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The Common Recruitment Process for the IBPS Clerk (CRP XV) announced 10,000+ vacancies in August 2025. The Prelim exam is tentatively scheduled to be held in October 2025, and the Main exam, in November 2025.
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 Clerk 2025 Prelim and Main examinations.
The IBPS Clerk Prelim paper comprises essentially three test areas, namely, Numerical Ability, Reasoning Ability, and English Language.
The Reasoning section consists of 35 questions that need to be attempted in 20 minutes.
The total number of marks allotted to this section is 35. 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.
This section offers good scope for score maximisation, as this is a relatively easy 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]
| S. No. | Topic | No. of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| 1 | Linear Arrangement (Unknown number of persons, facing north) | 4 | Easy |
| 2 | Circular Seating Arrangement (8 persons, all facing centre) | 5 | Easy |
| 3 | Distributions (8 persons, 8 months) | 5 | Easy |
| 4 | Distributions (one after another) | 5 | Easy |
| 5 | Comparisons (ordering and sequencing) | 3 | Easy |
| 6 | Mixed Sequence | 5 | Easy |
| 7 | Inequalities | 5 | Easy |
| 8 | Meaningful word | 1 | Easy |
| 9 | Number Arrangement | 1 | Easy |
| 10 | Pairs of letters | 1 | Easy |
Puzzles asked in other slots: Linear arrangement with 8 persons, Floor Arrangement (Four floors; two flats), Box Arrangement (7 boxes), Square arrangement, Distribution (8 persons 3 cities), Circular Seating Arrangement (5 persons facing centre, 2 facing away), 2 rows arrangement, Distributions (Days, Designations, Months and dates), Quant-based Reasoning (7 persons and their ages), Comparisons.
| S. No. | Topic | No. of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| 1 | Distribution (7 persons, 7 days) | 5 | Easy |
| 2 | Distribution (8 persons, 4 months and 2 dates) | 5 | Easy |
| 3 | Circular Seating Arrangement (8 persons, all facing centre) | 5 | Easy |
| 4 | Comparison | 3 | Easy |
| 5 | Number Sequence | 5 | Easy |
| 6 | Blood Relations | 3 | Easy |
| 7 | Deductions / Syllogisms (Only a few) | 2 | Easy |
| 8 | 2-column coding & decoding | 5 | Easy |
| 9 | Meaningful word | 1 | Easy |
| 10 | Number arrangement | 1 | Easy |
Puzzles asked in other slots: Linear arrangement with 8 persons, Floor Arrangement (Four floors; two flats), Box Arrangement (7 boxes), Square arrangement, Distribution (8 persons 3 cities), Circular Seating Arrangement (5 facing centre, 2 facing away), 2 rows arrangement, Distributions (Days, Designations, Months and dates), Quant-based Reasoning (7 persons and their ages), Comparisons.
- Symbols and notations (Inequalities)
- Blood relations
- Direction sense
- Coding-decoding
- Syllogisms (Deductions)
- Puzzles - Linear, Box, Floor, Circular, Distribution, Comparisons, Quant-based Reasoning
- Miscellaneous (Word/Number arrangements, meaningful words, letter series, etc.)
- Data Sufficiency
- Input Output
Attempt Deductions, Blood relations, Directions, Symbols, Word/Number Arrangements and Input/Output first. Then puzzles, starting with comparisons. Save seating and distribution puzzles for last. Attempt Data Sufficiency questions at the end.
The IBPS Clerk Main paper presents four test areas: Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, and General/Financial Awareness.
The Reasoning Ability section has 40 questions in 35 minutes, with 60 marks. Negative marking is 1/4th per wrong answer. A variable marking scheme may apply.
| S. No. | Topic | No. of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| 1 | Blood Relations and their ages (9 persons) | 5 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2 | Distribution (8 persons, 8 designations, 8 sports) | 5 | Moderate |
| 3 | Circle inscribed in a square table + QBR | 5 | Moderate |
| 4 | Box arrangement (7 boxes) | 1 | Easy |
| 5 | Distribution (7 persons, 7 days) | 1 | Easy |
| 6 | 2 row series condition-based | 5 | Moderate |
| 7 | Direction Sense with Symbols | 3 | Moderate |
| 8 | Sequence-Three steps | 4 | Moderate |
| 9 | Input-Output | 5 | Moderate |
| 10 | Data Sufficiency (2 Statements) | 4 | Moderate |
| 11 | Critical Reasoning | 9 | Difficult |
| 12 | Miscellaneous | 3 | Easy |
| S. No. | Topic | No. of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| 1 | Distribution (13 houses, 4 vacant) | 5 | Difficult |
| 2 | Distribution (12 persons, 2 consecutive years) | 5 | Moderate |
| 3 | Box arrangement (3 stacks) | 5 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 4 | Quant-based Reasoning (6 persons, 6 years, base year given) | 1 | Difficult |
| 5 | Linear arrangement (2 row arrangement, non-consecutive letters) | 1 | Easy |
| 6 | Direction Sense | 2 | Moderate |
| 7 | 3 row series condition-based | 4 | Moderate |
| 8 | Coding & decoding (with conditions) | 4 | Moderate |
| 9 | Input and Output (Word-Based) | 5 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 10 | Syllogism (4S + 3C) | 3 | Moderate |
| 11 | Inequalities (coded) | 4 | Easy |
| 12 | Data Sufficiency (3 Statements) | 3 | Moderate |
| 13 | Critical Reasoning | 7 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 14 | Word formation | 1 | Moderate |
- Symbols and notations
- Blood relations
- Direction sense
- Coding-decoding
- Syllogisms
- Puzzles - Linear, Box, Floor, Circular, Distribution (day/month/designation), Comparisons, Quant-based Reasoning
- Data sufficiency
- Input and output
- Miscellaneous (Word/Number arrangements, meaningful word, letter series, etc.)
- Critical Reasoning
Attempt Deductions, Blood relations, Directions, Symbols and Notations, and Input/Output first. Then puzzles. Follow clues in order for easier solving. Save Data Sufficiency and Critical Reasoning for the end. Though Critical Reasoning sounds intimidating, it can be solved quickly by elimination.