Introduction: Decision Making
Reasoning - Decision Making
Introduction: Decision-making problems require a candidate to derive a final outcome by analysing the information given and applying specified selection rules. Each question defines a set of primary conditions that must be satisfied for selection; there may also be additional conditions that modify or supplement the primary conditions. The selection procedure is governed by two broad classes of conditions:
- Primary Condition
- Additional Condition
Elements commonly present in decision-making questions
- Information about one or more candidates (qualifications, age, experience, marks, dates of birth, etc.).
- Clear conditions (rules) that a candidate must fulfil to be selected for a post.
- One or more additional or exceptional rules that alter the decision in particular cases.
- Questions that require choosing among outcomes such as: selected for a particular post, referred to a higher authority, data inadequate, or not selected.
Primary and Additional Conditions
Primary conditions are the essential requirements (for example, age range, minimum marks, minimum experience). A candidate who satisfies all primary conditions is normally selected for the main post. Additional conditions are exception rules: they may provide alternate outcomes when a primary condition is not strictly met (for example, reduced marks but a higher degree, or age slightly out of range leading to referral). Together, these conditions determine the final decision.
Suggested method
Most decision-making items can be solved quickly with a simple, structured procedure. The recommended method is to construct a table that records which conditions each candidate satisfies. The table makes it easy to see which combination of conditions applies and hence which decision follows.
- Step I - Prepare the table - List symbols for primary conditions (for example, a, b, c, d) and for additional conditions(for example, i, ii, iii) across the top row. List the question number and candidate names down the left column. Use plain symbols for primary conditions and place additional-condition symbols in parentheses or with a distinguishing mark. If an additional condition is attached to a particular primary condition, indicate that relationship in the header.
- Step II - Fill the table- For each candidate, read the facts and compare them with each condition. Enter one of the following marks:
- Mark ✓ if a primary condition is satisfied.
- Mark × if a primary condition is violated.
- If a primary condition is violated but an additional condition attached to it is satisfied, mark (✓); if the additional condition is also violated, mark (×).
- If no information is given about a condition, mark ? or - to indicate data is missing.
- Step III - Decide the outcome- Use the following decision rules:
- If you find any × together with a corresponding (×) for an essential condition and its additional condition, you can conclude the candidate is not selected without checking other conditions.
- If there is no definite cross but at least one ? or - remains for an essential condition, then the correct answer is data is inadequate.
- If there are no crosses and no unresolved marks, compare the combination of satisfied conditions with the rule-chart (or combination chart) provided in the question to reach the final decision.
Illustrative example
Study the following information carefully and answer the questions based on it. The following are the conditions for appointment of faculty members in a computer education centre. The candidate must:
- a. Be in the range of 23 years to 28 years as on 1 November, 1993.
- b. Have work experience or programming experience.
- c. Have a postgraduate degree in computer application (i.e., MCA, M.Tech, etc.) with at least 60% marks.
- d. Obtain at least 25 marks in the interview out of a total of 50 marks.
In addition, the following special rules apply:
- e. If a candidate fulfils all the above criteria (a-d), he or she shall be appointed as a senior faculty member.
- f. If a candidate has a postgraduate degree in computer applications with less than 60% marks but at least 50% marks, he/she should be appointed as junior faculty member.
- g. If a candidate is of age more than 28 years but less than 32 years as on 1 Nov., 1993, the case may be referred to the director of the centre.
Mark answer
(1) If the candidate is to be selected as junior faculty member.
(2) If the candidate is to be selected as senior faculty member.
(3) If the case is to be referred to the director of the centre.
(4) If data is inadequate.
(5) If the candidate is not to be selected.
Questions:
Q1: Manisha Punjabi is M.Sc. in computer science with 65% of marks. Her date of birth is 31st July, 1965. She has been working in an institution as a programmer for last 4 years.
Q2: Kishore Garg is MCA with 61% marks. His date of birth is 14 August, 1970. He has worked as a computer teacher for 3 years. He has obtained 60% marks in the interview.
Q3: Babli Sarkar is M.Tech with 58% marks. Her date of birth is 31st December, 1971. She has been working as a programmer for last two-and-half years. She has obtained 40 marks in an interview.
Q4: Manish Kumar is M.Sc. with 52% marks. His date of birth is 10 July, 1968. He has been working as computer teacher for 4 years. He has obtained 40% mark in interview.
Q5: Sudha Ranjan is MCA with 56% marks. She has been working as a programmer for 3 years. Her date of birth is 12 February, 1969. She has obtained 55% mark in interview.
Solutions:
Step I - There are 4 primary conditions: a, b, c and d, and two additional conditions: f and g.
Step II - Read each question carefully and compare the facts given with the various conditions; put appropriate marks below.
Q1 - Manisha is M.Sc. with 65% marks. This fulfils condition c. On 31st July, 1993 she is older than 28 years so condition a is violated; its additional condition is g, and g is satisfied, so mark (✓) for a. Manisha has more than 2 years' experience, so mark ✓ for b. Information about interview marks (d) is not given, so mark -. Therefore there is a ?/insufficient data for a final decision.
