Mphasis Logical Reasoning: Syllabus, Pattern and Worked Examples

The Mphasis logical reasoning section has 14 questions and a 14-minute timer, one of four sections in the AMCAT online test that gates the Mphasis selection process.

That averages to 60 seconds per question. The distribution is far from uniform, though. A clean series question takes 30 seconds once you spot the pattern. A blood-relation chain with three generations can take 80 to 90 seconds even if you know the method. Building a question-type-aware time budget, not a flat 60-second average, is the most effective prep habit for this section.

For context on where this section fits within the full Mphasis process, see the Mphasis recruitment process, test pattern, and eligibility guide.

Mphasis Logical Reasoning Test Pattern

Mphasis uses the AMCAT logical reasoning module, administered by SHL India. The test is adaptive: difficulty adjusts based on your prior responses within the session, which means two candidates may see different question sets at different difficulty levels. The topic pool remains consistent.

Parameter	Detail
Number of questions	14
Time allowed	14 minutes
Platform	AMCAT (SHL India)
Format	Multiple-choice, 4 options per question
Adaptive	Yes — question difficulty adjusts to responses
Negative marking	None
Return to previous sections	Not permitted

No negative marking means you should attempt every question. Leaving a question blank and answering wrong both score zero. Guessing from two plausible options is always better than skipping.

Topic Breakdown and Weightage

The AMCAT logical reasoning syllabus groups questions into six topic clusters. All six appear in the Mphasis test pool.

Topic	What it tests	Key challenge
Series completion	Identify the pattern in a number or letter sequence	Spotting multi-step or alternating patterns quickly
Blood relations	Deduce family relationships from a chain of clues	Keeping track of multiple generations without a diagram
Syllogisms	Draw valid conclusions from two or more premises	Distinguishing “definitely follows” from “possibly follows”
Direction sense	Track movement or orientation on a compass or clock	Clock-orientation variants where the clock is non-standard
Coding-decoding	Decode a letter-shift or symbol-substitution rule	Identifying the substitution rule before applying it
Arrangements	Seat people in a line or circle given constraints	Circular seating where all positions are relative

On Series Questions

Series questions split into number series, letter series, and mixed series. Number series patterns include constant differences, alternating differences, geometric ratios, and square or cube sequences. The alternating-difference pattern (subtract 2, subtract 4, repeat) is one of the most common formats in AMCAT and appears in the worked example below.

On Syllogisms

Syllogism questions present two statements and two conclusions. The task is to identify which conclusions follow logically. The standard shortcut is Venn diagrams: draw a circle for each subject, check whether the conclusion must be true in every valid diagram, and mark it as “follows” only if it holds in all cases.

On Blood Relations

Blood-relation questions in AMCAT are almost always 2 to 3 generations deep. The key habit is drawing the family tree immediately, before reading the question. Candidates who try to trace the chain mentally lose 30 to 40 seconds backtracking when a later clue changes the picture.

Worked Examples

All five examples below are independently re-verified from first principles. Four are drawn from the original FACE Prep article on this topic; the analogy question from that article is not included here because its stated answer was incorrect (it identified “Ocean:Sea” as matching “Vehicle:Cart” when the correct parallel is “Music:Jazz”, since jazz is a genre of music in the same way a cart is a type of vehicle).

Example 1: Series Completion

• Q: Look at this series: 36, 34, 30, 28, 24, … What number comes next?
  • (a) 20
  • (b) 22
  • (c) 23
  • (d) 26
• Answer: (b) 22
• Verification:
  • Step 1: Differences between consecutive terms: 36 to 34 = 2, 34 to 30 = 4, 30 to 28 = 2, 28 to 24 = 4
  • Step 2: Pattern is alternating subtraction of 2 and 4
  • Step 3: The last subtraction was 4 (28 to 24), so the next subtraction is 2: 24 minus 2 = 22
  • Confirmed: 22

Example 2: Direction Sense (Clock Orientation)

