Reasoning — RBI Grade B

Topic	Avg Questions	Priority
Puzzles	10–20	🔴 HIGHEST
Seating Arrangement	10–14	🔴 HIGHEST
Analytical / Logical Reasoning	9–12	🔴 HIGH
Input-Output	5	🟡 MEDIUM
Syllogism	3–5	🟡 MEDIUM
Data Sufficiency	2–5	🟡 MEDIUM
Inequality	2–6	🟡 MEDIUM
Blood Relation	1–9	🟡 MEDIUM
Direction Sense	0–4	🟢 LOW
Coding-Decoding	0–4	🟢 LOW
Alphanumeric Series	0–3	🟢 LOW
Ranking & Order	0–3	🟢 LOW

01

Puzzles

Highest ▼

📐 Types of Puzzles

Floor-based Puzzle — People live on different floors of a building
Box/Shelf Puzzle — Objects placed on shelves/in boxes (top to bottom)
Scheduling Puzzle — Days of the week / months assigned to people
Comparison/Ordering Puzzle — Age, height, salary, marks based ordering
Tabular Puzzle — Multiple parameters (name, city, color, profession etc.)
Combination Puzzle — Puzzle + Seating combined

📐 Step-by-Step Solving Method

Step 1: Read ALL clues once → identify the variables (people, floors, days, etc.)
Step 2: Draw the structure (floor diagram, table grid, timeline)
Step 3: Start with DEFINITE clues — clues that fix a position absolutely
Step 4: Apply RELATIVE clues — "A is above B", "C is 2 floors below D"
Step 5: Use NEGATIVE clues — "E does NOT live on floor 3"
Step 6: Apply ELIMINATION → if only one spot left, fill it
Step 7: Cross-verify all conditions

📐 Floor Puzzle Diagram Template

Floor 8: _____ (Top) Floor 7: _____ Floor 6: _____ Floor 5: _____ Floor 4: _____ Floor 3: _____ Floor 2: _____ Floor 1: _____ (Bottom/Ground) "Above" = Higher floor number "Below" = Lower floor number "Immediately above" = Exactly 1 floor up

💡 Pro Tip

If a puzzle seems stuck, try case-making — assume 2 possible positions for one person, and see which case leads to a contradiction. Eliminate that case.

⚠️ Common Mistake

"A lives above B" does NOT mean immediately above. It just means A's floor > B's floor. Read clues precisely!

02

Seating Arrangement

Highest ▼

📐 Types of Seating

Type	Key Rule
Linear (Single Row)	All face same direction (usually North or South)
Linear (Double Row)	Row 1 faces Row 2; people face each other
Circular	All face centre OR all face outside OR mixed
Rectangular / Square	People on 4 sides; corners + middle positions

📐 Linear Arrangement Rules

"Left" and "Right" depend on the person's perspective, NOT yours
If people face NORTH: Their Left = Your Right (mirror image)
If people face SOUTH: Their Left = Your Left (same)
"Immediate left/right" = exactly next to (adjacent)
"3rd to the left of A" = Count 3 positions leftward from A

FACING NORTH: ← Left (their) Right (their) → Person's LEFT = Observer's RIGHT Person's RIGHT = Observer's LEFT [P1] [P2] [P3] [P4] [P5] [P6] [P7] [P8] ←────────────────────────────────────→ Facing NORTH ↑

📐 Circular Arrangement Rules

If facing centre: Clockwise = person's Right, Anti-clockwise = person's Left
If facing outside: Clockwise = person's Left, Anti-clockwise = person's Right
"Immediate left/right" = Adjacent seat
"3rd to the right" = Count 3 seats clockwise (if facing centre)
"Opposite" = Directly across (only in even-numbered arrangements)

CIRCULAR — Facing Centre: [P1] [P8] [P2] [P7] ● [P3] [P6] [P4] [P5] Clockwise → Right of person Anti-clockwise → Left of person CIRCULAR — Facing Outside: Clockwise → LEFT of person Anti-clockwise → RIGHT of person (Exactly OPPOSITE of facing centre!)

