This article contains a guide to logic puzzles, complete instructions for the most common types of puzzles. This type of puzzle usually has clues in the form of a list or paragraph, then asks you questions related to the clue. Many books and websites provide puzzles and ways to solve them, but this article also includes instructions for creating your own puzzles.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Prepare a grid box
Step 1. Use this method for logic problems that ask you to combine categories
Usually, these puzzles have a description of the data on a person, house, or other object. The questions usually focus on pairing the two categories, or entering where the object should be. Many books and websites provide puzzles that use this type.
- Here's an example: Three friends named Anna, Brad and Caroline agree to bring one meal to each of their birthday parties. Each of them wore a t-shirt of a different color. Anna wears blue. The person who brought the brownies couldn't find the red t-shirt. Brad didn't bring any food with him, which in turn made the man in the yellow shirt furious. Who brought the ice cream?
- The example problem above, like all puzzles of its type, tells you to combine different categories. You already know the names of some related people and some of the names of the food, but you don't know who brought the food. Using the clues from the description, you need to be aware of connecting each person with the food he brings until you finally know who brought the ice cream. There's actually a third category, t-shirt colors, that should lead you to the answer.
- Note': the use of grid boxes is not required in questions like this.
Step 2. Read the puzzle carefully and make a basis from the data
Sometimes, the puzzle already provides the name, color or whatever data is needed to make the puzzle. Often, you have to read the question carefully and require you to make a data filter. Keep your eyes on the word “every”: which usually tells you which categories seem important. For simplicity's sake, “everyone brings different food” tells you to create a person data and a food record.
- Write down each data separately. When the puzzle says a name, add it to the data containing the name. When mentioning a color, write it in the color column.
- Each list must have a number for each item of the clue. If the list is too short, reread the question more slowly for more clues.
- Some of the riddles will give you clues about someone who "didn't" have/brought, such as "Brad didn't bring food." In this case, you need to add “no” to your list, so that the length of the list is the same.
Step 3. On graph paper, list each clue you have written
Write a column vertically to the left of the paper, with each clue on a separate line. Merge each list together but separate them with a thin line.
For simplicity, let's say you have three lists. “Name”:Anna, Brad, Caroline; “food”:brownies, ice cream, none; and “t-shirt color”: red, blue, yellow. Write them vertically in the following order: Anna, Brad, Caroline; (make a thin line from top to bottom); brownie, ice cream, none (draw another line); red, blue, yellow
Step 4. Write the list name again on it
Write the name of the list again at the very top of the paper, this time horizontally. Make them in the same order and separate the lists with thin lines as well.
Once you are familiar with this system, you no longer need to write down every list in both places. We'll be using the grid grid to match the pointers in the vertical list to the pointers in the horizontal list, and sometimes you don't need to attach to each clue. If you have never used this method, then pay attention to each of these instructions
Step 5. Prepare a grid grid
Add lines to your graph paper. Each word on the left must have its own line.
Step 6. Make a cross on the column you don't need
Each row on the left corresponds to the list above. Follow these guidelines to cross-check the fields you don't need.
- If the data on the left and above are the same, put a cross.
- Put a cross on the twin rows. For simplicity's sake, the row containing "Anna, Brad, Caroline" on the left and "Red, Blue, Yellow" at the top is the same as the row containing "Red, Blue, Yellow" on the left and "Anna, Brad, Caroline" on the top. Put a cross on one of the twin lines, so you only need to focus on one line. It's up to you which one you will cross.
Step 7. Move on to the next section to solve this puzzle
Now that the grid is ready, you can use it to solve your puzzle. Look in the next section for more information.
Method 2 of 3: Using grid boxes to solve the problem
Step 1. Reread the puzzle description to learn more you need to know
Always remember that doing this method to solve the problem. If you forget what you are looking for, you will keep trying to solve it even though you already know the solution.
