IBPS Clerk 2019 Previous Year Question Paper

Passage

For a long time, wetlands near growing towns were treated as wasteland. Marshes and shallow lakes were drained, filled with earth and turned into housing colonies or bus depots. Few people asked what these soggy areas had been doing before they disappeared.

The answer often arrives with the first heavy monsoon. A wetland works like a sponge: it absorbs rainwater, holds it for days or weeks and releases it slowly into rivers and the ground below. When it is paved over, the same water rushes across roads and into homes within hours. Several cities that suffered unusual floods in recent years found that the worst-hit neighbourhoods had been built on former marshland.

Wetlands also filter dirty water, shelter fish and birds, and recharge the wells on which nearby villages depend. Restoring them is cheaper than building large drains, but it requires something harder to find than money: agreement among the many departments that each control a small part of the land.

1. Why are neighbourhoods built on former marshland more likely to flood?

   1. They are far from rivers
   2. Rainwater that the wetland once absorbed now runs off within hours
   3. Their drains are too large
   4. They receive more rainfall than other areas
   5. Wetlands release water too quickly
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Rainwater that the wetland once absorbed now runs off within hours)

   A wetland 'absorbs rainwater ... and releases it slowly'; once it is paved over, 'the same water rushes across roads and into homes within hours'.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a function of wetlands?

   1. Filtering dirty water
   2. Sheltering fish and birds
   3. Recharging wells
   4. Generating electricity
   5. Holding rainwater
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: D (Generating electricity)

   The passage mentions holding rainwater, filtering water, sheltering fish and birds and recharging wells, but not generating electricity.

3. According to the last paragraph, what is the main obstacle to restoring wetlands?

   1. Lack of money
   2. Lack of agreement among the departments that control the land
   3. Opposition from villagers
   4. The high cost compared with drains
   5. Shortage of rainfall
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Lack of agreement among the departments that control the land)

   Restoration is cheaper than drains but needs 'agreement among the many departments that each control a small part of the land'.

Cloze test

Digital payments have (1) ______ the way small shopkeepers do business. A vegetable seller who once refused anything but cash now (2) ______ a QR code next to her scales.

4. Choose the word that fits blank (1).

   1. transformed
   2. ignored
   3. delayed
   4. resisted
   5. forgotten
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (transformed)

   The second sentence describes a big change in how the seller works, so payments have 'transformed' the way shopkeepers do business.

5. Choose the word that fits blank (2).

   1. displays
   2. hides
   3. rejects
   4. borrows
   5. erases
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (displays)

   She now accepts digital payments, so she 'displays' a QR code for customers to scan.

Error spotting

Find the part of the sentence that has an error. If there is no error, choose (E).

6. Hardly had the meeting started / when the lights / went off and everyone / were asked to leave.

   1. (A) Hardly had the meeting started
   2. (B) when the lights
   3. (C) went off and everyone
   4. (D) were asked to leave.
   5. (E) No error
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: D ((D) were asked to leave.)

   'Everyone' is singular and takes a singular verb: 'was asked to leave'.

Word replacement and para jumble

7. The manager's decision to extend the deadline was widely appreciated by the staff. Which word can replace 'appreciated' without changing the meaning?

   1. welcomed
   2. criticised
   3. ignored
   4. doubted
   5. opposed
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (welcomed)

   'Appreciated' here means received favourably, i.e. 'welcomed'; the others mean the opposite or something unrelated.

8. Arrange the sentences in a logical order. P. She saved a small amount from her wages every month. Q. Within five years she had enough to open a shop of her own. R. Meena worked as a helper in a grocery store. S. Alongside saving, she learnt bookkeeping in the evenings.

   1. RPSQ
   2. RSPQ
   3. PRSQ
   4. RPQS
   5. SRPQ
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (RPSQ)

   R introduces Meena; P describes her saving; S begins 'Alongside saving', so it follows P; Q is the outcome.

Simplification

What will come in place of the question mark (?)

9. 45 × 12 ÷ 18 + 7² = ?

   1. 69
   2. 74
   3. 79
   4. 84
   5. 89
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (79)

   45 × 12 = 540; 540 ÷ 18 = 30; 30 + 49 = 79.

10. ?% of 640 = 288 − 64

    1. 30
    2. 32
    3. 35
    4. 38
    5. 40
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (35)

    288 − 64 = 224; 224 ÷ 640 × 100 = 35.

Quadratic equations

Solve both equations and choose the correct relationship between x and y.

11. I. x² − 9x + 20 = 0 II. y² − 13y + 42 = 0

    1. x > y
    2. x < y
    3. x ≥ y
    4. x ≤ y
    5. x = y or the relationship cannot be established
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (x < y)

    x = 4 or 5; y = 6 or 7. Every value of x is less than every value of y, so x < y.

12. I. x² + 3x − 10 = 0 II. y² − 4y + 4 = 0

    1. x > y
    2. x < y
    3. x ≥ y
    4. x ≤ y
    5. x = y or the relationship cannot be established
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (x ≤ y)

    x = −5 or 2; y = 2 (repeated). x is either less than or equal to y, so x ≤ y.

