IBPS PO Prelim and Main - 2023 – Preparation and Tips for the Reasoning Section

IBPS PO Prelim and Main - 2023 – Preparation and Tips for the Reasoning Section

The Common Recruitment Process for the IBPS PO (CRP XIII) announced 3049 vacancies in August 2023. The Prelim exam is tentatively scheduled to be held in September/October 2023 and the Main exam in November 2023. The skill to get through lies in having an idea about the pattern of previously held exams, analysing papers, and teaching oneself how to strategize.

We bring this article for your benefit, with a few handy inputs on how to prepare for and succeed in, the Reasoning section of the upcoming IBPS PO 2023 Prelim and Main examinations.

IBPS PO Prelim – Reasoning:

The IBPS PO Prelim paper comprises essentially three test areas namely, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language.

The Reasoning section consists of 35 Qs that need to be attempted in 20 mins.

There is a negative marking scheme, where 1/4th of the marks assigned for a question will be deducted for each wrongly marked response.

This section offers a good scope for score maximisation, as this is a relatively easier part of the tests.

The difficulty level of questions in this area in the Prelims is easy to moderate (as per feedback given by T.I.M.E. students who appeared for such exams in the past).

The following data presents the topic wise break-up and analysis of the Prelim exam across the years [Feedback as given by T.I.M.E. students who appeared for similar exams in the past]

IBPS PO Prelim 2022:

S. No. Topic No. of questions Level of Difficulty
1 Coding and Decoding 4 Easy
2 Blood Relations 4 Easy
3 Miscellaneous (Word Arrangement, Word Formation, Number Arrangement, Pair of Digits, Letter Odd Man Out) 5 Easy
Puzzles
4 Linear Arrangement (5 persons; Distribution) 5 Easy to Moderate
5 Two Row Arrangement (Four persons each with distribution) 5 Moderate
6 Circular Arrangement (7 persons; Three persons facing towards the centre and four persons facing away from the centre) 5 Moderate
7 Distribution (Year based – on six persons, six years) 5 Easy
8 Comparisons 3 Easy

Puzzles asked in other slots: Circular Arrangement with Distributions with 6 persons facing inside, Floor Arrangement, Comparison of heights, Distributions - two-row arrangement with 7 persons each, Circular Arrangement with 6 persons and their ages, Floor Arrangement (5 floors and two flats), Linear arrangement with 9 persons, some facing North and some facing South, Box Arrangement + Distribution, Distributions with cities, Purchasing items one after the other, 6 Persons Linear + Distribution, Simple Linear Arrangement, and Designations based.

IBPS PO Prelim 2021:

S. No Topic No. of questions Level of Difficulty
1 Symbols Notations (Inequalities) 2 Easy
2 Direction Sense 2 Moderate
3 Syllogisms / Deductions (Only a few) 3 Moderate
4 Miscellaneous (Letter Arrangement, Number Arrangement, Pair of letters) 3 Easy
Puzzles
5 Linear Arrangement (Unknown number of persons – 14 persons 5 Easy
6 Two Row Arrangements (Seven persons each) 5 Easy to Moderate
7 Distribution (9 Persons + 3 Cities) 5 Easy
8 Distribution (One after the other five persons; colours) 5 Easy to Moderate
9 Floor Arrangement (Three floors; two flats; cities) 5 Moderate

The following areas are considered important for the Prelim exam:

  1. Symbols and notations (Inequalities)
  2. Blood relations
  3. Direction sense
  4. Coding-decoding
  5. Syllogisms (Deductions)
  6. Puzzles - Linear arrangements / Box arrangements / Floor arrangements / Circular arrangements / Distribution (days and months based) / Comparisons / Quant-based Reasoning
  7. Miscellaneous (Word arrangements, Number arrangements, meaning full word, letter series etc….)
  8. Data Sufficiency
  9. Input Output

Though questions on Data Sufficiency are usually posed in the Main exam, candidates are advised not to get complacent and be on their guard, as is clear by the precedent set with the appearance of such questions in the 2018 and 2019 Prelims.

Strategy for Prelim:

It is advisable to attempt questions on Deductions, Blood relations, Directions, Symbols and Notations, Word and Number arrangements and Input and Output before moving on to others.

Solving Puzzles must come next in this process. Here too, it is more timesaving to focus on comparisons before working out Seating arrangements and Distributions, which must be considered towards the end.

It is only very rarely that a few clues are given in a jumbled manner. Usually, from what we hear from our students, clues meant for solving puzzles are presented such that they help solve the given puzzle in the order in which the clues are given, thus obviating the need to move back and forth.