Sometimes, the puzzles can't be completely solved, which means you can't fill all the grid squares. You can still be able to answer the riddle
Step 2. Use the grid box to write down the instructions directly
It starts with the easiest guide, which gives you quick and accurate info about the right partner. To put it simply, "Anna in the blue shirt." Look for the row that says "Anna," and follow the column to the grid that says "blue." Draw a circle on this grid box to show that Anna and blue are connected.
- If you can't find the box, find another way. For simplicity, look for the row that says “blue” and the column that says “Anna”.
- Don't start with a clue that tells you something "no," like "Anna doesn't wear a red shirt." This method will assume that you start with a hint that gives positive information.
Step 3. Put a cross in the remaining blank columns
Your grid box should be divided into several sections with a line separating the data from one another. Continue to the next box that you have circled, use an X in another box in that row.
For example, the section that has the clue you just circled relates to the name and color of the shirt. The squares we cross are other combinations, including Brad or Caroline wearing a blue shirt, and Anna wearing a red or yellow shirt. Usually at first it will tell you which object corresponds to the other objects in each category
Step 4. Fill in the rest of the prompts in the same way
If the puzzle gives you pieces that directly contain information from two related objects, find the column that connects the two objects and circle them.
If the puzzle gives you clues as to what “unrelated” is, such as “Anna is not wearing a red shirt”, you are required to put an X in the column. However, if you haven't found a relationship between the two objects, don't cross any columns
Step 5. If there is a column that has not been filled at all, give a circle
Let's say you've gone on to fill out all the prompts indicating that Brad "isn't" wearing a blue or yellow shirt. If there is only one box in a section, the chances are high that it was forgotten. For example, you need to circle the box indicating that Brad is wearing a red shirt. Always remember to cross other columns in the same row.
Step 6. Look for clues that contain extra confidential information
Some clues mention an object's category three or more times. To put it simply: "Brad didn't bring any food at all, which ended up making the yellow-shirted guy mad." There are clearly written two secret clues in the sentence:
- Brad didn't bring food. Circle the column for Brad or not.
- The guy in the yellow shirt isn't Brad. Put an X in Brad's yellow column.
Step 7. Pay attention to the gender clue
Pronouns like “she” or “he” are instantly recognizable, but the puzzler seems to have written them down on purpose to give you additional clues. Assume that there are both male and female names. If in the instructions "The person who brought the brownies couldn't find the red shirt." Then you must know that the person who brought the brownies must be a girl, and you have to assume that Anna is a typical female name.
If you solve this problem from another language, look at the name to determine the gender. Puzzle books that have been in print for more than 20 years sometimes contain names that were once female, but now can also be used for boys or vice versa
Step 8. Pay attention to the words “before” and “after”
Sometimes the puzzles involve days of the week, houses lined up, or something that can be made a list. The hint made would be something like this "The green house is before the black house." This seems pointless if you don't know which is the black house, but there are actually two clues in the sentence:
- The green house came before the other houses, so it wasn't the last house.
- The black house is after the other houses, so it's not the first house.
Step 9. Notice if the puzzle involves time as well
The puzzle will be more complicated if the data you write contains the time someone did. For simplicity's sake, you probably know there are groups of people who race a mile and end up in 6, 8, 15, and 25 minutes. If you have clues like "Mark finished more than 5 minutes after the person in front of you," you'll want to calculate the timing if it fits and makes sense. Here's an example of how to solve it:
- Markus isn't someone who runs a mile for 6 minutes, no one catches up with him. Put a cross in the Mark-6 column.
- Mark is not the one who runs in 8 minutes, because his time is 5 minutes before the person in front of him. Put a cross in the Mark-8 column.
- Between 15 or 25 minutes approaching from the prompts. You'll need to wait for more columns to contain crosses before you finally figure out which one is Mark's timeline.
Step 10. When you know all the instructions given, fill in all the fields with all the information you get
By now, you probably know a few pairs of clues, and you can use them to fill in all the remaining fields. Let's go back to our point of discussion earlier without numbers or time:
- Let's say you already know that Caroline is wearing the yellow shirt. Check the yellow t-shirt column or row that provides information about it.
