Exam pattern · BoardPrep blog
Assertion-Reason Questions: How to Solve Them Correctly Every Time
A simple method for CBSE assertion-reason questions, with the four standard options explained and the common traps to avoid.
Assertion-reason questions give two statements, Assertion (A) and Reason (R), and four standard options:
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (a) | Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A |
| (b) | Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A |
| (c) | A is true, but R is false |
| (d) | A is false, but R is true |
The method
- Judge A on its own. True or false?
- Judge R on its own. True or false?
- Only if both are true, ask: does R explain *why* A happens? Try "A, because R". If it makes sense as a cause, choose (a). Otherwise choose (b).
Common traps
- R is true but irrelevant. It's a correct fact that doesn't explain A, so the answer is (b).
- Absolute words like "always", "only" and "all" often make a statement false.
- Reversed cause and effect: R describes a result of A, not its cause.
Practise
These are one-mark questions in Section A, so they're quick marks with practice. Solve them from recent papers and the 2026-27 sample papers.
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