Pariksha SaathiCause and Effect Questions with Solutions
Given two statements, the question is how they relate: does one cause the other, are they both effects of some third, unstated cause, or are they simply unrelated? Here’s the approach, four fully worked examples covering each pattern, and a few to try yourself.
The approach, quickly
- If statement II describes something that would naturally and directly result from statement I, then I is the cause and II is the effect.
- If the direction is reversed — I is the kind of thing that would naturally result from II — then II is the cause and I is the effect.
- If both statements describe similar, simultaneous outcomes (like two unrelated institutions closing on the same days) that are too similar to be coincidence but neither directly causes the other, they’re likely both effects of some common, unstated cause.
- If the two statements describe genuinely separate, unrelated events with no plausible causal link either way and no obvious shared trigger, they’re independent of each other.
Worked examples
1. I. A company announced a significant price cut on its flagship product. II. Sales of the product increased sharply over the following month.
Solution
- A price cut naturally and directly leads to higher sales — this is a textbook direct cause-and-effect pairing in this order.
Answer: I is the cause and II is its effect
2. I. Several low-lying areas in a region were flooded. II. The region experienced heavy rainfall for three consecutive days.
Solution
- Heavy rainfall is what naturally causes flooding — here, the cause (II) is stated second and the effect (I) is stated first, so it’s the reverse pairing.
Answer: II is the cause and I is its effect
3. I. Schools in a district remained closed for two days. II. Government offices in the same district also remained closed for the same two days.
Solution
- Neither closing directly causes the other — schools don’t close because offices do, or vice versa. Both closing on the exact same days strongly suggests a shared, unstated trigger (such as a district-wide weather warning or a declared local holiday).
Answer: Both I and II are effects of some common cause
4. I. The company’s sales team exceeded its quarterly target. II. The company’s new office building was completed ahead of schedule.
Solution
- These describe two separate departments’ unrelated outcomes, with no plausible causal link between them and no obvious shared trigger — they’re simply independent events.
Answer: I and II are independent events
Try these yourself
Decide whether one causes the other, both share a cause, or neither, then check against the answer.
1. I. The government increased the import duty on a certain category of electronics. II. The retail price of that electronics category rose in the following weeks.
Answer: I is the cause and II is its effect
2. I. Several flights were delayed at an airport. II. Train services on nearby routes were also disrupted around the same time.
Answer: Both I and II are effects of some common cause
3. I. A cafe near an office introduced a new menu item. II. The office’s annual sports day was rescheduled to the following month.
Answer: I and II are independent events
Where this comes up
Cause and Effect is a regular topic in the Reasoning/General Intelligence section of every exam Pariksha Saathi covers — SSC CGL, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Clerk.
Practice more Cause and Effect questions
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