Logical Reasoning (LR) is the spine of every Railway recruitment paper—NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP, RPF-SI/Constable—carrying 8-12 marks that often decide the final merit. LR questions test your ability to spot patterns, decode relationships and eliminate irrelevant information quickly. The syllabus is finite: Series (number, letter, mixed), Analogy (word, number, figure), Classification, Coding-Decoding, Direction & Distance, Blood Relation, Ranking, Venn Diagram, Syllogism, Clock & Calendar, Cube & Dice, and Puzzle-type Seating/Scheduling. Each topic follows a fixed grammar; once you learn the code, 90 % questions become repetitive.

Speed is more important than genius. Railway exams give 0.8-1 min per LR question; therefore, treat every problem as a “pattern-spotting” exercise, not a “thinking” exercise. Build two reflexes: (i) convert every verbal clue into a symbolic diagram (arrow, line, table) within 5 s, and (ii) apply the fastest filter—eliminate two impossible choices first, then compare the remaining two. The practice set below is framed on actual previous-shift memory logs and starts with 1-step warm-ups, moves to 2-step moderate traps, and ends with 3-step calculative twists that separate the 90-plus scorers from the rest.

Practice Set

1. Easy - Find the missing number: 3, 8, 15, 24, ?
   A) 32
   B) 35
   C) 36
   D) 40

2. Easy - Complete the series: AZ, BY, CX, ?
   A) DW
   B) DX
   C) EV
   D) EW

3. Easy - Odd one out: 121, 169, 289, 361, 400
   A) 121
   B) 169
   C) 289
   D) 400

4. Easy - Coding: If SCHOOL=TDPIPM, then TEACHER=?
   A) UFBDFIS
   B) UFBDFIT
   C) UFAOFIS
   D) UFBEFIS

5. Easy - Direction: Morning sunrise, Ram’s shadow fell to his right. He is facing?
   A) North
   B) South
   C) East
   D) West

6. Medium - Series: 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?
   A) 35
   B) 37
   C) 38
   D) 40

7. Medium - Analogy: 8 : 72 :: 12 : ?
   A) 108
   B) 120
   C) 132
   D) 144

8. Medium - Coding: If FRIEND=74, then ENEMY=?
   A) 66
   B) 67
   C) 68
   D) 69

9. Medium - Blood: A’s father is B’s son. How is A related to B?
   A) Grandson
   B) Granddaughter
   C) Son
   D) Cannot say

10. Medium - Ranking: In a row, A is 15th from left, B is 19th from right; they interchange, A becomes 21st from left. Total students?
    A) 38
    B) 39
    C) 40
    D) 41

11. Medium - Venn: Which diagram best shows relation—Teacher, Graduate, Human?
    A) 3 disjoint circles
    B) Graduate inside Human, Teacher overlapping
    C) Teacher inside Graduate inside Human
    D) Graduate & Teacher same circle

12. Medium - Syllogism: Statements—All pens are pencils. Some pencils are rubber. Conclusion: I. Some pens are rubber. II. All rubber are pencils.
    A) Only I
    B) Only II
    C) Either I or II
    D) Neither

13. Medium - Calendar: 15 Aug 2023 was Tuesday. 15 Aug 2025 will be?
    A) Thursday
    B) Friday
    C) Saturday
    D) Sunday

14. Medium - Clock: Mirror image of 3:40 shows time?
    A) 8:20
    B) 8:25
    C) 8:22
    D) 8:18

15. Medium - Dice: Which number is opposite 4 when standard dice faces 1,2,3,4,5,6 are given in net?
    A) 1
    B) 2
    C) 3
    D) 6

16. Hard - Series: 4, 11, 31, 65, 121, ?
    A) 199
    B) 201
    C) 203
    D) 205

17. Hard - Missing figure: If △=6, ○=8, □=10, then △○□△=?
    A) 30
    B) 32
    C) 34
    D) 36

18. Hard - Puzzle: 6 people P,Q,R,S,T,U sit in a circle facing centre. P is 3rd to right of T, who is immediate left of S. R is opposite P. Q is not next to R. Who is 2nd to left of U?
    A) P
    B) Q
    C) R
    D) S

19. Hard - Matrix: If 14×2=6, 32×5=17, then 43×4=?
    A) 15
    B) 16
    C) 17
    D) 18

20. Hard - Input-output: A word-number machine shifts words alphabetically and numbers ascending in alternate steps. Input: cat 23 apple 45 bat 12. Step III?
    A) 12 23 45 apple bat cat
    B) 12 23 45 cat bat apple
    C) apple bat cat 12 23 45
    D) 12 apple 23 bat 45 cat

21. Hard - Logical connectives: If neither Ravi works hard nor he is intelligent, then he fails. Which case contradicts the statement?
    A) Ravi works hard, still fails
    B) Ravi is intelligent, still fails
    C) Ravi neither works nor intelligent, yet passes
    D) Ravi works hard and is intelligent, passes

22. Hard - Cubes: A 4×4×4 cube painted red is cut into 64 unit cubes. How many have exactly two faces painted?
    A) 8
    B) 16
    C) 24
    D) 32

23. Hard - Scheduling: 5 trains P-Q-R-S-T run on weekdays. P immediately followed by R but not on Monday. T always last. S not first. Q must be before P. Which cannot be first?
    A) Q
    B) S
    C) R
    D) P

24. Hard - Binary logic: Three natives A,B,C—one always tells truth, one always lies, one alternates. Statements: A says “I am the liar.” B says “A is the truth-teller.” C says “B is the liar.” Identify the truth-teller.
    A) A
    B) B
    C) C
    D) Cannot decide

25. Hard - Pattern: 1, 2, 10, 37, 101, ?
    A) 226
    B) 230
    C) 231
    D) 235

Shortcuts & Tips

1. Series: First check simple difference, then double difference, then prime/multiple, lastly cubic.
2. Coding: Write A-Z=1-26 and reverse=26-1 on rough sheet once; 90 % codes crack in 5 s.
3. Direction: Draw N-E-S-W cross; mark sun rise (East) top; shadow always opposite.
4. Blood: Convert every sentence to “A → B” arrow; draw tree; avoid words.
5. Ranking: Use formula T = L+R–1; after swap, new position of A = old position of B.
6. Calendar: Odd-days table—100 yr=5, 200=3, 300=1, 400=0; leap year add 2, ordinary +1.
7. Mirror time: 11:60 – actual; if >12 subtract 12.
8. Dice: Remember opposite pairs never adjacent; in standard net 1-6, 2-5, 3-4.
9. Cube cuts:
   • 3-face = 8 corners
   • 2-face = 12×(n–2)
   • 1-face = 6×(n–2)²
   • 0-face = (n–2)³
10. Puzzle: Fix the variable with max clues first; draw circular or linear slot diagram; use “not” eliminates 75 % choices.

Memorise these 10 cards; attempt every LR block in 18 min, leaving 30 s per Q for revision. All the best!