RBI Grade B Reasoning and Analytical Ability Syllabus

In a linear seating arrangement where all persons face North, who is to the right of a given person?

The person seated to the observer's/our right of them — for North-facing rows, "right" means toward the East end; left means toward the West end.

In a linear arrangement, if persons face South, how does left/right reverse compared to facing North?

It reverses: for South-facing persons, your right is their left and your left is their right, so left/right of each person flips relative to North-facing rows.

In circular seating where all face the centre, in which rotational direction is a person's right?

When facing the centre, a person's right hand points in the clockwise... actually anticlockwise direction; left points clockwise. (Facing centre: right = anticlockwise side, left = clockwise side.)

In circular seating where all face outward (away from centre), how does the clockwise/anticlockwise sense for left/right change?

It reverses versus facing-centre: for outward-facing persons, right = clockwise direction and left = anticlockwise direction.

What does "immediate neighbours" mean in a seating arrangement, and how many does a person in the middle of a row have?

Immediate neighbours are persons seated directly adjacent. A middle person in a single row has two; a person at either end has only one.

In puzzle solving, what is the recommended first step when given conditions and a fixed number of positions/slots?

Identify the fixed/definite clues first (those giving exact positions), build the base diagram, then apply conditional/negative clues to fill remaining slots.

In floor-based puzzles, if floors are numbered 1 (bottom) to 7 (top), what does "P lives immediately above Q" mean?

P's floor number is exactly one more than Q's (P = Q + 1); P is directly on the next higher floor.

In ordering and ranking, if a person is 7th from the top and 11th from the bottom, what is the total number of people?

Total = (7 + 11) - 1 = 17. (Formula: position from top + position from bottom - 1.)

In ranking, if there are 40 students and a person is 12th from the top, what is their rank from the bottom?

Rank from bottom = (Total + 1) - rank from top = (40 + 1) - 12 = 29th from the bottom.

In ordering and ranking, how do you find the number of people between two persons given their positions from the same end?

Number between = (difference of their positions) - 1. E.g., 5th and 12th from top: 12 - 5 - 1 = 6 people between them.

In Input-Output reasoning, what is the "machine" doing in each step?

It rearranges a given input (words/numbers) following a fixed logical rule per step, producing the next step until a final arrangement is reached.

What are the common rearrangement logics tested in Input-Output problems?

Arranging words alphabetically, numbers in ascending/descending order, shifting the largest/smallest or first/last element to one end per step, or a combination of word-and-number sorting.

In Input-Output, how do you find the rule when given an input and several intermediate steps?

Compare consecutive steps to see which element moves and where; the consistent pattern (e.g., smallest number goes to front each step) reveals the operating logic, which you then apply forward or backward.

In Statement and Assumptions, what is an "assumption"?

Something taken for granted or presupposed by the statement — an unstated idea that must be true for the statement/action to make sense.

What is the standard test for whether an assumption is implicit in a statement?

If the statement could not hold or the action would be pointless without that idea being true, the assumption is implicit. If the statement stands without it, the assumption is not implicit.

In Statement and Assumptions, are facts already stated in the statement considered valid assumptions?

No. An assumption must be something unstated/presupposed. If it is directly mentioned in the statement, it is not an assumption (it is a stated fact).

In Course of Action questions, what makes a suggested action valid (one that "follows")?

It must be practical, address the problem in the statement, and lead to improvement/solution without being extreme or impractical; it should logically follow from the given problem.

In Statement and Inference, what is an "inference"?

A conclusion drawn from the given facts/data that is not directly stated but logically derivable as probably true based on the information provided.

How does an inference differ from an assumption?

An assumption is presupposed (taken for granted before/underlying the statement); an inference is a logical conclusion derived after, from the stated facts.

In Strengthening and Weakening arguments, what does a statement that "strengthens" an argument do?

It provides additional evidence or support that makes the conclusion more likely to be true — it reinforces the link between premise and conclusion.

What does a statement that "weakens" an argument do?

It introduces a fact, alternative cause, or counter-evidence that makes the conclusion less likely or attacks the assumption connecting premise to conclusion.

In argument evaluation, why is an "out of scope" or irrelevant statement neither strengthening nor weakening?

Because it does not bear on the argument's specific conclusion or assumption; only statements directly affecting the premise-conclusion link count as strong/weak.

In a number series, identify the pattern: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, …. What is the next term?

42. The differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 (increasing even numbers); 30 + 12 = 42. (Pattern: n(n+1).)

In a number series, what is the next term of 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, …?

96. Each term is multiplied by 2 (geometric progression with ratio 2).

In analogy, how do you solve "AB : CD :: EF : ?" type letter analogies?

Find the positional/shift relationship in the first pair (e.g., +2 to each letter) and apply the identical rule to the second pair to get the answer.

In a number analogy like 6 : 36 :: 8 : ?, what is the answer and the logic?

64. The relationship is square (6^2 = 36), so 8^2 = 64.

What is the missing term in the series 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, …, and what is the rule?

36. The series is perfect squares (1^2, 2^2, 3^2, 4^2, 5^2, 6^2).

In Logical Data Arrangement (classification/grouping puzzles), what is the key first step?

Categorize given entities by the defining attribute (e.g., department, day, colour) and use the constraints to map each entity to exactly one group/slot.

In Decision Making questions, what is the correct approach when given a set of conditions and candidate cases?

Check each case against every stated condition; the candidate qualifies only if all essential conditions are met (or the specified exception applies), otherwise they are rejected or referred.

In Decision Making, how should an "exception clause" (e.g., "if not, refer to higher authority") be treated?

When a candidate fails a primary condition but the data triggers the exception, apply the exception's prescribed action rather than outright rejection.

In Coding-Decoding, what is the technique for a "mixed/conditional" coding where rules depend on element position or type?

First note the conditions (e.g., if first element is a vowel, swap codes of first and last), apply each condition in stated priority order to the given sequence to derive the final code.