Statement & Arguments MCQs for UPSC Prelims

77 practice questions on Statement & Arguments from the Logical Reasoning section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 77 come with a written explanation and 1 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

17 Easy 41 Medium 19 Hard 1 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question easy
Consider the following statement: "We shall go either for a picnic or for trekking". Which of the following, if true, would falsify this claim?
  1. A We go for a picnic but not for trekking
  2. B Activities such as picnic and trekking are encouraged by the health authorities
  3. C We go for trekking and not for picnic
  4. D We do not go either for picnic or for trekking
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - We do not go either for picnic or for trekking

The claim is an inclusive 'either/or': at least one of picnic or trekking will happen. It is falsified only when neither happens. Option (d) states exactly that neither activity takes place, so it makes the claim false. Options (a) and (c) each satisfy the claim (one of the two does happen), so they do not falsify it. Option (b) is irrelevant to whether the trip happens.
Q2
easy
Statement: Should schools move to a four-day week, with longer school days and Fridays off? Arguments: I. Yes, children love long weekends. II. No, many working parents would have to find and pay for childcare on the extra day off, which some cannot afford. Which of the arguments is/are strong?
  1. A Both I and II are strong
  2. B Neither I nor II is strong
  3. C Only argument I is strong
  4. D Only argument II is strong
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Only argument II is strong

Argument II is strong: a new weekly childcare burden on working families is a real and significant consequence of the change. Argument I is weak: children liking long weekends is a matter of preference and says nothing about learning or welfare. So only II is strong; taking I as strong confuses what children enjoy with a reason for school policy.
Q3
hard
Statement: Should the country raise the compulsory school-leaving age from 14 to 18? Arguments: I. Yes, more years of schooling raise skills and future earnings and reduce child labour. II. No, the state would need many more teachers and classrooms, which it may not be able to fund in the near future. III. No, some teenagers from poor families contribute to household income, and keeping them in school without financial support could push those families into hardship. Which of the arguments given above is/are strong?
  1. A I and III only
  2. B I, II and III
  3. C I and II only
  4. D II and III only
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - I, II and III

I is strong: higher skills, earnings and less child labour are major benefits. II is strong: a shortage of teachers and classrooms is a practical, serious obstacle. III is strong: loss of income for poor families is a real harm unless support is provided. All three give relevant and important reasons, so I, II and III are strong; leaving out any one of them discards a genuine consideration.
Q4
hard
Statement: Should public examinations be conducted entirely online in all schools? Arguments: (I) Yes, online examinations reduce paper use and speed up result processing. (II) No, many schools in remote areas lack reliable electricity and internet connectivity. Which of the arguments is/are strong?
  1. A Only II is strong.
  2. B Only I is strong.
  3. C Both I and II are strong.
  4. D Neither I nor II is strong.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Both I and II are strong.

A strong argument is both relevant to the issue and addresses a substantial, real aspect of it. Argument I points to genuine benefits (less paper, faster results) directly tied to going online, so it is strong. Argument II raises a serious practical barrier, the lack of electricity and connectivity in remote schools, which directly affects feasibility of conducting all exams online, so it too is strong. Since both engage the core practical merits and risks of the proposal, both are strong; selecting only one ignores a substantive point, and 'neither' dismisses two relevant considerations.
Q5
medium
Statement: Should cities build physically separated cycle lanes along their major roads? Arguments: I. Yes, lanes separated from traffic reduce collisions between cyclists and motor vehicles and encourage more people to cycle instead of drive. II. No, taking road space for cycle lanes can narrow the lanes left for buses and cars and worsen congestion on roads where few people cycle. Which of the arguments is/are strong? A strong argument is both important and directly related to the question; a weak argument is trivial, of minor importance, or not directly related to the question.
  1. A Both I and II are strong
  2. B Neither I nor II is strong
  3. C Only argument II is strong
  4. D Only argument I is strong
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Both I and II are strong

Both arguments are strong. Argument I links the proposal to safety and to a shift away from car use, both important and directly related. Argument II identifies a real cost, the loss of road space and resulting congestion, which a city would have to weigh. Each raises a significant, relevant consideration, so both are strong even though they point in opposite directions.
Q6
easy
Statement: Should the city plant shade trees along all its major roads? Arguments: I. Yes, trees give shade, keep streets cooler in summer and absorb some of the pollutants in vehicle exhaust. II. No, trees shed leaves, which workers would then have to sweep up. Which of the arguments is/are strong?
  1. A Both I and II are strong
  2. B Only argument II is strong
  3. C Neither I nor II is strong
  4. D Only argument I is strong
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Only argument I is strong

Argument I is strong: cooler streets, shade and cleaner air are substantial benefits directly linked to the proposal. Argument II is weak: sweeping fallen leaves is a minor routine chore, not a serious reason to give up those benefits. So only I is strong; treating II as strong as well gives too much weight to a trivial inconvenience.
Q7
medium
Statement: Should drivers be banned from using mobile phones while driving, even with hands-free devices? Arguments: I. Yes, research links phone conversations while driving, even hands-free, to slower reactions and more crashes. II. No, drivers need to be able to talk to their families. Which of the arguments is/are strong?
  1. A Only argument I is strong
  2. B Neither I nor II is strong
  3. C Both I and II are strong
  4. D Only argument II is strong
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Only argument I is strong

Argument I is strong: slower reactions and more crashes are a serious safety harm directly connected to phone use at the wheel. Argument II is weak: drivers can still talk to their families before or after driving, or by pulling over, so the ban does not stop that. So only I is strong.
Q8
easy
Statement: Should all city parks be converted into parking lots to ease the shortage of parking space? Arguments: I. Yes, cars are more important than trees. II. No, parks are among the few open green spaces for recreation, and they help cool the city and absorb rainwater. Which of the arguments is/are strong?
  1. A Only argument II is strong
  2. B Both I and II are strong
  3. C Neither I nor II is strong
  4. D Only argument I is strong
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Only argument II is strong

Argument II is strong: loss of recreation space, cooling and rainwater absorption are serious and relevant costs of paving over every park. Argument I is weak: it is a bare assertion of preference with no reasoning about the city's needs. So only II is strong; taking I as strong accepts an opinion as if it were a reason.

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Logical Deductions 167 Puzzles & Arrangements 98 Ranking & Ordering 86 Coding-Decoding 85 Statement & Conclusions 80 Seating Arrangement 80 Statement & Assumptions 79 Counting & Combinatorial Reasoning 78 Number & Letter Series 78 Venn Diagrams 77 Blood Relations 77 Cubes & Dice 77 Analogy & Classification 77 Syllogism 77 Direction Sense 75