📐 Double Row Rules

Row 1 faces South, Row 2 faces North (standard setup)
"Faces" = directly opposite person
Left/Right in each row follows that row's facing direction
Key: Draw both rows, number positions, map "faces" pairs

Row 2 (Facing North ↑): [Q1] [Q2] [Q3] [Q4] [Q5] ──────────────────────── Row 1 (Facing South ↓): [P1] [P2] [P3] [P4] [P5] P1 faces Q1, P2 faces Q2... etc. Row 1's Left = Your RIGHT (they face South) Row 2's Left = Your LEFT (they face North)

💡 Golden Rule

Always fix one person's position first, then place others relative to them. Never try to solve without drawing a diagram!

03

Syllogism

Medium ▼

📐 Four Types of Statements

Type	Format	Example	Venn Diagram
A (Universal +)	All A are B	All dogs are animals	A completely inside B
E (Universal −)	No A is B	No cat is a dog	A and B separate circles
I (Particular +)	Some A are B	Some birds are parrots	A and B overlap
O (Particular −)	Some A are not B	Some students are not toppers	Part of A outside B

📐 Key Rules

Rule 1: All A are B + All B are C → All A are C ✓
Rule 2: All A are B + No B is C → No A is C ✓
Rule 3: Some A are B + All B are C → Some A are C ✓
Rule 4: Some A are B + No B is C → Some A are not C ✓
Rule 5: Some A are B → Some B are A ✓ (Converse always valid for "Some")
Rule 6: All A are B → All B are A ✗ (NOT necessarily true)
Rule 7: No A is B → No B is A ✓ (Converse valid for "No")

📐 Possibility Rules

"Some A are B" is POSSIBLE → is true when there is ANY overlap
"All A are B" is POSSIBLE → true unless explicitly contradicted
If "No A is B" is definite → "Some A are B" is NOT possible
If "All A are B" is definite → "No A is B" is NOT possible
If "Some A are B" → "All A are B" IS possible
If "Some A are not B" → "No A is B" IS possible

💡 Venn Diagram Method

Draw ALL possible Venn diagrams for the given statements. A conclusion is DEFINITE only if it holds in ALL possible diagrams. It is POSSIBLE if it holds in at least one diagram.

04

Inequality (Coded & Direct)

Medium ▼

📐 Symbols & Meaning

Symbol	Meaning	Example
A > B	A is greater than B	5 > 3
A < B	A is less than B	3 < 5
A ≥ B	A is greater than or equal to B	5 ≥ 5
A ≤ B	A is less than or equal to B	3 ≤ 5
A = B	A is equal to B	5 = 5

📐 Combining Rules (Transitive Property)

Same direction: A > B > C → A > C ✓
Same direction (with ≥): A ≥ B > C → A > C ✓
Same direction (both ≥): A ≥ B ≥ C → A ≥ C ✓
Opposite direction: A > B < C → NO relation between A and C ✗
Broken chain: A ≥ B ≤ C → Cannot determine A vs C ✗

📐 Complementary Pair Rule

If asked: Is A > B true? and Is A ≤ B true?
These are complementary → EXACTLY ONE must be true
Complementary pairs:
> and ≤ (one is always true)
< and ≥ (one is always true)
= and ≠ are NOT complementary in these questions
"Either-or" answers are based on complementary pairs

📐 Coded Inequality

Symbols like @, #, $, %, * represent >, <, ≥, ≤, =
Step 1: Decode ALL symbols first (write on rough sheet)
Step 2: Replace coded symbols with actual signs
Step 3: Apply transitive rule as normal
Speed trick: Write the decoded key at the top and solve directly