• Q: Rahul placed his watch on the table so that at 6 PM the hour hand points north. In which direction does the minute hand point at 9:15 PM?
  • (a) South-East
  • (b) South
  • (c) North
  • (d) West
• Answer: (d) West
• Verification:
  • Step 1: At 6 PM, the hour hand is at the 6 position on the clock face. If 6 points north, map all positions: 12 points south, 3 points west, 9 points east
  • Step 2: At 9:15 PM, the minute hand is at the 15-minute mark, which is the 3 position on the clock face
  • Step 3: The 3 position maps to west (from Step 1)
  • Confirmed: West

Example 3: Distance and Direction

• Q: Logu went 15 km north, then 10 km west, then 5 km south, then 10 km east. In which direction is he from his starting point?
  • (a) East
  • (b) West
  • (c) North
  • (d) South
• Answer: (c) North
• Verification:
  • Step 1: Track coordinates, starting at (0, 0). East is positive x, North is positive y
  • Step 2: 15 km north: (0, 15). Then 10 km west: (-10, 15). Then 5 km south: (-10, 10). Then 10 km east: (0, 10)
  • Step 3: Final position (0, 10) is directly north of the start (0, 0), 10 km away
  • Confirmed: North

Example 4: Syllogism

• Q: Statements: (1) A team scored 200 runs in total. (2) Spinners scored 160 of those runs. Conclusions: I. Eighty percent of the team consists of spinners. II. The opening batsmen were spinners.
  • (a) Only Conclusion I follows
  • (b) Only Conclusion II follows
  • (c) Either I or II follows
  • (d) Neither I nor II follows
• Answer: (d) Neither I nor II follows
• Verification:
  • Step 1: 160 out of 200 runs = 80% of runs came from spinners. Conclusion I states that 80% of the team members are spinners. Run-share and team-composition are different things; you cannot conclude team composition from runs alone. Conclusion I does not follow.
  • Step 2: Neither statement identifies who the opening batsmen are or whether they are spinners. Conclusion II is unsupported. Does not follow.
  • Confirmed: Neither conclusion follows

Example 5: Blood Relations

• Q: A is the mother of B. B is the sister of C. D is the father of C. How is D related to A?
  • (a) Brother
  • (b) Husband
  • (c) Father
  • (d) Son
• Answer: (b) Husband
• Verification:
  • Step 1: A is the mother of B. B is the sister of C, so A is also the mother of C (mother of B, who is sister of C, implies A is the parent of C)
  • Step 2: D is the father of C. A is the mother of C
  • Step 3: A and D are both parents of C, so D is the husband of A
  • Confirmed: Husband

Prep Strategy for the 14-Minute Window

Work through question types in this time order, fastest first:

• Series completion and coding-decoding: 30 to 45 seconds each. Identify the rule in the first 15 seconds; if it isn’t clear by then, mark the question and return at the end.
• Direction sense: 45 to 60 seconds. Draw a compass cross immediately. For clock-orientation variants, map all four cardinal positions before answering.
• Syllogisms: 30 to 45 seconds with Venn diagram shortcuts. Each statement gets a circle; overlap based on the connective (all/some/no); check whether the conclusion holds in every valid diagram.
• Blood relations: 60 to 90 seconds. Draw the family tree first, always. Never attempt to trace the chain in your head.
• Circular arrangements: 90 seconds or more. Attempt these last. If time is short, a strategic guess from eliminated options is better than spending three minutes on a single question.

The AMCAT practice bank at myamcat.com uses the same format and difficulty calibration as the live test. Targeted practice of 15 to 20 questions per topic type, focussed on your weak areas, is a realistic two-week prep cycle for most engineering students who are solid on basic reasoning patterns.

After clearing the logical reasoning section, the programming MCQ round is next. For worked solutions across data structures, OOP, and complexity analysis, see Mphasis programming questions and solutions.

If you clear the AMCAT test, the next stage is a combined technical and HR interview. For a full breakdown of what to expect in that round, see Mphasis interview questions and process for freshers.

The 60-second average pressure in logical reasoning shares a structural similarity with how AI models handle constrained reasoning tasks. If you want to explore how language models apply elimination logic to syllogism-style problems, TinkerLLM is a hands-on environment at ₹299 where that kind of prompting experimentation is the main activity.