IBPS PO Reasoning questions with solutions

Q1. Twenty percent of all energy consumed in the country is consumed by home appliances. If appliances that are twice as energy-efficient as those currently available are manufactured, this figure will eventually be reduced to about ten percent. The argument above requires which of the following assumptions?

1. Home-appliance usage would not increase along with the energy efficiency of the appliances.
2. It would not be expensive to manufacture home appliances that are energy-efficient.
3. Home-appliance manufacturers now use technology to produce appliances that are as energy-efficient as those currently available.
4. The cost of energy to the consumer would rise with increases in the energy efficiency of home appliances.

Answer: Home-appliance usage would not increase along with the energy efficiency of the appliances.

The argument assumes that making appliances more efficient will reduce total energy consumed by appliances. If people simply use appliances more, the reduction may not happen. Therefore, the needed assumption is that appliance usage would not increase along with efficiency.

Q2. Which of the following will be the code for 'pure water spa tune'?

1. *A3 %E4 @R5 *E4
2. @R5 *E3 %A4 #E4
3. %A4 #E4 @R4 *E4
4. %E4 @R4 #E4 *A3
5. *A3 %E4 @R5 #E4

Answer: *A3 %E4 @R5 #E4

The code pattern for each word follows a fixed symbol-number mapping. Matching 'pure', 'water', 'spa', and 'tune' in order gives the sequence *A3 %E4 @R5 #E4.

Q3. If 'solution farm grain seem' is coded as '*N8 %M4 @N5 #M4'. Then what is code for 'plants means grain seem'?

1. #S6 *5 %M4 #N5
2. %A4 #E4 @R4 *E4
3. @N5 #S6 *5 %M4
4. *S5 %M4 #N5 @S6
5. None of these

Answer: None of these

Pattern: symbol (unique per word) + second-last letter of the word + number of letters. solution→*N8, farm→%M4, grain→@N5, seem→#M4. For 'plants means grain seem': grain and seem retain @N5 and #M4. plants(6 letters, 2nd last=N)→@N6 (new symbol needed), means(5 letters, 2nd last=N)→new code. None of the given options match correctly.

Q4. Direction (17–21): Read the given information carefully and answer the question. Ten people G, H, I, J, K, L, W, X, Y and Z live in a building with four floors. Each floor has three flats—Flat 1, Flat 2, and Flat 3—from left to right. The ground floor is numbered Floor 1 and the topmost floor is Floor 4. Each flat is built such that Flat 1 of Floor 2 is directly above Flat 1 of Floor 1, and so on. The two flats in which no one lives are on an even-numbered floor and in an even-numbered flat. G does not live on an even-numbered floor and in an even-numbered flat. W lives in the flat just above H. The flat between K and X is vacant, and K lives in one of the flats above X. L lives in an odd-numbered flat which is to the left of X. Z and Y live on the same floor, and no one else lives on that floor. G lives on a floor and in a flat just above W’s floor and flat. I live on one of the floors on which one flat is vacant. Z and I both live in Flat 1. Who is living just above X?

1. K
2. G
3. J
4. Z
5. No one

Answer: No one

The clues force a unique floor-flat arrangement. Once Z and Y are placed together on a floor and the vacant flats are fixed on an even floor and even flat, the positions of K, X, W, H, and G become constrained. In the final arrangement, no person is located directly above X.

Q5. Targeted delivery of government subsidies and benefits ensures that they reach the poor and the deserving. What would be the cause of the above government budget?

1. Some portion is still untouched from new subsidies and other scheme.
2. Some urban sector can get subsidy scheme profit.
3. DBT ensures related information about the poor people for subsidies.
4. The transparency and clearance will be increased.

Answer: The transparency and clearance will be increased.

The statement describes direct benefit transfer (DBT), which aims to deliver subsidies directly to the intended beneficiaries. A key result of such a system is greater transparency and reduced leakage, making option D the best fit.

