The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the schedule for IBPS SO Prelims and Mains exams. The candidates appearing for this exam must know the topic-wise weightage of each subject that comes in the exam. Knowing about the important topics will help you prepare for the exam more efficiently. The IBPS SO Prelims exam will be conducted on 31st August 2025, and the Mains exam will be conducted on 9th November 2025. Therefore, you must start preparing for it today. In this blog, we have provided the topic-wise weightage of the Reasoning section of the IBPS SO Prelims exam. Additionally, we have provided tips to cover the important topics of the reasoning section.
IBPS SO Exam 2025 Overview
General details of the IBPS SO exam are provided here. The basic details cover the institute name, exam name, participating banks, salary, selection process, exam dates, exam medium, exam mode, etc. Below, a table covers all these details in an easy-to-understand manner.
| Institute Name | Institute of Banking Personnel |
| Exam Name | IBPS SO (Specialist Officer Exam) |
| Posts | 1. IT Officer (Scale I) 2. Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I) 3. Marketing Officer (Scale I) 4. Law Officer (Scale I) 5. Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) 6. HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) |
| Vacancy | 1007 |
| Participating Banks | 11 |
| Eligibility | Educational Qualification: Graduate or Post Graduate in a Specialized Field as mentioned in the official notification. Age limit: 20 to 30 Years |
| Online Application Dates | 1st July to 28th July – apply on the official website – www.ibps.in |
| Exam Dates | Prelims- 30th August 2025 Mains- 9th November 2025 |
| Exam Medium | English and Hindi |
| Exam Mode | Online (Computer-based exam) |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, and Interview |
| Salary | In-hand salary is approximately Rs. 56,000 |
| Official Website | @ibps.in |
| PracticeMock Telegram Group Link | https://t.me/Practice_Mock |
IBPS SO 2025 Reasoning Topic-wise Weightage
In the IBPS SO Prelims exam, Reasoning Ability consists of 50 questions of 50 marks. And the time duration is 40 minutes for this section. There is a negative marking of 1/4th of the marks allotted per question. There is a sectional cut-off in the IBPS SO Prelims exam. Therefore, it is essential to prepare important topics based on their weightage in the exam.
As per our observation of the trends from previous year, the higher-weightage topics for the Reasoning section in IBPS SO Prelims include Puzzles and Seating Arrangement (15 to 20 questions), Syllogism (4 to 5 questions), Inequality (4 to 5 questions), Coding-Decoding (3 to 5 questions), Blood Relations (3 to 4 questions), Direction and Distance (2 to 3 questions), Order and Ranking (2 to 3 questions), Input-Output (4 to 5 questions), and Miscellaneous (3 to 5 questions). The topic-wise weightage of Reasoning for the IBPS SO exam is provided in the table below.
| Topic | No. of Questions (Approx.) | Weightage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzles & Seating Arrangement | 15–20 | 30–40% |
| Syllogism | 4–5 | 8–10% |
| Inequality | 4–5 | 8–10% |
| Coding-Decoding | 3–5 | 6–10% |
| Blood Relations | 3–4 | 6–8% |
| Direction & Distance | 2–3 | 4–6% |
| Order & Ranking | 2–3 | 4–6% |
| Input-Output | 4–5 | 8–10% |
| Miscellaneous (Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning, etc.) | 3–5 | 6–10% |
Note: The weightage of topics asked in the reasoning section in the IBPS SO exam provided here is approximate, based on previous year trends. This weightage may vary this year, so prepare for each topic well. By focusing on the important topics, you can easily clear the sectional cut-off. But, keep in mind that only clearing the sectional cut-off will not do. You need to boost your overall score by scoring well in the reasoning section.
IBPS SO Reasoning Syllabus for Prelims Exam
It is important to know the complete syllabus of Reasoning, along with knowing the most important topics. The Reasoning syllabus covers topics as provided below.
- Data Sufficiency
- Blood Relations
- Order and Ranking
- Verbal Reasoning
- Seating Arrangements
- Puzzles
- Inequalities
- Syllogism
- Input-Output
- Alphanumeric Series
- Distance and Direction
Tips to Solve Important Topics of IBPS SO Reasoning 2025
The Topic-wise tips for solving reasoning questions in the IBPS SO Prelims exam are provided below.
1. Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
Weightage: 15–20 Questions
Types: Linear, Circular, Floor-based, Box-based, Month-Date, Day-based, Double-line, Blood-relation-based
Tips:
- Start with basic puzzles (2-variable) and gradually move to 3-variable complex ones.
- Practice variety: linear (both directions), circular (inside/outside), and floor-based.
- Improve diagram-making speed and use elimination techniques.
- Use shorthand notes for conditions (e.g., A > B, B ≠ C).
