The IBPS RRB Recruitment notification for the year 2017 is out ! The online registration will start from 12th July 2017 for Officer Scale I & Office Assistant. So fill up the application form & start your preparation at the earliest. This year IBPS has released approximately 16560 vacancies for the posts of Officer Scale I, II, III and Office Assistant so there are high chances of your selection. IBPS has also announced dates of RRB Officers Scale I 2017 prelims and mains exam to be held in November and December. And it is time that you started preparing for the same. The strategy to prepare for the Reasoning Aptitude section of IBPS RRB Officers Scale I exam 2017 is presented below
How to prepare Reasoning Section for IBPS RRB Officer Scale I 2017
First, let us have a look at some common tips that you should follow while preparing for Reasoning section.IBPS RRB Officers Scale I 2017 Preliminary Exam Format
- There will be total 80 questions from two sections in which Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Reasoning Ability (RA) Sections will have 40 questions each. you can also view IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Exam Pattern 2017
- Total exam duration is 45 minutes.
- 1 mark is awarded each correct answer and there is a penalty of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Sectional cut off for IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2017
Short listing for the Main Exam to be held in December/January will be done according to cut off marks for each subject depending on the category. Since the Prelims exam is being held for the first time, we expect the category wise cut offs of IBPS RRB Online Exam for Officers Scale I Prelims 2017 to be as below:
| Name of the Test | Maximum Score | Qualifying Score | |
| SC/ST | OBC/ GEN | ||
| Reasoning | 40 | 11 | 14 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 9 | 12 |
| Overall | 80 | 30 | 36 |
It is evident that Reasoning Ability Section has the highest cut off, and therefore, it needs more practice compared to other sections. So it is necessary to make a study schedule and follow it throughout to crack IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2017. In subsequent sections, you will get a clear idea for exam strategy and more.
IBPS RRB Reasoning for Officers Scale I
Reasoning ability test is conducted to check general and logical mental abilities of candidates. Using a rational, systematic series of steps, the questions under reasoning section are designed to bring out the best competence of the candidate. As the reasoning section needs a lot of practice, it is advisable to complete this section before Quantitative Aptitude section, so that you can attempt it quickly and with more accuracy.
Trend Analysis
Below is the trend analysis and expected number of questions from each chapter/ topic of Reasoning Ability section based on analysis of previous year IBPS RRB Officer Scale I papers.
| Chapter | Topic | 2015 | Expected |
| Inequalities | Algebraic InequalitiesAnd Comparison | 6+1 | 5+1 |
| Sequences | Alphabet SequencesAnd Rankings | 6+1=7 | 5+1 |
| Coding-Decoding | Message Coding and Rule Coding | 5+1=6 | 5+1 |
| Circular Seating | Circular Seating with inward facing and mixed facing | 5+1 | 5 |
| Selection puzzles | Selection on basis of 2 or more attributes and Eligibility Test | 5 | 5 |
| Syllogisms and Venn Diagrams | Syllogisms using 1 or more statements | 5 | 5 |
| Blood Relations | Family Members | 3 | 3 |
| Analogy | Direct Analogy | 1 | 1 |
| Other Important Topics | Linear Seating | 1 | |
| Direction sense test | 1 | ||
| Classification problems | 1 | ||
| Total | 40 | 40 |
This table gives an idea of different topics asked from various Chapters in IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Prelims 2015 Paper, based on the IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Prelims exam syllabus. The topics mentioned here may not be repeated in 2017 but we can assume that the trend will hold. Based on the trends and cut off marks, a detailed exam strategy which will be helpful to cover important topics to clear the cutoff of Reasoning Ability section under IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2017 is as below.
IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Exam Strategy
Your first step towards IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2017 is completely dependent on your comfort level with Basic Mathematics and Alphabet tests required to solve reasoning problems. So, initially work on these basic concepts if you are not good at it and then complete the important topics of reasoning for IBPS RRB officer I prelims. Once you have covered these topics then try solving the IBPS RRB Mock Test for Officers Scale I Prelims Exam as analysis of the online Mock Tests will help you in 2 ways:
- You can easily find your strongest and weakest chapters/ topics so you can work on them.
- You will also learn time management as time is an important constraint.
Study Plan IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Exam
Planning, preparation, and practice are key terms for success. So it is very important to make a plan and follow it. For Reasoning Ability section of IBPS RRB PO Exam Prelims 2017, aspirants can follow the below-given study plan to cover most of the syllabus.
- Set your time limits: The ideal time to solve per question is 33 seconds as there are total 80 questions in 45 minutes.
- First Target: Clear the cut-off of 11 marks in this section. For this, you will get over 2 minutes per question. So, take your time in choosing the questions you are comfortable with and attempt them with 100% accuracy. This should get you over the cut off required.
- Score High: To get 20-22 correct with 80% accuracy you need to attempt 25 to 28 questions. Thus, you will get about 45 seconds per question. This is the speed that you should start targeting for, as it will be helpful when you sit for the IBPS Regional Rural Bank Officer Scale I Mains exam.
Also, navigate quickly through the mock papers of reasoning and try solving the topics that you are more comfortable with. Based on difficulty level, below is the list of hot topics for Reasoning Section.
Hot Topics
| S.N. | Chapter | Topics | Remarks |
| 1 | Selection Puzzles | Selection on basis of 1 or more attributes, Eligibility Test | As per expected paper pattern these section consist of 15 Marks. If you are comfortable with puzzles, attempting these sections with 100% accuracy will help you to clear cut off for this section. |
| 2 | Circular Seating | Circular Seating with inward facing, Outward facing and mixed facing | |
| 2 | Other Important Chapters from previous papers | Blood Relations, Direction Sense and Linear Seating | |
| 4 | Inequalities | Algebraic Inequalitiesand Comparison | As per expected paper pattern these topics consist of 11 marks so if you are good at solving statements and conclusions they can help to secure more marks |
| 5 | Syllogisms and Venn Diagrams | Syllogisms using 1 or more statements | |
| 6 | Coding-Decoding | Rule Coding, Message Coding and Word Coding | As per expected pattern these topics consist of 14 marks. So they can help to secure more marks. attempting these sections with 100% accuracy will help you to clear cut off for this section. |
| 7 | Sequences | Alphabet Sequences, Number Sequences and Time Sequences and Rankings | |
| 8 | Analogy and Classification | Direct Analogy and Classification based on arrangement, alphabets etc. |
Points to Keep in Mind
Although the marks secured in the Preliminary exam will not be included in the final selection process but the candidates should try to make sure that they clear this phase with sufficient margin. Time management and accuracy are the deciding factors for your result under IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2016. So complete the study material on time and to test the time taken and accuracy also take online mock tests for IBPS RRB Officers Scale I Prelims 2016 several times before the exam. We hope above study plan and important topics will help you for how to crack IBPS RRB Exam 2016 for Officer Scale I. Keep studying and Keep Practicing. All the Best!
All the best for your exams,
Team AIMSUCCESS.
