35/35 Preparation Strategy for SBI Clerk- Reasoning 

Reasoning can be overwhelming at times but students can definitely use this time to leverage the preparation due to the delays caused by COVID-19. And neither should one think about another delay in the SBI clerk exams because that will be not a wise decision.  You need to realise these delays can also cause massive procrastination. It’s better to stay motivated by being in touch with the preparation.  

Syllabus for Reasoning: Syllogism, Analytical Reasoning, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Input-Output, Inequalities, Direction Sense, Grouping and Ordering, Critical Reasoning, etc. 

Let’s understand some of the question patterns first: 

Syllogism 

They are basically logical arguments given to you for deductive reasoning. The aim is to reach to a conclusion by going through the arguments presented.  

Example – ‘All humans are mortal; I am human; therefore I am mortal.’ 

The third statement derived is a conclusion or it’s basically truth or a fact derived from the first two statements.  

Approach for solving syllogism questions: 

• Read the statements carefully and without any bias.  
• Follow the rules of syllogism to derive the right answer 

Yes, there are pre-set rules for syllogism.  

Rule 1 – Possibility of cases – In the cases of possibility we have to create all the possibilities and see if it matches with the given conclusion. The conclusion follows if it matches, otherwise, it will not follow. 

Rule 2 – Re-statement is not a conclusion – It is essential that the conclusive statement should be different from the statements given.  

Rule 3 – Complimentary Pairs – Either and or cases are only applicable in complementary pairs. Such as (I) Some A are B (ii) No A are B 

Coding and Decoding 

Such questions are very common in all banking examinations. Let’s decode coding and decoding questions by taking an example: 

In a certain code language “HAPPINESS” is written as “STFOJQQBH”. How will “MEDICINE” be written in that code language?  

Try to solve this question and mention your answers in the comments section below. You are supposed to recognize the pattern.  

Tips for solving coding-decoding questions 

• Try to find common elements 
• Tricky questions will have one or more patterns involved 

The idea behind presenting these questions was to make you understand the nature/pattern of reasoning. The idea behind asking such questions is to test your observation, and projection abilities. Such skills are considered essential when you work for good companies as they are bound to face challenges on a regular interval.  

Is reasoning a subject where 35/35 is possible? 

Well, the answer is both yes and no. The possibility of scoring 35 is completely dependent on how you approach the entire reasoning section. Let’s look at some consideration which is crucial for you to score 35/35 in reasoning ability: 

35/35 isn’t possible if the entire syllabus isn’t covered 

Many aspirants from the very first day think of sections, type of questions, topics they will not attempt in the exam. They do this because either they struggle with these topics or have preconceived fears developed in their minds. It’s usually the combination of two.  

Focusing on the questions which you aren’t comfortable solving is the strategy that can get you close to the 35/35 landmark. It’s not even the case where questions are too hard to be solved but our deep-rooted fears about the subject or topic are what block us from learning.  

What’s the solution? 

• Start fresh with these subjects or topics. Learn from the very beginning. 
• Get your concepts strong 
• Choose a teacher or a friend who can personally guide you.  
• Devote your time accordingly. Don’t leave these topics for the last hour. Try to solve them first when you self-study.  
• Keep repeating to yourself that you can’t score 35/35 if you don’t address these challenging questions.  

Accuracy vs Negative Marking vs Speed 

As you must be aware negative marking exists for SBI clerk exams. Many aspirants do become overconfident in attempting the questions. What happens is that they miss out on the tiny details of the question. Reasoning questions are designed to be tricky and are known for creating challenges. In order to get quick answers aspirants at times fall into the trap of finding answers which look obvious and are straightforward. But in reality, answer require much more effort and connecting of the dots.  

Other than this you also have the challenge of managing the speed. Attempting 35 questions in mere 20 minutes is something that needs to be mastered with accuracy. Well, there is nothing much you can do about it. But you can do it all by regular practice and daily mocks. You can give mini mocks for the reasoning section. Such methodologies help immensely in doing justices with both speed and accuracy.  

Regular Mock Tests 

All your worries about the reasoning section can be really overturned by taking regular mock exams. Be it speed, accuracy, or any other issue it can be resolved by being consistent with mock exams. A free sign-up for the mock test is available for today! Grab your seat now.  

Conclusion 

The reasoning section can be a high-scoring affair only if you want it to be. You can’t score 30+ by ducking questions. It’s a negative approach that will only serve you poorly.  

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