- Let's also say that you notice the person in the yellow T-shirt "does not" bring ice cream. Since you know that person is Caroline, you can cross the column connecting Caroline and the ice cream.
- Check Caroline's row or column and transfer the information to the yellow t-shirt column or row.
Step 11. If you get stuck, read the instructions again carefully
Many puzzle makers try to outwit you, and there are still many clues that you will miss until you read the problem over and over again. Sometimes, rewriting the problem can help you find some other clues. Your friend who doesn't understand the riddle can sometimes even discover something you didn't realize before.
Step 12. Check your grid box
Always remember to check your grid boxes to make sure all the boxes are filled. If there is a section in the row that has been filled in by a cross but one is empty, circle it. Wherever the circle is, you can cross other boxes on the same line.
If a row or column turns out to contain all crosses, chances are you made a mistake in reading the instructions and you may need to start all over again
Step 13. If you get stuck, copy the grid squares or swap a different color and make a guess for yourself
Change the color of the ink, or if you solve puzzles online, print out the puzzles and make copies. Make “one” guess by circle or cross the blank box. Make sure you remember your guess earlier. Make a guess to put a cross or circle in one of the boxes. This will usually result in a chain reaction, either quickly solving the puzzle or making it more complicated, such as "Brad is wearing a red shirt and Brad is wearing a blue shirt."
If complexity occurs, then your guess must be wrong. Return to the position where you made the guess, and do the opposite. Always remember the position where you make a guess so you can immediately fix it
Step 14. Check your answers with any given clues
If you have answered one of the clues, try to check and match it with other answers. Maybe it will take a few minutes. But unfortunately, if something goes wrong, you may need to start over again. But if it's true, congratulations! You have solved the puzzle.
If you get the answer without filling in all the boxes, you may not need to check every clue. As long as your box doesn't contradict the instructions, then chances are your answer is correct
Method 3 of 3: Answering logic puzzles
Step 1. Consider each word in a question to be able to answer it easily
Many logic puzzles try to outwit you. Don't follow the main flow, look at each word and try to find the answer which is easy but easy for you to miss.
For example: “A cell phone fell into a 30cm deep hole. How do you take it? You have a cheese wheel, three quills, and a flute." Questions like these are designed to make you think about how you might use an unusual object with your imagination, but taking into account that the hole isn't that deep you will know right away that you can bend down and pick up the phone
Step 2. Reread the question again before you answer
Some questions will fool you easily, when they seem more complicated than they seem. You can avoid getting caught up in this trick by thinking for a moment and rereading the question before you begin to answer.
An easy example is, “The wind is blowing from the east, but you are facing south from a tree. In which direction do the leaves fly?” If you don't stop for a moment to think, those of you who have heard the "east wind" will immediately answer it with the answer "east." In fact, the wind blows "from" the east, then the leaves will fly to the west
Step 3. For multiple choice logic questions, consider each answer for simplicity
Many logic questions provide you with various statements and tell you to choose the one that is most true. If the answer seems too easy to you, think for a moment and check every other answer. If one answer contradicts another statement, or you cannot conclude an answer from the information provided, choose that answer.
For tests that are time-limited, you may not be able to narrow down all the possible answers that have been provided, you may need to guess randomly and immediately move on to other questions. You can try to answer again later if you find that you have plenty of time left
Step 4. Practice if you will meet him in the exam later
If you are preparing to answer logic questions on an exam, look for practice questions from a book or from an online test. This is the best way to prepare yourself, because later you will see him often so that it will be easier for you to work on it.
There are plenty of practice for tests provided online and free for all school standard exams. If you can't find the right practice, try to find it according to your current school level
Step 5. When you are interviewing for a job, realize that they want to hear your reasons
If you are asked a logical question that sounds a bit odd to your ears during a job interview, the person is not looking for the "right answer". He is giving you an opportunity for you to show your speaking skills. Explain every word of your mind, and state each of your answers as long as you can give it in detail and detail. Answers that look complicated will look more interesting than short answers, the right answer doesn't always show your ability in logic.
