What does Tage Mage Logical Reasoning assess?
Categorical reasoning: grouping information according to a shared criterion. According to FNEGE, candidates must identify what a set of data has in common and rule out the criteria that distinguish its elements. The data are numerical or spatial. The subtests (opens in a new tab)
Like Data Sufficiency, this section requires extracting relevant information and ignoring the rest. However, FNEGE says it involves no mathematical difficulty. It measures the ability to identify one or more shared parameters across one or more sets of information. The subtests (opens in a new tab)
In the score
Together with Reasoning and Argumentation, Logical Reasoning forms the Logical Reasoning domain: 30 questions, scored out of 60. The score out of 600 is the average of the three domains multiplied by ten. Understand your score (opens in a new tab)
The score calculation, in the TAGE MAGE guideWhat do Logical Reasoning questions look like?
Fifteen questions in twenty minutes, each with five options and one correct answer. Understand your score (opens in a new tab)
Two types of data, as described by FNEGE.
This page’s example
Numerical categories
A numerical intersection: identify the common property of two number sequences.
Type 2
Spatial categories
Spatial data require only very basic geometry and arithmetic; the challenge lies in the number of parameters to identify.
The FNEGE candidate booklet, reviewed on September 27, 2026, showed two vertical or horizontal sequences of numbers or letters, from which candidates identify a shared element, as well as three visual cells used to infer a fourth. This historical document illustrates question formats; for current scoring rules, see FNEGE’s Understanding Your Score page. Candidate guide (opens in a new tab)
The main example on this page is numerical. Additional exercises use short symbol sequences with written descriptions. These Upsilar-created examples isolate parameters for practice; they do not reproduce the full presentation or variety of official visual cells.
Logical Reasoning or Reasoning and Argumentation?
Logic
Find the shared criterion.
According to FNEGE, the section uses numerical or spatial data and requires no mathematical knowledge: identify what the items share and rule out what distinguishes them.
Reasoning and Argumentation
Judge an argument.
Everyday situations and opinions expressed in the media: FNEGE uses these to assess reasoning and judgment.
The Reasoning and Argumentation section guideA worked Logical Reasoning question
A question written by Upsilar based on numerical categories: two number sequences and a number that would belong to both. Choose an answer, then check it: the explanation follows the method below.
The two sequences
Première série : 84 · 161 · 98 · 112
Seconde série : 37 · 118 · 55 · 82
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: C—217, a multiple of 7 whose digits add up to 10.
The method in action
- One criterion for each sequence. The first sequence contains multiples of 7. The second contains numbers whose digits always add up to 10.
- Check every item. Each rule applies to all four numbers in its sequence. Parity and digit count vary across both sequences, so they are not shared criteria.
- Test both criteria. Digit sum rules out 203, whose digits add to 5, and 125, whose digits add to 8. Of the remaining choices—73, 217, and 163—only 217 = 31 × 7 is a multiple of 7. Answer C.
The pitfall
A, 203: it is a multiple of 7 (29 × 7), so it fits the first sequence. But its digits add up to 5, not 10, so it fails the second criterion.
Key takeaways
The answer must satisfy both criteria: test each option against one, then the other.
What method should you use for Logical Reasoning?
For each question, use these three steps in order: the method followed in Upsilar’s Logical Reasoning curriculum.
Find the criterion for each sequence separately.
Check parity, divisibility, digit sums, shape, quantity, and orientation. Look for what two or three items share before checking the answer choices.
Check the rule against all relevant data.
A rule that fits three of four items is not the answer. Testing every item helps rule out coincidences. This is the inhibition FNEGE describes: excluding criteria that apply to only some items.
Test each option against both criteria.
The answer must satisfy both. An option that meets only one criterion is a distractor. First rule out options using the quicker criterion, then check the remaining ones against the second.
The pitfall to avoid
Stopping at the first rule that seems to work. A property shared by two items may look obvious, but if it does not apply to all of them, it is only a coincidence. An option that belongs to only one sequence is not in their intersection.
- A: one criterion203 is divisible by 7, but its digits add up to 5. This option meets only the first rule.
- B and E: the other criterion73 and 163 have digits that add up to 10, but are not multiples of 7. Checking only the second rule is not enough.
- D: neither125 is not a multiple of 7, and its digits add up to 8. A distractor does not necessarily satisfy part of the rule.
- C: the intersection217 = 31 × 7, and 2 + 1 + 7 = 10. Both checks are needed to justify the answer, even when it seems obvious.
For visual patterns, Upsilar recommends isolating the parameters before looking for a transformation: number of elements, shape, position, orientation, and fill. State your hypothesis, check it against every cell, then check the selected option. These are observation strategies; memorizing patterns is no substitute for checking them.
How do you move from numbers to visual patterns?
This Upsilar learning sequence starts with two numerical criteria, then introduces orientation, and finally combines orientation with the number of symbols. Every cell and answer choice is described in words; you do not need the symbols to understand the exercise. These short examples do not cover the full official format.
The categories
Première catégorie : 30 · 41 · 63 · 96. Sa règle porte sur l’écart entre le chiffre des dizaines et celui des unités.
Seconde catégorie : 29 · 56 · 83 · 92. Sa règle porte sur la somme des deux chiffres.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: C—74, because 7 − 4 = 3 and 7 + 4 = 11.
The method in action
- State the first criterion. In the first category, the tens digit exceeds the ones digit by 3: 3 − 0, 4 − 1, 6 − 3, and 9 − 6 all equal 3.
- State the second criterion. In the second category, the digits add up to 11: 2 + 9, 5 + 6, 8 + 3, and 9 + 2. The number 74 meets both criteria.
