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Course of Action

AFCAT · Logical Reasoning

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

→CORE CONCEPT

A Course of Action is a proposed step or action to solve a problem or improve a situation

→Your job is to

Understand the problem clearly 2. Judge if the proposed action logically solves or improves the problem 3. Decide if it is practical and immediately doable 4. Eliminate actions that are too vague, harmful, or illogical KEY RULES: - Action must be DIRECTLY related to the problem - Action must be PRACTICAL and IMMEDIATE (not long-term dreams) - Action must be SAFE and ETHICAL - Action should NOT create new problems - Multiple actions can be correct — select the MOST LOGICAL one - Avoid actions that are too cautious or too extreme

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL typically asks: - "Which of the following courses of action should be taken?" - "What should be done to solve this problem?" - Questions with 2-4 proposed actions (judge each as "Alone sufficient", "With others", or "Not necessary") - Real-world scenarios: traffic, corruption, education, health, environment SHORTCUT/TRICK: "The Golden Rule" — Always ask yourself: "Does this ACTION directly FIX the PROBLEM, right now, safely?" If YES to all three → It's a strong answer If NO to any → Eliminate it

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Worked Example

Solve this step-by-step before moving on

Situation: "Many students are sleeping in class. Teachers complain they cannot teach effectively." Proposed Actions: A) Expel all sleeping students B) Make classes more engaging and reduce class duration C) Punish students with extra homework D) Close the school SOLVING: - Action A: Too extreme, unethical, doesn't solve root cause → REJECT - Action B: Directly addresses the problem (boredom/fatigue), practical, safe → ACCEPT ✓ - Action C: Creates more problems (more work = more sleep loss) → REJECT - Action D: Illogical and extreme → REJECT Answer: B is the BEST course of action. COMMON MISTAKE: Students pick actions that SOUND good but are NOT practical. Example: "Provide free world tours to all poor children" — sounds nice, but not IMMEDIATELY doable. Always ask: "Can this be done NOW with available resources?" Another mistake: Confusing "helpful" with "necessary". A helpful action might not be the BEST course of action in the moment.

🔑 Key Points

Course of Action must directly solve or improve the stated problem — not just sound nice
Judge actions on three points: Direct relevance, Practicality NOW, and Safety/Ethics
Eliminate actions that are too extreme, too vague, or create new problems
In multi-action questions, one action can be sufficient alone, or multiple together might be needed
Real-world scenarios in SSC CGL involve education, health, corruption, environment — stay practical
Use the 'Golden Rule': Does this action FIX the problem RIGHT NOW SAFELY? Yes = strong answer

📌 Exam Facts

SSC CGL Course of Action questions typically appear in Paper 2 (Logical Reasoning section), averaging 2-3 questions per exam
CoA questions are NOT about personal opinions — they test LOGICAL reasoning about societal/institutional problems
Actions must be IMMEDIATE and DOABLE with existing resources — not theoretical or long-term planning
When multiple courses of action are given, the question may ask which are 'sufficient alone' vs 'together necessary'
CoA questions often present REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS (schools, hospitals, government offices, traffic) to test practical thinking
An action that creates a NEW problem while solving the original is always INCORRECT
Extreme actions (expulsion, closure, harsh punishment without cause) are typically trap answers in SSC CGL exams

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: CoA = What SHOULD be done to solve the problem LOGICALLY and PRACTICALLY, not what COULD be done
Filter: Does it directly fix the problem? Is it doable NOW? Is it safe/ethical? All YES = strong answer
Trap: Avoid solutions that sound moral or helpful but are NOT practical or create new problems
Pattern: SSC often uses education, health, corruption, and environment scenarios — expect real-world context
Rule: Extreme actions (expel, close, ban all) are almost always wrong — look for balanced, practical solutions
Check: If multiple actions are offered, judge EACH separately — one might be enough, or combinations might be needed
Timing: You have 1.5-2 minutes per CoA question — use the Golden Rule to eliminate 2-3 options quickly

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