IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning Questions Asked in 2026: All Shifts Analysis
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the all Shift Analysis of Reasoning Questions asked in IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026. The examination was conducted on 10 and 11 October 2026 across multiple shifts. Reviewing the questions asked in different shifts can help candidates to understand the latest question pattern and identify important topics for upcoming bank examination.
IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026 Reasoning Section: Overview
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Exam Name |
IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026 |
|
Section |
Reasoning Ability |
|
Total Questions |
35 |
|
Maximum Marks |
35 |
|
Sectional Time |
20 minutes |
|
Exam Dates |
10 and 11 October 2026 |
|
Overall Difficulty Level |
Easy to Moderate, according to reported analyses |
Which Topics Were Asked in IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning 2026?
Based on the available all shift-wise exam analysis, the following topics were reported in the Reasoning Ability Section.
|
Topics |
Reported Question Types |
|
Puzzles |
Floor-based, month-based, sequence-based and floor-and-flat puzzles |
|
Seating Arrangements |
Parallel rows, linear seating, circular seating and rectangular arrangements |
|
Syllogism |
Statement-based logical conclusions |
|
Inequality |
Direct inequality and symbol-based comparisons |
|
Coding-Decoding |
Chinese coding and word-based coding |
|
Alphanumeric Series |
Letter, number and symbol-based sequences |
|
Blood Relation |
Family relationship problems |
|
Direction and Distance |
Direction, movement and distance-based questions |
|
Order and Ranking |
Height-based and position-based comparisons |
|
Pair Formation |
Letter or number pair identification |
|
Meaningful Word Formation |
Arranging letters to form meaningful words |
|
Odd One Out |
Identifying an element that does not follow the common pattern |
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IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning Questions: Shift-Wise Analysis
10 October 2026: Shift 1
The Reasoning Ability Section was reported as easy to moderate. Questions cover both puzzle-based sets and shorter reasoning topics.
|
Topic |
Reported Questions |
|
Floor-based puzzle |
5 |
|
Parallel-row seating arrangement |
5 |
|
Sequence-based puzzle |
5 |
|
Chinese coding |
5 |
|
Digit and symbol series |
5 |
|
Inequality |
4 |
|
Direction and distance |
4 |
|
Pair formation |
1 |
|
Meaningful word formation |
1 |
|
Total |
35 |
10 October 2026: Shift 2
The second shift was also reported as easy to moderate. Memory-based analysis highlighted missing-number series, coding questions and multiple puzzle and seating arrangement sets.
Candidates need to balance time between lengthy logical sets and shorter questions. Practicing different puzzle formats is useful because the arrangement of these clues can change the time required to solve a set.
10 October 2026: Shift 3
The Reasoning Ability section was reported as easy to moderate. This paper includes seating arrangements, puzzles and alphanumeric sequences.
|
Topic |
Questions / Details |
|
Circular Seating Arrangement |
8 persons, all facing inside — 5 questions |
|
Linear Seating Arrangement |
8 persons, all facing north — 5 questions |
|
Other puzzles and reasoning topics |
Refer to the complete shift analysis for the remaining distribution |
|
Reasoning Ability difficulty |
Easy to Moderate |
|
Good attempts |
Approximately 30–34 |
10 October 2026: Shift 4
The fourth-shift includes several seating and puzzle-based questions along with various coding and miscellaneous reasoning topics.
