The bank exams include reasoning in every tier as it is one of the main sectors where candidates are judged on the basis of their logical thoughts and ability to solve real-world problems. This section often tends to be a bit confusing to the candidates as they do not give stress on thinking and answer directly but this is where they lose marks.
To be honest, aspirants focus more on English and Quantitative aptitude and forget that the sectional cut-off is to be the main area of concern, where reasoning can fetch good marks if attempted properly.
The candidates should be well acquainted with certain tips and strategies as to how can reasoning can turn out to be a golden goose. Once the candidate knows the syllabus they should proceed in a structured format with a scheduled preparation plan. The IBPS exam, as well as the SBI exam, consists of similar topics included in the reasoning part.
Important Topics
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Expected Questions (On the basis of Previous Papers)
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Puzzle (floor puzzle, north-south puzzle, etc.)
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5 Questions
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Syllogism
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5 Questions
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Input/output, Assertion and reasoning
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5 Questions
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Inequality
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5 Questions
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Seating Arrangement
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5 Questions
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Coding Decoding
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3-4 Questions
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Linear Arrangement
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4 Questions
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Data Sufficiency
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4 Questions
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Order and Ranking
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2-3 Questions
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Logical Reasoning(Derived conclusion from passages, Courses of Action and Statement & Assumption)
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10-15 Questions
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Blood Relations
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2-3 Questions
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Tricks to attempt the reasoning questions section-wise
- The main focus should be on the solution and not on the question as most of the answer lies in the question itself.
- Direction sense, number, ranking, series completion etc should be attempted first as it is less time taking. Syllogisms, blood relations, etc comes next and puzzles or crosswords at last. Candidates should divide the topics on the basis of difficulty level and time consumption so preparation should be done accordingly.
- Logical Reasoning questions should be practiced more as maximum question comes from this.
- The sequence should be known to the candidate in terms of solving position of alphabets(A-Z)
- The knowledge of direction is a must.
- Attempting more questions on mathematical reasoning type will save time and for that, the candidate needs to practice.
IBPS Reasoning Books: the books and online resources help the candidates to prepare best for the written examination.
- Reasoning Book by R.S Aggarwal
- Arihant Reasoning Book
Strategy for Main Chapters to Prepare Reasoning for Bank Exams
# Coding & Decoding: This will likely appear as a comprehension of 5 questions in the exam. As you need to solve the comprehension only once and answer all questions on the basis of that, this is an easy and scoring topic. Besides, once you understand the fundamentals of Coding & Decoding, it is an easy enough topic to follow. You may find questions based on
- Coding in Fictitious Language (most likely to appear) OR
- Coding by Letter Shifting.
You may attempt 15 sets on Coding in Fictitious Language and try at least 50 questions on Coding by Letter Shifting (in all different varieties).
# Inequalities: 5 questions on Inequalities will surely appear in this exam. It most likey will be
- Direct Mathematical Inequalities OR
- Coded inequalities (Less chances of appearing, but do practice at least 100 Qs)
Mathematical inequalities are simpler so practice at least 150-200 different types of Qs from this topics. But do prepare for Coded Inequalities too as it can help you score 5 to 7 marks, if asked. Make sure to practice at least 5 sets (of 5 questions each) of both topics in the week leading up to the exam.
# Syllogisms: Up to 5 questions on Syllogisms could appear in the exam. This could be a tricky topic and requires clarity of the concepts involved in Syllogisms. Questions with 2-3 Statements and 2-3 Conclusions with possibility case are most likely to appear. So practice at least 200 questions on Syllogisms.
Don’t forget to focus on the more difficult concepts in Syllogisms like questions with Negative Conclusions, questions with Possibility cases and new type of syllogisms . Solving these will make you perfect even in the basics as it will shape how you approach these questions.
Use Venn diagrams, the simplest method, to solve the questions and get the correct answer.
# Seating Arrangement: You will likely get at least two comprehension of 5-6 questions. This is a topic that you MUST attempt but be careful while doing so. It is a tricky topic and you could easily lose marks if you miss out even a single case. Problems can be either of:
- Circular Arrangement type OR
- Linear Arrangement type.