Q2 - Kishore Garg is MCA with 61% marks: c is satisfied. His date of birth makes him slightly more than 23 years as on the reference date, so a is satisfied. He has work experience, so b is satisfied. He obtained 60% in interview, so d is satisfied. All primary conditions satisfied; therefore a + b + c + d ⇒ (2) (senior faculty member).
Q3 - Babli Sarkar is M.Tech with 58% marks, so c is violated; the additional condition attached to c is f, and f is satisfied, so mark (✓) for c. She is born in 1971 and so is under 23 on the reference date; this violates a. The additional condition g for a is also not met, so mark (×) for a. A definite cross exists, so the candidate is not selected.
Q4 - Manish is M.Sc. with 52% marks, so c is violated but fulfils f (hence (✓)). He is nearly 25 years, so a is satisfied. He has work experience, so b is satisfied. Interview marks are 40%, which violates d (mark ×). Presence of a cross on d means not selected (option 5).
Q5 - Sudha is MCA with 56% marks, so c is violated but f applies ((✓)). She has 3 years' experience (b ✓). She is 24 years old (a ✓). Interview marks 55% (d ✓). Therefore a + b + f + d ⇒ (1) (junior faculty member).
Final combination rules used
a + b + c + d ⇒ (2) (senior faculty member)
g + b + c + d ⇒ (3) (referred to director)
a + b + f + d ⇒ (1) (junior faculty member)
Solved examples
Following are the criteria for selection of chemistry lectures in an organization. The candidate must have-
- a. Have passed +2 examination in first class with at least 60% marks.
- b. Have passed graduation with chemistry honours or pass degree with at least 55% marks.
- c. Have experience in chemistry teaching for a minimum of 1 year.
- d. Be not less than 22 years and not more than 30 years of age as on 1.1.2014.
If a candidate satisfies all the above except:
- I. If condition b is not satisfied but the candidate has a post-graduate degree in chemistry, the case may be assigned to the executive director (ED).
- II. If condition c is not satisfied but the candidate has marketing experience and can do marketing, the case may be assigned to the vice president (VP).
Q1: Sambhrant has completed +2 from BJB junior college with 65% marks and graduated in chemistry from Utkal University with 70%. He has teaching experience in chemistry for more than 3 years and his age is 27 years.
(a) If the candidate is to be selected.
(b) If the case is to be assigned to ED.
(c) If the case is to be assigned to VP.
(d) If the information given is inadequate to answer.
Ans: (a)
Sambhrant will be selected as he has all the required qualifications.
Q2: Laxmi Rattan Shukla has passed +2 with 70% marks and is a chemistry graduate with 50% and he has also done M SC in chemistry. He has experience of teaching for more than 1 year and is 29 years of age.
(a) If the candidate is to be selected.
(b) If the case is to be assigned to ED.
(c) If the case is to be assigned to VP.
(d) If the information given is inadequate to answer.
Ans: (b)
The case will be assigned to the executive director because the graduate marks are below 55% but the candidate holds a postgraduate degree - this triggers the exceptional rule to refer to ED.
Q3: Mamta Kulkarni is a BSc chemistry student with 53% marks. She has secured 58% in the +2 but has teaching experience of 2 years. She is 28 years of age.
(a) If the candidate is to be selected.
(b) If the case is to be assigned to ED.
(c) If the case is to be assigned to VP.
(d) If the candidate is not to be selected.
Ans: (d)
Mamta does not meet condition b (graduation ≥ 55%) and there is no postgraduate degree to trigger ED; hence she is not selected.
Q4: Ritu Chandra is a chemistry graduate. He has no experience in teaching but he can do marketing for the institute. He has experience in marketing. His age is around 26 years.
(a) If the candidate is to be selected.
(b) If the case is to be assigned to ED.
(c) If the case is to be assigned to VP.
(d) If the information given is inadequate to answer.
Ans: (c)
The candidate lacks the required teaching experience (c) but has marketing experience; therefore the case is to be assigned to the vice president (VP).
Q5: Mannishree Malhotra is a B.Sc. graduate in chemistry and has scored 65% in his graduation. He has teaching experience of 3 years and his age is not more than 27 years.
(a) If the candidate is to be selected.
(b) If the case is to be assigned to ED.
(c) If the case is to be assigned to VP.
(d) If the information given is inadequate to answer.
Ans: (d)
Data is insufficient because nothing is mentioned about Mannishree's +2 marks; without knowing condition a we cannot decide.
Summary
Decision-making questions test the ability to apply conditional rules to candidates' attributes. Constructing a table of conditions versus candidates and using the mark convention (✓, ×, (✓), (×), ?) makes it straightforward to identify the correct outcome: selected for a post, junior or senior appointment, referred to authority, not selected, or data inadequate. Always follow the explicit rules in the question and do not assume facts not given.
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