IBPS SO Quantitative Aptitude syllabus
See the full IBPS SO syllabus for the exam pattern and other sections.
Quantitative Aptitude is the one IBPS Specialist Officer Prelims section that not every candidate sits. It appears only on the four section paper, taken by IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR and Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer candidates, where it carries 25 questions for 25 marks in a locked 20 minute block. Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari candidates sit General Awareness in its place and never see this section.
Pattern
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT, Agriculture, HR and Marketing | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Law and Rajbhasha | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
A wrong answer costs one fourth of the marks assigned to the question. The section is separately qualifying for the posts that sit it. IBPS publishes no topic wise question count.
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Topics
- Data Interpretation, covering tables, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, mixed graphs and caselets
- Simplification and Approximation
- Number Series, missing term and wrong term
- Quadratic Equations and quantity comparison
- Percentage
- Ratio and Proportion
- Average and Problems on Ages
- Profit, Loss and Discount
- Partnership
- Simple Interest and Compound Interest
- Mixture and Alligation
- Time and Work, including Pipes and Cisterns
- Time, Speed and Distance, including Trains, Boats and Streams
- Mensuration
- Permutation, Combination and Probability
- Data Sufficiency
- Number System, including HCF and LCM
What is not in the syllabus
- No trigonometry, calculus or coordinate geometry
- No advanced statistics beyond averages and basic probability
- No calculator. All calculation is mental or on the rough sheet
- No appearance at all on the Law and Rajbhasha paper
- No published topic wise question count
How to spend the time
Twenty five questions in twenty minutes is a workable rate provided the section is not attempted in order. The fast block is simplification, approximation, number series and quadratic equations. These are standalone and formula light, and for a candidate fluent in tables, squares and fractional equivalents they go at two or three a minute. Clearing them first is what leaves room for a data interpretation set.
Data interpretation is the swing factor. On a 25 question section, one set is typically four or five questions, which is a fifth of the block in a single decision. Scanning the available sets for thirty seconds before opening one is cheap and usually decides whether the section lands at 18 attempts or 11.
Arithmetic word problems sit in between and are worth taking only when the numbers are friendly. The mark is the same either way, and at this pace there is no credit for persistence.
It is worth keeping perspective on effort. This section is a fifth of a Prelims paper that contributes nothing to the merit list, while Professional Knowledge carries 50 marks at Prelims and 200 at Mains. Clearing the qualifying minimum here comfortably is the goal, not maximising it.
Common mistakes
- Preparing this section when applying for Law Officer or Rajbhasha Adhikari, who do not sit it
- Opening the first data interpretation set instead of scanning all of them
- Calculating to full precision on approximation questions
- Clearing the total while missing this section's qualifying minimum
- Learning formulas without building calculation speed, which is the real constraint
- Guessing blind across five options at minus 0.25
- Giving this section preparation time that the 80:20 merit split says belongs to Professional Knowledge
Quant within the IBPS SO structure
| Feature | Prelims Quantitative Aptitude | Prelims Professional Knowledge |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 25 | 25 |
| Marks | 25 | 50 |
| Marks per question | 1 | 2 |
| Time | 20 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Also tested at Mains | No | Yes, for 200 marks |
| Counted in merit | No | Not at Prelims, but the Mains paper carries 80 per cent |
Frequently asked questions
How many quant questions are in IBPS SO Prelims?
Twenty five, carrying 25 marks, in a locked 20 minute section, for the IT, Agriculture, HR and Marketing posts only.
Do Law and Rajbhasha candidates sit quantitative aptitude?
No. Their paper is English Language, Reasoning and General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry.
Is there a sectional cut-off?
Yes, for the posts that sit the section. The minimum IBPS sets has to be cleared separately.
Is a calculator allowed?
No. All calculation is mental or on the rough sheet provided at the centre.
Is geometry asked?
Only mensuration, covering areas, volumes and surface areas. Coordinate geometry and trigonometry are not part of the paper.
What is the fastest scoring topic?
Simplification, approximation, number series and quadratic equations, because they are standalone and formula light.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. One fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer.
Is quantitative aptitude tested at Mains?
No. The Mains paper is Professional Knowledge, which is why domain preparation matters more than aptitude polish.
Does Prelims quant count toward the merit list?
No. Merit is built from the Main Examination and the interview in an 80:20 ratio.
How should I practise?
Timed sectional papers at the 25 question, 20 minute format rather than untimed topic work. Try a free IBPS SO mock.