Syllogism Questions with Answers: Quick Answer
These 20 syllogism questions are original practice questions written for this page, with a banking Mains focus. They are not previous year questions and are not copied from any book, test series or website. Every answer was checked by enumerating every possible Venn diagram for the statements in code and keeping only the conclusions that hold in all of them, so a conclusion marked as following really does follow, and one marked as not following really can fail. The set covers the three forms that decide marks in IBPS and SBI Mains: direct two-statement questions, "only a few" questions, and possibility and either-or questions. Work each question by drawing the Venn diagram first, then read the solution. As of 2 November 2026.
If you need the rules before the questions, read the only a few in syllogism rules note, the either-or case rules note and the possibility rules note first. The rule box below is the minimum you need to attempt this set.
Syllogism Rules, Venn Diagrams and What Follows
"All A are B" means the whole A circle sits inside B. It also tells you A exists, so "Some A are B" and "Some B are A" both follow from it. "All A are B" does not mean "All B are A".
"No A is B" means the circles do not overlap at all. It also gives "Some A are not B", because A exists and sits entirely outside B.
"Some A are B" means at least one A is inside B. It gives "Some B are A", but it does not give "All A are B", and it does not give "Some A are not B" — the A circle could be fully inside B.
"Some A are not B" means at least one A sits outside B. It does not give "No A is B", because another A could still be inside B.
"Only a few A are B" means two things at once: some A are B, and some A are not B. Draw A overlapping B, with a part of A definitely outside B. It is stronger than plain "some".
"Only A are B" means all B are A, not all A are B. Read it backwards: "Only books are pens" means every pen is a book.
Possibility conclusions ask whether a result can be true, not whether it must be true. A possibility conclusion follows if even one Venn diagram fits the statements and the conclusion together.
Either-or applies only when the two conclusions are complementary — between them they cover every possibility — and neither follows on its own. The classic complementary pairs are "Some A are B" with "No A is B", "All A are B" with "Some A are not B", and "Some A are B" with "Some A are not B".
| Statement | Venn picture | Always follows |
|---|---|---|
| All A are B | A inside B | Some A are B; Some B are A |
| No A is B | Circles apart | Some A are not B; No B is A |
| Some A are B | Circles overlap | Some B are A |
| Some A are not B | Part of A outside B | Nothing definite about the rest of A |
| Only a few A are B | Overlap plus part of A outside B | Some A are B; Some A are not B |
| Only A are B | B inside A | Some A are B |
20 Syllogism Questions with Answers and Solutions
In every question the options are: (A) Only conclusion I follows, (B) Only conclusion II follows, (C) Both conclusions I and II follow, (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows, (E) Either conclusion I or II follows.
Direct Two-Statement Syllogism Questions
Q1. Statements: All pens are books. All books are chairs. Conclusions: I. All pens are chairs. II. Some chairs are pens.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Pens sit inside books, and books sit inside chairs, so pens sit inside chairs — conclusion I follows. Since pens exist inside chairs, some chairs are pens — conclusion II follows.
Q2. Statements: No cat is a dog. All dogs are animals. Conclusions: I. No cat is an animal. II. Some animals are dogs.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (B) Only conclusion II follows.
Cats are kept apart from dogs only. Cats could still be animals through some other route, so conclusion I does not follow. Dogs sit inside animals and dogs exist, so some animals are dogs — conclusion II follows.
Q3. Statements: Some roses are red. All red are flowers. Conclusions: I. Some roses are flowers. II. All roses are flowers.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
Some rose is red, and everything red is a flower, so that rose is a flower — conclusion I follows. Nothing says every rose is red, so conclusion II does not follow.
Q4. Statements: Only a few pens are pencils. All pencils are erasers. Conclusions: I. Some pens are erasers. II. Some pens are not pencils.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
"Only a few" gives both some pens are pencils and some pens are not pencils. The pens that are pencils sit inside erasers, so some pens are erasers — conclusion I follows. And "some pens are not pencils" is built into "only a few" — conclusion II follows.
Q5. Statements: All apples are fruits. No fruit is a vegetable. Conclusions: I. No apple is a vegetable. II. Some fruits are apples.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Apples sit inside fruits, and fruits sit entirely outside vegetables, so apples sit outside vegetables — conclusion I follows. Apples exist inside fruits, so some fruits are apples — conclusion II follows.
Q6. Statements: Some boys are students. No student is a teacher. Conclusions: I. Some boys are not teachers. II. No boy is a teacher.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
Some boy is a student, and no student is a teacher, so that boy is not a teacher — conclusion I follows. Other boys may or may not be teachers, so conclusion II does not follow.
Q7. Statements: All cars are vehicles. Some vehicles are buses. Conclusions: I. Some cars are buses. II. All buses are cars.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows.
The buses could sit entirely in the part of vehicles that is not cars. Neither conclusion is forced, and the two conclusions are not complementary, so this is not an either-or case.
Q8. Statements: No pen is paper. Some papers are notebooks. Conclusions: I. Some notebooks are not pens. II. No notebook is a pen.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
Some paper is a notebook, and no paper is a pen, so that notebook is not a pen — conclusion I follows. Other notebooks need not be papers, so conclusion II does not follow.
Q9. Statements: Only a few dogs are cats. No cat is a rat. Conclusions: I. Some dogs are not cats. II. No dog is a rat.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
"Only a few" directly gives some dogs are not cats — conclusion I follows. Dogs that are not cats could still be rats, so conclusion II does not follow.
