4 TIPS on cracking Reasoning Questions on Cause and Effect

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Tip #1: Generally statements that happened in the past are the cause while statements in the present are the effect

Statements:

1.    The farmers have decided against selling their kharif crops to the Government agencies.

2.    The Government has reduced the procurement price of kharif crops starting from last month to the next six months.

Options:

A.   Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect

B.   Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect

C.   Both statements are independent causes 

D.   Both statements are effects of independent causes

E.    Both statements are effects of some common cause

Solution:

I happened after II and thus I cannot be a cause. This eliminates options A and C. The events are inter-related, which eliminates D. The answer can be either B or E. Now, it seems that the reduction in procurement price of crops must have instigated the farmers not to sell their produce to Government agencies. So, the correct answer must be B.

Tip #2: Read each statement carefully to understand the nature of the cause-effect relationship

Options:

A.   Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect

B.   Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect

C.   Both statements are independent causes 

D.   Both statements are effects of independent causes

E.    Both statements are effects of some common cause

Statements:

I.         The life today is too fast, demanding and full of variety in all aspects which at times leads to stressful situations.

II.         Number of suicide cases among teenagers is on increase.

Solution:

Life has become too stressful and this has a major impact on the teenagers, leading to them committing suicide. Thus, the correct answer is A.

Statements:

I.         The police authority has recently caught a group of house breakers.

II.         The citizens group in the locality have started night vigil in the area.

Solution:

Both the events are effects of the cause that there has been an increase in thefts in the area. So the answer is E.

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Tip #3: Do not try to force fit the statements into a cause-effect relationship as they could be the effects of a common cause or two independent causes

Statements:

I.         The employees of the biggest bank in the country have given an indefinite strike call starting from third of the next month.

II.         The employees of the Central Government have withdrawn their week long demonstrations.

Options

A.   Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect

B.   Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect

C.   Both statements are independent causes 

D.   Both statements are effects of independent causes

E.    Both statements are effects of some common cause

Solution:

The strike must have been called because of some cause. Similarly, The Central Government employees have withdrawn their demonstrations due to some cause. But the causes of these effects seem to be different and independent. So answer is D.

Tip #4: Use general knowledge to link the statements

Statements:

I.         There is increase in water level of all the water tanks supplying drinking water to the city during the last fortnight.

II.         Most of the trains were cancelled last week due to water-logging on the tracks.

Options:

A.   Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect

B.   Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect

C.   Both statements are independent causes 

D.   Both statements are effects of independent causes

E.    Both statements are effects of some common cause

Solutions:

Both the statements are clearly the result of heavy downpour in the area. So the correct answer is E.

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