05

Blood Relations

Medium ▼

📐 Relationship Chart

Relation	Male	Female
Parent's Parent	Grandfather	Grandmother
Parent	Father	Mother
Parent's Child	Brother	Sister
Child	Son	Daughter
Child's Child	Grandson	Granddaughter
Parent's Brother	Uncle (Paternal/Maternal)	—
Parent's Sister	—	Aunt
Uncle/Aunt's Child	Cousin (M)	Cousin (F)
Sibling's Son	Nephew	—
Sibling's Daughter	—	Niece
Spouse's Father	Father-in-law	—
Spouse's Mother	—	Mother-in-law
Spouse's Brother	Brother-in-law	—
Spouse's Sister	—	Sister-in-law
Child's Spouse	Son-in-law	Daughter-in-law

📐 Symbol Method (Draw Family Tree)

+ (Plus) = Male − (Minus) = Female ── (Horizontal line) = Siblings / Spouse │ (Vertical line) = Parent-Child Example: (+) A ─── (−) B → A(husband) married to B(wife) │ ────┼──── │ │ (+) C (−) D → C is son, D is daughter

📐 Coded Blood Relations

"A × B" might mean "A is father of B"
"A + B" might mean "A is mother of B"
Step 1: Decode each symbol into a relationship
Step 2: Draw the family tree step by step
Step 3: Trace the asked relationship from tree
Always mark gender (M/F) as you go — gender is crucial!

⚠️ Trap

"A is the brother of B" does NOT tell B's gender. B can be male or female. Don't assume!

06

Direction Sense

Low ▼

📐 Direction Map

📐 Turn Rules

Left Turn: N → W → S → E → N (Anti-clockwise)
Right Turn: N → E → S → W → N (Clockwise)
Opposite: N↔S, E↔W, NE↔SW, NW↔SE
45° turn: N → NE (right) or N → NW (left)
90° turn: N → E (right) or N → W (left)
180° turn: N → S (about-turn)

📐 Distance Formula (Shortest Distance)

If final position forms a right-angle path:
Shortest Distance = √(horizontal² + vertical²)
This is the Pythagorean theorem applied to direction problems

💡 Strategy

Always draw on rough paper. Fix North at the top. Track each movement with arrows. Mark distances on each arrow. Never try to solve mentally!

07

Coding-Decoding

Low-Med ▼

📐 Types of Coding

Type	Logic	Example
Letter Shift	Each letter shifted by +n or −n positions	CAT → FDW (+3)
Reverse Coding	Word reversed / Alphabet reversed (A=Z, B=Y)	CAT → TAC or XZG
Position-based	Letter replaced by its position number	CAT → 3-1-20
Sentence Coding	Each word in sentence has a code; find pattern	"go home"→"pa ka"; "come home"→"ta ka" → home=ka
Conditional Coding	Different rules for vowels, consonants, positions	If vowel: +2, If consonant: −2
Symbol/Number Coding	Letters → symbols or numbers based on pattern	A=@, B=#, C=$...

📐 Solving Strategy

Step 1: Find common words between sentences to decode individual word codes
Step 2: For letter coding, find the shift pattern (check: is each letter shifted by same amount?)
Step 3: Check reverse alphabet: A↔Z (pos 1↔26), B↔Y (2↔25), etc.
Step 4: Check if vowels and consonants follow different rules
Step 5: Look for position-based patterns (first letter, last letter, middle letter treated differently)

08

Machine Input-Output

Medium ▼

📐 Concept

A "machine" takes an input (words/numbers) and rearranges them step by step
Each step follows a consistent rule
You must identify the rule and predict intermediate/final outputs

📐 Common Patterns

Ascending/Descending: Numbers sorted small→big or big→small, one number per step
Alphabetical: Words arranged A→Z or Z→A, one word per step
Alternating: Step 1 = smallest number to left, Step 2 = largest word to right, etc.
Word length: Arranged by number of letters in each word
Vowel-based: Words starting with vowels moved first

