IBPS SO Reasoning (High Level) Syllabus

Reasoning (High Level) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Reasoning (High Level) in IBPS SO, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Verbal and Analytical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Syllogism
     • Two-statement and multi-statement syllogisms
     • Possibility cases and reverse syllogism
     • Coded and 'either-or' conclusions
   • Statement and Assumptions / Inference / Conclusion
   • Cause and Effect, Course of Action
   • Critical Reasoning and Logical Argument Evaluation
     • Strengthening and weakening arguments
     • Identifying flaws and unstated premises
2. 2

   Seating Arrangement and Puzzles

   5 topics

   • Linear Arrangement
     • Single row facing one direction
     • Double row facing each other
   • Circular and Square / Rectangular Arrangement
     • Facing centre and outward variations
     • Uneven distance and gap-based puzzles
   • Box / Floor / Stack Puzzles
   • Scheduling Puzzles (days, months, years)
   • Comparison and Ranking Based Puzzles
3. 3

   Ordering, Coding and Relations

   5 topics

   • Coding-Decoding
     • Letter-shifting and symbol coding
     • Chinese / new-pattern coding
     • Coded blood relations and directions
   • Blood Relations and Family Tree
   • Direction Sense and Distance
   • Order, Ranking and Comparison
   • Alphanumeric and Symbol Series
4. 4

   Logical Data and Decision Reasoning

   5 topics

   • Data Sufficiency
     • Two-statement sufficiency
     • Three-statement sufficiency
   • Input-Output (Machine Logic)
   • Logical / Analytical Decision Making
   • Coded Inequality and Direct Inequality
     • Coded symbol inequalities
     • Mixed and 'either-or' inequality cases
   • Data and Condition Based Eligibility

Reasoning (High Level) flashcards for IBPS SO

19 of 51 cards from the Reasoning (High Level) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In syllogism, what does the statement "All A are B" imply about the converse?

   It implies "Some B are A" is definitely true, but "All B are A" is not necessarily true. Universal affirmative converts only to a particular affirmative.

2. What are the four standard categorical propositions used in syllogism and their codes?

   A = Universal Affirmative (All A are B), E = Universal Negative (No A is B), I = Particular Affirmative (Some A are B), O = Particular Negative (Some A are not B).

3. In syllogism, when do we draw a "possibility" conclusion as definitely true?

   A possibility conclusion is true when the given statements do not rule it out, i.e., the scenario described in the conclusion can be drawn without contradicting any statement (no definite negative statement forbids it).

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

   Either-Or applies when two conclusions are individually false but together exhaust all possibilities (same subject and predicate, one positive and one negative, and both cannot be false simultaneously).

5. From "Some A are B" and "All B are C", what definite conclusion follows?

   "Some A are C" follows (and its converse "Some C are A"). Some A, being B, must be C.

6. In a syllogism, can a valid definite conclusion ever be more general (universal) than its weakest premise?

   No. If any premise is particular (I/O), the conclusion must be particular; if any premise is negative (E/O), the conclusion must be negative. The conclusion follows the weaker premise.

7. What is the key difference between a Statement-Assumption question and a Statement-Inference question?

   An assumption is something taken for granted/presupposed (hidden, unstated) for the statement to hold; an inference is a conclusion logically drawn FROM the given information that goes beyond what is directly stated.

8. In Statement-Assumption questions, what makes an assumption invalid?

   An assumption is invalid if it is too strong/extreme, restates the statement, is unrelated, or is not actually necessary for the statement to make sense. Only the implicitly necessary presupposition is valid.

9. What distinguishes a "Conclusion" from an "Inference" in high-level reasoning?

   A conclusion is a fact/judgement that can be definitely deduced from the statement using the stated facts; an inference may rely on probability/general knowledge derived from the data. Conclusions must follow directly without external assumptions.

10. In Cause and Effect questions, how do you identify which event is the cause?

    The cause is the event that occurs first (independent event) and triggers the other; the effect occurs later as a result. Check chronology and dependency: removing the cause should remove the effect.

11. In Cause and Effect, what does it mean if both statements are "independent causes"?

    Both events are caused by some common/third independent factor, and neither one is the cause or effect of the other.

12. What is the rule for evaluating a "Course of Action" in reasoning?

    A course of action is valid only if it is practical, addresses the problem stated, and is likely to produce improvement. It must directly follow from the problem and not be merely a future possibility or assumption.

13. In Critical Reasoning, what is the difference between strengthening and weakening an argument?

    Strengthening provides additional support that makes the conclusion more likely true; weakening introduces a fact/alternative that undermines the link between premises and conclusion (often an alternative cause or counterexample).

14. In logical argument evaluation, what is an "assumption" that the argument depends on?

    It is the unstated premise that must be true for the conclusion to logically follow from the stated premises. Negating it (the negation test) destroys the argument.

15. What logical flaw is "correlation implies causation" in critical reasoning?

    It is the flaw of assuming that because two events occur together, one causes the other, ignoring coincidence, reverse causation, or a third common factor.

16. In a linear arrangement, what does "facing north" mean for left/right directions of the persons?

    When all face north, a person's left is to the observer's left (west) and right is east; so the leftmost person is at the west end. (When facing south, left/right are reversed relative to the observer.)

17. In linear arrangement puzzles, what is the standard approach for two parallel rows facing each other?

    Persons in row 1 face north and row 2 face south (or vice versa); each person in one row faces a person opposite. Fix immovable clues first, then place relative positions, noting that left/right are mirrored between the two rows.

18. In a circular arrangement, how do left/right differ when persons face the centre versus face outward?

    Facing the centre: a person's left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise. Facing outward: left is anticlockwise and right is clockwise. (Directions reverse between the two facings.)

19. In circular seating, if 8 people sit equidistant facing the centre, what is the relationship between a person and the one "third to the right"?

    Moving third to the right means moving 3 seats anticlockwise (since right = anticlockwise when facing centre). The person directly opposite is the 4th person (half of 8).

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