What Is Logical Thinking?

It’s not about memorizing formulas or knowing “shortcuts.” Logical thinking is basically your brain saying, “Let’s break this down,” instead of panicking. It means spotting patterns, making connections, eliminating fluff, and thinking step-by-step. And most importantly: not letting your emotions bulldoze your decision-making mid-exam. Panic is a terrible logic partner.

1. Train Your Brain to Ask “Why?”

Imagine this: You get a question wrong. You sigh, check the solution, and move on. Nope. Not anymore. Now pause and ask: Why did I make this mistake? Was it a logic gap or carelessness? What was the trap? How did I fall for it? This turns every error into a mini-opportunity for brain wiring. Treat it like a detective mystery, not a defeat.

2. Try Deep Practice

Everyone says “do 100 sets,” but if you’re not reflecting on how you're solving them, you’re just building speed with weak logic. Instead, pick one LR set or puzzle and dissect it: What’s the structure? What clues are fixed vs. variable? Can I solve it backwards? This kind of practice rewires your brain for analysis, not autopilot.

3. Break the “I Suck at This” Loop

Your brain listens to what you tell it. If you’re constantly saying, “I’m bad at puzzles” or “LR hates me,” guess what? Your brain agrees. Neural wiring shuts down. Game over.

Try this instead: “I haven’t figured this out yet, but I can learn the process.” It’s called a growth mindset. And it’s the most powerful cognitive hack you can give your logic muscle.

4. Start Reverse-Solving

This is underrated gold. Take a solved LR or DI set and try to work backwards from the options to the question logic. Ask yourself: What clues are essential? How did the test setter design the trap? What steps could I have skipped? This method rewires your brain to think like a paper setter, and once you do that, you’ll stop falling for their tricks.

5. Use Think-Alouds

When solving a question, say your thought process out loud. “I see this condition… okay, this means X can’t be here… that affects row three…” It slows you down in a good way. You start catching your flawed assumptions before they snowball into a wrong answer. And eventually, this self-dialogue becomes internalized.

7. Meditate for Mental Clarity

No, this isn’t spiritual fluff. Studies show that even 10 minutes of daily mindfulness meditation boosts working memory, improves decision-making, and helps with focused attention, all of which make your logic flow smoother. Start with a simple breathing exercise. Or just sit and notice your thoughts without judging them. Your brain will thank you mid-mock.

Logical thinking isn’t a gift, it’s a skill. And like any other skill, it needs practice, feedback, and a few mental reps every day. And slowly but surely, that “logic muscle” will turn into your biggest CAT strength.

Just Be Consistent!