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Statement and Assumption Questions with Solutions

An assumption is something the speaker must be silently taking for granted for their statement to make sense — not something they said, and not a conclusion drawn from what they said. Here’s the approach, four fully worked examples covering the patterns that come up most, and a few to try yourself.

The approach, quickly

  • Test each candidate assumption by asking: "if this were FALSE, would the statement still make sense?" If the statement falls apart or becomes pointless without it, it IS a necessary assumption. If the statement still works fine without it, it is NOT.
  • Don’t confuse an assumption with the stated content itself (what the speaker directly said) or with a conclusion drawn from the statement — an assumption is specifically something unstated that the statement silently depends on.
  • Notices, signs and advertisements almost always assume there’s a reason for issuing them — that at least some people might otherwise do the opposite, or that some people would be interested. They do NOT usually assume guaranteed universal compliance or interest.
  • A request or question usually assumes the listener is capable of fulfilling it, or likely to know the answer — that’s why that specific request was made to that specific person.

Worked examples

1. Statement: "Admissions open for the new batch. Apply now!" — a coaching institute’s advertisement. Assumptions: I. Some people would be interested in applying. II. The new batch has already started.

Solution

  1. I: Advertisements only make sense if there’s a potential audience interested in what’s offered — without that, advertising would be pointless. This is assumed.
  2. II: "Admissions open" suggests the batch has NOT started yet, if anything — this isn’t assumed, and even contradicts the statement.

Answer: Only assumption I is valid

2. Statement: "Keep off the grass." — a sign in a park. Assumptions: I. Some people might walk on the grass if not told not to. II. All visitors will obey the sign.

Solution

  1. I: A sign like this is put up precisely because there’s a real possibility people would otherwise walk on the grass. This is assumed.
  2. II: Putting up a sign doesn’t require assuming 100% compliance — signs exist because not everyone obeys by default, with or without one.

Answer: Only assumption I is valid

3. Statement: "The company has decided to increase the price of its product from next month." Assumptions: I. Customers will stop buying the product due to the price increase. II. The company needs more profit to survive.

Solution

  1. I: Deciding to raise the price doesn’t assume customers will STOP buying — if anything, the opposite (that enough customers will keep buying) is what would make the decision sensible.
  2. II: The statement doesn’t require this specific reason — there could be many other reasons (rising costs, higher demand) for a price increase, so this isn’t a necessary assumption.

Answer: Neither assumption is valid

4. Statement: "What time does the next train to Delhi leave?" — asked by a passenger at a railway inquiry counter. Assumptions: I. The person asked is likely to know the train timings. II. There is a next train to Delhi.

Solution

  1. I: Asking a specific question at an inquiry counter assumes that counter can plausibly answer it — that’s the whole reason to ask there.
  2. II: Asking "what time does the NEXT train leave" presupposes there is one — otherwise the question wouldn’t make sense in that form.

Answer: Both assumptions are valid

Try these yourself

Apply the "if false, does it fall apart" test, then check against the answer.

1. Statement: "Please do not disturb. Meeting in progress." — a sign on a conference room door. Assumptions: I. Someone might otherwise enter and disturb the meeting. II. The meeting will continue for the rest of the day.

Answer: Only assumption I is valid

2. Statement: "All employees must submit their annual reports by Friday." Assumptions: I. Some employees have not yet submitted their reports. II. All employees are capable of completing their reports by Friday.

Answer: Only assumption II is valid

3. Statement: "Mumbai is the financial capital of India." Assumptions: I. Some cities in India are not financial capitals. II. The speaker has visited Mumbai.

Answer: Only assumption I is valid

Where this comes up

Statement and Assumption 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 Statement and Assumption questions

This page covers the approach and a handful of worked examples. Pariksha Saathi has full topic-wise practice sets for Statement and Assumption (and every other Reasoning/Quant/English topic) with instant scoring and explanations — free, no account required.

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