Missing number series

13. 6, 7, 15, 42, 106, ?

    1. 206
    2. 219
    3. 231
    4. 243
    5. 256
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (231)

    Differences are 1³, 2³, 3³, 4³, 5³ (1, 8, 27, 64, 125): 106 + 125 = 231.

Data interpretation

The table shows the number of tourists (in thousands) who visited four cities in 2018 and 2019.

14. Which city recorded the highest percentage increase in tourists from 2018 to 2019?

    1. P
    2. Q
    3. R
    4. S
    5. Both P and S
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (S)

    Increases: P 16/80 = 20%; Q fell by 10%; R 8/64 = 12.5%; S 25/100 = 25%. S is highest.

15. What is the ratio of the total tourists in P and R in 2019 to the total tourists in Q and S in 2018?

    1. 21 : 25
    2. 42 : 55
    3. 7 : 10
    4. 14 : 19
    5. 6 : 7
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (42 : 55)

    P + R in 2019 = 96 + 72 = 168; Q + S in 2018 = 120 + 100 = 220; 168 : 220 = 42 : 55.

16. What was the average number of tourists (in thousands) per city in 2019?

    1. 98.5
    2. 100.25
    3. 101.75
    4. 102
    5. 104.5
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (100.25)

    Total 2019 = 96 + 108 + 72 + 125 = 401; 401 ÷ 4 = 100.25.

Arithmetic

17. The average of five numbers is 48. When one number is removed, the average of the rest becomes 45. What number was removed?

    1. 54
    2. 57
    3. 60
    4. 63
    5. 66
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (60)

    Total of five = 240; total of four = 180; removed number = 60.

18. A boat's speed in still water is 15 km/h and the stream flows at 3 km/h. How long will it take to go 54 km downstream and come back?

    1. 6 hours
    2. 7 hours
    3. 7.5 hours
    4. 8 hours
    5. 9 hours
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (7.5 hours)

    Downstream 54 ÷ 18 = 3 h; upstream 54 ÷ 12 = 4.5 h; total 7.5 h.

Puzzle

Seven persons A, B, C, D, E, F and G sit in a straight row, all facing north.

C sits exactly in the middle of the row. B sits second to the right of C. G sits immediately to the left of C. A sits third to the left of F. D sits somewhere to the left of A.

19. Who sits at the extreme right end?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. D
    4. E
    5. F
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (E)

    Row from left to right: D, A, G, C, F, B, E. C is in seat 4, G in 3 and B in 6. A is three seats left of F; the only free pair is A = 2, F = 5. D is to the left of A, so D = 1, and E takes seat 7.

20. How many persons sit between A and B?

    1. One
    2. Two
    3. Three
    4. Four
    5. Five
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Three)

    Row from left to right: D, A, G, C, F, B, E. A is in seat 2 and B in seat 6; G, C and F sit between them.

21. Who sits second to the left of F?

    1. A
    2. C
    3. D
    4. E
    5. G
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (G)

    Row from left to right: D, A, G, C, F, B, E. F is in seat 5; second to its left is seat 3, G.

Syllogism and inequality

Decide which conclusion(s) definitely follow.

22. Statements: All coins are notes. All notes are cheques. Conclusions: I. All coins are cheques. II. Some cheques are notes.

    1. Only conclusion I follows
    2. Only conclusion II follows
    3. Either I or II follows
    4. Neither I nor II follows
    5. Both I and II follow
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (Both I and II follow)

    Coins ⊂ notes ⊂ cheques, so all coins are cheques (I). Since all notes are cheques, some cheques are notes (II). Both follow.

23. Statement: J > K = L ≥ M, N > M Conclusions: I. N > K II. J > M

    1. Only conclusion I follows
    2. Only conclusion II follows
    3. Either I or II follows
    4. Neither I nor II follows
    5. Both I and II follow
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Only conclusion II follows)

    N > M and K ≥ M do not fix the relation between N and K, so I does not follow. J > K = L ≥ M gives J > M, so II follows.

Miscellaneous

24. P is the mother of Q. Q is the sister of R. R is the father of S. How is P related to S?

    1. Mother
    2. Aunt
    3. Grandmother
    4. Sister
    5. Mother-in-law
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Grandmother)

    Q and R are siblings, so P is also R's mother. R is S's father, so P is S's grandmother.

25. In the series 7 B @ 4 K M # 2 E 9 $ R U 5 % H 3 * A which element is 4th to the right of the 9th element from the left?

    1. $
    2. R
    3. U
    4. 5
    5. %
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (U)

    The 9th element from the left is E; counting 4 to its right (9, $, R, U) gives U, the 13th element.

26. In the same series, how many letters are immediately preceded by a number and immediately followed by a symbol?

    1. None
    2. One
    3. Two
    4. Three
    5. Four
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (One)

    Only B (7 B @) fits. E is preceded by 2 but followed by 9; H is preceded by %; K, M, R, U and A do not fit.