|
Topic |
Reported Questions |
|
Linear seating arrangement |
5 |
|
Floor and flat puzzle |
5 |
|
Circular seating arrangement |
5 |
|
Height comparison |
5 |
|
Chinese coding |
5 |
|
Three-digit number-based questions |
5 |
|
Blood relation |
3 |
|
Syllogism |
2 |
|
Odd one out |
1 |
|
Meaningful word formation |
1 |
|
Pair formation |
1 |
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IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning Questions Asked on 11 October 2026: All Four Shifts
|
Reasoning Topic |
Shift 1 |
Shift 2 |
Shift 3 |
Shift 4 |
|
Puzzles and Seating Arrangements |
Square arrangement, month-based puzzle, floor-based puzzle, 14-person arrangement |
Floor-based and month-and-date puzzles |
Shift-specific breakdown not independently verified |
Box puzzle, month-and-date puzzle, floor puzzle, uncertain linear seating |
|
Syllogism |
3 questions |
Reported |
Reported |
2 questions |
|
Inequality |
2 questions |
Reported |
Reported |
Not separately confirmed |
|
Coding-Decoding |
Not separately specified |
Not separately specified |
Reported in available topic summaries |
5 questions |
|
Alphanumeric / Word Series |
5 digit-series questions |
5 word-series questions |
Reported in available topic summaries |
5 word-series questions |
|
Direction and Distance |
3 questions |
Not separately specified |
Not separately confirmed |
Not separately specified |
|
Blood Relation |
Not separately specified |
3 questions |
Reported in available topic summaries |
3 questions |
|
Order and Ranking |
Not separately specified |
5 questions |
Not separately confirmed |
Not separately specified |
|
Miscellaneous |
Word formation, odd one out and pair formation |
Other reasoning questions |
Other reasoning questions |
Odd one out / word pair |
|
Difficulty Level |
Easy to Moderate |
Easy to Moderate |
Easy to Moderate |
Easy to Moderate |
|
Estimated Good Attempts |
28–32 |
26–28 |
25–28 |
25–28 |
Which Reasoning Topics had the Highest Weightage?
Puzzles and Seating Arrangements were among the most prominent topics in several reported-shifts.
|
Priority |
Topics to Practise |
Preparation Focus |
|
High |
Puzzles and seating arrangements |
Floor, month, linear, circular and row-based sets |
|
High |
Coding-decoding and series |
Letter, word, digit and symbol patterns |
|
Medium |
Syllogism and inequality |
Rules, conclusions and comparison signs |
|
Medium |
Blood relation and direction |
Family trees, movement and position |
|
Regular practice |
Ranking and miscellaneous questions |
Height, order, pair formation and word formation |
How can Candidates Prepare for IBPS Clerk Reasoning Ability?
- Practice Different Puzzle Formats
Solve floor-based, month-based, linear and circular seating questions. Focus more on understanding the clues instead of memorizing the solutions.
- Improve Speed in Short Questions
Practice syllogism, inequality, direction, blood relation and coding & decoding regularly. These topics can save time when they are solved accurately.
- Use a Timer During Practice
Attempt sectional tests within 20 minutes. After each test, identify the questions that takes too much time and check whether the same type of mistakes occurred repeatedly
- Analyze Mock Test Performance
Review Incorrect answers, skipped questions and lengthy puzzle sets. Record the topics that cause difficulty and practice them again before attempting another mock test.
- Avoid Spending Too Much Time on One Puzzle
Read the conditions carefully and begin with the sets that appear manageable. If a puzzle becomes too much time-consuming, move to another question and return to it if you have some time left.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Ques: How many questions were asked in the IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning section in 2026?
Ans: The Reasoning Ability section contains 35 questions for 35 marks.
Ques: Were Coding-Decoding questions asked in IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026?
Ans: Yes, Coding-Decoding questions, including Chinese Coding in some shifts were reported.
Ques: How much time is available for Reasoning Ability in IBPS Clerk Prelims?
Ans: Candidates get 20 minutes to attempt the 35 –question of Reasoning Ability Section.
Ques: How should Candidates prepare for the Reasoning Section?
Ans: Practice Puzzles and Seating Arrangements, Revise short-reasoning topics, solve timed-sectional tests and analyze mistakes after each mock test.
Ques: Were Blood Relation questions asked in IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026?
Ans: Yes, Blood Relation questions were reported in some shift-wise analysis.
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