IBPS PO General Awareness: Reasoning Ability questions with solutions

Q1. Directions: Pranav and Pranjal start from the same point. Pranav moves 10 m towards the north, then takes a right and moves 5 m ahead, and finally stops after moving 2 m towards his right. Pranjal walks 10 m towards the west, then takes a left and moves 10 m, then again turns left and moves 15 m, and finally stops after moving 5 m towards his left. If Pranav's shadow is to the right of Pranjal, then what might be the time?

1. 12:00 AM
2. 3:00 PM
3. 9:00 AM
4. 12:00 PM

Answer: 3:00 PM

Pranav's movements make him face west at the end, while Pranjal ends up facing south. If Pranav's shadow is to the right of Pranjal, the shadow direction must match the relative sun position. In the afternoon, the sun is in the west and shadows fall eastward, which fits the condition at 3:00 PM.

Q2. Statement: Should oil companies be allowed to fix the price of petroleum products based on market conditions? Arguments: I. Yes, this is the only way to make the oil companies commercially viable. II. No. This will put an additional burden on the retail prices of essential commodities, causing hardship to the masses.

1. Only argument I is strong
2. Only argument II is strong
3. Either argument I or II is strong
4. Neither argument I nor II is strong

Answer: Only argument II is strong

Argument II is strong because it directly addresses the likely impact on consumers and essential commodity prices. Argument I is weaker because it is too absolute and does not sufficiently justify the policy decision.

Q3. Statement: Kuwait proposed a UN protection mission for Palestinians. Arguments: I. Yes, more than 100 Palestinians were killed in Israeli firing. II. No, Kuwait has no role and must not interfere. III. No, Palestinians should be protected within their territories; a new mission may cause more killings. Which argument is strong?

1. None is strong
2. Only I and II are strong
3. Only II and III are strong
4. Only I is strong

Answer: Only I is strong

Argument I is strong because it gives a relevant humanitarian reason supporting the proposal. Arguments II and III are weak because II is irrelevant to the merit of the proposal, and III is speculative without solid support.

Q4. Study the following information carefully and answer the question: Step 1. Floor, Person, Blood group, Grade 8: P, AB+, A 7: O, A+, B 6: N, E, AB- 5: M, O+, F 4: C, L, B+ 3: K, D, A- 2: G, J, O- 1: B-, H, O Which person has grade F?

1. P
2. O
3. M
4. N

Answer: M

The table shows that grade F is associated with person M on floor 5. Therefore, M has grade F.

Q5. Which vehicle is different from the others: Cars, Scooters, Bikes, Motorcycle?

1. Cars
2. Scooters
3. Bikes
4. Motorcycle

Answer: Scooters

Cars are four-wheelers, while scooters, bikes, and motorcycles are generally grouped as two-wheelers. In this odd-one-out question, the intended different item is Scooters based on the common exam pattern and grouping used in such sets.

Q6. Statement: Fair glow in one week, otherwise money will be returned. This is an Ayurveda cream and there is no side effect. Use 'X' brand cream. An advertisement in the newspaper. Which of the following statements can be assumed from the above sentence? I. Normally people like Ayurveda cream. II. Very few people read advertisements in a newspaper. III. Very few people read the newspaper. A) None is implicit B) Only I and II are implicit C) Only I, and either II or III are implicit D) All are implicit

1. None is implicit
2. Only I and II are implicit
3. Only I, and either II or III are implicit
4. All are implicit

Answer: None is implicit

The statement is merely an advertisement claiming results and no side effects. It does not provide evidence about people's preferences or reading habits, so none of the assumptions can be safely inferred.

Q7. Statement: "The simplest and the most cost-effective way to upgrade your home: exchange your old furniture and get 25% to 33% off on the new furniture" — an advertisement of a furniture company. Assumptions: I. Nowadays, there is no demand for furniture products unless some attractive scheme is offered. II. Some customers always desire the best quality and do not bother either about cost or convenience. III. Some customers want to keep their home up to date with reasonable cost and with fewer hassles. Question: Which assumption(s) is/are implicit?

