SBI PO Exam 2018: Tips to keep in mind while preparing for reasoning ability section - Hindustan Times
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SBI PO Exam 2018: Tips to keep in mind while preparing for reasoning ability section

ByAbhishek Patil
May 15, 2018 04:26 PM IST

There is no set rule to score high marks in reasoning and only continuous practice can help you ace the tests at both prelims and mains.

There are only months left at hand for students to prepare for SBI PO 2018 prelims, which are expected to be conducted in July, and SBI PO 2018 Mains that are likely to be held in August.

The reasoning section simply tests the way you think(Shutterstock)
The reasoning section simply tests the way you think(Shutterstock)

During this crunch time, every moment counts and hence, it’s necessary to perfect your practice.

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Two sections - English language section and reasoning ability section - repeat in both levels of SBI PO exams.

Since reasoning is a section that appears both in SBI PO Prelims and SBI PO Mains, it is necessary to be well prepared for the section. Given that it’s on both levels, the preparation for prelims could even be beneficial for your performance in the SBI PO Mains.

Here are a few things to note regarding the SBI PO 2018 reasoning section.

There is no set rule to score high marks in reasoning and only continuous practice can help you ace the tests at both prelims and mains.

Unlike quantitative aptitude where you must memorise formulas or English language where you must be thorough with the grammar and vocabulary, the reasoning section simply tests the way you think. To think exactly the way the paper-setter does, one must be familiar with all the various kinds of questions that appear in the section.

There is nothing to memorise in this section; the key to scoring good grades in reasoning is by building the logic up to the point where the questions can be easily attempted without much thinking, and regular practice of different types of questions is the only way to get there.

SBI PO 2018: Exam patterns

However, prior to discussing preparation strategies for SBI PO 2018 reasoning section, let’s look at the SBI PO 2018 exam patterns for prelims and mains.

Therefore, in the SBI PO 2018 Prelims, each question in the reasoning ability must be solved within 34 seconds (on the basis that 35 questions must be solved within 20 minutes).

In the SBI PO 2018 Mains, each question in reasoning ability must be solved in less than 80 seconds (on the basis that 45 questions must be solved within 60 minutes; however, there are computer aptitude questions to be answered as well).

SBI PO 2018: Reasoning topic-wise preparation tips

Syllogisms

It is necessary to read and understand the full question before attempting to answer or solve it. Make sure you are clear regarding the statements or premises and what must the assumptions be; the idea here is to draw a line between what is true and what all could potentially be true. Venn diagrams are going to play an important here in helping you solve those kinds of questions.

Inequalities

There may either be coded inequalities or direct inequalities; direct inequalities are relatively simple if you know the basic mathematical rules. Coded inequalities must be approached with care because a mistake in the analysis could result in a wrong answer. However, with due care, inequalities are easy questions and decent marks can be scored from them without much difficulty.

Arrangements

Time and again, there have been several questions from seating arrangements (linear or circular); those questions do not come without added complexities (such as blood relations) which can make them time-consuming and difficult to answer. Hence, practice a fair number of questions from each unique set (such as blood relations, habits, etc.) to be thorough with arrangements’ questions.

Input and Output

I/O Questions are not quite difficult to solve; however, they do require more time than other questions in the section. Do take care to not miss any detail (word/number) when processing the input, because that is a common error which is sure to give a faulty answer.

Data Sufficiency

The challenge here is variety; data sufficiency questions may be of and in any form. There is no direct way to earn marks here; blood relations problems tend to be trickier than their counterparts. DS questions are quite likely to take the maximum amount of time when it comes to solving them, and hence adequate practice of this section is a must.

SBI PO 2018: Suggested reference books

Here are a few recommendations that might be helpful should you wish to reinforce your online preparation of the reasoning section for the SBI PO 2018 with reference books:

* Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal

* Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey

* Magical Book on Puzzles by K Kundan

We hope that this guide on SBI PO 2018 reasoning will be helpful for your preparation.

All the best!

Abhishek Patil is the CEO and co-founder at Oliveboard, an online preparation portal for MBA, banking and government exams. Views expressed here are personal.

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