Badge Inductive Reasoning on the NCJOSI-2
Inductive reasoning is the ability to look at separate pieces of information and find the pattern or conclusion that connects them. It's how officers notice that a string of break-ins keeps happening at the same time of night, or that one suspect description keeps coming up.
This page explains what these questions ask of you, gives you one to try, and walks through a method for finding what the facts have in common.
What the questions ask you to do
Inductive reasoning questions usually show you several related facts, such as a set of incident reports, a table, or a chart, and ask which conclusion they support. Some ask what the cases have in common. Others ask what is most likely to happen next if the pattern continues.
The right answer is the one that fits every piece of information you're given. A conclusion that fits most of the facts, but not all of them, is wrong.
Try a practice question
This question is original practice content written by Badge & Hose. Every name, place and rule in it is fictional.
| Day | Time reported stolen | Location | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2:40 a.m. | Pine Ave apartment lot | Pickup truck |
| Wednesday | 3:15 a.m. | Oak St apartment lot | SUV |
| Thursday | 1:50 a.m. | Birch Rd church lot | Pickup truck |
| Saturday | 2:30 a.m. | Pine Ave apartment lot | SUV |
| Sunday | 3:05 a.m. | Elm Ct apartment lot | Pickup truck |
Which statement is supported by all five reports?
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: Each theft happened between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. and involved a truck or SUV.
All five times fall between 1:50 and 3:15 a.m., and every vehicle is either a pickup truck or an SUV, so both parts hold for every report.
The other statements each break on at least one report. The Birch Rd theft was in a church lot, not an apartment lot. Two thefts were on Saturday and Sunday, and two involved SUVs rather than pickups. Only two of the five were on Pine Ave.
A method for pattern questions
Look at one category at a time
Scan down each column or detail separately: all the times, then all the places, then all the vehicles. Patterns are easier to see when you aren't reading row by row.
Note what every case shares
Jot down what is true of every single item. "Most" is not enough, because one exception is all it takes to rule out a conclusion.
Test each choice against every case
For each choice, go through the cases one by one. As soon as one case breaks it, cross it off and move on.
Don't reach past the data
Pick the conclusion the facts actually support, not the most dramatic or complete-sounding one. If the table doesn't mention weather, a choice about weather can't be right.
Common mistakes
Stopping at "most." Four out of five apartment lots feels like a pattern, but the question asks what all five support.
Seeing a pattern that isn't there. Two thefts on the same street can be a coincidence. Only pick a conclusion the whole set of facts backs up.
Missing half of a two-part choice. Many answers combine two claims. Both halves have to be true for every case.
Rushing tables and charts. Read titles, column headings and units before looking at the numbers.
Practice more inductive reasoning questions
In Badge & Hose study mode you can focus on one ability at a time and see an explanation after every answer. Inductive Reasoning practice is part of Full Prep, which covers all ten abilities. The free tier includes reading comprehension, writing, spatial orientation and visualization.