📐 Solving Method

Step 1: Compare Input → Step 1 → What moved? Where?
Step 2: Compare Step 1 → Step 2 → Confirm pattern
Step 3: Verify pattern holds for Step 2 → Step 3
Step 4: Apply the rule to the given input to find answer
Track what's fixed and what's moving in each step

09

Alphanumeric / Number Series

Low ▼

Letter Series: A, C, E, G... → Skip 1 (positions: 1, 3, 5, 7)
Mixed Series: A2, D5, G8... → Letters +3, Numbers +3
Symbol Series: @, #, $, @, #, $... → Repeating pattern
Odd One Out: Find element that breaks the pattern
Strategy: Check alphabetical positions, check number patterns, check if letters & numbers follow independent rules

10

Ranking & Order

Low ▼

📐 Core Formulas

Total = (Rank from Top) + (Rank from Bottom) − 1
Rank from Bottom = Total − Rank from Top + 1
Rank from Top = Total − Rank from Bottom + 1
If A is 5th from top and 20th from bottom → Total = 5 + 20 − 1 = 24

📐 Between / Interchange

People between A and B = |Rank_A − Rank_B| − 1
If A and B interchange, their NEW ranks = each other's OLD ranks
If "at least x people between" → Minimum distance = x + 1 ranks apart

11

Data Sufficiency

Medium ▼

Standard Answer Choices:
(a) Only Statement I alone is sufficient
(b) Only Statement II alone is sufficient
(c) Either statement alone is sufficient
(d) Both statements together are sufficient
(e) Both together are NOT sufficient

📐 Solving Framework

Step 1: Read the question — what exactly is asked?
Step 2: Check Statement I alone — is it sufficient? (Yes/No)
Step 3: Check Statement II alone — is it sufficient? (Yes/No)
Step 4: If neither alone works → Combine both → sufficient? (Yes/No)
Step 5: Choose answer based on framework above
Don't solve completely — just check if it CAN be solved

12

Statement & Assumption

Medium ▼

Assumption = Something taken for granted / presumed true (not stated directly)
An assumption is IMPLICIT if it logically follows from the statement
An assumption is NOT IMPLICIT if it goes beyond the statement or contradicts it
Test: If the assumption is false, does the statement become meaningless? → If YES, assumption is implicit

📐 Rules

✅ Implicit: Directly needed for the statement to be true/logical
❌ Not Implicit: Too extreme, too broad, opinion-based, contradicts statement
❌ Words like "only", "always", "never", "best", "all" → Usually NOT implicit
✅ Moderate assumptions are usually implicit

13

Statement & Conclusion

Medium ▼

Conclusion = What can be logically derived/inferred from the statement
A conclusion FOLLOWS if it can be directly inferred from the given information
A conclusion DOES NOT FOLLOW if it requires outside knowledge or assumptions
Key difference from Assumption: Conclusions are DRAWN from statements; Assumptions are BEHIND statements

📐 Rules

✅ Follows: Directly stated or logically inferable
❌ Does Not Follow: Based on personal opinion, external knowledge, or too extreme
❌ Generalizations (all, every, always) usually don't follow unless stated
❌ Predictions about future usually don't follow

14

Statement & Argument

Low ▼

Strong Argument: Directly related to the statement, gives a valid reason, not extreme
Weak Argument: Not directly related, vague, extreme, based on examples/rare cases
✅ Strong: Logical, factual, addresses the core issue
❌ Weak: Emotional, too general, uses "only"/"all"/"always", based on minority
❌ Ambiguous or double-edged arguments → Usually weak

15

Cause & Effect

Low ▼

Two statements given — determine their relationship:
(a) Statement I is the cause, Statement II is the effect
(b) Statement II is the cause, Statement I is the effect
(c) Both are effects of a common cause
(d) Both are independent causes
(e) Both are effects of independent causes
Ask yourself: Did Event A LEAD TO Event B? Or did something else cause both?

