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All in One Reasoning Preparation Strategy & Plan for Upcoming Bank Exams 2022

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

Many students have a question in their minds that how they should approach the reasoning section in banking exams.

We all know that day by day, the level of the exam is increasing and the student must be ready with Bank Reasoning Questions for the upcoming bank exams in 2022. The reasoning subject is tricky but if practiced properly, then it may help you to fetch maximum marks.

In the article, we will discuss preparation tips for the reasoning ability section in the banking exam. Also, how you should start your preparation for the banking exam reasoning questions for both prelims and mains exam. Which topic you need to study, tips to follow on each topic, and how to complete the section in 20 minutes in the prelims exam and mains exam in 45 minutes.

How to Prepare for Reasoning for Bank Exams?

Let us have a look at the reasoning strategy for the Bank Prelims exam:

The prelims exam generally asks for 3 sections – English, Quant, and Reasoning. If a student feels English and Quant subjects are tough, then they can easily score more in the reasoning ability for the banking exam. Once you understand the pattern of the bank reasoning questions, this section can be cleared in one go.

Moreover, you don’t have to remember any rules or formulae to ace this section. In prelims, you get 60 minutes to complete the exam, and if we divide the time into 3 sections equally, you will have 20 minutes to attempt this section. Also, in SBI Clerk Prelims, SBI has fixed the time slot for the particular section. So, you should be ready with this for other upcoming exams.

How to Complete Reasoning in 20 Minutes?

At first, you should be familiar with the previous year’s question patterns & reasoning syllabus for the bank exam. This way, you will be able to develop the strategy. Now, the question arises? How will you plan a strategy?

For this, you have to select the number of banking exam reasoning questions that you are going to attempt in the first go. So, you have to be very careful while choosing the topic on which you are going to attempt the questions first. You also have to restrict yourself that you have to give a particular time to each question in reasoning ability for the banking exam.

Mains Strategy

The mains preparation tips for the reasoning ability section in the banking exam should be taken into a serious note. We have seen from the last 2 years, that reasoning and computer aptitude are asked together in the mains. So, it`s obvious that the level of the exam will be on the higher side. Now, for this exam, you have to prepare the same topics which you prepare for the prelims exam but of a higher difficulty level.

Topics of verbal reasoning like assumptions, cause, and effect, inferences, arguments, etc. generally come in the main exam. Puzzles of high level are asked in it. For computer aptitude, you have to understand the new types of reasoning aptitude questions.  

How to complete Reasoning and Computer Aptitude in 45 minutes?

Target to attempt around 30 questions accurately banking exam reasoning questions in the mains. Select the topic which you are sure of and have practiced much. In mains, the level of the questions is harder than that of the prelims exam. Be prepared for it and plan a strategy to attempt in the exam.

We often think that questions on verbal reasoning ability for banking exams are difficult. But they just need your reading skills. If you are good at it, you can attempt these questions accurately and quickly. Don`t get panic if you find new types of questions. Keep yourself calm and try to analyze the pattern in it. If you can judge then it`s well and good otherwise move on to another question.

Let us have a look at the list of topics you have to prepare with useful tips.

Easy & Scoring Topics- Reasoning Ability

You can do this when you know your strong and weak areas. Preparation tips for the reasoning ability section in the banking exam matter a lot, and so does the practice. Do remember that don`t start with puzzles unless you have practiced them much. Don`t waste your precious time on a single question. Just move on to the next question if you are taking much time on a single one. Always attempt easy and scoring topics first. Leave the time-taking topics to attempt at the end.

  • Inequality

In many prelims phases of the banking exams, questions are usually asked on direct and coded inequality. For this, you should understand the basic meanings of the symbol as well as their priority order i.e. between > and >= or < and <=. Also, be clear with the either-or & neither – nor cases while practicing.

  • Series

We can expect 5 questions from this topic in the Prelims exam. This is one of the easy topics, but it requires a quick understanding of the terms like, right, left, in the middle of, and so on. Also, quick calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc.) are required to solve numerical series. You can easily score 5 marks on this topic by answering these questions attentively.

The series can be on the following topics:

1. Numerical Series: It consists of some set of numbers and you have to perform the operations on it as per the requirement of the question.

Eg: 723 316 451 539 876

2. Alphabet Series: It consists of a set of words where you have to apply the operations.

Eg: CUT    RAT    LIN    HUT    LAN

Eg:  abbc_ab_c_bbc

3. Alphanumeric Series: This series will be consisting of alphabets and numbers only.

Eg: F 6 H 8 W I 9 Y 4 K 3 L 3 T J E 9 1 0 H 1

4. Alphanumeric Symbol Sequence series: It will contain alphabets, numbers, and symbols arranged in a sequence and you have to answer questions based on that.

Eg: 5 P ) S Y 9 6 # 1 D ? 1 ^ Q % d T % Q ! c 4

Here are some useful tips which you should go through to solve the series of questions.

  1. Fasten your calculation so that you can easily solve the series
  2. Learn the ranks of alphabets to quickly apply the operations on them.
  3. Be clear with the use of operations; “to the right/left of”, “in the middle of”, “to the right or left of” and vice versa.

The only way to have a command over these questions is through practice. First, understand the approach to solving the questions and do not miss out on any possible case.

  • Order and Ranking

In ordering and ranking questions, the focus should be maintained. The position or rank of a person from left-right/top-bottom of a row/building is to be determined. In another case, a Rank or position can be given & the total number of persons needs to be calculated.

