5 Brain-Boosting Ideas You Can Steal from Logical Reasoning Tests
Looking for ways to sharpen your thinking while stuck at home? Check out these tips for applying logical reasoning tests to your everyday life.
Logical reasoning tests are a cornerstone of aptitude tests. They’re also the inspiration for the majority of job interview reasoning skills assessments. Another common name for logical reasoning tests is diagrammatic reasoning tests. They sometimes overlap with spatial reasoning tests, too.
Developed logic skills are an asset in any job—they represent the advanced thinking capacity of a potential team-member. Logic allows us to research the world around us, draw conclusions, and accumulate the required data for creating informed decisions. We use logical reasoning to handle both day-to-day routines and spontaneous events. Every employer wants to be sure their new hires have the ability for logic and creative problem-solving. That’s why logical reasoning tests are popular across the world equally in both big enterprises and small companies.
Logic allows us to research the world around us, draw conclusions, and accumulate the required data for creating informed decisions.
Logical reasoning tests are part of high-school-level national examins in a number of countries and also used as the pre-employment assessment stage of various internships, placements, and graduate schemes, especially in the UK. Despite being quite formal and intimidating in these contexts, they can be fun and super useful to apply to daily situations.
Here are 5 brain-boosting ideas you can steal from logical reasoning tests, especially during quarantine.
1. Complete a few brain-training sessions
Using mainly shapes, forms, and colors to assess one’s ability to think logically and recognize patterns, logical reasoning tests are not only popular in recruitment, but also in many brain-boosting mobile game apps. These games tend to be fun and engaging, with a sprinkle of healthy competition against other players. Consider a few of these low-commitment, stress-free brain-training sessions to kill time, but in a productive way.
2. Use them to socialize digitally
Now that socializing occurs behind a screen, communicating with friends, colleagues, and classmates can be awkward. Some people have opted to use multiplayer games and other interactive digital forms of entertainment to help them make conversations and to strengthen team spirit in spite of social distancing.
Logical reasoning tests, in the form of those brain-training games mentioned earlier, could be an interesting way to not only break the ice but also to boost the whole group’s cognitive ability. Traveling to see one another might be paused, but we can still “make moves” together!
3. Learn the different types of logical thinking
Logical reasoning tests are divided into three smaller branches: deductive reasoning tests, inductive reasoning tests, and abstract reasoning tests.
Deductive reasoning tests are basically top-down logic or using general premises to come up with a specific conclusion.
Inductive reasoning tests are literally the opposite—they test bottom-down logic, where you use a specific piece of information to inform an overall, more generic statement.
Abstract reasoning tests, as the name suggests, are more abstract—you get one or a few clues to deduce a most likely answer or form a hypothesis.
Being aware of the logical steps you take to solve problems and generate ideas can help you gain better control of your thinking patterns and perhaps even improve your observational skills.
These tests are all very practical and describe things we all do on a daily basis, yet might not have consciously noticed. Being aware of the logical steps you take to solve problems and generate ideas can help you gain better control of your thinking patterns and perhaps even improve your observational skills.
4. Apply logic skills to solve everyday problems
You can apply a deeper understanding of logical reasoning tests, and the types of logic they’re based on, to become the next Sherlock Holmes of your field. Besides increasing your cognitive capacity and helping you get sharper at predicting trends, these assessments can noticeably boost your confidence in your own problem-solving and strategic thinking.
Start making the most of this new superpower! You’ll not only make your lockdown period more interesting, but you’ll get a headstart at life, in general, when social distancing ends.
5. Hone your skills for when hiring freezes end
Finally, start practicing while companies are still adapting to new ways of working and recruiting. Browse additional advice and resources, or see examples of logical reasoning tests questions and answersopens PDF file . The moment companies start actively hiring, you’ll be more than ready to beat other candidates and take on the whole wide world.