IBPS PO Prelims Question Paper 2017 –

Reasoning Ability
Directions(1-5): Study the following information carefully to answer the given questions.

Nine boxes A, B,C, D, E , F, G, H and I are arranged but not in the same order. A box which is placed
on top is numbered 9th. Each box holds a different number of chocolates. The number of chocolates in
each box is in the range of 1-20.

Three boxes are there between A and B. H is immediately below A. Box A is placed one of the
positions below 7th. As many boxes between H and G are the same as between C and D. Number of
boxes between H and G is less than three and more than one. E placed immediately below D and only
three boxes between E and F. E placed on one of the positions below F. The number of chocolates in F
is the sum of the number of chocolates in C and B. The number of chocolates in B, D, F is a single-digit
odd prime number. The number of chocolates in E is neither a prime nor composite. The number of
chocolates in A and I are two-digit even number. The number of chocolates in G and H is a two-digit
odd composite number and a single-digit odd composite number respectively. B does not hold the least
number of chocolates. The number of chocolates held by D is the highest single-digit odd prime
number. The difference between the number of chocolates held by A and I is 6. The number of
chocolates held by A is more than 10 but less than 14.

1. Which of the following holds the maximum number of chocolates?

A. B
B. A
C. D
D. G
E. I

Answer: E

Solution 1:

Position Box Chocolates

9 I 18

8 G 15

7 F 5

6 A 12

5 H 9
4 D 7

3 E 1

2 B 3

1 C 2

From the above final table, we can conclude Box I have the maximum number of chocolates.

2. How many numbers of chocolates are there in Box E?

A. 7
B. 5
C. 15
D. 1
E. 12

Answer: D

Solution 2:

From the above table, we can notice that E has 1 chocolate, hence the answer is 1.

3. If G is related to 9, A is related to 7, B is related to?

A. 3
B. 1
C. 4
D. Either 3 or 1
E. None of these

Answer: A

Solution 3:

From the given table we can conclude the answer is 3.

4. Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group which one does not

belong to that the group?

A. 9-G-5
B. 7- A - 9
C. 1-B-1
D. 6-H-7
E. 4-E-3
 Answer: C

Solution 4:

From the above table, we can see that 4 of the given options form a diagonal pattern starting

from top left corner whereas option C forms a pattern from the bottom left corner.

5. How many boxes between C and F

A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 1
E. 3

Answer: B

Solution 5:

From the above table, we can find that there are 5 boxes between C and F.

Directions (6-8): Study the following information to answer the given questions:

In a certain code, ‘Relative Super Healthy Transmission’ is written as ‘ %10R #16Q @24S

$14G’, ‘Flexible Clean Gear Industry’ is written as ‘#16E @10B $16H %8F’, ‘Disorder Pain

Memory Negative’ is written as ‘$12L %16C @8O #16M’, ‘Illustration Opportunity Exposure

Forever’ is written as ‘ %14E $22N #16D @24H’.

6. What is the code for ‘Leather Company’?

A. $16B %12K
B. $16B %14K
C. $14B %14K
D. $14B %12K
E. Cannot be determined

Answer: C

Solution 6:

Last letters in words are represented by symbols

 E-#
R-%
Y-$
N-@

In the second position, the number represents the double of the total number of letters in

the words.

For third position alphabet represents the previous letter of the first letter in words.

7. What is the code for ‘Responsible Person’?

A. @22O %22Q
B. @20O %12Q
C. @12O %24Q
D. @12O %22Q
E. Cannot be determined

Answer: D

Solution 7:

From the logic shared above, we can conclude the answer is @120 %22Q

8. The code ‘#22O’ denotes which of the following word?

A. Puzzle
B. Pure
C. Purchase
D. Playhouse
E. Performance

Answer: E

Directions (9-10): Study the information below and answer the following question

In a certain code language,

‘Finance and power equal’ is written as ‘gh mk ru st’

‘Power of countries decreasing’ is written as ‘tl zm ak gh’

‘Training equal countries better’ is written as ‘dj ru zm pn’

 ‘Better to regenerate finance’ is written as ‘br ht dj st’

(All codes are two-letter codes only)

9. What does the code ‘tl’ stand for in the given code language?

A. And
B. Either ‘of’ or ‘decreasing’
C. Training
D. to
E. Either ‘countries’ or ‘training’

Answer: B

Solution 9:

From the above-given directions, we can conclude the answer is either ‘of’ or ‘decreasing’
10. Which of the following may represent ‘better generate power’ in the given code

Language?