Along with seating arrangement of people there will be some other information unique to them, making it tougher. It may be Blood Relations, Ages, Occupations, Companies, Habits, etc. of different people. Mostly negative information will be given making the problem even more difficult. So practice different arrangements. Try at least 40-50 sets of Circular and Linear Arrangements each.
# Puzzles: There may be 1 puzzle of 5 questions based on:
- Double Lineup OR
- Scheduling.
Most people get intimidated by the length of these problem and don’t attempt them. These are relatively easy, so don’t be afraid of tackling them. Try at least 40-50 different sets of each type of Puzzle.
# Data Sufficiency: There will be 0 to 2 questions on Data Sufficiency. Try these problems from a wide range of chapters including Blood Relations, Directions & Distances, Ordering & Ranking, Coding & Decoding in Fictitious Language etc. These are generally simple and scoring but Blood Relation problems may be tricky.
Bonus Tip:
Input Output: Although this is usually asked in Mains exams, it might be asked this time in SBI PO Prelims. There may be a comprehension of 0 to 5 questions on Machine Input & Output These are generally easy but time consuming. Focus is required while solving these type of questions as you may miss a word or number which may lead you towards wrong output. You can easily make this your quickest and easiest topic by using this shortcut method to Solve Input Output.
Scoring Chapters to Prepare Reasoning for Banks Exams
Some simple chapters may appear in the exam accounting for up to 2-3 questions. They may not appear at all.
- Ordering & Ranking
- Arrangement & Pattern
- Analogy
- Binary Logic
Strategy for Scoring Chapters to Prepare Reasoning for Bank Exams
Ordering & Ranking: Usually these questions are easy and direct. There may come a comprehension of 2-3 questions. Practice 10 comprehensions of these type including those that test you on counting from the back as well as overlapping counts from the front and back. Learn tricks to help you crack Ordering & Ranking.
- Arrangement & Pattern: Try practicing at least 20 sets each of:
- Number Arrangements
- Random Alphabet Sequences.
In Number Arrangement, questions are either based on groups of 5 numbers each of 3 digits or a series of numbers. Similarly in Random sequence of Alphabets, questions are either based on group of 5 words each of 3 letters or a series of alphabets. Give Dictionary based questions a try as well. Practice at least 25 questions on these.
# Analogy: Practice 40 questions each of
- Number based Analogies
- Letter based Analogies
- GK based Analogies
- Meaning based Analogies.
GK based and Meaning based analogies are extremely quick to solve but can be very unpredictable.
Tricky Chapters to Prepare Reasoning for Bank Exams
Besides these topics there will be some questions on relatively easy chapters. You need to know how to approach these questions and then they will prove easy to solve, although sometimes you may find them difficult. They could also be framed trickily. There could be 2 to 3 questions of each or some topic.
- Directions & Distances
- Blood Relations & Family Tree
- Verbal Reasoning
Strategy for Tricky Chapters to Prepare Reasoning for Bank Exams
· Directions & Distances: This may come as a comprehension of 2 questions. You must practice at least 50 questions on Directions & Distances using this technique. Try the more difficult questions on your own without looking at the solutions. This will help you figure out how to approach these questions and you can be confident of tackling any problem in the exam.
· Blood Relations & Family Tree: Spend some time learning up on different relations. They should be very clear in your mind. Draw family trees for visual clarity. There may come a comprehension of 2-5 questions based on Family tree or Coded blood relation. Try at least 50 questions on Blood Relations. Try a wide variety, make sure to attempt all the problems yourself without referring to a guide or solutions.
Here are some tips that can be fruitful for the preparation of Reasoning
· Scheduled study planning: the exam pattern need to well understood before starting with the preparation. The time-table should have the major areas of the total time along with the weaker sections which need to be focussed.
· Acquaintance with formulas and tables: the reasoning part consists of mainly tables and methods. This helps the candidates with the shortcuts to solve the mathematics-related problems in a less time as most of the candidate waste their time in solving those questions by a lengthy process.
· Basics need to be clear: the fundamentals of the section need to be clear first before proceeding with the difficult questions. There are easy basic question which can fetch the required marks if attempted at first.
· Practice is the key: Practicing regularly helps the candidate to be confident in exam. The questions are tricky so sheer practice will help the aspirant to solve in a lesser time. There are mock papers, sample papers or even previous years question paper through which candidates can practice for preparation.
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