- Rule out each distractor. A, 63, and E, 41, have a digit difference of 3, but their sums are 9 and 5. B, 56, and D, 92, have a digit sum of 11, but their tens-minus-ones differences are −1 and 7. C is the only choice that meets both criteria.
The pitfall
Seeing a number already listed in one category does not prove that it also belongs in the other.
Key takeaways
State two separate criteria, check each against all the data, then check the answer against both.
Three successive cells
Case 1 : ↑ — une flèche orientée vers le haut.
Case 2 : → — une flèche orientée vers la droite.
Case 3 : ↓ — une flèche orientée vers le bas.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: D—the next arrow points to the left.
The method in action
- Identify the changing parameter. There is always one arrow, and its shape stays the same. The only changing parameter is its orientation.
- Check the direction of movement. From up to right, then right to down, the arrow rotates a quarter turn clockwise each time. Continuing from down points it left.
- Check the other choices. A skips a step and returns to up. B adds a diagonal direction, which does not fit the quarter-turn pattern. C turns back to the right. E does not rotate at all. Only D follows the stated transformation.
The pitfall
Looking only at the last cell can make several rotations seem possible. The two previous transitions establish the direction of the quarter turn here.
Key takeaways
Name the parameter that changes, then describe its transformation precisely before choosing a figure.
An arrow and disks
Case 1 : ↑ ● — une flèche vers le haut, puis un disque plein.
Case 2 : → ● ● — une flèche vers la droite, puis deux disques pleins.
Case 3 : ↓ ● — une flèche vers le bas, puis un disque plein.
La flèche tourne chaque fois du même quart de tour. Le nombre de disques alterne selon un cycle de deux cases.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: C—an arrow pointing left and two filled disks.
The method in action
- Follow the orientation alone. Up, right, down: the quarter turn is clockwise. The fourth arrow therefore points left. At this point, A, C, and E are still possible.
- Track the quantity separately. One disk, two disks, one disk: the stated alternation means the fourth cell must have two disks. Of A, C, and E, only C has that quantity.
- Explain each rejection. A has the right direction but only one disk. E has the right direction but invents a progression to three disks. B and D have two disks but point the wrong way. The answer must satisfy both rules, not only the first one you notice.
The pitfall
Recognizing the rotation correctly may lead you to choose A or E too quickly. The second parameter is an independent constraint, not decoration.
Key takeaways
When there are several parameters, track each one separately, then combine the constraints when checking the choices.
For more practice, hide the choices and first state what the next cell should contain. A prediction such as “left, two disks” is easier to check than an overall visual impression. In more complex sequences, this breakdown is a search method; it does not guarantee that the only rules involve rotation or alternation.
How much time do I have per Logical Reasoning question?
Average per question
1 min 20 sec
20 minutes ÷ 15 questions, according to FNEGE figures
An average, not a rule: sometimes a criterion is obvious, and sometimes you need to test several. FNEGE advises managing your time and moving on if you cannot answer instead of getting stuck. Advice (opens in a new tab)
Errors and blank answers
No penalty: a wrong answer and a blank answer cost the same. Skipping a question does not mean you have to leave its answer blank. Understand your score (opens in a new tab)
Tage Mage scoring: should you answer every question?What concepts should I review for Logical Reasoning?
FNEGE says this section involves no mathematical difficulty: it measures the ability to extract one or more common parameters. In the September 27, 2026 review, Upsilar’s Logical Reasoning curriculum had 6 chapters, 10 themes, and 129 topics, from number intersections to visual sequences. The subtests (opens in a new tab)
Chapter 1 · 10 topics
Official format and section scope
- Format 2026
Chapter 2 · 17 topics
Extracting and inhibiting parameters
- Structured analysis
Chapter 3 · 33 topics
Intersections and number sequences
- Number properties
- Relationships within terms
- Changes between terms
Chapter 4 · 16 topics
Letter sequences
- The alphabet as a positional system
Chapter 5 · 45 topics
Visual sequences and spatial frameworks
- Spatial analysis
- Movements and transformations
- Changes and combinations of parameters
Chapter 6 · 8 topics
Strategy and automation
- Protocol under time pressure
Recorded in the Upsilar curriculum on September 27, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Logical Reasoning
Should I memorize sequences?
Recognizing common properties can suggest a rule, but does not prove that it fits the question. Upsilar recommends forming a hypothesis, testing it against all the data, then checking the answer against each selected criterion.
What should I do if several rules seem possible?
State each rule precisely and look for an item that contradicts it. Do not choose a rule just because it leads to one of the answer choices. Check all the data and constraints; if your hypothesis does not distinguish among the choices, keep analyzing instead of choosing arbitrarily.
Do I need to be good at math?
No. According to FNEGE, the section involves no mathematical difficulty; spatial data require only very basic geometry and arithmetic. The challenge lies in the number of parameters to identify.
Are all the questions numerical?
No. FNEGE describes both numerical and spatial data. The candidate booklet reviewed on September 27, 2026, showed number sequences, letter sequences, and visual cells; this description reflects that historical reading. This page includes numerical examples and short instructional visual sequences, with each symbol described in words. They do not cover the full official format.
How many questions are there, and how much time do you get?
Fifteen questions with five answer choices each in 20 minutes: an average of 1 minute 20 seconds per question. Logical Reasoning is the sixth and final section of the two-hour test, which has no break.
How is Logical Reasoning different from Reasoning and Argumentation?
According to FNEGE, both sections contribute to the Logical Reasoning domain, but they use different data. Logical Reasoning categorizes numerical or spatial data; Reasoning and Argumentation examines everyday situations and opinions expressed in the media. The Reasoning and Argumentation section guide