IBPS RRB 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 RRB, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Verbal and Analytical Reasoning

   5 topics

   • Syllogism
     • Possibility cases
     • Reverse syllogism
   • Coding-Decoding
     • New pattern (sentence/symbol based) coding
     • Chinese coding
   • Inequality (Direct and Coded)
   • Blood Relations
     • Coded blood relations
     • Family tree puzzles
   • Direction Sense and Distance
2. 2

   Seating Arrangement and Puzzles

   5 topics

   • Linear Seating Arrangement
     • Single row and double row
     • Uni-directional and bi-directional
   • Circular and Square Arrangement
   • Floor and Flat Based Puzzles
   • Scheduling Puzzles (day/month/box based)
   • Comparison and Ranking Puzzles
3. 3

   Logical and Non-Verbal Reasoning

   7 topics

   • Order and Ranking
   • Alphanumeric Series
   • Logical Statement and Conclusion
   • Statement and Assumptions/Arguments
   • Cause and Effect
   • Course of Action
   • Analogy and Classification (Odd one out)
4. 4

   Data-Based and Input-Output Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Data Sufficiency in Reasoning
   • Machine Input-Output
   • Word and Number Arrangement
   • Critical Reasoning

Reasoning Ability flashcards for IBPS RRB

22 of 51 cards from the Reasoning Ability deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In syllogism, what does the statement "All A are B" allow you to conclude about the relationship between A and B?

   Every member of A is contained within B (A is a subset of B). The converse "Some B are A" is always valid, but "All B are A" is not necessarily true.

2. What is a 'possibility case' in syllogism and when is a conclusion containing 'can be' (possibility) considered true?

   A possibility conclusion is true if there exists at least one valid arrangement (Venn diagram) of the statements where that case holds without contradicting any given statement.

3. In syllogism, from "Some A are B" + "All B are C", which definite conclusion follows?

   Some A are C (definitely true). Also 'Some C are A' is true. 'All' type conclusions are not definite.

4. What is the rule for 'Either-Or' conclusions in syllogism?

   Either-Or is applied when two conclusions individually are false, they have the same subject and predicate, and together they cover all possibilities (i.e., they are complementary, such as 'Some A are B' and 'No A are B').

5. From the negative statements "No A are B" + "No B are C", what conclusion can be drawn?

   No definite conclusion follows. Two negative/particular-negative statements together yield no valid universal conclusion (A and C may or may not overlap).

6. In coding-decoding, what is 'letter-shifting' coding and how do you decode a forward-shift code?

   Each letter is shifted a fixed number of positions in the alphabet (e.g., +1: A→B). To decode, shift each coded letter backward by the same number of positions.

7. In coding-decoding, describe the technique for solving 'substitution/word-as-symbol' coding where whole words are replaced by codes.

   Compare statements that share common words; the common code corresponds to the common word. Match positions/repetitions to isolate each word's code one at a time.

8. What is the standard numeric value of letters used in number-coding (A=1 to Z=26) and the reverse/opposite value of a letter?

   A=1, B=2 ... Z=26. The opposite (reverse) value = 27 minus position (e.g., A↔Z, B↔Y), since position + reverse position = 27.

9. In coded inequality, what symbols and rules let you combine relations to reach a conclusion?

   Convert coded symbols to <, >, =, ≤, ≥. A valid conclusion requires an unbroken chain of inequalities pointing in a consistent direction (e.g., A>B>C gives A>C).

10. In inequality, when both '>' and '≥' appear in a chain (A > B ≥ C), what can you conclude about A and C?

    A > C (the strict '>' dominates). A ≥ C would be wrong because A is strictly greater than B which is at least C.

11. In inequality, why can't you conclude a relation from A > B < C between A and C?

    The inequalities point in opposite directions (B is smaller than both), so there is no common chain; the relation between A and C is indeterminate.

12. What is the Either-Or rule in inequalities and give an example pair?

    Either-Or applies when two conclusions are individually false but complementary (cover all cases) with the same elements, e.g., A ≥ B yields 'Either A > B or A = B'.

13. In blood relations, what relation is 'my father's sister' and 'my mother's brother'?

    Father's sister = paternal aunt (bua); Mother's brother = maternal uncle (mama).

14. In blood relations, decode: 'A is the son of B; B is the daughter of C.' How is C related to A?

    C is A's maternal grandparent (grandfather or grandmother), since B is A's mother and C is B's parent.

15. In coded blood relations, what do the typical symbols A+B, A-B, A×B, A÷B usually represent (one common convention)?

    A common convention: A+B = A is father of B; A-B = A is sister of B; A×B = A is brother of B; A÷B = A is mother of B (always confirm from the question's key).

16. In a 'pointing to a photo' blood relation puzzle, how do you interpret 'the only son of my mother'?

    If the speaker is male, 'the only son of my mother' is the speaker himself; if female, it refers to her only brother.

17. In direction sense, list the four main and four ordinal directions and the standard reference orientation.

    Main: North, South, East, West. Ordinal: NE, NW, SE, SW. Standard: North is up, South down, East right, West left.

18. In direction sense, how do shortest (displacement) distance get calculated when a person walks two perpendicular legs of length a and b?

    Shortest distance = √(a² + b²), using the Pythagoras theorem (the two legs form the perpendicular sides of a right triangle).

19. In direction sense, if you face North and turn 90° clockwise, then 180°, which direction do you now face?

    Facing North, 90° clockwise → East; then 180° → West. Final direction: West.

20. What is the effect of a left turn vs a right turn on direction when facing South?

    Facing South: a left turn faces you East; a right turn faces you West.

21. In linear seating arrangement, what is the difference between a single-row (all facing same way) and a two-row (facing each other) setup regarding left/right?

    Single row facing North: left = west side, right = east side. In two facing rows, members of opposite rows face each other, so one person's left aligns with the opposite person's right.

22. In linear arrangements, if persons face North, who is to the immediate right of someone and how does it relate to position order?

    When facing North, immediate right is the next person toward the East (higher position number if numbered left-to-right); immediate left is toward the West.

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