A. fs gh dj
B. dj mk gh
C. gh pn st
D. gh fs mk
E. xs dj ak

Answer: A

Solution 10:

From the above-given directions we can conclude ‘better generate power’ can be
represented by fs gh dj

Directions (11-15): Read the following information carefully and answer the questions
given below.

L, M, N, O, P, Q and R are seven employees who are working in the same company. They
attend a meeting in different department viz. Administrative, security, finance, and HR
department on different days from Monday to Sunday but not necessarily in the same order.

One employee attends only one meeting and only one meeting is held on each day. There
are two employees who attend a meeting in the administrative, security, HR department and
only one employee attends a meeting in the Finance department.

L attends the meeting on Thursday. There are two persons who attend meeting between L
and the person who attends a meeting in the HR department. There are 3 persons who attend a
meeting between the persons who attend meeting in the Administrative department and the one who
attends a meeting in the Finance department. The one who attends a meeting in the Finance
department does not attend on Saturday. The number of persons who attend the meeting between L
and the one who attend a meeting in the Finance department is the same as number of persons who
attend the meeting between O and the one who attends the meeting in the security department. The
one who attends a meeting in the Security department attend before O. O does not attend a meeting in
the HR department. Q attends the meeting on the day immediately before the day on which L attends
the meeting. O does not attend the meeting on the day just after the day on which L attends the
meeting. The number of persons who attend a meeting between L and P is same as the number of
persons who attend a meeting between L and R. P attends a meeting in one of the day before the day
on which R attends the meeting. N attends a meeting in the administrative department. R does not
attend a meeting in the Security department.

11. Who among the following attend the meeting on Friday?

A. O
B. M
C. P
D. N
E. R

Answer: D

Solution 11:

From the given directions we can come to the final table given below

Day Employees Department

Monday M HR

Tuesday P Security

Wednesday Q Administrative

Thursday L Security

Friday N Administrative

Saturday R HR

Sunday O Finance

From the above table we can conclude N attended the meeting on Friday.

12. Which of the following combinations of “Person-Day” is true with respect to the arrangement?
A. R - Friday
B. M- Saturday
C. Q- Thursday
D. P - Friday
E. P- Tuesday

Answer: E

Solution 12:

From the above table P-Tuesday is the right combination.

13. L attends meeting in which of the following department?

A. Security
B. HR
C. Administrative
D. Finance
E. Either (A) or (B)

Answer: A

Solution 13:

From the above table we can find L attends meeting of Security department.

14. In this arrangement, Q is related to Monday, L is related to Security then N is related to?

A. Thursday
B. Wednesday
C. None of the given options is true
D. HR
E. Sunday

Answer: B

Solution 14:

From the logic of the question we can conclude that N is related to Wednesday.

15. How many persons attend meeting between P and O?

A. 3
B. 4
C. 2
D. 1
E. None of these

Answer: B
Solution 15:

4 persons attend meeting between P and O, they are Q, L, N, R.

Directions (16-20): Read the following information carefully and answer the questions.

Seven persons A, B, C, D, E, F, G like seven colours Yellow, White, Red, Orange, Blue, Grey, and
Black. They visit in a mall on different days starting from

(I) A visits one of the days after Thursday

(ii) Only 4 people are in between A and B
(iii) The one who likes Red colour visits immediately after B
(iv) Only one person visits between Red and Blue
(v) The one who likes white colour visits before one of the days on which day C visits.
(vi) The one who likes white colour does not visit on Monday. D visits before E.
(vii) Only 1 person is in between D and E. D likes yellow colour
(viii) The number of persons who visit between A and the one who likes Blue colour is one less than the
number of persons who visits between B and C.
(ix) Neither G nor F likes Black. Neither G nor F likes white colour.
(x) G and E do not visit on Saturday and G doesn't like Grey colour.

16. The one who visits just before F likes which of the following colour?

A. White
B. Red
C. Orange
D. Blue
E. None of these

Answer: D

Days Person Colour

Monday D Yellow

Tuesday B White

Wednesday E Red

Thursday G Orange

Friday C Blue

Saturday F Grey

Sunday A Black
Solution 16:

The one who visits before F is C, and C likes Blue.

