SSC Syllogism Questions Practice Set with Explanation

SSC Syllogism Questions Practice Set: Quick Overview

In syllogism you are given statements and asked which conclusions definitely follow, treating the statements as true. This practice set has 29 SSC-style syllogism questions with explanations: two-statement questions, either-or questions and three-statement questions. You will also get the combination table, the Venn diagram method and the conversion rules you need to solve them quickly. All answers were checked by testing every possible case, so each answer is certain.

Key Takeaways

• Treat the statements as true, even if they are wrong in real life.
• A conclusion follows only if it is true in every possible Venn diagram.
• Convert statements: All A are B ⇒ Some B are A; No A is B ⇒ No B is A; Some A are B ⇒ Some B are A.
• “Some A are not B” has no conversion.
• If two conclusions are a complementary pair and neither follows alone, the answer is either I or II follows.

Four Types of Statements in Syllogism

Convention used: as in SSC and banking papers, the groups named in the statements are assumed to exist. That is why “All A are B” gives “Some B are A”.

Combination Table: What Follows from Two Statements

Use this table for statements of the form A–B and B–C (the common term B is in the middle). It shows the definite conclusion between A and C.

Step-by-Step Venn Diagram Method

1. Draw the sets for the first statement (a circle inside another circle for All, separate circles for No, overlapping circles for Some).
2. Add the second statement to the same diagram. If the statement can be drawn in more than one way, draw all the possible diagrams.
3. Read each conclusion and test it on every diagram.
4. Accept a conclusion only if it is true in all diagrams. If it is true in some and false in others, it does not follow.
5. Check for either-or: if neither conclusion follows and the two are a complementary pair, choose either-or.

Solved Example 1

Statements: All pens are books. All books are tables. Conclusions: I. All pens are tables. II. Some tables are pens.

Pens are inside books and books are inside tables, so all pens are tables (I follows). Since all pens are tables, some tables are pens (II follows). Answer: Both conclusions follow.

Solved Example 2

Statements: Some cats are dogs. All dogs are birds. Conclusions: I. Some cats are birds. II. All cats are birds.

The cats that are dogs are also birds, so some cats are birds (I follows). Nothing is known about the cats that are not dogs, so “All cats are birds” need not be true (II does not follow). Answer: Only conclusion I follows.

Tricks and Shortcuts for Syllogism

• All + All = All and also Some (in reverse). Some + All = Some. All + Some = nothing.
• All + No = No. Some + No = Some not. No + All = Some not (in the reverse direction).
• A “Some” statement can never give an “All” conclusion.
• A conclusion with a definite word (all, no) is risky, so check it against every diagram.
• Two negative statements (No + No) or two “Some” statements (Some + Some) give no definite conclusion.
• Always test conclusions that reverse a statement: only the conversions in the table above are valid.

Syllogism Practice Set (29 Questions)

Read the statements, decide which conclusions follow and choose the matching option. Each question shows its own four options, so read them carefully.

Two Statements and Two Conclusions (19 Questions)

Q1. Statements: Some pens are books. Some tables are books.
Conclusions: I. Some books are tables.   II. Some books are pens.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q2. Statements: Some cats are chairs. No cat is a dog.
Conclusions: I. Some chairs are cats.   II. Some chairs are dogs.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q3. Statements: Some fishes are birds. Some fishes are not roses.
Conclusions: I. Some birds are not fishes.   II. Some birds are fishes.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q4. Statements: Some trees are not flowers. Some trees are not stones.
Conclusions: I. Some flowers are trees.   II. Some stones are not trees.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q5. Statements: Some doctors are engineers. Some engineers are not teachers.
Conclusions: I. Some engineers are doctors.   II. All teachers are doctors.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q6. Statements: All lawyers are mangoes. Some mangoes are not apples.
Conclusions: I. Some mangoes are lawyers.   II. No lawyer is a mango.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Only conclusion I follows

Q7. Statements: Some bananas are not oranges. Some cars are oranges.
Conclusions: I. Some bananas are not cars.   II. Some oranges are cars.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q8. Statements: Some trains are not buses. Some bikes are not trains.
Conclusions: I. Some bikes are not buses.   II. Some bikes are trains.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Both conclusions I and II follow

Q9. Statements: Some pencils are not erasers. No box is an eraser.
Conclusions: I. Some boxes are erasers.   II. No box is a pencil.
(A) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Both conclusions I and II follow

Q10. Statements: All bags are rivers. No river is a lake.
Conclusions: I. All rivers are lakes.   II. No bag is a lake.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q11. Statements: Some ponds are seas. All planets are ponds.
Conclusions: I. Some ponds are planets.   II. Some seas are ponds.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q12. Statements: No road is a comet. Some paths are roads.
Conclusions: I. Some roads are paths.   II. Some paths are not roads.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Only conclusion I follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q13. Statements: Some lanes are streets. All lanes are shirts.
Conclusions: I. Some lanes are not streets.   II. Some streets are lanes.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q14. Statements: Some coats are not caps. Some shoes are not caps.
Conclusions: I. Some shoes are caps.   II. All coats are shoes.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q15. Statements: All girls are boys. Some girls are students.
Conclusions: I. All boys are students.   II. Some girls are not students.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q16. Statements: Some singers are not players. All dancers are singers.
Conclusions: I. Some singers are dancers.   II. No singer is a dancer.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Only conclusion I follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q17. Statements: Some writers are poets. Some artists are writers.
Conclusions: I. Some writers are artists.   II. Some poets are writers.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Both conclusions I and II follow

