The role of Reasoning in banking exams
In the IBPS prelims, Reasoning Ability has 35 questions in 20 minutes with a one-fourth penalty for wrong answers. A large part of the section is built from puzzle sets: a seating arrangement, a floor puzzle or a scheduling puzzle that carries five questions. A candidate who solves such a set correctly collects five marks in about seven minutes; one who chooses the wrong set can lose the same seven minutes and gain nothing. The rest of the section is made of shorter questions: inequalities, syllogisms, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense and data sufficiency. In mains, Reasoning is combined with Computer Aptitude and has harder puzzles and input-output questions.
Question families
| Family | Typical size | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzles and seating arrangements (linear, circular, floor, scheduling) | One or two sets, 5 questions each | Clean diagram; fixed facts first; case analysis |
| Inequalities | 5 questions | Combine the chain; test each conclusion |
| Syllogisms | 3-5 questions | Venn diagrams |
| Coding-decoding and input-output | 3-5 questions | Find the rule; apply it stepwise |
| Blood relations and direction sense | 2-4 questions | Family tree; coordinates |
| Data sufficiency, order and ranking | 2-4 questions | Test each statement alone and together |
Worked examples
A seating puzzle. Five people, P, Q, R, S and T, sit in a row facing north. Q sits at the left end. P sits second to the right of Q. S sits immediately to the right of P. T does not sit at an end. Who sits at the right end? Q is in position 1, P in position 3 and S in position 4. R and T remain for positions 2 and 5; T is not at an end, so T is in position 2 and R is in position 5. The arrangement Q T P S R is the only one that fits.
An inequality. Given A > B ≥ C = D, which conclusions are true: (I) A > C, (II) D ≤ B? Both are true: A > B ≥ C gives A > C, and D = C ≤ B gives D ≤ B.
A syllogism. All pens are books. Some books are bags. Does "some pens are bags" follow? No: the books that are bags may not include any pens.
A coding question. If COLD is coded as DPME, how is WARM coded? Each letter moves one place forward, so WARM becomes XBSN.
A blood relation. A is B's brother and B is C's mother. How is A related to C? A is C's maternal uncle.
The seating puzzle above is a miniature: a real set has more people, more attributes and subtler conditions, but the structure of the solution is the same.
A method for puzzles
- Read all the conditions once and note which are definite (a fixed position) and which are relative.
- Draw the skeleton (a row, a circle, a table of days) and label the positions.
- Place the certain items first, then use relative conditions to narrow the rest.
- Branch only when forced, labelling the cases and carrying both until a later condition removes one.
- Verify the final arrangement against every condition before answering.
The general technique is also set out in how to solve logical reasoning puzzles step by step.
Puzzle triage in the first minute
A puzzle is promising if the first three conditions let you place at least three entities, if there are few "either-or" conditions and if some questions can be answered from partial information. It is risky if almost all conditions are relative, if many have two possibilities and if there are many attributes to track. Mark risky sets and take the short questions first. If you have time later, return to them. A time box of seven minutes for a five-question puzzle is a sensible limit.
Time management for 20 minutes
| Stage | Time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Short questions (inequalities, syllogisms, coding, relations) | About 8 minutes | Fast marks; about 35 to 45 seconds each |
| Best puzzle set | About 7 minutes | Time-boxed; clean diagram |
| Second puzzle or marked questions | About 3 minutes | Only if the set is promising |
| Check | About 2 minutes | Verify diagram-dependent answers |
The order can vary: some candidates take the puzzle while their mind is fresh. Test both in mocks.
Negative marking in Reasoning
For short questions, informed guesses are reasonable. For puzzles, accuracy matters more: a wrong early deduction makes several answers wrong at once, and a guess on a puzzle question without a solved structure is close to random. Track net marks by family. See our negative marking guide.
How to practise
- Family drills: one family a day, with a method card. See syllogisms, blood relations, direction sense, coding-decoding and number series.
- Puzzle sets: two or three a week, first untimed, then with a seven-minute box.
- 20-minute sectionals: two a week in the middle phase.
- Full papers: weekly in the last two months.
Analysing your Reasoning result
| Pattern | Probable cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzle answers all wrong in one set | An early wrong deduction | Redo with a clean diagram; verify against all conditions |
| Time overrun on a puzzle | Poor triage | Judge in 30 seconds; use a seven-minute box |
| Errors in syllogisms | No diagrams | Always draw Venn diagrams |
| Short questions unfinished | Slow recognition | Family drills and timed mixed sets |
| Guessed answers losing marks | Guessing on puzzles | Guess only on short questions after elimination |
Common mistakes in banking Reasoning preparation
- Solving every puzzle regardless of difficulty.
- Drawing a messy first diagram.
- Guessing on puzzle questions.
- Practising untimed.
- Skipping the short questions, which are fast marks.
Related pages
See the banking hub, the exam pattern and the mock test strategy. Other sections: Quantitative Aptitude, English and General Awareness. For a worked review read how to use mock tests for banking exams. Reasoning tests published by institutes appear below.
Note: the section sizes above are for the IBPS prelims; other exams differ, so confirm the pattern in the notification of your exam.