17. Who amongst the following visits on Sunday?

A. B
B. The one who likes Red colour
C. A
D. None of these
E. The one who likes grey

Answer: A

Solution 17:

From the above given table we can find that A visits on Sunday.

18. Which of the following is true according to the given arrangement?

A. D likes white colour

B. F visits on Wednesday
C. C visits after G
D. A likes Grey colour
E. None of these

Answer: C

Solution 18:

From the above table we can see that G visits on Thursday and C visits on Friday.

19. F visits on which of the following day?

A. Monday
B. Tuesday
C. None of these
D. Saturday
E. Sunday

Answer: D

Solution 19:

From the above table we can conclude that F visits on Saturday.

20. A like which of the following colour?

A. White
B. Yellow
C. Red
D. Black
E. None of these

Answer: D

Solution 20:

From the above table we can easily conclude that A likes Black colour.

Directions (21-25): Read the information carefully and answer the given question.

Ten people are sitting in two parallel rows, containing five people. In one row J, K, L, M, and N are
seated and all of them are facing north and in the second row P, Q, R, S and T are seated and all of
them are facing South, not necessarily in the same order. Each person also like a different cartoon
character namely Orange, Black, Violet, Blue, Yellow, Grey, Green, Red, White, and Pink, not
necessarily in the same order.

N sits exactly in the centre of the row and faces the one who likes yellow. Only one person sits between
S and the one who likes Yellow. S faces one of the immediate neighbours of the one who like Grey.
Only two people sit between K and the one who like Grey. K faces the one who likes Red. P faces
immediate neighbours of L. P does not like Red. M is an immediate neighbour of L. The one who likes
Blue is not an immediate neighbour of S. T is not an immediate neighbour of P and faces the one who
likes Black. T does not sit at the extreme end of the line. R faces the one who likes white. R does not
like Yellow. The one likes Pink faces North. The one who likes Orange sits to the immediate right of the
person who likes Green. S does not like Orange. Violet sits opposite to the person who sits left of the
person who likes Orange.

21. Which of the following pairs represent the people sitting at the extreme end of the rows?

A. S,M
B. Q,L
C. P,N
D. Q,J
E. R,L

Answer: E

Solution 21:

R (Red) T (Blue) Q(Yellow) P (Orange) S(Green)

K (White) J (Black) N (Pink) M (Grey) L (Violet)

From the above final table, we can conclude that R and L are the people sitting at the extreme ends. R
sits at the left extreme end of the row where people face South, and L sits at the right extreme end of
the row where people face North.

22. Who amongst the following likes Blue?

A. S
B. P
C. R
D. T
E. Q

Answer: D

Solution 22:

From the above final table, we can conclude that T is the person who likes Blue.

23. Who amongst the following is an immediate neighbour of the one who likes Pink?

A. The one who likes Grey

B. The one who likes Green
C. K
D. The one who likes white
E. None of these

Answer: A

Solution 23:

From the above final table, we can conclude that the person who likes Grey is the immediate
neighbour, and the person is M.

24. Which one of the cartoon character does Q like?

A. Orange
B. Yellow
C. Grey
D. Green
E. Red

Answer: B

Solution 24:

From the above concluding table, we can easily find that Yellow is the cartoon character that Q likes.

25. Which of the following statements is definitely true as per the given arrangement?
 A. L faces R
B. Q likes Red
C. Q is an immediate neighbour of P
D. The one who likes White is an immediate neighbour of P.
E. The one who likes Violet faces N.

Answer: C

Solution 25:

From the above table, we can definitely conclude that Q is an immediate neighbour of P.

Directions (26-30): In these questions, the relationship between two elements is shown in the
statements.These statements are followed by two conclusions.

26. Statement:

K > R = L, P > L, R ≥ S

Conclusion:
I. S<L
II. L=S

A. If only Conclusion I follows

B. If only Conclusion II follows
C. If either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
D. If neither Conclusion I nor II follows
E. If both Conclusion I and II follows

Answer: C

Solution 26:

From the statement we can see that R = L and R ≥ S. Hence naturally we can see that S < L or S = L.

27. Statement:

Z<L<W=N=K≤A

Conclusion:

I. A>L
II. Z=A

A. If only Conclusion I follow.

B. If only Conclusion II follows.
C. If either conclusion I or II follows.
 D. If neither conclusion I nor II follows.
E. If both conclusion I and II follows.

