SBI PO / 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 SBI PO / Clerk, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Logical and Analytical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Syllogism
     • Possibility cases
     • Reverse syllogism and Venn approach
   • Statement and Conclusion / Argument
     • Cause and effect
     • Course of action
   • Inequalities
     • Direct coded inequalities
     • Coded inequality symbols
   • Blood Relations
     • Family tree problems
     • Coded relations
2. 2

   Seating Arrangement and Puzzles

   5 topics

   • Linear Seating Arrangement
     • Single row, facing same and opposite
     • Double row facing each other
   • Circular and Square Arrangement
     • Facing centre and outside
   • Floor and Box Puzzles
   • Scheduling Puzzles
     • Day, month and date based
   • Categorisation and Comparison Puzzles
3. 3

   Coding-Decoding and Direction Sense

   4 topics

   • Coding-Decoding
     • New pattern (chinese / symbol coding)
     • Letter and number shifting
   • Direction and Distance
     • Shadow based directions
   • Order, Ranking and Position
   • Alphanumeric and Symbol Series
4. 4

   Non-Verbal and Input-Output

   4 topics

   • Machine Input-Output
     • Shifting based input-output
     • Arithmetic based input-output
   • Data Sufficiency in Reasoning
   • Logical Venn Diagrams
   • Analogy and Classification
5. 5

   Critical Reasoning (PO Mains)

   4 topics

   • Assumptions and Inferences
   • Strengthening and Weakening Arguments
   • Conclusion Based Statements
   • Course of Action and Decision Making

Reasoning Ability flashcards for SBI PO / Clerk

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

1. In syllogism, what does the universal positive statement "All A are B" guarantee about the relationship between A and B?

   Every member of A is also a member of B (A is fully contained in B). It does NOT mean all B are A. A possible conclusion 'Some B are A' is valid (conversion).

2. In syllogism, which valid conclusion follows from "Some A are B"?

   'Some B are A' (valid conversion). It does not establish 'All' or 'No' relationships, and 'Some A are not B' is only a possibility, not a definite conclusion.

3. What is the rule for drawing a definite conclusion from two particular ('Some') statements in syllogism?

   No definite conclusion can be drawn from two particular premises. At least one premise must be universal to reach a definite conclusion.

4. In syllogism, when do 'Either-Or' (complementary pair) conclusions become valid?

   When two given conclusions individually are not definitely true, but together they exhaust all possibilities (same subject-predicate, one positive + one negative), e.g., 'Some A are B' and 'Some A are not B'.

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

   'All A are C' (and by conversion 'Some C are A'). Two universal positives in a chain give a universal positive conclusion.

6. From "No A are B" and "All C are A", what conclusion is valid in syllogism?

   'No C are B' (and 'No B are C'). A negative premise combined with a universal positive yields a universal negative conclusion.

7. In Statement & Assumption questions, what is the definition of an 'assumption'?

   Something that is taken for granted or supposed — an unstated idea the speaker/writer must believe to be true for the statement to hold. It is implicit, not explicitly stated.

8. In Statement & Conclusion, what makes a conclusion 'follow' from a statement?

   A conclusion follows only if it can be logically and necessarily derived from the information explicitly given in the statement, without adding outside knowledge.

9. What is the difference between an inference and an assumption in verbal reasoning?

   An inference is a conclusion drawn AFTER reading the statement (something that logically follows); an assumption is taken for granted BEFORE/within the statement (an unstated supporting belief).

10. In coded inequalities, what does 'A ≥ B' tell you about whether A could equal B?

    A ≥ B means A is greater than OR equal to B; so A = B is possible. To prove a strict relation you must rule out the equality case.

11. In inequalities, combining 'A > B' and 'B ≥ C', what definite relation between A and C holds?

    A > C. The strict '>' dominates the chain because at least one strict inequality is present and signs do not conflict.

12. In inequalities, why does combining 'A > B' and 'B < C' give NO definite relation between A and C?

    The inequality signs point in opposite directions (A>B but C>B), so A and C are not connected in a single direction; relationship is indeterminate.

13. For coded inequality 'Either-Or' conclusions (e.g., A ≥ C or A < C), when are they jointly true?

    When a common element gives A ≥ B ≥ C type chain so that A ≥ C, but neither A > C nor A = C alone is definite; the two complementary conclusions together cover all cases.

14. In blood relations, who is your 'father's brother's wife' to you?

    Your aunt (uncle's wife) — specifically the wife of your paternal uncle (chacha/tau).

15. In blood relations, what relation is 'the only daughter of my mother's father' to me?

    My mother (if mother has no sisters) — or my mother's sister/aunt only if she isn't the mother; since she is the ONLY daughter of maternal grandfather, she is my mother.

16. In blood relation coding, if 'A + B' means A is the father of B, how is the 'mother' relation typically denoted and what's the key to solving such chains?

    Symbols are defined per question (e.g., '−' for mother, '×' for brother). The key is to decode each symbol from the legend and build the relation step by step, tracking gender.

17. In a pointing/photograph blood-relation puzzle, how do you find the relation of the speaker to the person in the photo?

    Start from the described person, trace each relation back toward the speaker (work in reverse), and assign the final relationship from the speaker's perspective.

18. In linear seating arrangement, what does 'facing north' imply about the relative left/right of persons in the row?

    When all face north, a person's right hand points east and left points west; so for the observer, the person's left is your right and vice versa. Left = west side, right = east side.

19. In linear arrangement with two parallel rows facing each other, how are left and right oriented?

    One row faces north, the other faces south; persons facing each other are 'opposite'. The directions of left/right are mirrored between the two rows.

20. What does the clue 'P sits exactly between Q and R' mean in seating arrangements?

    P is the immediate middle person with Q on one side and R on the other, and there is an equal number of seats (here zero) between P and each — i.e., Q-P-R are consecutive.

21. In circular arrangement, when all persons face the CENTRE, how are their left and right determined?

    For a person facing the centre, clockwise direction is to their LEFT and anticlockwise is to their RIGHT (opposite of facing outward).

22. In circular arrangement, when all persons face OUTWARD (away from centre), how are left and right determined?

    For a person facing outward, clockwise is to their RIGHT and anticlockwise is to their LEFT.

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