For the sake of time management, questions on Data Sufficiency should be worked out at the end.

IBPS PO Mains – Reasoning:

The IBPS PO Main paper presents four test areas: Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, Data analysis and interpretation, English Language, and General Economy and Banking Awareness.

The Reasoning and Computers part, even though named such, has presented no question related to Computers during the last few years.

The Reasoning and Computer section of the exam consists of 45 Qs that need to be attempted in 60 minutes. Total number of marks allotted to this section is 60. The negative marking scheme put in place for this exam mandates the deduction of 1/4th of the marks assigned for a question, for every incorrect response.

A variable marking scheme MAY BE applicable in the Reasoning section of this exam.

The following data presents the topic-wise break-up and analysis of the Main exam [Feedback as given by T.I.M.E. students who appeared for such exams in the past]

IBPS PO Mains 2022:

S. No. Topic No. of questions Level of Difficulty
1 Two Row Arrangement - 5 persons each and Blood Relation 5 Moderate to Difficult
2 Distribution (Nine people, three states, QBR(Ages)) 4 Moderate to Difficult
3 Designations Based (Twenty-one people, six designations, three conditions) 5 Moderate to Difficult
4 Circular arrangement (five people facing the centre and five people facing away from the centre, Persons sitting in adjacent positions are not in alphabetical order) 3 Moderate
5 Floor arrangement (Nine people, nine floors and variable (9 Languages)). 4 Moderate
6 Months based (Nine people, born different months of the same year + Distribution (colour) 4 Moderate
7 Direction Sense (two buses with stoppages) 3 Moderate
8 Blood Relations with Symbols 3 Easy
9 Symbols and Notations 2 Easy
10 Data sufficiency (2 Stmts) 2 Easy to Moderate
11 Coding and Decoding: Missing and wrongly coded. 3 Moderate
12 Critical Reasoning 7 Moderate

IBPS PO Mains 2021:

S. No. Topic No. of questions Level of Difficulty
1 Deductions (Syllogisms) with Symbols 2 Easy to Moderate
2 Directions Sense with Symbols 4 Moderate
3 Floor Arrangement (four floors + sixteen persons) 5 Difficult
4 Distribution: Nine Students + Three Departments (Min 2, Max 4) + Nine Colours (Min 2, Max 4) 5 Moderate
5 Row arrangement (30 people + 3 rows) 5 Difficult
6 Puzzle (7 persons + 3 vowels + 4 consonants + Experience (Even, Odd)) 5 Moderate
7 Symbols and Notations 2 Easy
8 Data Sufficiency (2 Stmts) 2 Easy to Moderate
9 Input-Output 5 Moderate
10 Puzzle - Certain Linear (More than 9, Less than 12) 1 Easy
11 Meaningful Word 3 Easy
12 Two Concentric Squares 2 Easy to Moderate
13 Critical Reasoning 4 Moderate

The following areas are considered important for the Main exam:

  1. Symbols and notations
  2. Blood relations
  3. Direction sense
  4. Coding-decoding
  5. Syllogisms
  6. Puzzles - Linear arrangements / Box arrangements / Floor arrangements / Circular arrangements / Distribution (day and month and designation-based / Comparisons / Quant based Reasoning
  7. Data sufficiency
  8. Input and output
  9. Miscellaneous (Word arrangements, Number arrangements, meaningful word, letter series etc.)
  10. Critical Reasoning

Strategy for the Main exam:

Though everything in an exam seems important, it is essential to prioritise the order in which you handle questions. In order to maximise the score, we recommend the below-mentioned plan for attempting questions.

It is advisable to attempt questions on Deductions, Blood relations, Directions, Symbols and Notations and Input and Output before moving on to others.

Solving puzzles must come next in this process. In recent Main exams, it was observed that the clue pattern in puzzles was very lengthy and elaborative. If we follow the clues in the order in which they are presented in the puzzle, solving will become easier. So, these are a must-attempt ones.

New patterns in puzzles have also been observed in recent exams. A set of instructions is given, and the test-taker is expected to understand the given instructions and implement them properly. It is only very rarely that a few clues are given in a jumbled manner. Usually, from what we hear from our students, clues meant for solving puzzles are presented such that they help solve the given puzzle in the order in which the clues are given, thus obviating the need to move back and forth.

For the sake of time management, questions on Data Sufficiency and Critical Reasoning should be worked out towards the end. Though Critical Reasoning sounds intimidating, its questions do not take much time to answer and can be easily worked out by elimination. However, the like