Q18. Statements: No farmer is a worker. No driver is a worker.
Conclusions: I. No driver is a farmer.   II. No worker is a driver.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Only conclusion II follows

Q19. Statements: Some pilots are not sailors. Some sailors are not soldiers.
Conclusions: I. All soldiers are pilots.   II. Some soldiers are sailors.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Either-Or Conclusions (4 Questions)

In these questions the fourth option is “Either conclusion I or II follows”, used when neither conclusion follows alone but the two are a complementary pair.

Q20. Statements: Some caps are shoes. Some shoes are boys.
Conclusions: I. Some caps are boys.   II. No cap is a boy.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Either conclusion I or II follows

Q21. Statements: All girls are students. Some students are players.
Conclusions: I. All girls are players.   II. Some girls are not players.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Either conclusion I or II follows

Q22. Statements: All poets are dancers. Some singers are dancers.
Conclusions: I. Some singers are poets.   II. No singer is a poet.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Either conclusion I or II follows    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q23. Statements: All writers are artists. All farmers are artists.
Conclusions: I. All writers are farmers.   II. Some writers are not farmers.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Either conclusion I or II follows    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Three Statements and Two Conclusions (6 Questions)

Q24. Statements: All birds are fishes. All fishes are roses. All roses are flowers.
Conclusions: I. All birds are flowers.   II. Some flowers are birds.
(A) Both conclusions I and II follow    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q25. Statements: All trees are stones. All stones are doctors. Some doctors are engineers.
Conclusions: I. Some trees are engineers.   II. Some engineers are doctors.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Only conclusion II follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q26. Statements: Some teachers are lawyers. All lawyers are mangoes. No mango is an apple.
Conclusions: I. Some teachers are not apples.   II. No teacher is an apple.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Neither conclusion I nor II follows    (D) Only conclusion I follows

Q27. Statements: No banana is an orange. All oranges are cars. All cars are buses.
Conclusions: I. Some buses are not bananas.   II. No banana is a car.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q28. Statements: All trains are bikes. Some bikes are pencils. All pencils are erasers.
Conclusions: I. Some trains are erasers.   II. Some bikes are erasers.
(A) Only conclusion II follows    (B) Only conclusion I follows    (C) Both conclusions I and II follow    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Q29. Statements: All boxes are bags. No bag is a river. All rivers are lakes.
Conclusions: I. No box is a river.   II. Some lakes are not boxes.
(A) Only conclusion I follows    (B) Both conclusions I and II follow    (C) Only conclusion II follows    (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows

Answer Key at a Glance

Answers with Explanations

Two Statements and Two Conclusions

Q1. Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some books are pens. Some books are tables. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II follows.

Q2. Answer: (B) Only conclusion I follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some chairs are cats. No dog is a cat. Some chairs are not dogs. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q3. Answer: (A) Only conclusion II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some birds are fishes. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q4. Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: none linking the terms beyond the given statements. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q5. Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some engineers are doctors. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q6. Answer: (D) Only conclusion I follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some mangoes are lawyers. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q7. Answer: (A) Only conclusion II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some oranges are cars. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q8. Answer: (B) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: none linking the terms beyond the given statements. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q9. Answer: (A) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: No eraser is a box. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q10. Answer: (B) Only conclusion II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some rivers are bags. No lake is a river. No bag is a lake. No lake is a bag. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q11. Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some seas are ponds. Some ponds are planets. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II follows.

Q12. Answer: (C) Only conclusion I follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: No comet is a road. Some roads are paths. Some paths are not comets. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q13. Answer: (A) Only conclusion II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some streets are lanes. Some shirts are lanes. Some streets are shirts. Some shirts are streets. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q14. Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: none linking the terms beyond the given statements. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q15. Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some boys are girls. Some students are girls. Some boys are students. Some students are boys. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q16. Answer: (C) Only conclusion I follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some singers are dancers. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q17. Answer: (D) Both conclusions I and II follow — Definite conclusions from the statements: Some poets are writers. Some writers are artists. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II follows.

Q18. Answer: (D) Only conclusion II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: No worker is a farmer. No worker is a driver. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q19. Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — Definite conclusions from the statements: none linking the terms beyond the given statements. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II does not follow.

Either-Or Conclusions

Q20. Answer: (D) Either conclusion I or II follows — Neither conclusion is definitely true on its own, but the two conclusions are a complementary pair: exactly one of them must be true in every possible case. So either I or II follows.

Q21. Answer: (D) Either conclusion I or II follows — Neither conclusion is definitely true on its own, but the two conclusions are a complementary pair: exactly one of them must be true in every possible case. So either I or II follows.

