Statement and Conclusion Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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PDF Notes: Statement and Conclusion Notes for SSC Exams
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In a statement and conclusion question, one or two statements are given, followed by two or more conclusions. You must decide which conclusion follows from the statement. The answer depends only on the given statement and not on your own knowledge. These statement and conclusion notes for SSC explain the rules, the words that change the answer and the solved examples in simple language.
What Is a Conclusion?
- A conclusion is a result that follows directly from the given statement.
- It should be supported by the statement, and it should not add new facts.
- Treat the statement as true, even if it looks wrong in real life.
Rules to Decide a Conclusion
| Rule | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Direct support | The conclusion must be clearly given or clearly implied by the statement |
| No outside knowledge | Do not use facts that are not in the statement |
| Check extreme words | Words like all, only, always and never make a conclusion false unless the statement says the same |
| Part to whole | Some does not become all |
| Converse is not automatic | If A causes B, we cannot say B is always caused by A |
Strong and Weak Words
| Word | Effect |
|---|---|
| All, every, always, never, only, completely | Strong: usually makes the conclusion false |
| Some, many, most, generally, may, can | Weak: usually makes the conclusion safe and true |
| Must, will, definitely | Need clear support in the statement |
Answer Options in the Usual Format
| Option | When to choose it |
|---|---|
| Only I follows | Conclusion I is true and II is false |
| Only II follows | Conclusion II is true and I is false |
| Either I or II follows | The two conclusions are a complementary pair and neither is clear alone |
| Neither I nor II follows | Both are false or both are not supported |
| Both I and II follow | Both are supported by the statement |
Solved Examples
Example 1. Statements: All teachers are graduates. Some graduates are writers.
Conclusions: I. Some teachers are writers. II. Some writers are graduates.
Conclusion I is not supported, because the teachers may not be among the graduates who are writers. Conclusion II is the converse of the second statement, so it follows. Answer: only II follows.
Example 2. Statement: Only students with a library card can borrow books.
Conclusions: I. Rohan can borrow books. II. A person without a library card cannot borrow books.
Rohan is not mentioned as a card holder, so I is not sure. II is directly given by the statement. Answer: only II follows.
Example 3. Statement: Most of the people in the village use mobile phones.
Conclusions: I. All villagers use mobile phones. II. Some villagers use mobile phones.
"Most" does not mean "all", so I is false. "Most" includes "some", so II is true. Answer: only II follows.
Example 4. Statements: A is taller than B. B is taller than C.
Conclusions: I. A is taller than C. II. C is the shortest of the three.
Both follow from the order A > B > C. Answer: both I and II follow.
Either-Or Case
- If the two conclusions have the same subject and predicate and form a complementary pair, such as "All A are B" and "Some A are not B", the answer can be "either I or II follows".
- Do not use this when one conclusion already follows.
Quick Tips
- Read the statement twice and underline the strong words.
- Accept the statement as true even if it is not true in real life.
- Check whether the conclusion goes beyond what is given.
- Look for the either-or case only when both conclusions fail alone.
Quick Revision Points
- A conclusion must follow directly from the statement.
- Do not use outside knowledge.
- "Some" does not mean "all".
- "Most" includes "some".
- The either-or case needs a complementary pair.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Statement: All books are useful. Conclusion: Some books are useful. Does it follow?
Answer: Yes - Statement: Some birds can fly. Conclusion: All birds can fly. Does it follow?
Answer: No - Statement: Only members can enter the club. Conclusion: A non-member cannot enter the club. Does it follow?
Answer: Yes - Statement: A is older than B and B is older than C. Conclusion: C is older than A. Does it follow?
Answer: No - Statement: Most students like cricket. Conclusion: Some students like cricket. Does it follow?
Answer: Yes - Statement: Some pens are red. Conclusion: Some pens are not red. Does it follow?
Answer: No, it is not supported (it may or may not be true) - Statement: All doctors are educated. Conclusion: All educated people are doctors. Does it follow?
Answer: No - Which word makes a conclusion false most often?
Answer: Strong words such as all, only and always - When is the either-or case used?
Answer: When two conclusions form a complementary pair and neither is clear alone - Should we use real-life knowledge in these questions?
Answer: No
How to Practise This Chapter
Learn the rules, solve ten questions daily and write the reason for every answer. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Logical Reasoning notes page, and also read the Syllogism and Reasoning notes. Read the next topic, Statement and Assumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is statement and conclusion in reasoning?
It is a question type in which conclusions are given after a statement and you decide which conclusions follow from it.
How do I solve statement and conclusion questions?
Read the statement, check each conclusion against it, avoid outside knowledge and check the strong words.
What does "follows" mean in a conclusion?
It means that the conclusion is clearly supported by the given statement.
Can I use my own knowledge in these questions?
No. Accept the statement as true and use only the given information.
What is the difference between "some" and "most"?
Most means more than half, and some means at least one. Most includes some, but some does not include most.
What is the either-or case?
It is the case where two conclusions are a complementary pair and one of them must be true, but neither is sure alone.
Why are extreme words risky?
Words like all, only and always make a strong claim, and the statement may not support it.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. Statement and conclusion questions are asked in the reasoning section of several SSC exams.
How much time should I take for one question?
About 30 to 40 seconds.
Is it the same as syllogism?
They are similar, but syllogism uses a fixed type of statements, while statement and conclusion uses everyday sentences.
What are the common mistakes?
Using outside knowledge, ignoring the small words and choosing a conclusion because it sounds true.
How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?
Usually one or two questions come from logical reasoning, but the number changes from year to year.
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.