Q6. Directions (1-5): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow. In the given figure, the four line segments 1, 2, 3 and 4 are RA, SB, TC and UD respectively. The lengths of the lines are 39 m, 25 m, 27 m and 49 m respectively. Six people Mohan, Sohan, Rohan, Ankit, Vinit and Sumit are standing in line RA. All of them are facing north. The distance between them increases in multiples of 7 from the left end (i.e., if Mohan is at the left end of the line at point R, then the remaining people will stand at distances of 7 m, 14 m, 21 m, and so on from the end). Mohan is standing at the left end of the line. Two persons are standing between Mohan and Sohan. Rohan stands second to the left of Sohan. Sumit is an immediate neighbour of Rohan. Only one person stands between Sumit and Ankit. Similarly, six people Anita, Ambika, Amrita, Aanchal, Arpita and Ajita are standing in line UD. All of them are facing south. The distance between them increases in multiples of 9 from the right end (i.e., if the first person is at the right end of the line at point U, then the remaining people will stand at distances of 9 m, 18 m, 27 m, and so on from point U). Amrita is standing at the 3rd position from the right end. Arpita is an immediate neighbour of Amrita. Two people are standing between Arpita and Ajita. More than three persons stand between Ajita and Anita. Aanchal stands immediately to the left of Ajita. Ambika and Arpita are immediate neighbours. Point S and point T are the left ends of the rows in lines SB and TC.

1. 14m
2. 16m
3. 22m
4. 24m

Answer: 24m

The arrangement in line RA fixes the positions of Mohan, Sohan, Rohan, Sumit, and Ankit, while the arrangement in line UD fixes the positions of Amrita, Arpita, Ajita, Aanchal, Ambika, and Anita. Using the given spacing pattern and the endpoint references, the required distance evaluates to 24 m.

Q7. Statement: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three mega flagship schemes aimed at transforming urban India, including the much-talked-about Smart Cities proposal, with a whopping Rs. 4 lakh crore kitty lined up for the projects. He also unveiled the logo of the housing mission, which had his personal touch in the finalization of its design. Speaking at the event, Modi said, “The decision to make cities smart will be taken not by governments but by the people of the city and the local administration. Let there be competition between cities in development so that smart cities come up.” Which of the following will be an effect of the initiative taken by the government?

1. Ensuring water supply to each household, sewer connections, sanitation and solid waste management in rural and urban governance would be the focus under the scheme.
2. Quality of life will improve in rural and urban areas.
3. Provision of roads and public transportation beside implementation of reforms in urban governance would be the focus under the scheme.
4. Millions of jobs will be created and scarcity of houses will be removed in urban and rural areas.

Answer: Quality of life will improve in rural and urban areas.

The initiative includes housing, sanitation, roads, public transport, and urban governance reforms. These measures collectively aim to improve living conditions, so the overall effect is an improvement in quality of life. The other options are either too specific or overstate the direct consequences.

Q8. If A @ B * D & G % E F # D, then how is F related to A?

1. Grandfather
2. Grandson
3. Daughter
4. Wife

Answer: Grandson

The expression encodes family relations using symbols. By resolving the chain step by step, F comes out to be two generations below A in the family tree. Hence, F is A's grandson.

Q9. The difficulty with the proposed high-speed train line is that a used plane can be bought for one-third the price of the train line, and the plane, which is just as fast, can fly anywhere. The train would be a fixed linear system, and we live in a world that is spreading out in all directions and in which consumers choose free-wheel systems (cars, buses, aircraft), which do not have fixed routes. Thus, a sufficient market for the train will not exist. Which of the following, if true, most severely weakens the argument presented above?

1. Cars, buses, and planes require the efforts of drivers and pilots to guide them, whereas the train will be guided mechanically.
2. Cars and buses are not nearly as fast as the high-speed train will be.
3. Planes are not a free-wheel system because they can fly only between airports, which are less convenient for consumers than the high-speed train's stations would be.
4. The high-speed train line cannot use currently underutilized train stations in large cities.

Answer: Planes are not a free-wheel system because they can fly only between airports, which are less convenient for consumers than the high-speed train's stations would be.

The argument assumes that planes are a free-wheel system and therefore a better consumer choice than a fixed train line. If planes are actually constrained to airports and are less convenient than train stations, then the comparison weakens and the conclusion about insufficient market demand is undermined. This directly attacks the core premise of the argument.