Answer: A

Solution 27:

From the above statement we can find that Z<W and W=K, hence we can conclude that Z<K.
When K<A, it logically follows that Z<A.

When K=A, it follows that W=A, and statement shows W>Z. Hence A>Z and conclusion II will not
follow.

28. Statement:

Y > A < N, Y = B < P

Conclusion:

I. P>A
II. N>B

A. If only Conclusion I follows

B. If only Conclusion II follows
C. If either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows.
D. If neither Conclusion I nor II follows
E. If both Conclusion I and II follows.

Answer: A

Solution 28:

Conclusion I is true due to the following reason.

Statement says Y>A and Y=B, hence we can conclude that B>A. Statement says P>B, so naturally
P>A. Hence Conclusion I follow.

Conclusion II is false due to the following reason.

Statement says A<Y and A<N. From this, we can’t make any definite conclusion, because it gives rise
to 3 possibilities i.e. N could be greater than Y, N could be less than Y or N could be equal to Y. As Y =
B, the same logic given above applies to the relation of N and B. Hence Conclusion II is false.

29. Statement

X=M<A<S=T<R

Conclusion:
 I. M=T
II. R>A

A. If only Conclusion I follow

B. If only Conclusion II follow
C. If either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
D. If neither Conclusion I nor II follows
E. If both Conclusion I and II follows.

Answer: B

Solution 29:

Conclusion I is false:

From the above statement, A>M and S>A. Since S=T, naturally it follows that T>A, and it follows that
T>M as A>M and T>A.

Conclusion II is true.

From the above statement, S>A, and T=S, so naturally it follows that T>A. Statement says R>T, hence
R>A as T>A.

30. Statement:

A = M > P, N > R, A > T

Conclusion:

I. T=P
II. R<A

A. If only Conclusion I follow.

B. If only Conclusion II follow
C. If either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
D. If neither Conclusion I nor II follows.
E. If both Conclusion I and II follow

Answer: D

Solution 30:

Conclusion I is false:
 From the statement we can see that A>P and A>T. So we can’t establish any definite relationship
between P and T. Hence Conclusion I is false.

Conclusion II is false:

From the statement we can’t see any definite relationship between R and A.

Directions (31-35): In each question below are three statements followed by two conclusions
numbered I and II. You have to take the three given statements to be true even if they seem to be at
variance with commonly known facts and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows
from the three statements disregarding commonly known facts.

31. Statements:

All numbers are digits.

All Alphabets are numbers.
All words are alphabets.

Conclusions:

I. All words are digits.

II. Some numbers are not words

A. If only Conclusion I follows

B. If only Conclusion II follows
C. If either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
D. If neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
E. If both Conclusion I and II follows.

Answer: A

Solution 31:

32. Statements:

Somes tables are chairs

All chairs are benches
 All benches are desks.

Conclusions:

I. Some desks are tables

II. Some benches are tables
III. Some desks are chairs

A. Only I follows
B. Only II follows
C. Only III follows
D. Only II and III follows
E. All follow

Answer: E

Solution 32:

In the below figure, T- tables, C- Chairs, B- Benches, D-Desks.

From the statements we can get the above figure. From the above figure we can conclude that All the
conclusions are true.

33. Statements:

Some bags are plates

Some plates are chairs
All chairs are tables

Conclusions:

I. Some tables are plates

II. Some chairs are bags
III. No chair is bag.

A. Only I follow
B. Only II follows
C. Only III follows
D. Only II and III follow
E. Either II or III and I follow.
 Answer: E

Solution 33:

From the above figure, either II or III and I follow.

34. Statement

Some books are papers

No paper is magazine
All magazines are pens

Conclusions:

I. Some books are not magazines

II. Some books are magazines

A. Only Conclusion I follows

B. Only Conclusion II follows
C. Either Conclusion I or II follows
D. Neither Conclusion I nor II follows
E. Both Conclusion I and II follow.

Answer: A

Solution 34:
 From the above figure, we can conclude that only Conclusion I follows.

35. Statement

All books are novels

No novel is a magazine
All magazines are newspaper

Conclusions:

I. No books is a magazine
II. Some newspaper are novels

A. If only Conclusion I follows.

B. If only Conclusion II follow
C. If either I or II follows
D. If neither I nor II follows
E. If both I and II follow

Answer: A

Solution 35:

From the given statements we can come to the conclusion with the help of following figure