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VR techniques 5 min read · 2026-07-12

11+ Verbal Reasoning: Logic deductions — method, example and traps

How to solve logic deductions questions in the 11+: a fixed method, a worked example, the classic traps, and free practice worksheets.

Logic deductions questions appear in almost every GL-style verbal-reasoning paper. Short verbal puzzles: who is tallest, who sits where. Like every VR type, they stop being hard the moment your child has a fixed method — here it is.

What the question looks like

Short verbal puzzles: who is tallest, who sits where. Papers typically include 3–5 of these per test, worth the same marks as any other question — which makes fast, reliable technique on the common types the highest-value preparation there is.

The method

Convert every statement into a diagram — an ordering line or a grid — before answering. Never hold more than two facts in your head; the paper is testing systematic notation, not memory.

Worked example

'Amy is taller than Ben; Ben is taller than Cal' → A > B > C, so Cal is shortest.

The traps

Answering from partial reading; ignoring statements that only rule things out.

How to practise this type

Little and often wins: five questions of this type daily for a week beats fifty in one sitting. Our free verbal-reasoning worksheets are organised by exact question type, and the Arena's VR mode gives instant feedback with XP. When the type feels automatic, fold it back into full timed mock papers so pacing develops alongside accuracy. For the full landscape, see the 21 VR types overview.

Practise logic deductions free →