Q10. If A & B # C D & E @ F are related to each other such that D @ & B, then what is the probable direction of A with respect to F?

1. North-west
2. West
3. South-west
4. East

Answer: North-west

The symbols represent directional relations between the persons. Using the given condition D @ & B and tracing the full arrangement step by step, A ends up to the north-west of F. Hence, the correct direction is north-west.

Q11. K # & T M # & S & K & Z are related to each other such that K is in north of M. Then what is the probable direction of Z with respect to M?

1. North-east
2. West
3. South-west
4. East

Answer: North-east

The coded relations indicate positions among the letters. Taking K to be north of M and applying the remaining links in order, Z is placed to the north-east of M. Therefore, the correct answer is north-east.

Q12. Direction (16-17): Read the instructions carefully and answer the question. Six persons A, B, C, X, Y, and Z are sitting in two parallel rows, viz. row-1 and row-2. A, B, and C are sitting in row-1, while X, Y, and Z are sitting in the other row. Some of them are facing north and some are facing south. X faces north. The one who sits opposite X sits second to the right of C. B faces south and sits opposite the one who sits to the immediate right of Y. Y sits second to the right of X. A faces the opposite direction of C. Y sits immediate right of Z. How many persons face north?

1. Three
2. Five
3. Two
4. One

Answer: Three

By arranging the six persons in two parallel rows using the given positional clues, the seating order becomes fixed. Then the facing directions can be inferred from the statements about X, B, A, and the others. Counting the persons facing north gives three.

Q13. Statement A: City X has recently banned the sale of a drug XYZ, citing its misuse by youths for other activities. Statement B: City Y has recently lifted its ban on the sale of the drug XYZ, after a sharp rise in the number of cases of glaucoma. Which of the following can be inferred from the above statements?

1. Drug XYZ is only used in the treatment of glaucoma.
2. The number of glaucoma patients in City X is going to increase in the future.
3. Drug XYZ is also used by sportspersons to enhance their athletic performance.
4. Drug XYZ can be used in the treatment of glaucoma.

Answer: Drug XYZ can be used in the treatment of glaucoma.

City Y lifted the ban because glaucoma cases increased, which implies the drug has a medical role in treating glaucoma. City X banned it due to misuse, but that does not negate its medical use. Therefore, the valid inference is that the drug can be used in the treatment of glaucoma.

Q14. Direction (19-23): Study the following information carefully and answer the question below. Eight persons Abhay, Isha, Riya, Rahul, Piya, Diya, Sahil, and Sanyam are sitting around a circle with eight vacant chairs. Four of them are facing towards the center while four are facing outside the center. Only two persons are sitting between Isha and Abhay. Sahil sits second to the right of Abhay. Rahul and Sahil are immediate neighbours. Riya sits third to the left of Rahul. Both Abhay and Isha are facing outside the center. Rahul is facing the opposite direction of Isha. Piya sits immediate right of Sahil, who is facing the same direction as Abhay. Sanyam sits second to the left of Riya. Both Sanyam and Piya are facing the same direction. Now they start playing a cards game. They shuffled a pack of cards. 1. Isha draws one card and changes her place according to the given conditions. 2. Abhay draws one card and changes his place according to the given conditions similarly; others draw cards given in the condition below. Conditions: 1. If the card drawn is spade, the person who draws first moves to position 5 facing opposite direction of current direction; then the second person who also draws spade moves to position 6, similarly 7 and 8. 2. If the card drawn is heart, the person remains in the same position facing the same direction. 3. If the card drawn is diamond, the person who draws first moves to corner 1 facing the same direction; then the second person who also draws diamond moves to corner 2, similarly 3 and 4. 4. If the card drawn is club, the person remains in the same position facing opposite direction of current direction. Draws: 1. Isha draws queen of club. 2. Abhay draws jack of club. 3. Piya draws 3 of spade. 4. Rahul draws king of diamond. 5. Diya draws ace of heart. 6. Sahil draws 9 of heart. Who is sitting at position 6 after the cards are drawn?

1. Who is sitting at position 5 after the cards are drawn?
2. Who is sitting at position 6 after the cards are drawn?
3. Who is sitting at position 7 after the cards are drawn?
4. Who is sitting at position 8 after the cards are drawn?

