IBPS RRB PO Reasoning syllabus
See the full IBPS RRB PO syllabus for the exam pattern and other sections.
Reasoning is one of only two tests in the IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Preliminary Examination, and it is the one IBPS gives the longer clock. Forty questions sit inside 25 minutes, against 20 minutes for the same number of quantitative questions. The extra five minutes exist because this section arrives in sets rather than single questions. At Mains, Reasoning returns carrying 50 marks against its 40 questions.
Pattern
| Stage | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims, Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Mains, Reasoning | 40 | 50 | Part of the 2 hour composite paper |
A wrong answer costs one fourth of the marks assigned to the question, which is 0.25 marks at Prelims. The test is separately qualifying, so the minimum IBPS sets for this section has to be cleared regardless of the total. IBPS publishes no topic wise question count.
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Topics
- Puzzles, including floor and flat, box, month and year, day, age and category based
- Seating Arrangement, linear, circular, square and uncertain
- Syllogism, including possibility and reverse syllogism
- Inequality, direct and coded
- Blood Relations, including coded relations
- Direction Sense and Distance
- Order and Ranking
- Coding and Decoding, including new pattern coding
- Alphanumeric Series and Number Series
- Alphabet Test and word based arrangement
- Data Sufficiency
- Input Output
- Logical Reasoning, covering statement and assumption, statement and conclusion, cause and effect and course of action
- Machine Input and sequence based questions
What is not in the syllabus
- No non verbal or figure based reasoning
- No computer knowledge at Prelims, which appears only at Mains
- No published topic wise question split
- No partial credit on a set. A puzzle half solved earns nothing
How to spend the time
Twenty five minutes for 40 questions is roughly 37 seconds each, which only works if the section is not attempted in order. Puzzles and seating arrangements carry most of the marks and come in blocks of four or five, so the decision of which set to open is worth more than any individual technique.
The standalone questions are the floor. Syllogism, inequality, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, alphanumeric series and coding are independent, quick and reliable. Clearing them first typically banks a dozen or more marks in under eight minutes and leaves the remaining time for sets that can be chosen rather than taken.
When reading a set, the useful test is whether the first two conditions fix any element. A set where two conditions pass without placing anything is usually an uncertain variable type and will cost more than it returns at this pace.
Because this test is separately qualifying, the target is a comfortable clear rather than a maximum. A candidate who banks the standalone block and solves two clean sets is in a better position than one who attempts four sets and finishes none.
Common mistakes
- Attempting the section in the order printed, which puts the slowest sets first
- Assuming reasoning and quantitative aptitude get equal time, when this section has 25 minutes and the other 20
- Staying with a set after four minutes with nothing placed
- Chasing a high overall total while failing the sectional minimum for this test
- Guessing across five options at minus 0.25 inside an unsolved set
- Practising topic wise only, which never trains the set selection decision
- Expecting to borrow time from the quantitative section, which the section lock prevents
Reasoning across the stages of IBPS RRB PO
| Feature | Prelims Reasoning | Mains Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 40 | 40 |
| Marks | 40 | 50 |
| Time | 25 minutes, locked | Part of the 2 hour composite paper |
| Weight in merit | None, qualifying only | Counted |
| Question style | Standard puzzles and standalone logic | Longer sets and heavier logic |
Frequently asked questions
How many reasoning questions are in IBPS RRB PO Prelims?
Forty, carrying 40 marks, in a locked 25 minute section.
Why does reasoning get more time than quantitative aptitude?
Reasoning arrives in sets of four or five questions, which take longer to decode than standalone arithmetic. IBPS gives it 25 minutes against 20 for the quantitative test.
Is there a sectional cut-off for reasoning?
Yes. The minimum IBPS sets for this test has to be cleared separately, and a strong quantitative score does not compensate.
Is non verbal reasoning asked?
No. Figure based and non verbal reasoning do not appear in this paper.
How many puzzles are asked?
IBPS publishes no split. Past papers typically carry four or more sets, which together account for the majority of the 40 questions.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. One fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer.
What should I attempt first?
The standalone questions, covering syllogism, inequality, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, series and coding, before any puzzle set.
Does Prelims reasoning count toward the merit list?
No. Prelims is qualifying only. Merit is built from the Mains paper and the interview.
Is the section available in Hindi?
Yes. Both Prelims tests are set in English and Hindi.
How do I train set selection?
Timed mixed practice rather than topic wise drilling, because the skill is choosing which set to open. Try a free IBPS RRB PO mock.
Related syllabus pages
- IBPS RRB PO syllabus
- Quantitative Aptitude syllabus, IBPS RRB PO