IBPS Clerk Reasoning Ability Syllabus

Reasoning Ability syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Reasoning Ability in IBPS Clerk, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Logical Reasoning

   6 topics

   • Puzzles
   • Seating Arrangement
   • Syllogism
   • Blood Relations
   • Input-Output
   • Coding-Decoding
2. 2

   Non-Verbal Reasoning

   5 topics

   • Series
   • Analogy
   • Classification
   • Mirror Images
   • Water Images

Reasoning Ability flashcards for IBPS Clerk

22 of 50 cards from the Reasoning Ability deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In syllogism, what is the meaning of the statement 'Some A are B'?

   At least one A is B (the two sets overlap in at least one element). It does NOT confirm anything about the remaining A or B, and 'Some A are B' also implies 'Some B are A'.

2. What conversion (implication) is always valid for a universal affirmative statement 'All A are B'?

   It implies 'Some A are B' and 'Some B are A'. It does NOT imply 'All B are A'.

3. What conversion is always valid for the universal negative statement 'No A are B'?

   It implies 'No B are A' (full conversion) and also 'Some A are not B' / 'Some B are not A'.

4. In syllogism, can a definite positive conclusion ever be drawn from two particular ('Some') premises?

   No. From two particular premises no definite conclusion follows; at most a 'possibility' type conclusion may hold.

5. In syllogism, what happens when both premises are negative?

   No definite conclusion can be drawn from two negative premises.

6. What is the rule about the middle term in a valid syllogism?

   The middle term (common term) must be distributed (cover the whole set) at least once across the premises; otherwise no valid conclusion connecting the end terms is possible.

7. In syllogism 'possibility' conclusions, when is a possibility statement always TRUE?

   A possibility is true whenever the opposite situation is not already a definite fact. If the definite (must-be-true) case is established, the possibility of the negation is false; otherwise possibility holds.

8. What is a 'complementary pair' (either-or case) in syllogism conclusions?

   When two conclusions individually do not follow but together exhaust all options (e.g., 'Some A are B' and 'Some A are not B') and share the same subject and predicate, the Either-Or rule applies and one of them must be true.

9. From 'All A are B' and 'All B are C', what definite conclusion follows?

   'All A are C' (and hence 'Some C are A', 'Some A are C').

10. From 'No A are B' and 'All C are B', what conclusion follows?

    'No C are A' (equivalently 'No A are C'), since C lies entirely within B which is separate from A.

11. In coded inequality, if the code is: P@Q means P ≥ Q, P#Q means P ≤ Q, P&Q means P > Q, P*Q means P < Q, P$Q means P = Q — how do you decode a chain to find the relation between the ends?

    Substitute each symbol with its real inequality sign, then combine the chain. The relation between the two end variables is valid only if a continuous, same-direction (or equality) link connects them.

12. In an inequality chain, when is the combined relation between two end terms NOT determinable?

    When the signs change direction (e.g., A > B < C): you cannot establish a definite relation between A and C because the middle term is smaller than both.

13. How do you combine A ≥ B and B > C? What is the relation between A and C?

    A > C. The strict '>' dominates: A ≥ B > C gives A > C (and A ≠ C).

14. How do you combine A > B and B ≥ C to relate A and C?

    A > C. A strict inequality anywhere in a same-direction chain makes the result strict: A > B ≥ C gives A > C.

15. When does the 'Either-Or' case arise in inequality conclusions?

    When neither conclusion is individually true, both conclusions involve the SAME two variables, together they cover all possibilities (e.g., A ≥ B and A < B, or A ≥ B paired with A = B and A > B), and the chain yields A ≥ B or A ≤ B.

16. From A = B ≥ C, can you conclude A > C, A = C, or A ≥ C?

    A ≥ C is the only definite conclusion. Neither A > C nor A = C alone is definite, but together (A > C, A = C) they form a valid Either-Or pair.

17. In a statement-and-conclusion question, what does it mean for a conclusion to 'follow'?

    A conclusion follows only if it can be logically and necessarily derived from the given statement(s) alone, without using any outside/assumed knowledge.

18. What is the core test for whether an 'assumption' is implicit in a statement?

    An assumption is something taken for granted (unstated) that the statement/argument logically depends on. Negation test: if negating the assumption breaks the statement, it is implicit.

19. In assumption questions, why are statements of 'fact', 'already obvious information', or 'future predictions' usually NOT valid assumptions?

    An assumption must be an unstated supposition the speaker presupposes. Restating given facts, stating the obvious, or predicting the future are not things 'taken for granted' to make the statement meaningful, so they are not implicit.

20. What is the difference between an inference and an assumption?

    An assumption is presupposed (comes before, supports the statement); an inference is concluded (comes after, derived from the statement). Assumption = hidden premise; inference = drawn-out conclusion.

21. In Cause and Effect questions, how do you identify the cause versus the effect?

    The cause is the event that occurs first and brings about the second; the effect is the result that follows. The cause must logically and chronologically precede the effect.

22. In Cause and Effect, what does it mean when 'both events are independent causes'?

    Both events are effects of some common/third unmentioned cause, or each occurs independently — neither one causes the other.

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