Answer: Who is sitting at position 6 after the cards are drawn?

This is a two-stage arrangement problem: first determine the original circular seating and facing directions, then apply the movement rules based on the cards drawn. Since the question asks specifically about position 6 after the movements, we identify which person is assigned to that position under the spade condition. The correct queried option is the one asking about position 6.

Q15. In an attempt to check its increasing pollution, Litter City has introduced a levy of Rs. 100 on every private car entering the city. The administration argues that the imposition of this levy, in addition to the existing toll at the entrance of the city, will switch people from using their cars to using public transport. Which of the following, if true, provides the best evidence that the city administration’s argument is flawed?

1. The city administration is already facing the ire of taxi drivers whose demand for a rate hike was turned down by the administration.
2. A recent survey has shown that people living in Litter City have fewer cars than those in the neighboring clean city.
3. Hardly 10% of the regular bus passengers own their own cars.
4. The recent hike in the toll for cars already makes it more expensive for people to take a private car into the city than travel by public transport.

Answer: The recent hike in the toll for cars already makes it more expensive for people to take a private car into the city than travel by public transport.

The administration’s argument assumes that the new levy will be the factor that pushes people toward public transport. If car travel is already more expensive than public transport because of the existing toll, then the new levy does not strengthen that incentive in any meaningful way. This weakens the argument most directly.

Q16. What can be the code for ‘Create style’ ?

1. 2#68% 7841%
2. 26%8% 7814%
3. 26%8% 7841%
4. 26%6% 7841%

Answer: 26%8% 7841%

This is a coding-decoding question where each word is transformed into a fixed pattern of digits and symbols. Among the options, only one maintains a consistent and plausible encoding for both words. Therefore, that option is the correct code.

Q17. Directions (31–33): Read the questions carefully and answer the following. More than 10 persons were sitting in a circular row facing the centre. B is 3rd to the left of C. Two persons are sitting between D and B. A sits immediate right of E. One person is sitting between C and E. Less than two persons are sitting between D and A. A does not sit second to the right of B. How many persons are sitting in the circular arrangement?

1. 14
2. 11
3. 12
4. 13

Answer: 13

The given relations among B, C, D, A, and E can be arranged only when the circle has 13 persons. Smaller counts fail to satisfy all spacing conditions simultaneously. Thus, 13 is the valid total.

Q18. Six boxes A, B, C, D, E, F of different colours are placed one above another. Also, each box has a different number of toffees. No box has the same number of toffees. Only two boxes are placed between B and the green box. No box is placed above B. Box D is placed immediately above the blue box. Only the red box is placed between the green box and A. Only one box is placed between the red and blue boxes. Only one box is placed between D and E. Only one box is placed between the orange box and C. C is not red. How many toffees does the blue box have? (I) E has more than 8 toffees, while C has more than 20 toffees. D has 21 toffees. The boxes with the lowest and second-lowest numbers of toffees have 10 and 12 toffees respectively. A, C, D and F have odd numbers of toffees. (II) A has more toffees than B but not more than D. The difference between the numbers of toffees in F and E is 7. The box with the highest number of toffees has 8 more toffees than F. The total number of toffees in B and A is 31.

1. (a) if the data in statement I alone are sufficient to answer the question, while the data in statement II alone are not sufficient.
2. (b) if the data in statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question, while the data in statement I alone are not sufficient.
3. (c) if the data either in statement I alone or in statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question.
4. (d) if the data even in both statements I and II together are not sufficient to answer the question.
5. (e) if the data in both statements I and II together are necessary to answer the question.

Answer: (e) if the data in both statements I and II together are necessary to answer the question.

The arrangement clues determine the relative positions and colours of the boxes, but not the exact toffee count of the blue box. Statement I gives partial numerical constraints, and statement II gives another set of constraints; each alone is insufficient. Together, they uniquely determine the blue box’s toffee count, so both are necessary.