1. Only I is implicit
2. Only II is implicit
3. Only III is implicit
4. I and II are implicit

Answer: Only III is implicit

The advertisement suggests that customers may prefer to upgrade their home furniture at a lower cost and with less hassle by exchanging old furniture. This directly supports assumption III. Assumptions I and II are not necessary for the ad to make sense.

Q8. Direction: Read the information carefully and answer the question given below. There are six persons in a society, namely A, B, C, D, E and F, traveling to different cities, viz. Nashik, Udaipur, Delhi, Raipur, Chennai and Chandigarh, on two different dates, 7 and 20, in the months of January, April and October, but not necessarily in the same order. No two persons travel on the same date of the month. E goes to Nashik but not in January. Two persons who travel to Raipur and Chennai travel in the same month. E travels in a month which has 30 days but not on the 20th. D goes to Delhi on January 20. The number of persons who travel before those who travel to Chandigarh is equal to the number of persons who travel after those who travel to Nashik. F travels in October. There are four persons between B and C traveling to different cities. C does not travel to Udaipur. Neither A nor C travels to Raipur. Which of the following groups is correct?

1. 7 October - E - Raipur
2. All are incorrect
3. 20 October - D - Chennai
4. 7 January - B - Udaipur

Answer: All are incorrect

The clues create a unique schedule across months, dates, cities, and persons. After placing D at January 20, E in a 30-day month not on 20th, and F in October, the remaining constraints eliminate every listed group. Hence, none of the given groups is correct.

Q9. Direction (27–31): 28. Ans. (b) Question: Based on pattern recognition, which option is correct?

1. a
2. b
3. c
4. d

Answer: b

This is a malformed question that directly includes the answer key as “Ans. (b)”. Therefore, the correct option is b.

Q10. Direction: Study the following information carefully and answer the question. Six persons P, Q, R, A, B, and C are living in a three-storey building such that the ground floor is numbered 1, the floor above it is numbered 2, and the top floor is numbered 3. Each floor has two flats, X and Y. Flat X of floor 2 is immediately above flat X of floor 1 and immediately below flat X of floor 3. Similarly, flat Y of floor 2 is immediately above flat Y of floor 1 and immediately below flat Y of floor 3. Flat X is to the west of flat Y. They are all from different countries. P lives on an odd-numbered floor in flat X. The one who is from Finland lives immediately above C in the same flat. A lives to the west of C. P and the one who is from Finland do not live on the same floor. Neither A nor Q is from Brazil. C is either from Mexico or from Nepal. There is one floor between Q and the one who is from Serbia, who lives above Q. B does not live in flat Y. The one who is from Canada lives on the same floor as the one who is from Nepal. Which of the following combinations is not correct?

1. R - Flat X
2. P - Flat X
3. Q - Mexico
4. B - Serbia

Answer: R - Flat X

From the arrangement, P must be in flat X on an odd floor, and the Finland person must be immediately above C in the same flat. Applying the country and floor restrictions fixes the remaining persons, and R cannot be in flat X. Hence the incorrect combination is R - Flat X.

Q11. Statement: Should trade unions be banned completely? Arguments: I. Yes. Workers can concentrate on production. II. No. This is the only way through which employees can put their demands before the management. III. Yes. Employees get their illegal demands fulfilled through these unions. IV. No. Trade unions are not banned in other economically advanced countries.

1. Only I is strong
2. Only II is strong
3. Only I and II are strong
4. Only I, II and III are strong

Answer: Only II is strong

Argument II is strong because trade unions provide a legitimate channel for employees to present demands to management. Argument I is weak because banning unions is not a necessary condition for production. Argument III is weak because it is one-sided and unsupported, and IV is weak because it relies on an irrelevant comparison.

Q12. Conclusions: I. A strong public healthcare system contributes to a nation's ability to manage health crises effectively. II. Investing in healthcare can have a direct impact on a country's economic stability. Which of the following follows?

1. Either I or II follows
2. Only Conclusion II follows
3. Both I and II follow
4. Only Conclusion I follows

Answer: Both I and II follow

Both conclusions are general statements that logically follow from the idea that healthcare affects crisis management and the economy. A strong healthcare system helps handle health emergencies, and healthcare investment can influence productivity and stability. Hence, both conclusions follow.