SBI Clerk Mains 2021 Exam: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude Made Simple

A flood of banking aspirants is looking forward to the news of the arrival of SBI Clerk Mains Exams, which had been recently postponed by the State Bank of India (SBI). This postponement was a result of the delay in SBI Clerk prelims in some exam centers like Shillong, Agartala, Aurangabad (Maharashtra), and Nashik Centres. SBI plans to conduct Prelims for these centers (4 States) and then only will it announce the SBI Clerk Prelims Result 2021 for all the centers.

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Earlier, the Main Exam was scheduled to be held on 31st July 2021 but has been postponed till further notice, as per the official RBI notification. But that shouldn’t stop you from running towards your aim. You need to roll up your sleeves and do the best preparation you can to beat it once it knocks on your door!

So, it is crucial for you to understand the best approach to deal with all the sections in SBI Mains, so that you can lay a good plan to fetch good marks in each section to crack for the upcoming Exam.

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude is one of those sections!

Also Read SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2021: 6 Tips to Master Reading Comprehension!

In this article, we will discuss simple tips that will help you to eliminate the complexities of this section for better and better results in the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2021!

Strategy for Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

We have been witnessing a lot of questions from the past two years. The topics for mains will remain the same, but only the difficulty level of the questions will increase. We have seen that in verbal reasoning the Mains Exam has been inviting questions mostly on assumptions, cause, effect, inferences, arguments, difficult puzzles, and more, every year. Whereas in Computer Aptitude, you may have to face new types of questions on reasoning. These questions can be created from topics like Input-Output, Flowchart, etc.

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Topic-wise Weightage of Questions in Reasoning Ability

Reasoning Section- Topics	Expected Number of Questions
Puzzle	9-10
Seating Arrangement	6-10
Blood Relations	1-2
Direction Test	2-3
Syllogism	2 -4
Coding-Decoding	1 -2
Input-Output	0-4
Order and Ranking	1 -2
Statement and Assumptions	2 -3
Inequalities	1-2
Alphanumeric Series	2 -3
Data Sufficiency	2-3

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Trick to complete Reasoning & Computer Aptitude in 40 Minutes

In the mains exam, you must aim for attempting 30 questions accurately. Questions on Reasoning can be tricky, but if you have practiced them well, and can read the question carefully in the exam, you can quickly answer them accurately. In case you fail to answer it, there is no need to get stuck in it and waste your time. Quickly leave it and move forward to attempt the questions you think you are good in. If time demands, you can revisit it after attempting the questions you’re sure of.

List of Topics you Need to Focus on

Coding-Decoding

You can expect to face around 3-4 questions perhaps from this topic, based on previous records. Various new patterned questions have appeared in other banking exams, so SBI can also introduce them in the Mains as well. Do a thorough study and revision of all its core concepts.

1.    Puzzles

You can expect some tricky puzzles in the upcoming exams. So, be ready to face the gritty puzzles. These puzzles come in with a set of 5. Save yourself from investing more time than needed in the Exam time. Don’t forget that you can straightaway fetch 5 marks.

Keep in mind the points given below while solving the puzzles:

• Know the basic terms of puzzles
• Always utilize the direct statement provided in the statements.
• Quickly organize the structure in either circle, table, or line, whichever is being asked in the question.
• First arrange the direct information, then the indirect information to sort out the problem
• A puzzle with a lot of information is almost always easy to solve

Read: How to Answer Reading Comprehension Answers in SBI Clerk Exam 2021?

Pay attention to all the possible cases given in the question to solve the problem quickly and accurately. If you will practice the puzzles well, you will be able to solve all the puzzles in a blink of an eye. Only regular practice of puzzles every day will help you in decided which question to choose and which to leave in the actual Exam. There is no other way. If you fail to comprehend the question, it is better to skip the question to revisit it later.

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Syllogism

You can expect 3-4 questions from this topic in the coming Exam. Questions on this topic come with two or more statements, followed by several conclusions. The conclusion which will logically follow the statements will be the answer to the question. You can also use Venn Diagrams to make the answering process easy and quick.

As per this method you:

1. Make a Venn Diagram
2. Read all the statements properly, one by one
3. Draw the Venn diagram for each statement
4. Check the conclusion, if it follows or not

If you will practice these questions a lot, you can master them. You can even guess the answer just by skimming through it in one go. Most of these questions have a set pattern. Phrases like can be, possibly, maybe, might be, are the phrases that convey possibility, whereas phrases like, can and can never be, convey surety. You have to read between the lines to come to the conclusion, your answer.

Logical reasoning questions

Some of the most important and trickiest of the topics that you need to focus on are strengthening and weakening arguments, inferences, assumptions, course of actions, cause and effect, and statements and conclusions.

To answer the questions related to these topics you need to quickly read the statements first, and then try to relate the parts that are connecting with the given paragraph. And then implement the elimination strategy to get a suitable answer. Avoid brainless guessing, although regular practice may even make your guessing power very effective and rewarding.

Note: Do not spend more than 45 minutes on the reading section in exam time.

Will SBI Clerk Mains 2021 be easy to crack?

Its toughness or easiness wholly depends on your preparation level and strategy. Last Year, the overall difficulty level of the SBI Clerk mains was moderate. So, you can expect the same this year. But if you want to be an exception, you can study hard and give as many Mock Tests as possible to make it an easy game.

As in Mains, you may well find some new topics in reasoning like Machine Input & Output and Critical Reasoning, you don’t have to panic. You need to keep practicing via Mock Tests and keep Analysing your performance to better it.

Conclusion: Practice

In addition to all the points mentioned above, you can also watch a few YouTube videos to understand the types of questions and then test your knowledge and skills via Mocks. Try to solve a puzzle in 2–3 minutes’ time. You may also avoid starting your paper with puzzles or sitting arrangements. This is because, in case, you are stuck in a puzzle, your beginning will be ruined. Try to solve critical reasoning questions. Start with any topic you are good in, say critical reasoning or any other.

Lastly, as we know, not everything in life or exams can be controlled. So, you should never be fearful of failures. Just keep calm, feel free, be confident, and try your best while attempting the questions in the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2021. You should have a healthy diet and sleep well. You should believe in your preparation and do demonstrate your best.

Wishing you the best of luck with the exam!