16

Statement & Course of Action

Low ▼

Course of Action = A step/action suggested to address the problem in the statement
✅ Follows: Practical, addresses the problem directly, feasible to implement
❌ Does Not Follow: Extreme, impractical, punitive without reason, doesn't address the root cause
❌ Actions involving "ban", "terminate", "impose heavy penalty" → Usually too extreme
✅ Actions involving "investigate", "provide training", "form committee" → Usually follow

⚡

Quick Reference — Alphabet Positions

Must Memorize ▼

📐 Alphabet Position Numbers (A=1 to Z=26)

A = 1

B = 2

C = 3

D = 4

E = 5

F = 6

G = 7

H = 8

I = 9

J = 10

K = 11

L = 12

M = 13

N = 14

O = 15

P = 16

Q = 17

R = 18

S = 19

T = 20

U = 21

V = 22

W = 23

X = 24

Y = 25

Z = 26

📐 Opposite Letters (Sum = 27)

Letter	Opposite	Letter	Opposite	Letter	Opposite
A (1)	Z (26)	J (10)	Q (17)	S (19)	H (8)
B (2)	Y (25)	K (11)	P (16)	T (20)	G (7)
C (3)	X (24)	L (12)	O (15)	U (21)	F (6)
D (4)	W (23)	M (13)	N (14)	V (22)	E (5)
E (5)	V (22)	N (14)	M (13)	W (23)	D (4)
F (6)	U (21)	O (15)	L (12)	X (24)	C (3)
G (7)	T (20)	P (16)	K (11)	Y (25)	B (2)
H (8)	S (19)	Q (17)	J (10)	Z (26)	A (1)
I (9)	R (18)	R (18)	I (9)	Trick: Position + Opposite Position = 27

📐 EJOTY Trick (Quick Position Memory)

E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25
These 5 milestone letters help you quickly find any letter's position
Example: What is R's position? → T=20, R is 2 before T → R = 18 ✓
Example: What is L's position? → J=10, L is 2 after J → L = 12 ✓

📐 Left-Right from a Position

"3rd to the left of 10th from left" = 10 − 3 = 7th from left
"4th to the right of 10th from right" = 10 − 4 = 6th from right
"3rd to the right of 10th from left" = 10 + 3 = 13th from left
"4th to the left of 10th from right" = 10 + 4 = 14th from right
Same direction → Subtract | Opposite direction → Add

Reasoning Ability

PYQ Weightage Analysis (2017–2024)

Table of Contents (Click to Jump)

Puzzles

📐 Types of Puzzles

📐 Step-by-Step Solving Method

📐 Floor Puzzle Diagram Template

Seating Arrangement

📐 Types of Seating

📐 Linear Arrangement Rules

📐 Circular Arrangement Rules

📐 Double Row Rules

Syllogism

📐 Four Types of Statements

📐 Key Rules

📐 Possibility Rules

Inequality (Coded & Direct)

📐 Symbols & Meaning

📐 Combining Rules (Transitive Property)

📐 Complementary Pair Rule

📐 Coded Inequality

Blood Relations

📐 Relationship Chart

📐 Symbol Method (Draw Family Tree)

📐 Coded Blood Relations

Direction Sense

📐 Direction Map

📐 Turn Rules

📐 Distance Formula (Shortest Distance)

Coding-Decoding

📐 Types of Coding

📐 Solving Strategy

Machine Input-Output

📐 Concept

📐 Common Patterns

📐 Solving Method

Alphanumeric / Number Series

Ranking & Order

📐 Core Formulas

📐 Between / Interchange

Data Sufficiency

📐 Solving Framework

Statement & Assumption

📐 Rules

Statement & Conclusion

📐 Rules

Statement & Argument

Cause & Effect

Statement & Course of Action

Quick Reference — Alphabet Positions

📐 Alphabet Position Numbers (A=1 to Z=26)

📐 Opposite Letters (Sum = 27)

📐 EJOTY Trick (Quick Position Memory)

📐 Left-Right from a Position