or II is true.
20. 5; S s F..... (i), K<S.... (ii), B =K.... (iii),
R >B..... (iv)
From (i) and (ii) K <S s F K <F or
F >K. Hence I is true.
From (iii) and (iv) R >B =K R >K
or K <R.
Hence II is true.
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