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Reasoning ability comes into play every day and in every situation in the workplace. From deciding which work to prioritise to selecting a candidate for promotion or choosing a design for the promotional material, reasoning ability is used in every situation. Reasoning may not just employ the use of logical thinking ability to arrive at a solution. Many factors such as an individual’s experience, background, knowledge, emotions also play a great role in reasoning skills.

Logical and numerical reasoning are essential for solving technical problems while spatial reasoning may be required for those dealing with designing. Therefore, reasoning ability forms the bedrock on which a person’s performance is built. So, it is very important to assess a candidate’s reasoning ability during recruitment or for workforce development.

Types of Reasoning

The fact about reasoning ability is that it differs from one person to another based on various criteria. A person may use one or more types of reasoning to deduce the solution to a particular problem. The different ways of reasoning are:

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is used to identify patterns and come to a conclusion. In a reasoning ability test, a series of diagrams, letters or numbers are provided and candidates are asked to identify the pattern and find the answers. Inductive reasoning is generally used while predicting trends or patterns based on information. For example, a salesperson may focus on a particular pitch when he/she reasons out that it has brought in more customers. Similarly, a manager observes that deliverables due on Mondays are always delayed and plans a different schedule.

Logical Reasoning

This reasoning type involves the use of set steps or rules to come to a conclusion. Puzzles, coding decoding, blood relation, order and ranking require logical reasoning to find solutions. Logical reasoning is used during researching, planning and strategizing, analysing data, developing a process flow, setting up quality metrics, interviewing a candidate and other tasks in the workplace.

Abductive Reasoning

In this reasoning method, the person first makes an observation. Based on the observation, the possible causes or explanations are derived. For example, a manager observes that his team takes long breaks. On analysing, he finds that the team is going to the food court for coffee as the coffee machine in the office is broken. He then talks to the admin to repair the machine. He starts with observation and works back to the cause.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves looking at different perspectives of a situation, observing the situation and its effects and then coming up with a solution. Critical thinking is closely related to problem-solving and decision making. A financial planner uses critical thinking skills while assessing the budget and projecting the costs for the next financial year. A manager analysing client feedback to prepare quality metrics or process training program uses critical thinking skills.

Intuition

Intuition can be described as a subconscious decision. Though a lot of people say that there is no scientific basis for this kind of reasoning, it has been effectively used by leaders and scientists. Intuition, based on experience, is used in various situations to make decisions, solve problems, resolve conflicts or manage teams.

Applications of Reasoning Ability Tests

All job roles require reasoning skills.

  • A tester uses reasoning skills to find why a program is not working on a particular platform
  • An HR uses reasoning skills to find out the cause of dissent in a team
  • A lead uses reasoning skills to allocate and prioritise work in the team
  • A quality analyst uses these skills to find out the cause of the quality issues

So, for any type of job role, reasoning ability can help in performing better. That’s why it is suggested that recruiters use reasoning ability tests to filter out candidates and improve the quality of their hires. In the case of campus recruitments, the results of these assessment tests will also give recruiters a clear idea of where to place the candidates.

Reasoning ability assessment tests also aid in workforce development. These tests can be used to identify skill gaps so that the training or L&D department can come up with training programs to bridge the gap.

MeritTrac Platforms for Reasoning Ability Tests

MeritTrac offers end-to-end assessment solutions, right from authoring and designing the reasoning ability test to administering it and generating reports. With our comprehensive platform, your recruitment process gets simple, effective and quick.

Pariksha

It is a hybrid assessment platform that is scientifically designed to create and deliver assessment tests. The unique features of this assessment platform are:

  • Can be deployed using cloud, on-premise or hybrid models and even on Smartphones
  • Plug and play option
  • Supports both Linux and Windows
  • Easily integrates with your existing system
  • Rapid result and report generation

SmartTest

Built with more than 10,000 assessments tests in various domains, SmartTest is the perfect platform for selecting the right candidates. You can also customise the tests for identifying talent during a workforce development training program. The platform’s plug-and-play feature enables easy to use on any device. The accurate reports and analytics let recruiters make informed decisions without any personal bias.

FAQ

FAQ

1. What is reasoning ability?

A. Reasoning is defined as a process of thinking that evaluates a situation in a logical manner to come to a conclusion. Reasoning ability depends on various parameters like experience, critical thinking abilities and emotions.

2. What are the reasoning ability tests used in recruitment?

A. Numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, abstract reasoning and mechanical reasoning are some of the commonly used reasoning ability tests for recruitment.

3. How do reasoning ability tests help in workforce development?

A. Reasoning ability tests can be used to evaluate talent during internal hiring for new roles or to design training programs. The results of the assessment tests can be used to prepare customised training programs for individuals looking for career development within the organisation.

4. How are reasoning ability tests associated with employee retention?

A. Pre-recruitment assessment tests allow recruiters to accurately gauge a candidate’s cognitive skills, including reasoning ability. The results of the tests will give a clear idea if a candidate’s skills and abilities fit the job requirements and the company culture. Getting the right candidates in the hiring process will lead to happier employees, and eventually employee retention.

5. What are the advantages of using MeritTrac’s reasoning ability tests?

A. MeritTrac’s reasoning ability tests are designed by subject matter experts and trained practitioners. Moreover, the tests are customisable and can be changed as per your recruitment needs. The reports and analytics derived from the test results give you a clear picture of the abilities and capabilities of the candidate, which will make your hiring process easy and accurate.