Logical Reasoning
"Tol! Logical Reasoning para sa BJMP exam. Dito susubukin ang analytical thinking at problem-solving skills mo. Bilang future Jail Officer, kailangan mong maging matalino sa pag-analyze ng sitwasyon - mula sa security threats hanggang inmate behavior. Hindi pwedeng puro pwersa lang, kailangan din ng utak!"
1. Abstract Reasoning (Pattern Recognition) 🧩
Ang abstract reasoning ay tungkol sa pag-identify ng patterns sa shapes, figures, at sequences. Ito ay nagte-test ng visual-spatial intelligence mo.
Types of Pattern Questions:
- Series Completion: Ano ang susunod na figure sa sequence?
- Odd One Out: Alin ang hindi kabilang sa grupo?
- Analogies: Figure A is to Figure B as Figure C is to _____?
- Matrix Reasoning: Complete the 3x3 grid pattern
Common Pattern Changes:
Rotation
45°, 90°, 180° clockwise/counterclockwise
Reflection
Mirror image (horizontal/vertical flip)
Addition/Subtraction
Elements added or removed each step
Color/Shading Change
Black to white, filled to empty
2. Syllogisms and Logical Statements 📐
Syllogisms ang tawag sa logical arguments na may dalawang premises at isang conclusion. Ito ang pinaka-classic na logical reasoning question.
Parts of a Syllogism:
Major Premise: All jail officers are government employees.
Minor Premise: Juan is a jail officer.
Conclusion: Therefore, Juan is a government employee. ✓
Categorical Statements:
| Type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Affirmative (A) | All S are P | All inmates are PDL |
| Universal Negative (E) | No S are P | No visitors are inmates |
| Particular Affirmative (I) | Some S are P | Some inmates are first-time offenders |
| Particular Negative (O) | Some S are not P | Some PDL are not convicted yet |
⚠️ Common Logical Fallacies:
- Affirming the Consequent: "All dogs are animals. This is an animal. Therefore, it's a dog." (INVALID!)
- Denying the Antecedent: "If it rains, ground is wet. It didn't rain. Therefore, ground is not wet." (INVALID!)
- Undistributed Middle: "All officers wear uniforms. Maria wears a uniform. Therefore, Maria is an officer." (INVALID!)
3. Conditional Statements (If-Then Logic) 🔗
Conditional statements ang mga "If...then..." propositions. Importante ito sa jail operations dahil maraming policies ang conditional.
Understanding Conditionals:
Original: If a PDL violates rules (P), then they receive punishment (Q).
Contrapositive (VALID): If no punishment (not Q), then no violation (not P)
Converse (INVALID): If punishment (Q), then violation (P) - Not always true!
Inverse (INVALID): If no violation (not P), then no punishment (not Q) - Not always true!
Valid Arguments with Conditionals:
Modus Ponens (Valid) ✓
If P then Q
P is true
Therefore Q is true
Modus Tollens (Valid) ✓
If P then Q
Q is false
Therefore P is false
4. Blood Relations and Family Trees 👨👩👧👦
Blood relation problems test ang ability mo to understand family relationships - important sa identifying visitors at establishing connections ng PDL.
Key Relationship Terms:
Father's/Mother's brother: Uncle
Father's/Mother's sister: Aunt
Son/Daughter of uncle/aunt: Cousin
Father's/Mother's father: Grandfather
Father's/Mother's mother: Grandmother
Brother's/Sister's son: Nephew
Brother's/Sister's daughter: Niece
Spouse's parents: In-laws
Solving Blood Relation Problems:
- Identify the reference person (usually "me" or a named individual)
- Draw a family tree as you read the problem
- Use symbols: □ for male, ○ for female, = for married
- Work from the given information step by step
- Trace the relationship path from person to person
5. Seating Arrangement and Ordering 🪑
Arrangement problems involve positioning people or objects in a specific order. Useful sa understanding seating ng inmates o scheduling ng activities.
Types of Arrangement:
- Linear Arrangement: In a row (left to right or top to bottom)
- Circular Arrangement: Around a table (clockwise/counterclockwise)
- Sequential Order: First, second, third based on conditions
Solving Tips:
List all the elements (people/objects) to be arranged
Note all definite positions first (e.g., "A sits at the end")
Apply relative positions (e.g., "B is next to C")
Apply negative conditions (e.g., "D is NOT next to E")
Fill in remaining positions logically
6. Data Interpretation (Jail Context) 📊
Jail officers need to understand data - from PDL statistics to incident reports. Practice analyzing tables, graphs, and charts.
Sample Jail Data Table:
| Category | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convicted | 450 | 50 | 500 |
| Under Trial | 720 | 80 | 800 |
| For Transfer | 180 | 20 | 200 |
| Total | 1,350 | 150 | 1,500 |
Questions to Practice:
- • What percentage of total PDL are female?
- • Ratio of convicted to under trial?
- • If 10% of male under trial are released, how many remain?
- • Which category has the highest male-to-female ratio?
7. Practice Questions 📋
Question 1: Syllogism
All BJMP personnel wear uniforms. Juan wears a uniform. What can be concluded?
View Answer
No valid conclusion can be drawn. This is the fallacy of "affirming the consequent." Just because Juan wears a uniform doesn't mean he's BJMP personnel - others also wear uniforms (security guards, nurses, etc.).
Question 2: Conditional
If a PDL escapes, an alarm sounds. The alarm did not sound. What can we conclude?
View Answer
No PDL escaped. This is a valid argument using Modus Tollens (denying the consequent). If P→Q and ¬Q, then ¬P.
Question 3: Blood Relation
Pointing to a photograph, Maria says "He is the son of my father's only daughter." Who is the person in the photograph?
View Answer
Maria's son. Maria's father's only daughter is Maria herself. Therefore, the son of Maria's father's only daughter is Maria's son.
Question 4: Arrangement
Five inmates A, B, C, D, E are in a line. A is immediately to the right of B. C is at the left end. E is not adjacent to D. D is immediately to the right of A. What is the arrangement from left to right?
View Answer
C - B - A - D - E. C is at left end. B-A are together with A to right of B. A-D are together with D to right of A. So B-A-D is a sequence. E must be at the end and not adjacent to D - but since D is 4th, E must be 5th. So: C - B - A - D - E.
Question 5: Pattern
What comes next in the sequence: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
View Answer
42. The pattern is n × (n+1): 1×2=2, 2×3=6, 3×4=12, 4×5=20, 5×6=30, 6×7=42. Or looking at differences: +4, +6, +8, +10, +12.
8. Exam Strategy Tips 🎯
Para sa Logical Reasoning Success, Tol:
- 📖 Read carefully - Understand EXACTLY what is being asked
- ✏️ Draw diagrams - Visualize family trees, arrangements, and patterns
- 🚫 Beware of traps - "Always," "never," "only" can be tricky
- ✓ Check all options - Eliminate obviously wrong answers first
- ⏱️ Time management - Don't spend more than 2 minutes per question
- 🔙 Skip and return - If stuck, mark and move on
- 🧠 Use logic, not assumptions - Only use information given
- 📝 Practice daily - Logical reasoning improves with practice
Test Your Knowledge! 🧠
Ready ka na ba? Take the practice quiz for Logical Reasoning to reinforce what you just learned.
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