Q22. Answer: (B) Either conclusion I or II follows — Neither conclusion is definitely true on its own, but the two conclusions are a complementary pair: exactly one of them must be true in every possible case. So either I or II follows.

Q23. Answer: (B) Either conclusion I or II follows — Neither conclusion is definitely true on its own, but the two conclusions are a complementary pair: exactly one of them must be true in every possible case. So either I or II follows.

Three Statements and Two Conclusions

Q24. Answer: (A) Both conclusions I and II follow — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: All birds are flowers. Some flowers are birds. All birds are roses. Some roses are birds. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II follows.

Q25. Answer: (B) Only conclusion II follows — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: All trees are doctors. Some doctors are trees. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q26. Answer: (D) Only conclusion I follows — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: Some teachers are not apples. Some teachers are mangoes. Some mangoes are teachers. No lawyer is an apple. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q27. Answer: (B) Only conclusion I follows — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: Some buses are not bananas. Some cars are not bananas. All oranges are buses. Some buses are oranges. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II does not follow.

Q28. Answer: (A) Only conclusion II follows — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: Some bikes are erasers. Some erasers are bikes. — Conclusion I does not follow and Conclusion II follows.

Q29. Answer: (B) Both conclusions I and II follow — Combine the statements step by step (draw the Venn diagram). Some definite conclusions: Some lakes are not boxes. No box is a river. No river is a box. Some lakes are not bags. — Conclusion I follows and Conclusion II follows.

How to Check Your Performance

Common Mistakes in Syllogism

• Using real-life knowledge: only the statements matter.
• Drawing one diagram only: a conclusion must hold in every possible diagram.
• Reversing All statements: “All A are B” does not mean “All B are A”.
• Accepting possibilities as conclusions: “could be true” is not “follows”.
• Missing either-or: check for a complementary pair before choosing neither.

Related SSC Reasoning Resources

• SSC reasoning practice set with answers (top 100 questions)
• SSC puzzle questions with answers
• SSC blood relation questions with tricks
• SSC CGL previous year question papers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is syllogism in SSC reasoning?

Syllogism is a logical reasoning topic in which two or three statements are given about groups of things, followed by conclusions. You decide which conclusions definitely follow from the statements, regardless of what is true in real life.

How many syllogism questions come in SSC exams?

The number is not fixed and changes from shift to shift. Syllogism (statements and conclusions) usually appears in small numbers, so it is a short, scoring topic that is worth mastering.

What is the easiest method to solve syllogism questions?

The Venn diagram method is the safest: draw circles for the sets according to the statements, try to draw the diagram in more than one possible way, and accept a conclusion only if it is true in every possible diagram.

Do we have to accept the statements even if they are factually wrong?

Yes. In syllogism you must treat the statements as true, even if they contradict real life, and check only whether the conclusions follow from them.

Does "All A are B" mean "Some B are A"?

Yes, under the standard SSC and banking convention. If all A are B and A exists, then some B (the A ones) are A, so “Some B are A” follows. “All B are A” does not follow.

What follows from "No A is B"?

“No B is A” follows, because the two groups have nothing in common. Nothing can be said about “All” relations between them.

What follows from "Some A are not B"?

Nothing else follows directly. It cannot be converted to “Some B are not A”, so a conclusion of that kind does not follow from this statement alone.

What is the either-or case in syllogism?

When neither conclusion follows on its own and the two conclusions form a complementary pair (for example “Some A are B” and “No A is B”, or “All A are B” and “Some A are not B”), exactly one of them must be true, so the answer is either I or II follows.

What should I do when the conclusion is about a possibility?

If a conclusion says something is possible and a valid Venn diagram allows it, the conclusion follows. If every valid diagram makes it impossible, it does not follow. Always test with more than one diagram.

What are the most common syllogism combinations to remember?

All + All gives All. Some + All gives Some. All + No gives No. Some + No gives Some not. No + All gives Some not (reversed). All + Some and Some + Some give no definite conclusion.

How much time should I spend on one syllogism question?

Try to solve a two-statement question in 30 to 45 seconds and a three-statement question in about a minute. Quick Venn sketches on the rough sheet are faster and safer than solving in your head.

What are the common mistakes in syllogism?

The common mistakes are accepting a conclusion that is only possible, reversing an “All” statement, using real-life knowledge instead of the statements, and drawing only one Venn diagram when more than one is possible.

How many syllogism questions should I practice every day?

Solve 10 to 15 questions daily for two weeks, mixing two-statement, three-statement and either-or questions, and always draw the Venn diagram for the ones you get wrong.

Where can I practice more SSC reasoning questions?

You can solve SSC previous year papers on the PYQ section of SSC Education and use the practice papers section and the other reasoning guides linked on this page.

Conclusion

Syllogism becomes easy when you learn the four statement types, the conversions and the combination table, and when you always test a conclusion against every Venn diagram. Solve this practice set in a timer, review the explanation of every mistake and repeat it after a few days. With regular practice, syllogism turns into a quick and reliable scoring topic in the SSC reasoning section.