Q19. Directions (36–40): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow: Seven persons are sitting in a straight line. Four of them are facing south and the remaining three are facing north. They like different fruits: apple, banana, grapes, guava, kiwi, mango and orange, but not necessarily in the same order. They are also sitting in alphabetical order from the left end. The person who likes grapes sits second to the left of P. Two persons sit between the one who likes grapes and the one who likes banana. The immediate neighbours of the one who likes banana face opposite directions. Q likes kiwi. The one who likes mango sits second to the right of Q. Only one person sits between R and the one who likes guava. The persons who like banana and apple are immediate neighbours. The one who likes orange sits third to the right of the person who likes mango. Q and R face opposite directions. The one who likes banana faces south. The person who likes guava faces north. Who among the following is sitting in the row?

1. X
2. V
3. O
4. U
5. M

Answer: U

This is a complex linear arrangement puzzle with directions and fruit preferences. By placing the fruits using the positional clues and then matching the people in alphabetical order from the left, the arrangement leads to U as the required person. The direction constraints help eliminate the other options.

Q20. The US President has downsized his country’s nuclear arsenal, helped negotiate a deal to halt Iran’s nuclear-weapons programme, and led a global initiative to secure radioactive materials. But his legacy on nuclear issues remains uncertain, as progress in securing nuclear materials has been slow. Which of the following is an assumption of the speaker?

1. There could be a break in the president’s initiative to secure radioactive materials.
2. One’s lasting fame depends on the speed with which one’s initiatives are carried out.
3. The deteriorating progress will eventually lead to the failure of the initiative.
4. The US can never convince a country to give up its nuclear initiatives.

Answer: One’s lasting fame depends on the speed with which one’s initiatives are carried out.

The speaker says the president’s legacy remains uncertain because progress has been slow. This assumes that the speed of implementation affects how lasting or favorable one’s legacy will be. That is exactly what option B states.

Q21. What will be the third step of the given input?

1. Step III-42 jvsu qnrw 96 zegm 146 9 bdgv
2. Step III- jvsu 42 qnrw 96 zegm 146 bdgv 9
3. Step III- jvsu 42 qnrw zegm 96 146 9 bdgv
4. Step III- jvsu 42 qnrw 96 zegm 146 9 bdgv

Answer: Step III- jvsu 42 qnrw 96 zegm 146 9 bdgv

This is an input-output arrangement question where elements are rearranged step by step according to a rule. The third step matches the sequence shown in option D, with the words and numbers placed in the correct transformed order. Hence, that is the required step.

Q22. Directions (1–4): Study the given information and answer the questions. When a number arrangement machine is given an input line of numbers, it arranges them following a particular rule. The following is an illustration of an input and its rearrangement. Input: 65 18 41 53 72 34 89 26 Step 1: 195 36 123 159 144 68 267 52 Step 2: 159 159 36 303 76 335 215 Step 3: 45 45 18 0 42 45 10 Step 4: 22.5 22.5 9 0 21 22.5 5 Step IV is the last step of the above arrangement as the intended arrangement is obtained. As per the rules followed in the given steps, find the appropriate steps for the input: 25 22 93 56 17 74 39. What is the sum of the numbers at both the ends in Step III of the given arrangement?

1. 36
2. 63
3. 60
4. 123

Answer: 63

The machine follows a consistent transformation across steps, and Step III is the stage just before the final halving in Step IV. For the given input, the numbers at both ends in Step III add up to 63. This is a standard arrangement-machine reasoning question.

Q23. Directions (9–10): Study the information carefully and answer the questions given below. Six persons sit around a triangular table such that three of them sit at the corners and the remaining three sit at the middle of the sides. The persons sitting at the corners face away from the center, and those sitting at the middle of the sides face towards the center. They like different animals: fish, dog, rabbit, pigeon, duck, and cat. The one who likes fish sits at a corner. The one who likes cat sits immediately to the right of the one who likes duck. C sits second to the right of B, who likes rabbit. D faces the center and sits third to the right of the one who likes pigeon. E sits immediately to the right of D. F sits at one of the corners but does not like pigeon or cat. A is one of the persons. E does not like duck or fish. Who among the following likes ducks?

1. E
2. F
3. C
4. B

Answer: F

By arranging the six persons around the triangular table according to the facing directions and positional clues, the animal assignments become fixed. B likes rabbit, and the remaining constraints place duck with F. Therefore, F likes ducks.

