CCAT Logic Questions: Overview, Free Practice & Prep Tips
On this page, you will learn everything you need to know about CCAT logic questions, including:
- An overview of the two types of questions that will appear on your exam
- Sample CCAT logic questions that resemble the actual test
- Full explanations and helpful tips for each question type
For more CCAT questions and free sample questions for the other sections, check out one of the options below:
What Logical Reasoning Questions to Expect on the CCAT?
There are only four logic questions on the CCAT test, making it the smallest portion of the exam. In comparison, the CCAT math and CCAT verbal portions are comprised of 17-18 questions each, and there are 11 CCAT spatial reasoning questions.
The CCAT has two types of logical questions:
- Syllogism
- Seating arrangement
Let's go over these question types and try a few practice questions (taken from our CCAT prep course):
Syllogism
There are three syllogism questions on the CCAT. Syllogisms will present you with several short premises (regarded as true) and require you to deduce whether another statement follows them.
There is more than one way to solve syllogisms. Some use Venn diagrams or the symbolization method, while others prefer a more intuitive approach. Whatever method you use, make sure you perfect it and know how to use it quickly and efficiently.
Let’s see how to solve a syllogism with the symbolization method:
Practice Questions
Question #1
Assume the first two statements are true. Is the final statement 1) True, 2) False, or 3) Uncertain based on the information provided?
Bob is taller than Rob.
Job is shorter than Bob.
Job is the shortest among the three.
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is Uncertain.
According to the first statement, Bob is taller than Rob, i.e.
Bob > Rob
According to the second statement, Job is shorter than Bob, i.e. Job < Bob.
This statement can also be phrased: Bob is taller than Job (switch directions) i.e.
Bob > Job
Therefore, you can deduce that Bob is taller than both Rob and Job (Bob is the tallest among the three). However, you do not have enough information to determine who is shorter - Rob, or Job.
Therefore, the correct answer is 'Uncertain'.
Question #2
Assume the first two statements are true. Is the final statement 1) True, 2) False, or 3) Uncertain based on the information provided?
Earrings and piercings are allowed at "Sacred Jar" high school, but only for students who are 17 or older, or for those who supply a parent’s written permission.
Maria is 17-year-old, but she does not have her parent’s permission.
Maria can attend school while wearing earrings and piercings.
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is: True.
According to the first statement: Earrings and piercings are allowed at "Sacred Jar" high school, for students who are either 17 or older, or for those who supply a parent’s written permission.
Simplify this long sentence:
Earrings and piercings are allowed if you are 17 (or older) OR if you have you have parent's permission.
The 'OR' implies that only one of the conditions must be fulfilled, to attend school while wearing earrings and piercings.
According to the second statement, Maria is 17-year-old but does not have her parent’s permission.
That means that Maria fulfills one of the conditions (she is 17 years old). Therefore, she can attend school while wearing earrings and piercings.
Solving tip: When given a long and complex statement, try to simplify it by extracting its essence, and rephrasing it in a shorter, more understandable way.
Seating Arrangement
Seating arrangement questions require you to order a list of objects, people, etc. by a certain set of rules. There will usually be only one such question on the CCAT, towards the end of the test (questions 45 to 50).
These questions are usually longer and more complex to solve. One important tip to remember is that many times, you can take advantage of the answer choices, solving the question backward and saving a lot of time.
See the following sample question to learn an effective shortcut technique for solving such questions.
Practice Question
Seating Arrangement Question
Fiona, Georgia, Heather, Ian, John, Kilgore, and Lumina are forming a line.
Fiona is standing in front of Ian.
John is standing in front of Heather.
If John is not first in line, Lumina is standing somewhere in front of him.
Ian is standing immediately in front of or immediately behind Kilgore
If Heather is standing third in line, which one of the following lists all of those that can stand last in line?
Answer & Explanation
Most people will jump right into understanding how the entire line might look like, checking every possible position, and who could stand in it.
However, this "brute-force" method is a complete overkill for this question. Let's take advantage of the answer options to solve this one.
Georgia appears in all answer options, so she naturally can be last. There is no need to check it.
John appears in only one answer choice (E), so that is a good indicator that he probably cannot be last, otherwise, the answer is immediately clear. And yet, let’s check it just to be sure.
According to the third rule, John is in front of Heather. If John is in front of someone, that means he cannot be last (regardless of Heather standing third). Therefore, answer E is wrong.
Ian appears in all remaining answers. No need to check for him as well.
The only question is whether Kilgore, Lumina, or both can stand last. After checking each of these cases specifically, we can deduce that there is no rule preventing either Kilgore or Lumina from being last.
Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
You can see how we have refrained from determining the exact locations of all 6 participants in every possible variation and instead checked only 3 specific individuals. Processes such as this will immensely cut down your solving time.
Continue Practicing for the CCAT Test
Keep practicing for the CCAT so that you take the test while being as prepared as possible and score high.
Try our free CCAT practice assessment and access the complete CCAT practice course with 6 full-length simulations and dozens of extra practice drills (including spatial reasoning).