Check how to prepare for Reasoning Ability

IBPS PO Reasoning Preparation Strategy 2022: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is inviting online applications from eligible candidates for the recruitment of 6432 Probationary Officer (PO)/ Management Trainee (MT) posts in the participating banks. The examination will be in two tiers i.e. the online examination will be held in two phases, Online Preliminary and Online Main. Candidates who will qualify in the Online Preliminary examination and shortlisted will have to appear for the Online Main examination and shortlisted candidates in the Online Main examination will subsequently be called for a Common Interview to be conducted by the Participating Banks and co-ordinated by the Nodal Bank. Candidates shortlisted will be provisionally allotted to one of the Participating Banks.

About IBPS PO Recruitment

IBPS, an autonomous body, has received a mandate from the participating banks (as mentioned below), to conduct the recruitment process as mentioned above, once a year. This system of Common Recruitment Process- Online Preliminary & Online Main Examination, Common Interview, and provisional allotment for recruitment of Probationary Officer/ Management Trainee posts in Participating Banks has the approval of the appropriate authorities.

IBPS PO Recruitment 2022 Calendar

IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2022

The selection process of IBPS PO Recruitment 2021 consists of – Online Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and Interview round. The selection of candidates for the IBPS PO Recruitment 2021 will be done through this three-tiered process.

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2022

IBPS PO Prelims 2021 Exam will be conducted online in Objective Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) format. The exam will contain questions from three subjects and there will be separate sectional timing for each section. Have a look at the exam pattern for the prelims exam here:

Note for Prelims:

Candidates need to qualify in all three sections by obtaining minimum cut-off marks that will be decided by the IBPS.

There will be a negative marking of 1/4th or 0.25 marks for each wrong answer and there will be no penalty for questions left unanswered.

IBPS PO 2022 Prelims Reasoning Ability Important Topics

Syllabus: Alphanumeric Series, Input-Output, Syllogism, Puzzle/Seating Arrangement, Circular & Linear Arrangement, Direction Sense, Symbol Sequence Series, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Tabulation, Order & Ranking, Inequalities (Coded, Direct), Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning

IBPS PO Prelims Reasoning Ability: Number of Questions asked in 2021

Also Read: IBPS PO 2022: Check Eligibility Criteria, Age Limit, Qualifications, Selection Process, Application Process, Vacancies

Also Read: IBPS PO 2022: Check PayScale, Allowances, Promotion, Job Profile, Career Growth, Vacancies

Top 7 Tips: How to prepare for Reasoning Ability in IBPS PO Prelims 2022

The Reasoning Ability section in the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims is an important section that carries 35 marks. Candidates will be asked 35 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) from Reasoning Ability. There is a sectional timing of 20 minutes. The Reasoning Ability section of the IBPS PO Prelims is based on logical reasoning to test the problem-solving skills, accuracy, and speed of the candidates. One needs to practice and develop their basic puzzle-solving skills and understand tricks to enhance accuracy. With regular practice and understanding of topics such as Puzzles/Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order & Ranking, Series, etc, one can score high marks in the Reasoning Ability section in the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims.

Candidates who appeared in the IBPS PO 2021 Prelims exam on the 4th and 11th December 2021 shared their feedback that the overall difficulty level of the Reasoning Ability questions was ‘Easy to Moderate‘ and they were able to make 20 to 25 good attempts.

Check out top 7 tips to prepare Reasoning Ability:

1. Analyse syllabus, section-wise important topics, exam pattern, cut-off, last year’s exam analysis

Start by analyzing the syllabus, section-wise important topics, exam pattern, the cut-off of previous years, questions asked, and last year’s exam analysis to make a schedule, and a systematic approach to prepare for the Reasoning Ability section of the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims. Set aside ample time to practice the Reasoning Ability section to improve your solving speed and accuracy. Assess your present score by solving topic-wise practice questions using conventional methods. You can implement a faster approach once you have understood the theoretical concept, formulas, and other crucial steps to avoid any confusion.

Also Read: IBPS PO 2022: Check Syllabus & Latest Exam Pattern

2. Assess your strengths and weakness, Prepare strategy & sequence of questions when attempting

Reasoning Ability is the most scoring section in the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims if one is prepared well. Assess your strength and weakness so that you do not get stuck on questions that are not your strong areas or which require too time-consuming. Study different types of questions through previous years’ question papers. During the exam, the best strategy for attempting the Reasoning Ability section is to start Inequality, Syllogism, Blood Relations, Distance & Direction, Alphanumeric Series.

3. Strengthen reasoning skills, improve speed & accuracy, develop formula tricks

Reasoning Ability is one of the lengthiest and most time-consuming sections of the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims. Candidates should focus on speed and accuracy to finish 35 questions in the allotted time of 20 minutes. Practice is the key to strengthening reasoning skills. Understand the concept of solving linear seating arrangement, blood relation with seating arrangement, puzzles (floor-based, scheduling-based, tabular-based), syllogisms (basics & reverse), inequalities (coded & direct), distance & direction sense (basic directions, Pythagoras theorem), etc.

4. Regularly solve at least 10 to 20 Reasoning questions from different topics

One should solve at least 10 to 20 Reasoning questions from different topics mentioned in the Reasoning Ability Section of the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims. Some of the important topics are Puzzles/ Seating Arrangement, Inequality, Syllogism, Alphanumeric Series, Input-Output, Blood Relations, and Direction Sense.

5. Reasoning Ability Topic-wise preparation tips and strategies

We have shared the important topic and topics-wise expected number of questions in the Reasoning Ability section in the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims to help you score better. Practice different Puzzles/Seating Arrangement questions (Linear, Circular, Square, Scheduling-based, Comparison-based, etc); Blood Relations (Direct or Coded Blood Relation, Generation or Relationship Tree, etc). Practice Direction Sense (draw lines while solving to keep clarity), Alphanumeric/Number Series, Syllogism, Inequality, and Input-Output.

6. Practice Reasoning Ability quizzes, mock test papers, previous years’ papers

The Reasoning Ability section is allotted 20 minutes for 35 questions. Practice as many Reasoning Ability quizzes, mock test papers, previous years’ papers as possible to keep assessing your performance. One should solve previous years’ question papers with a timer in place to adapt to the exam pattern of the IBPS PO 2022 Prelims. Master basic Reasoning Skills, understand concepts of Puzzles/Seating Arrangement, etc to increase speed and accuracy.

Also Read: IBPS PO 2021 Prelims Memory Based Question Paper with Answer Keys PDF: Download Reasoning Ability Solved Questions

7. Attempt only what you know correctly to avoid penalty

The IBPS PO Prelims are qualifying exams to reach the Mains. One need not attempt each and every question. For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of 1/4th or 0.25 marks. Candidates are advised to attempt the questions correctly or else leave them blank to avoid penalties. In case a question is left blank or not answered, there will be no negative marking for it. In a computer-based exam, one will not have the option to go back once the allotted time is over.

Wish you the best!

IBPS PO Application Form 2022 (Active)