Analytical Reasoning

What is analytical reasoning?

Analytical reasoning is a person's ability to identify patterns within a group of facts or rules and use those patterns to determine outcomes that could be or must be true. Skills like creative thinking and attention to detail can help with identifying patterns' meanings and deciding what to do next.

Example:

Katie is older than Chelsea.
Gillian is younger than Chelsea.
Gillian is older than Molly.

What can you infer about the relationship between Katie and Molly?

In this example, you can use facts to identify the pattern of relationships between the four individuals. The pattern then helps you determine what must be true about Katie and Molly's relationship. Because Katie is older than Chelsea, she's also older than Gillian, who is younger than Chelsea. Molly is younger than Gillian, so you can reasonably infer that Katie is older than Molly.