Verbal or Critical Reasoning section often features questions based on course of action. Before learning to solve them, let’s understand the meaning of ‘course of action’.
What is Course of Action?
A course of action is a procedure to deal with a situation. In such type of questions, a situation is presented in the form of a statement and possible course of actions are given. We need to choose the one which is feasible i.e. practically possible, universal and logical. These questions are designed to test decision making ability.
Points to keep in mind:
- Correct course of action should either lessen the problem or improve the situation created by the problem.
- Simple problem must have a simple course of action and not a complex one which may create more problems than to solve or reduce it.
- Course of action should be possible and should relate to the practical aspect of life and hence the given problem.
Course of Action: Sample Questions
Let us understand the concept with the help of a few questions:
- Statement: Some serious blunders were detected in the accounts section of a factory.
Course of Action:
- An efficient team of auditors should be appointed to check the accounts.
- A show cause notice should be issued to all the employees involved in the irregularity.
Solution: Both I and II can be the possible solutions to the given problem as after implementing both, the problem can be resolved.
- Statement: In spite of Principal’s repeated warnings, a child was caught exploding crackers secretly in the school.
Course of Action:
- all the crackers should be taken away from the child and he should be warned not to do it again.
- The child should be severely punished for his wrong act.
Solution: Here, in this question, the point to be taken care is that , in the statement, it is already given that Principal has given the child , repeated warnings, so if we choose option I , nothing positive will come as an output. Therefore, the correct answer should be option II.
Critical Reasoning: Concepts & Practice
- Statement: Mr. X, an active member of the union, often insults his superiors in the office with his rude behavior.
Course of Action:
- He should be transferred to some other department.
- The matter should be referred to the union.
Solution: In this case, none of the options can be the answer as even if he is transferred to some other department, the rude behavior is not going to stop. Also, he is an active member of the union, so the union must be aware of the behavior and this course of action is simply off tangent, so even this cannot be the solution.
Hence, such questions can prove to be highly scoring if you tackle them diligently.
