Assertion (A): Parliament can amend the Constitution of India. Reason (R): Article 368 confers on Parliament the power to amend the Constitution and lays down the procedure for doing so.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): The President of India is the head of the Union executive. Reason (R): The President of India is elected directly by the people.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): An agreement entered into by a minor is void under Indian contract law. Reason (R): Under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, a person who has not attained the age of majority is not competent to contract.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution. Reason (R): The Vice-President of India is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): A citizen can obtain a writ from a court to compel another citizen to perform a Fundamental Duty. Reason (R): The Fundamental Duties are set out in Article 51A, in Part IVA of the Constitution.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): The Directive Principles of State Policy are not enforceable by any court. Reason (R): The Directive Principles of State Policy were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years. Reason (R): The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by the members of the House from among themselves.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): In a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Reason (R): An accused person is presumed innocent until proved guilty.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): The Rajya Sabha can reject a Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha. Reason (R): A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Assertion (A): Water boils at a lower temperature at the top of a high mountain than at sea level. Reason (R): Atmospheric pressure decreases as altitude increases.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Logical Reasoning · Micro-test

Assertion and Reason

Assertion and reason questions ask three things in one: is the first statement true, is the second true, and does the second actually explain the first. The third is where the marks are lost.

10 questions · 5 minutes · instant scoring

What this topic actually tests

Work in a fixed order. First judge the Assertion (A) on its own, as if the Reason were not printed. Then judge the Reason (R) on its own. Only if both are true do you reach the third step: read them as one sentence joined by 'because'. 'The Supreme Court can issue writs to enforce fundamental rights because Article 32 gives the right to move the Supreme Court for their enforcement' reads as a sound explanation. 'The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House because the Vice-President is its ex officio Chairman' does not: both halves are true, and the second has nothing to do with why the first is so. If either statement is false, the question of explanation never arises and the answer is fixed by which one is false. The questions in law entrance tests draw heavily on a short list of constitutional facts that are easy to confuse: the Directive Principles (Part IV, original, not enforceable under Article 37) and the Fundamental Duties (Part IVA, Article 51A, added by the 42nd Amendment, also not enforceable by writ); the indirect election of the President by an electoral college; and the limited role of the Rajya Sabha in Money Bills under Article 109, where it may only make recommendations within fourteen days.

The common trap on this topic

The most frequent error is treating a true Reason as an explanation simply because it is on the same subject as the Assertion. Two true statements about the Rajya Sabha are not thereby cause and effect. The second error is letting a true Reason pull a false Assertion over the line: 'Fundamental Duties are enforceable by writ' does not become true because the Reason correctly says where the Duties are found. The third is misremembering which amendment did what, most often crediting the 42nd Amendment with the Directive Principles when it added the Fundamental Duties.

Assertion and Reason: answers and explanations

Assertion (A): Parliament can amend the Constitution of India. Reason (R): Article 368 confers on Parliament the power to amend the Constitution and lays down the procedure for doing so.
Answer: B. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true, and Article 368 is the source of the amending power, so R explains A. The power is subject to the basic structure limitation, which does not make either statement false.
Assertion (A): The President of India is the head of the Union executive. Reason (R): The President of India is elected directly by the people.
Answer: A. A is true, but R is false
A is true: the executive power of the Union is vested in the President under Article 53. R is false: the President is elected indirectly, by an electoral college of the elected members of Parliament and of the State Legislative Assemblies.
Assertion (A): An agreement entered into by a minor is void under Indian contract law. Reason (R): Under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, a person who has not attained the age of majority is not competent to contract.
Answer: C. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true and R is the reason for A. Because a minor is not competent to contract under Section 11, the Privy Council held in Mohori Bibee v Dharmodas Ghose (1903) that a minor's agreement is void from the start.
Assertion (A): The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution. Reason (R): The Vice-President of India is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Answer: C. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
Both statements are true, but who presides over the House has no bearing on why it is never dissolved. The Rajya Sabha is permanent because its members retire in rotation, one-third every second year.
Assertion (A): A citizen can obtain a writ from a court to compel another citizen to perform a Fundamental Duty. Reason (R): The Fundamental Duties are set out in Article 51A, in Part IVA of the Constitution.
Answer: C. A is false, but R is true
A is false: the Fundamental Duties are not enforceable by writ. R is true: they are in Article 51A, Part IVA, inserted by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
Assertion (A): The Directive Principles of State Policy are not enforceable by any court. Reason (R): The Directive Principles of State Policy were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment.
Answer: A. A is true, but R is false
A is true: Article 37 says the Directive Principles shall not be enforceable by any court. R is false: Part IV has been in the Constitution since 1950. The 42nd Amendment added the Fundamental Duties, and some further Directive Principles, not the Part itself.
Assertion (A): The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years. Reason (R): The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by the members of the House from among themselves.
Answer: D. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
Both statements are true (Articles 83 and 93), but the way the Speaker is chosen does not explain the length of the House's term.
Assertion (A): In a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Reason (R): An accused person is presumed innocent until proved guilty.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true, and the presumption of innocence is the reason the burden lies on the prosecution and is set at so high a standard.
Assertion (A): The Rajya Sabha can reject a Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha. Reason (R): A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
Answer: A. A is false, but R is true
A is false: under Article 109 the Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations on a Money Bill, within fourteen days, and the Lok Sabha is free to accept or reject them. R is true.
Assertion (A): Water boils at a lower temperature at the top of a high mountain than at sea level. Reason (R): Atmospheric pressure decreases as altitude increases.
Answer: B. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true, and R explains A: a liquid boils when its vapour pressure equals the pressure around it, so lower air pressure at altitude means a lower boiling point.

FAQ

What is the 'because' test?

When both statements are true, read 'Assertion because Reason' as a single sentence. If it states a real cause or legal basis, the Reason is the correct explanation. If the two are merely about the same subject, it is not.

Are assertion and reason questions asked in CLAT?

They were regular in the older CLAT pattern, before 2020. The current CLAT pattern is passage-based and does not use this format, but the same skill, telling a true statement from a relevant one, is tested inside passages.

What if the Assertion is false?

Then the Reason cannot explain it. The answer depends only on whether the Reason is true or false; in the usual four-option format, a false Assertion with a true Reason is the last option.

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