Daily Practice: 3 puzzles minimum
2. Syllogism
Weightage: 4–5 Questions
Types: Traditional, Reverse Syllogism, Only a Few, Possibility-based
Tips:
- Use Venn diagrams or follow the rules-based approach for quick conclusions.
- Practice “Only a few” and “Possibility” cases—they’re often tricky.
- Learn the basic structure: All, Some, No, Some Not.
Tip: Memorize rules for conclusions (All A are B → Some B are A)
3. Inequality
Weightage: 4–5 Questions
Types: Direct, Coded
Tips:
- Learn symbol meanings: >, <, ≥, ≤, =.
- Decode coded inequality (e.g., A @ B means A ≤ B).
- Use elimination if you’re unsure about the relationship.
Tip: Practice chained inequality (A > B = C ≤ D?) to boost accuracy.
4. Coding-Decoding
Weightage: 3–5 Questions
Types: Letter shifting, Mathematical operations, Matrix coding, Chinese coding
Tips:
- Look for patterns in letters: positions, +/– shift, ASCII values.
- Practice reverse and forward decoding.
- For sentence/word coding (e.g., “sky is blue” → “mi ke to”), make a word-code mapping table.
Tip: Practice both old and new pattern questions.
5. Blood Relations
Weightage: 3–4 Questions
Types: Statement-based, Puzzle-based, Coded relations
Tips:
- Draw family tree diagrams using symbols (+ for male, ○ for female).
- Practice coded format like “A * B” means “A is father of B”.
- Focus on generation gaps and indirect relationships.
Practice: Basic + Moderate-level relation puzzles.
6. Direction & Distance
Weightage: 2–3 Questions
Types: Turns (left/right), Distance, Final direction
Tips:
- Always draw diagrams while solving.
- Memorize directions: N–S–E–W and diagonals (NE, NW, etc.).
- Practice turning logic: facing North, turn left → West.
Common Mistake: The candidates misinterpret the direction after multiple turns.
7. Order & Ranking
Weightage: 2–3 Questions
Types: Height-based, Position from sides, After interchange
Tips:
- Use table/grid for clarity.
- Use formulas:
- Total = Left + Right – 1
- For gaps: (Total – Position from Left – Position from Right + 2)
Focus on: Interchange and “between” type questions.
8. Input-Output
Weightage: 4–5 Questions
Types: Word/Number arrangement (shifting pattern)
Tips:
- Observe input → step-wise transformation pattern.
- Identify rules: alphabetical, numerical, or mixed.
- Practice tracing logic in 2–3 steps to predict later steps.
More Tip: Practice reverse pattern problems (Step 4 → Step 1)
9. Miscellaneous (Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning, etc.)
Weightage: 3–5 Questions
Types: Course of action, Cause-effect, Assumption, Statement-Conclusion
Tips:
- For Data Sufficiency, evaluate each statement independently, then combine.
- In Logical Reasoning, avoid personal bias; stick to facts given.
- Practice Yes/No/Can’t say type conclusions.
Points to Remember to Score Well in Reasoning
Remember the important points provided below to score well in the Reasoning section of the IBPS SO Prelims exam.
- Puzzles & Seating Arrangement questions dominate the section, so regular practice is essential.
- While looking at the questions, you can easily solve them with confidence. For this, you have to practice these types of questions more and more.
- Syllogism, Inequality, and Input-Output questions are scoring if the concepts are clear.
- Logical reasoning-based questions (like cause-effect, course of action) may appear for HR/Marketing streams.
- Practice in time-bound conditions regularly to improve your speed and accuracy.
- Time allocation: Spend max 2–3 mins per puzzle, 1 min for short questions.
- Don’t be overconfident while solving a puzzle. If after 3 to 4 minutes, you cannot reach the answer, it is better to leave it and shift your focus to other questions.
- Accuracy > Speed for reasoning. Don’t guess under pressure.
- Solve previous year papers of IBPS SO and IBPS PO/Clerk.
Our Related Articles on IBPS SO
| IBPS SO Salary | IBPS SO Cut Off |
| IBPS SO Syllabus | IBPS SO Previous Year Question Paper |
| IBPS SO notification 2025 | IBPS SO Study Plan |
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IBPS SO Reasoning Topic-wise weightage 2025: FAQs
The Reasoning section is worth 50 marks and contains 50 questions in the IBPS SO Prelims exam. Candidates will get 40 minutes of sectional timing to complete this section.
The difficulty level of Reasoning section in IBPS SO exam is moderate.
The basic pay of IBPS SO in 2025 is Rs. 48,480.
The IBPS SO exam is generally considered to have of moderate difficulty level. It requires specialized knowledge in a specific field for the Mains exam, which makes it a little challenging. But with proper strategy and preparation, one can clear this exam.
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