SBI PO Mains Syllogism Questions 2026 are designed to test advanced logical reasoning beyond the basic “All/Some/No” statements commonly seen in Prelims. Mains-level questions often include Reverse Syllogism, Coded Syllogism, Column-Based Syllogism, Fill-in-the-Blanks, possibility cases, either-or conclusions, and multiple statements. Candidates should focus on statement-deduction rules and non-standard patterns to solve these questions accurately. Use high-level free practice sets, PDFs, and interactive free quizzes to strengthen your preparation and attempt Mains-level Syllogism questions with confidence.
Test your conceptual accuracy with these 10 exam-level Mains questions featuring Coded, Reverse, and Column-Based patterns. (Detailed solutions and answer keys are provided at the end of the article).
Q1. Coded Syllogism — Statements: P # Q, Q @ R, R % S, S # T. Here @ = All, # = Some, % = No, $ = Some are not, and ! indicates possibility. Conclusions: I. P ! % S II. R $ T
Q2. Reverse Syllogism — Conclusions: I. Some Cats can never be Dogs. II. All Lions being Tigers is a possibility. Which statement set makes both conclusions true?
Q3. Statements: Only a few Sodas are Juices; All Juices are Limes; No Juice is a Coke. Conclusions: I. Some [P] being not [Q] is a possibility. II. Some [Q] are not [R]. Which substitution makes both conclusions logically follow?
Q4. Statements: All pens are books; Some books are files; No file is a paper; Some papers are documents. Conclusions: I. Some books are not papers. II. No pen is a file. III. Some documents are not files.
Q5. Statements: Some managers are officers; All officers are employees; No employee is a trainee; Some trainees are interns. Conclusions: I. Some managers are employees. II. No officer is a trainee. III. Some interns are not employees.
Q6. Statements: All laptops are devices; Some devices are tablets; No tablet is a mobile; Some mobiles are gadgets. Conclusions: I. Some gadgets are not tablets. II. No laptop is a mobile. III. Some devices are not mobiles.
Q7. Statements: Some teachers are writers; All writers are researchers; Some researchers are scientists; No scientist is a teacher. Conclusions: I. Some writers are not scientists. II. Some teachers are researchers. III. No writer is a teacher.
Q8. Statements: All chairs are furniture; No furniture is plastic; Some plastic items are boxes; Some boxes are chairs. Conclusions: I. Some boxes are not plastic. II. Some chairs are not plastic. III. No box is furniture.
Q9. Statements: Some doctors are professors; All professors are scholars; No scholar is an artist; Some artists are musicians. Conclusions: I. Some doctors are scholars. II. Some musicians are not scholars. III. No professor is an artist.
Q10. Statements: All trains are vehicles; Some vehicles are buses; No bus is a truck; Some trucks are machines. Conclusions: I. Some machines are not buses. II. Some vehicles are not trucks. III. No train is a truck.
To consistently solve Mains-level syllogism questions without relying on guesswork, candidates must master five pivotal conceptual rules:
This is a dual statement combining a positive and a negative relation simultaneously:
This statement converts to an exclusive universal relationship: “All B are A” with a strict restriction. Element B becomes completely locked inside A and CANNOT intersect with any other third element C, D, or E under any circumstances.
In standard banking syllogism logic, a conclusion must be a derived deduction obtained by combining premises. If a conclusion simply repeats one of the given statement premises word-for-word, it is treated as non-following / invalid because no new logical insight was derived.
A possibility conclusion (e.g., “All X being Y is a possibility”) is TRUE if there exists at least one valid Venn diagram configuration where X lies inside Y without violating any statement. However, if a condition is already definitely true or definitely false in logic, stating it as a mere possibility makes the conclusion invalid.
An “Either I or II follows” relation requires three strict criteria:
| Pattern Type | Question Structure | Key Solving Technique |
| Reverse Syllogism | Conclusions are given in the question stem; statements are in options. | Eliminate options quickly by testing negative constraints and exclusive relations first. |
| Coded Syllogism | Relations are replaced with symbols (@, #, %, $). | Decode symbols into standard logical form before drawing minimum overlapping diagrams. |
| Fill-in-the-Blanks | Statements or conclusions contain empty brackets [P], [Q], [R]. | Substitute option pairs systematically into variables to check validity. |
| Conditional / Only A is B | Features restricted inclusion/exclusion operators. | Treat “Only A is B” as “All B are A” and isolate B from all other categories. |
Mastering Syllogism for SBI PO Mains requires moving beyond standard Prelims diagrams and building high precision in non-traditional formats like Reverse, Coded, and restricted conditional statements. By understanding key rules such as “Only a few”, exclusive “Only”, and statement restatement invalidity, candidates can easily secure full marks in the Reasoning Ability section. Utilize the practice questions and detailed explanations provided above to sharpen your conceptual accuracy and elevate your SBI PO Mains 2026 score.
Q1. Is a restatement considered a valid conclusion in SBI PO Mains Syllogism?
No. In banking syllogism logic, a conclusion must be a fresh derivation obtained by combining statement premises. If a conclusion simply repeats a statement premise verbatim, it does not qualify as a valid logical conclusion.
Q2. What is the difference between “Few A are B” and “Only a few A are B”?
“Few A are B” means “Some A are B”. On the other hand, “Only a few A are B” is a dual condition meaning both “Some A are B” AND “Some A are NOT B” are definitely true simultaneously.
Q3. How do I solve Coded Syllogism questions quickly during the exam?
First, create a quick reference key decoding each symbol into its basic form (@ = All, # = Some, % = No, $ = Some Not). Then convert the statement chain into minimum overlapping diagrams to evaluate conclusions rapidly.
Q4. How does “Only A is B” affect relations with other elements?
“Only A is B” means “All B are A”, but with a strict exclusion: element B is locked strictly inside A and can NEVER overlap with any third element (C, D, etc.).
Q5. Where can I find more SBI PO Mains reasoning practice material and sectional tests?
You can practice specialized sectional mock tests and downloadable PDFs on trusted banking preparation platforms including Oliveboard, Smartkeeda, Testbook, and PracticeMock.
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