  • Direction Sense
  1. Be clear with all the direction names. Apart from four main directions i.e. North, South, East, and West, also know about North-East, North-West, South-East, and South-West.
  2. Start the question by considering yourself facing the north direction and apply further statements accordingly.
  3. These questions are solved by making possible diagrams.
  4. Practice such questions a lot to improve understanding. In some statements, rotation to the left or the right is given. Always remember that rotating right implies clockwise rotation and rotating left implies rotating anti-clockwise.
  5. In many questions on this topic, the candidates are required to calculate some values like, the total distance traveled, the shortest path covered the distance between two entities, etc. For such questions, you must know about the Pythagorean Theorem, which can be used to calculate such distances.
  • Data Sufficiency

1. The first and foremost thing to do is to go through the complete question properly first. You’ll be able to make out what data is required to arrive at the answer to the question and then proceed to the statements that have been provided.

2. Remember, you don’t have to solve the question completely.

3. Analyze each statement separately first.

4. Do not mark the answer after testing just one statement. For instance, even if you conclude that the data in statement 1 is sufficient to answer the question, do not forget to check for the other states.

5. Use the process of elimination of options to narrow down the possible answers.

6. Questions on this topic can be from the topics Puzzles, Order & Ranking, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Directions & Distances, Ages & Birth-dates, etc.

Tricky Topics & preparation Strategy

To solve any difficulty of banking exam reasoning questions, use the correct strategies and methods. Furthermore, you should practice more from the quizzes because this will help you understand the concept of the exam.

  • Coding-Decoding

From this topic, a maximum of 4-5 questions can be expected in the prelims and mains exam. Many new patterns on this topic have been asked in the latest banking exams. Revise all the basic rules of the topic and practice its questions for deep understanding.  

  • Puzzles

We can expect at least 2 puzzles in the Prelims exam. You should be prepared with new types of puzzles of a moderate level. Make sure that you don`t spend enough time on a single puzzle. Puzzles’ questions generally come in a set of 5. So, if the puzzle is solved, it can easily get you 5 marks. Here are some useful tips which you should remember while solving the puzzle.

  1. Always start with the direct information provided in the statement/s.
  2. Organize the information in the structure which is desired i.e., circle/table/ line.
  3. Learn the basic terms like “sitting to the left/right” “immediate right/left”, etc.
  4. After arranging direct information, work on an indirect one. This way your puzzle will get sorted easily.
  5. If the puzzle provides you with a lot of information, most probably it is easy to solve.

The only way to have a command over these questions is through practice. First, understand the approach to solving the questions and do not miss out on any possible case. You can go to the link below to understand this.

For the reasoning syllabus for the bank exam in mains, they will be of a high level. So, only practice will help you crack this topic. Practicing puzzles will help you analyze from where you should start solving puzzles, which puzzle to attempt or not, etc. 

  • Syllogism

3 – 4 questions can be expected from this topic in the Prelims phase as well as the mains phase of the bank exam. Questions on this topic contain two or more statements and these statements are followed by several conclusions. You need to find which conclusions logically follow from the given statements.

Syllogisms are easy to solve reasoning ability for banking exam once you understand the process of drawing Venn diagrams as per the statements.

  1. The best method of solving the Syllogism problem is through Venn Diagrams. You just have to understand the approach to making them.
  2. Steps to solve Syllogism questions
  • Step 1: Make a Venn diagram.
  • Step 2: Read all the statements one by one.
  • Step 3: Draw the Venn diagram for each statement.
  • Step 4: Check the conclusion if follows or not.
  1. Understand how to conclude from statements. For this, you have to practice a lot of questions to get familiar with the common patterns.
  2. Learn basic rules of solving syllogism questions. Sometimes, you can answer questions by just looking at the statements and conclusions. For example:
  3. Words like Can be, Possible, Maybe / might be, is being a possibility, and is a possible are types of Possibilities.
  4. The word like Can Never be, Can are considered sureties.
  5. Learn the rules of either-or and neither-nor.

For mains bank reasoning questions, prepare reverse syllogism and type in which you have to find the conclusion which does not follow.

  • Logical Reasoning Topics

1. Strengthening and weakening Arguments

2. Assumptions

3. Inferences

4. Cause and Effect

5. Course of actions

6. Statement and Conclusions

Tips to follow for these topics

While attempting the question, Read the statement first. After that read the passage to focus on relevant parts of the paragraph the first time. Just follow these tips-

  • Improve your reading skills.
  • Limited time to attempt each question, quickly read all the statements, and start looking for the data which is required.
  • Follow the flow of the passage
  • Use an elimination strategy to answer the questions. 
  • Avoid guessing work
  • Puzzles with Blood Relations, Ages, Dates, etc.

To increase the level of the exam, puzzles are sometimes mixed with other topics like blood relations, ages, etc. You just have to attempt such questions at last or say if you are left with time after attempting the other less tricky questions.

Study Notes for Reasoning Ability 2022-

Tips & Exam Strategy for Reasoning 

To solve the reasoning portion, candidates simply need to use their presence of mind and a few strategies. Check out the section below for some helpful hints on how to pass the reasoning section of competitive IBPS exams.

  1. Try to score good marks while practicing mock tests, so that you can at least clear the cut-offs. 
  2. Work on your weak areas after practice. 
  3. Always solve the easier questions first to fetch you good marks. Spending time on the more difficult ones in the starting wastes precious time.
  4. First attempt all the Inequalities, Coding-Decoding, Analogies, Ordering & Ranking, Alphanumeric symbol, Directions & Distance sequence series, and Data sufficiency questions you can find. 
  5. After that attempt the problems based on Input-Output, Syllogisms, and Blood Relations.
  6. In the end, attempt the Puzzles Seating Arrangement, and logical reasoning (Statement based questions).
  7. Do not spend more than 20 minutes on the Reasoning section in prelims and 45 minutes in mains. Leave the questions which you can’t solve.

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