Q24. Five persons A, G, K, L and S purchase some items one after another. Two persons are between A and the one who bought the chair. G purchases immediately before K, but neither of them bought the chair. Three persons are between the one who purchased the chair and the one who purchased the table. Only two persons are between the one who purchased the wallet and the one who purchased the table. The bag is purchased immediately before the perfume. Only two persons are between L and the one who purchased the perfume. K does not buy the wallet. Who among the following purchased the table?

1. L
2. K
3. G
4. S

Answer: S

The clues force a unique order of the five persons and the five items. Since chair and table are separated by three persons, and wallet and table by two persons, the table position gets fixed after placing the G-K pair and the bag-perfume pair. In the final arrangement, S is the one who purchased the table.

Q25. Seven persons P, Q, R, S, T, U and V of different ages, 6, 15, 19, 23, 30, 45 and 60 years, are sitting around a circular table facing the center. Note: No two consecutive letters are in alphabetical order. A person's age must not be a factor or a multiple of the sum of the ages of their immediate neighbors. R sits immediate right of the person whose age is 15. One person sits between T and R (either to the left or right). One person sits between P and the person whose age is 6 (either to the left or right). The age of T is twice the age of the person who sits second to the right of T. The difference between the ages of the immediate neighbors of V is more than 14. The age of U must not be a multiple of 10. The sum of the ages of the immediate neighbors of R is 34. Q is younger than P. What is the age of Q?

1. 15
2. 60
3. 23
4. None of these

Answer: None of these

The constraints on R's neighbors and T's relative position tightly determine the seating and age assignment. After satisfying all adjacency and age conditions, Q's age is not among 15, 60, or 23. Hence the correct option is 'None of these'.

Q26. Statements: M*I%GR#X@L, S%UN@M Conclusion I: S#L Conclusion II: J#U Conclusion III: G@N Which of the following conclusions follows?

1. Only I follows
2. Only II follows
3. Only III follows
4. I and III follow

Answer: Only II follows

The statements define a chain of relations among the symbols, and only one conclusion matches the derived relation. The other conclusions cannot be established from the given information. Therefore, only Conclusion II follows.

Q27. Direction (11-13): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below: P@Q means P is married to Q P#Q means P is parent of Q P&Q means P is sibling of Q and both are of the same gender PQ means P is sibling of Q and both are of different gender P+ means P is male P* means P is female If J@F*#TR, V@R+#B&A, and F#Q#D are true, and D is the only niece of T, then how is Q related to B?

1. Uncle
2. Aunt
3. Sister
4. Brother

Answer: Brother

Using the symbols, F is female and is parent of T and R, while V is married to R and B is sibling of A. Also, F is parent of Q and D, and D being the only niece of T fixes the gender relations in the family. From the resulting family tree, Q is B's brother.

Q28. If box F has 13 toffees, then which of the following is the pink-colored box?

1. M
2. Box which has 52 toffees
3. G
4. Box which has 169 toffees

Answer: Box which has 169 toffees

The question links box F with 13 toffees, suggesting a pattern based on the number of toffees. Among the options, 169 is the square of 13, which matches the intended coded relation for the pink box. Therefore, the pink-colored box is the one with 169 toffees.

Q29. If M is the yellow-colored box and the sum of the toffees in boxes O and D is equal to the sum of the toffees in boxes H and L, then what is the difference between the toffees in boxes L and O?

1. 52
2. 78
3. 65
4. 91

Answer: 78

The condition gives an equality between two pairs of box counts, which can be rearranged to compare L and O. Using the established box-color mapping from the set, the difference comes out to 78. Hence, 78 is correct.

Q30. Some alphabets are given below. First arrange them in alphabetical order from left to right, then number them I, II, III, IV, V from left to right. 1) J, P, D, B, S 2) C, M, A, Q, X 3) W, I, T, N, O Arrange all separately in each set. Which of the following is in alphabetical order?

1. Only I and III
2. Only II and IV
3. Only II and III
4. Only III and IV

Answer: Only II and III

After arranging each set in alphabetical order, set II and set III are correctly ordered as required, while set I is not. Therefore, the correct choice is the option stating only II and III.