Statement & Assumptions MCQs for UPSC Prelims

79 practice questions on Statement & Assumptions from the Logical Reasoning section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 79 come with a written explanation and 2 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

17 Easy 50 Medium 12 Hard 2 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question medium
"If political leadership fails to emerge, there is likelihood of military taking over power in developing countries. Radical student groups or labour may try to raise revolution but they are not likely to compete with the military. Military intervention, rule, and withdrawal from politics is closely related to a society's level of political development." In the context of political development, the assumption in the above passage is that
  1. A political leadership is not an effective instrument.
  2. B military fills in political vacuum.
  3. C military intervention is inevitable for development.
  4. D None of the above
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - military fills in political vacuum.

The passage states that when political leadership fails to emerge, the military is likely to take over, and that other groups cannot compete with it. The unstated premise that makes this reasoning work is that the military steps into the gap left by absent political leadership, that is, the military fills the political vacuum. The other options either contradict the passage (leadership being ineffective, or intervention being inevitable for development) or ignore that an assumption is being asked for.
Q2
Previous year question easy
Geeta: Naresh has become a better boxer since he started meditation. Radha: Impossible. A boxer's most important asset is his aggressiveness. Radha's statement reflects her belief that
  1. A meditation tends to make a person less aggressive.
  2. B meditation has little or no effect on the person who practises it.
  3. C Naresh would not have taken to meditation as he was a boxer.
  4. D Naresh has not become a better boxer.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - meditation tends to make a person less aggressive.

Radha rejects the idea that meditation improved Naresh's boxing, and her stated reason is that aggressiveness is a boxer's key asset. For this objection to make sense, she must assume meditation reduces aggressiveness, which would harm rather than help a boxer. That underlying belief is captured by option (a). The other options either deny meditation has any effect, or claim Naresh did not improve, neither of which is the assumption her aggressiveness argument depends on.
Q3
easy
Statement: "The municipal corporation has decided to install LED street lights across the city to reduce electricity consumption." Which of the following is an assumption implicit in the statement?
  1. A Electricity tariffs will rise sharply next year
  2. B The city has never had any street lights before
  3. C All residents have demanded brighter street lighting
  4. D LED street lights consume less electricity than the lights currently in use
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - LED street lights consume less electricity than the lights currently in use

An implicit assumption is something taken for granted that must hold for the statement's action to make sense. The corporation expects LEDs to reduce consumption, which presupposes LEDs consume less than the existing lights. That LEDs use less electricity is exactly what is assumed. The city having no prior lights is not implied (they speak of reducing consumption, implying existing lights). Rising tariffs and resident demand are extraneous reasons not required by the stated purpose.
Q4
easy
Statement: A notice in an office building reads: "Please use the stairs during Friday's fire drill; the lifts will be switched off." Assumptions: I. Everyone in the building dislikes using the lifts. II. The building has stairs that people can use to move between floors. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted by the person making the statement. Which of the assumptions is/are implicit in the statement?
  1. A Neither is implicit
  2. B Only I is implicit
  3. C Only II is implicit
  4. D Both are implicit
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Only II is implicit

II is implicit: asking people to use the stairs assumes that usable stairs exist. I is not implicit: the lifts are switched off for the drill, not because anyone dislikes them, and everyone makes the claim extreme. So only II is implicit.
Q5
hard
Statement: The national railway will introduce dynamic fares, raising ticket prices on busy trains and lowering them on less crowded ones. Assumptions: I. Some passengers will shift to less crowded trains if their fares are lower. II. The railway can judge in advance which trains are likely to be busy. III. Passengers who face higher fares will stop travelling by train altogether. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted by the person making the statement. Which of the assumptions is/are implicit in the statement?
  1. A I, II and III
  2. B Only I
  3. C II and III only
  4. D I and II only
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - I and II only

I is implicit: varying fares by crowding only works if price differences move some passengers. II is implicit: the railway must be able to identify busy trains to price them. III is not implicit and runs against the plan, since the railway expects passengers to keep travelling, perhaps on other trains. Hence I and II only; including III accepts an extreme claim.
Q6
medium
Statement: The municipal corporation has decided to charge a hefty fine on households that fail to segregate wet and dry waste at source. Which of the following is an assumption implicit in the above statement?
  1. A The municipal corporation has no other source of revenue.
  2. B No household in the city currently segregates its waste.
  3. C Waste segregation is impossible without imposing fines.
  4. D A financial penalty is likely to influence households to segregate their waste.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - A financial penalty is likely to influence households to segregate their waste.

An implicit assumption is what the decision takes for granted. Fining households to make them segregate waste only makes sense if a financial penalty can actually change household behaviour, so that is the assumption at work. The corporation's other revenue sources are irrelevant, since the aim is behaviour change and not income. Claiming that no household segregates today, or that segregation is impossible without fines, is far stronger than anything the statement requires.
Q7
hard
Statement: The government will pay a cash reward to citizens who report vehicles emitting thick black smoke, with a photograph and the location. Assumptions: I. Citizens can recognise vehicles that emit excessive smoke. II. Some citizens will be motivated by a cash reward to make such reports. III. Every vehicle emitting black smoke will be reported. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted by the person making the statement. Which of the assumptions is/are implicit in the statement?
  1. A I and III only
  2. B I and II only
  3. C I, II and III
  4. D II and III only
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - I and II only

I is implicit: the scheme relies on citizens spotting smoky vehicles. II is implicit: a reward is offered because it is expected to encourage some reports. III is not implicit: the scheme can be worthwhile if it catches many offenders, so it need not assume that every one will be reported. Hence I and II only; including III accepts an extreme claim.
Q8
easy
Statement: During a heatwave, the weather service advises: "Apply sunscreen before going out between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m." Assumptions: I. The sun's rays are especially strong during those hours. II. Sunscreen gives some protection from the sun. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted by the person making the statement. Which of the assumptions is/are implicit in the statement?
  1. A Neither is implicit
  2. B Both are implicit
  3. C Only I is implicit
  4. D Only II is implicit
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Both are implicit

I is implicit: the advice picks out 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. because the sun is thought to be strongest then. II is implicit: recommending sunscreen assumes it offers some protection. Both are implicit.

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