Cause and Effect for SSC CGL
Master Logical Relationship Analysis
1. Introduction
Cause and Effect questions are an important topic in SSC CGL reasoning. They test your ability to analyze a situation, identify the cause, and determine the effect logically.
These questions are scoring because they follow a clear logical structure, and once practiced, answers become quick to identify.
2. Definition
Cause: An event, action, or situation that leads to an effect.
Effect: The outcome or result of a cause.
Your task is to identify the relationship between a given cause and possible effects.
Example: Cause: "Heavy rainfall occurred in the city."
Effect: "Waterlogging happened in low-lying areas."
This shows a direct cause-effect relationship.
3. Types of Cause and Effect Questions
Direct Cause → Effect:
Effect directly results from the cause.
Example: Cause: "Ravi studied hard for exams." Effect: "Ravi scored well."
Indirect or Multiple Effects:
A cause may have more than one effect.
Example: Cause: "Deforestation increased." Effects: "Soil erosion occurred, and wildlife lost habitat."
Choose the Most Logical Effect:
Some options may be unlikely; pick the most logical one.
Cause from Given Effect:
Sometimes the effect is given, and you have to identify the probable cause.
4. Previous Year SSC CGL Examples
2018 Tier I: Cause: "Excessive rainfall in the city."
Effect: "Waterlogging occurred in streets." → Logical effect
2019 Tier I: Cause: "People are not following traffic rules."
Effect: "Accidents increased on roads." → Logical effect
2020 Tier I: Effect: "Soil erosion increased."
Cause: "Deforestation increased." → Logical cause
Practicing previous year questions improves your ability to quickly link cause and effect logically.
5. Strategy to Approach Cause and Effect Questions
- Identify the main event: Determine what is the cause and what could be an effect
- Check for logical connection: Only choose options directly linked to the cause
- Avoid assumptions: Don't choose effects that are possible but not directly caused
- Analyze multiple effects: If multiple options are given, pick the most logical and immediate effect
- Practice daily: Familiarity with patterns improves speed and accuracy
6. Quick Recap
- Cause and Effect questions test logical reasoning about events
- Identify the main cause and the most direct effect
- Avoid assumptions or unrelated effects
- Logical thinking and practice improve performance
- Always check immediate and probable outcomes
7. Practice Questions
Try solving these to test your understanding:
1. Cause: "Traffic congestion increased in the city."
Effect: "Travel time for commuters increased."
2. Cause: "Schools were closed due to a storm."
Effect: "Students stayed at home."
3. Effect: "Air pollution levels increased."
Cause: "Factories emitted more smoke."
4. Cause: "Heavy use of pesticides in farms."
Effect: "Soil fertility decreased."
5. Cause: "Many people avoided vaccinations."
Effect: "Spread of contagious diseases increased."
Click for Answers
1. Logical effect (Traffic congestion directly increases travel time)
2. Logical effect (School closure directly leads to students staying home)
3. Logical cause (Factory smoke directly contributes to air pollution)
4. Logical effect (Pesticide overuse directly affects soil fertility)
5. Logical effect (Vaccination avoidance directly leads to disease spread)
Analyze each pair carefully and choose the most logical cause or effect.
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