Odd One Out Question 1 - CAT 2024
- Urbanites also have more and better options for getting around: Uber is ubiquitous; easy-to-rent dockless bicycles are spreading; battery-powered scooters will be next.
- When more people use buses or trains the service usually improves because public-transport agencies run more buses and trains.
- Worsening services on public transport, terrorist attacks in some urban metros and a rise in fares have been blamed for this trend.
- It seems more likely that public transport is being squeezed structurally as people’s need to travel is diminishing as a result of smartphones, videoconferencing, online shopping and so on.
- There has been a puzzling decline in the use of urban public transport in many countries in the west, despite the growth in urban populations and rising employment.
Step-by-Step Explanation
Correct Answer: 2 Explanation: Statements (5), (3), (4), and (1) discuss the decline in the use of public transport in many cities. They explain the possible reasons for this decline, such as poor services, changing travel habits, and the availability of alternative transport options like Uber and rental bikes. Statement (2) is the odd one out because it explains what happens when public transport usage increases, which does not fit with the main discussion about declining usage.Odd One Out Shortcuts & Tricks
Odd One Out questions in CAT test your ability to identify the pattern shared by most items and find the one that does not fit. They usually appear in the VARC section as Para Odd One Out, where you have to identify the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph.
 For CAT Para Odd One Out, here's the best approach:
Step 1: Find the Main Topic
Read all the sentences once and ask:
- What is the paragraph mainly discussing?
- Is it explaining, comparing, narrating, or arguing something?
The majority of sentences will revolve around one central idea.
Step 2: Form Groups
Try to identify 3–4 sentences that naturally connect.
Look for:
- Same subject
- Same timeline
- Cause → Effect
- General → Specific
- Problem → Solution
If four sentences create a smooth flow, the remaining one is likely the odd one out.
Step 3: Look for Linking Words
Pay attention to connectors such as:
- However
- Therefore
- Moreover
- For example
- Consequently
- Thus
These often indicate relationships between sentences.
Example:
- A introduces climate change.
- B explains its causes.
- C gives an example.
- D discusses its effects.
A sentence about the history of the steam engine is probably the odd one out.
Step 4: Check Pronouns
Words like:
- this
- these
- they
- such
- it
depend on previous information.
If a sentence begins with "These discoveries...", another sentence must first introduce the discoveries.
Step 5: Identify Topic Shift
An odd sentence often:
- introduces a new subject,
- gives an unrelated example,
- jumps to a different time period,
- or discusses a different aspect not developed elsewhere.
Common Trap
The odd sentence is not necessarily unrelated to the topic.
It may be about the same broad subject but doesn't fit the logical sequence.
For example:
- Bees pollinate flowering plants.
- Pollination helps plants reproduce.
- Many crops depend on bee pollination.
- Bees communicate through the waggle dance.
- Declining bee populations threaten agriculture.
Sentence 4 is about bees, but the other four focus specifically on pollination and agriculture, making 4 the odd one out.
A 30–45 Second Strategy
- Read all five sentences.
- Identify the common theme.
- Connect four sentences into a logical flow.
- Eliminate the one that breaks the flow.
- Recheck that the remaining four form a coherent paragraph.
Practice Tip
After solving:
- Don't stop at finding the odd sentence.
- Rearrange the remaining four into the correct paragraph order.
This improves your understanding of paragraph structure and significantly boosts your accuracy in both Odd One Out and Para Jumbles.
Since you're creating CAT solution videos, a useful teaching framework is:
- Identify the topic.
- Find the sentence pairs.
- Build the paragraph.
- Remove the sentence that doesn't fit.
- Verify the final flow.