Every year IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection) releases vacancies for the post of SO (Specialist Officers). This exam is conducted for the recruitment of specialist officers in public sector banks. In this post, we are going to take a closer look at IBPS SO Reasoning Preparation. Let us begin:
IBPS SO is conducted in three phases:
- Preliminary
- Mains
- Interview
IBPS SO tests the candidates’ knowledge in the following subjects:
    Post: Law officer & Rajbhabha AdhikariÂ
- Reasoning
- English language
- General awareness
    Post: Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer
- Reasoning
- English language
- Quantitative aptitude
As you can observe, IBPS SO Reasoning is tested in prelims for selection for all the posts. It is the most crucial section to determine the eligibility for the mains.
Know complete IBPS SO Recruitment details here
Page Contents
IBPS SO Reasoning Pattern:
It consists of 50 questions each carrying 1 mark with a time limit of 40 minutes. The total marks assigned for prelims are 150 to be completed in 120 minutes. For every wrong answer, 0.25 marks are deducted.
This gives more reason to emphasize the reasoning section. Therefore, in this article, we will focus on the IBPS SO Reasoning preparation strategy and tips:
But First let’s discuss the syllabus as before starting the preparation, the most important part for any competitive exam is a proper understanding of its syllabus.
IBPS SO Reasoning Syllabus 2020:
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Read complete IBPS SO Syllabus here
IBPS SO Reasoning – Topic-wise Strategy
As seen above, the reasoning section consists of different topics. Therefore a focused approach for each topic can be helpful for the preparation.
Follow daily youtube sessions of Guidely channel for thorough understanding and tricks:
1. Syllogism
Generally, we get to see 5 questions from this topic in IBPS SO Reasoning Section. This is one of the easiest concept based topics to gain full 5 marks. It requires a clear understanding of concepts with practice.Â
Get the insights to solve syllogism in limited time through:
2. Puzzle and seating arrangement
Puzzle and seating arrangement consists of the following varieties:
- Box based
- Date- Month based
- Floor based
- Linear seating
- Circular seating
- Different shapes (Rectangular/ Square/ Triangle/ Hexagonal, etc)The only tactic to score maximum marks in puzzles is to practice a lot of questions of each type. Don’t forget to set a timer for each set of questions. Ideally, it should take near about 3 minutes to solve a puzzle. Â
3. Blood relations
Though simple, this topic can create confusion for a lot of candidates in IBPS SO Reasoning section. Try to relate yourself with the situations given in the question that can help to score well in it.
Focus more on mixed, coded blood relations and puzzles with blood relations incorporated in it.
4. Non-verbal and verbal reasoning
For verbal reasoning, the emphasis is to be put on the extraction of keywords thus making further solving the question very easy.
For solving the non-verbal questions, pattern recognition is the key.
5. Direction and distance
To correctly solve these questions always carefully follow the given instructions.
Consider yourself as the subject and make an illustrated diagram (as the image below) according to the question.
Rotation based questions can be a little difficult if not practiced well in advance to the main exam. So, attempt around 15-20 sets of questions to gain insights.
Always keep in mind all the eight directions(as in the given image):
6. Data sufficiency
These questions capture the core of all the other topics from IBPS SO Reasoning section. A thorough understanding of the statements makes it easier to answer correctly.
These questions can consume more time so efficiency is the key here.
Attempt a set of 30-40 questions before the examination to reduce the time consumption in the final examination.
7. Coding decoding
Learn the alphabet with their forward and backward numbers to solve them in less time.
These questions mainly follow set patterns of ascending or descending orders (as given in the images below).
Try to first identify the correct pattern to answer the set. It is a scoring topic so attempt it before puzzles in the exam.
                          Forward Numbering
Backward Numbering
Get Reasoning Practice Questions here
Expected Number of questions per topic
Through analysis of previous year IBPS SO exam papers, the following is the list of topic and number of expected questions:
| S.No. | Topic | Expected Number of Questions |
| 1 | Syllogisms | 3-5 |
| 2 | Double Line-Up | 0-5 |
| 3 | Verbal Reasoning | 5-8 |
| 4 | Seating Arrangement | 5-7 |
| 5 | Scheduling | 0-5 |
| 6 | Input-Output | 0-5 |
| 7 | Linear Seating Arrangement | 5-10 |
| 8 | Blood Relations | 2-5 |
| 9 | Inequality | 5 |
| 10 | Analytical Decision Making | 0-5 |
| 11 | Data Sufficiency | 3-5 |
| 12 | Direction and distance | 2-5 |
| 13 | Order and ranking | 2-6 |
This above-mentioned division can be of great help for you to plan your IBPS SO Reasoning preparation strategy.
For improving score for IBPS SO Reasoning, try daily mocks as well as topic tests from Our WebsiteÂ
IBPS SO Reasoning Study Material:
- Study material by Guidely Experts
- A New Approach to Reasoning: Verbal and Non-Verbal by BS Sijwali and Indu Sijwali
- Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
- Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal
- Magical Book on Puzzle by K.Kundan
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):
1. How can I prepare for IBPS SO Reasoning?
Ans: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and PRACTICE!
Follow the above-mentioned methods and follow the given tips. If face any difficulty  reach out to us at [email protected]
2. Are the scores obtained in IBPS SO Reasoning section included for calculation?
Ans: Yes, the IBPS SO Reasoning marks are included for the calculation of scores for the cut-off.
3. How can I learn IBPS SO Reasoning quickly?
Ans: Thorough learning and implementing daily can lead to scoring good marks in a short period.
4. Where can I get exam specific study material?
Ans: Follow Our Website for mocks, topic tests, and videos specific to IBPS SO examination. You can also buy our Express video course for personalized attention by our expert faculty.