Either-Or and Possibility Syllogism Questions
Q10. Statements: All mangoes are fruits. Some fruits are sweet. Conclusions: I. Some mangoes are sweet. II. No mango is sweet.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (E) Either conclusion I or II follows.
Neither conclusion is forced: the sweet fruits could be mangoes or could be other fruits. But the two conclusions are complementary — either some mango is sweet or no mango is sweet, with no third option — so exactly one of them is true in every diagram. That is the either-or case.
Q11. Statements: All birds are animals. Some animals are black. Conclusions: I. All birds are black is a possibility. II. Some birds are black.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
It is possible that every bird sits inside the black part of animals, so conclusion I follows as a possibility. But the black animals could all be non-birds, so conclusion II is not definite.
Q12. Statements: Some cakes are sweet. All sweet are tasty. Conclusions: I. Some cakes are tasty. II. Some tasty are cakes.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Some cake is sweet, and everything sweet is tasty, so that cake is tasty — conclusion I follows. "Some cakes are tasty" converts directly to "some tasty are cakes" — conclusion II follows.
Q13. Statements: No bottle is a cap. All caps are lids. Conclusions: I. No bottle is a lid. II. Some lids are caps.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (B) Only conclusion II follows.
Bottles are kept apart from caps only, so a bottle could still be a lid — conclusion I does not follow. Caps sit inside lids and caps exist, so some lids are caps — conclusion II follows.
Q14. Statements: All teachers are graduates. Some graduates are engineers. Conclusions: I. Some teachers are engineers. II. All engineers are graduates.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows.
The engineers could sit entirely in the part of graduates that is not teachers. Nothing forces either conclusion, and they are not complementary.
Q15. Statements: Only a few chairs are tables. All tables are made of wood. Conclusions: I. Some things made of wood are chairs. II. All chairs are made of wood.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
Some chair is a table, and every table is made of wood, so that chair is made of wood — some wooden things are chairs, so conclusion I follows. "Only a few" guarantees some chair is not a table, and that chair need not be wooden, so conclusion II does not follow.
Three-Statement and "Only" Syllogism Questions
Q16. Statements: All pens are books. All books are bags. No bag is a box. Conclusions: I. No pen is a box. II. Some bags are pens.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Pens sit inside books, books inside bags, and bags sit entirely outside boxes, so no pen is a box — conclusion I follows. Pens exist inside bags, so some bags are pens — conclusion II follows.
Q17. Statements: Some mobiles are chargers. All chargers are wires. No wire is a cable. Conclusions: I. Some mobiles are wires. II. No mobile is a cable.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
Some mobile is a charger, and every charger is a wire, so that mobile is a wire — conclusion I follows. Other mobiles need not be wires, so conclusion II does not follow.
Q18. Statements: All stars are planets. No planet is a comet. Conclusions: I. No star is a comet. II. Some planets are stars.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Stars sit inside planets, and planets sit entirely outside comets, so no star is a comet — conclusion I follows. Stars exist inside planets, so some planets are stars — conclusion II follows.
Q19. Statements: Only books are pens. All pens are red. Conclusions: I. Some books are red. II. All books are pens.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (A) Only conclusion I follows.
"Only books are pens" means every pen is a book. Pens are red, so some book — a pen — is red, and conclusion I follows. Nothing says every book is a pen, so conclusion II does not follow. Reading "only" the wrong way round is the trap in this question.
Q20. Statements: Only a few students are toppers. All toppers are scholars. Conclusions: I. Some scholars are students. II. All students are scholars is a possibility.
(A) Only conclusion I follows (B) Only conclusion II follows (C) Both conclusions I and II follow (D) Neither conclusion I nor II follows (E) Either conclusion I or II follows
Answer: (C) Both conclusions I and II follow.
Some student is a topper, and every topper is a scholar, so that student is a scholar — some scholars are students, so conclusion I follows. For conclusion II, the students who are not toppers could still all be scholars through some other route, so it is possible that all students are scholars — conclusion II follows as a possibility.
Syllogism Questions with Answers FAQs
What is the fastest way to solve syllogism questions in bank exams?
Draw the Venn diagram from the statements in order, then test each conclusion against the diagram instead of memorising rules. The two checks that settle most questions are: does the conclusion hold in every diagram you can draw, and for possibility questions, does at least one diagram allow it.
What does "only a few" mean in syllogism?
"Only a few A are B" means some A are B and some A are not B, at the same time. It is stronger than plain "some", because it fixes a part of A outside B. See our only a few in syllogism rules note for the full Venn treatment.
When is the answer "either or" in syllogism?
Only when the two conclusions are complementary — together they cover every possibility — and neither follows on its own. If the conclusions are not complementary, the answer is "neither follows", as in Q7 and Q14 above. The either-or case rules note lists every complementary pair.
Does "All A are B" mean "Some A are B" in SSC and bank exams?
Yes. Indian SSC and bank exams use existential import: universal statements are read as saying the subject class exists. That is why "All pens are books" gives "Some books are pens" in Q1, and "No cat is a dog" gives "Some cats are not dogs" style conclusions. Modern logic textbooks sometimes disagree, but exam keys follow this convention.
How are possibility conclusions checked?
A possibility conclusion follows if there is at least one Venn diagram that fits all the statements and also fits the conclusion. It does not need to hold in every diagram. Q11 and Q20 above are possibility questions; the possibility rules note explains the method in full.
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