Assertion-Reasoning (A-R) questions in CBSE are a structured objective question format designed to test conceptual clarity, logical thinking, and cause-and-effect relationships rather than rote memorization..
Concept clarity is the key, your vocabulary and grammar plays a major role in properly understanding assertion & Reasoning Questions. .
A 3-Step Strategy to Solve A-R Questions
Step 1: Check True/False Independently
Read statement (A) in isolation and mark it True or False. Do the exact same for statement (R).
If either statement is false, the answer is immediately (c) or (d)—no further analysis is needed.
Step 2: Connect with “Because”
If both statements are true, mentally link them into one continuous sentence:
"[Assertion] is true BECAUSE [Reason]."
Step 3: Test the Causal Link
Does the “because” sentence make scientific or mathematical sense? If it provides the root mechanism, choose (a). If it is simply an unrelated true fact, choose (b).
More on Assertion and Reasoning
What is an assertion and reason question?
It is a question type that consists of two statements – One is an assertion statement and the other is a reason statement. You have to read and absorb the information in the assertion statement and the reason statement to understand the concept being discussed. Based on your understanding, you are required to make the correct choice from the options given in the question.
Tricks to answer assertion–reason questions in CBSE
Sharing some strategies for CBSE students to answer assertion questions effectively.
1. Take time to read your CBSE Class 10 exam assertion–reason questions
Generate time during exams by answering data centric questions fast.
If you rush through the assertion questions, you may not be able to answer it correctly. So, read the question carefully to understand the assertion statement. Then, figure out whether the reason statement is true or not. Once you feel you have found the correct answer, read both the given statements once more. This time, if you feel confident about your answer, go ahead and select the option that you think is right. Also, before your exams, sleep well so that you are not drowsy and unfocussed at the time of answering questions.
2. Think of each statement independently
Segment it, Divide and rule the given statements independently to fix the correct answer.
Here are the different scenarios for assertion–reason questions:
Both assertion and reason are false.
Both assertion and reason are true, but the given reason gives an inaccurate explanation.
Both assertion and reason are true, and the given reason gives an accurate explanation.
The presented assertion statement is false, and the reason is true.
The given assertion statement is true, and the reason is false.
In some questions, the reason offers the right explanation for the presented assertion statement, while in others it does not. If your conceptual clarity is good, you will be able to spot the error faster in the explanation and select the correct answer. You need to think logically and use your conceptual understanding to analyze the scenario before answering assertion questions. For revising the concepts present in your CBSE Class 10 syllabus chapters, you can use CBSE Class 10 study materials such as NCERT solutions and Exemplar sums.
3. How to solve CBSE Class 10 assertion and reason-type questions?
Let’s take a closer look at an example question to understand how to answer such questions.
Example Question:
- Copper wire has low resistivity. (Assertion Statement)
- Copper is a bad conductor of electricity. (Reason/Explanation)
You are required to choose the correct answer from the following options:
Option 1 Both A and B are True.
Option 2 Both A and B are False.
Option 3 A is True and B is a correct explanation of A.
Option 4 A is True and B is an incorrect explanation of A.
Option 5 A is False, but B is True.
Here is an analysis of the answer options given in the example question:
- In the example above, the correct answer is Option 4. Here, if you have thoroughly studied the chapter called Electricity in CBSE Class 10 Science Physics, you will remember the concept of usage of copper wires for electricity transmission.
- In the question, A is True because copper wires have low resistivity. B is False because copper wires are good conductors of electricity. So, you can rule out Option A and Option B.
- In Option 3, B is given as a correct explanation of A which means copper wires have low resistivity because they are bad conductors of electricity. If you have grasped the concept, you will realise that because of the low resistivity of copper wires, they are good conductors of electricity. This fact makes Option 3 incorrect and Option 4 correct.
- Option 5 is not the answer because the assertion statement in A is true.
Hope u got the knack n jist of it
4. Practising assertion questions with CBSE Class 10 chapter wise sets
Assertion questions can be confusing. You need to know the meaning of the options available to get the answer right. Here, practice tests can be useful. Just reading tips on answering may not be effective. Tips are great for developing your own strategies to tackle the exam questions. If you practise CBSE Class 10 assertion questions, you will improve your thinking abilities. Once your practice test results are available, check whether you happen to lose marks due to lack of conceptual knowledge, overconfidence or lack of focus resulting from nervousness.
5. Revise concepts with CBSE Class 10 sample papers
To practise assertion-based questions, you can refer to the latest sample papers. The practice questions along with the answer keys in the sample papers will help you to polish your skills. CBSE Class 10 sample papers carry reference questions and answers based on your Class 10 syllabus.
Your conceptual clarity will also improve when you revise the questions and answers from various CBSE Class 10 sample papers for subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
CBSE introduced assertion-based and paragraph-based questions from the academic year 2019-2020 for the CBSE Class 10 board examinations 2020. We hope that these tips and strategies to attempt assertion-type questions will be useful when you appear for your examinations.
