IBPS Clerk 2020 Previous Year Question Paper

Passage

Many adults believe that the chance to learn a new language closes after childhood. Children do seem to pick up accents more easily, but adults have advantages that are often overlooked. They can understand grammar rules when these are explained, they already know how to organise their study, and they usually have a clear reason for learning, such as a job or a move to another state.

What adults often lack is not ability but time and confidence. A working person may manage only twenty minutes a day, and the fear of making mistakes in front of others can keep them silent. Teachers who work with adult learners say that short daily practice is more useful than a long class once a week, because the brain needs repeated contact with new words to remember them.

Speaking early, even with errors, also helps. Learners who wait until they feel 'ready' may wait for years. Those who accept that mistakes are part of the process tend to progress faster, because every conversation becomes a lesson.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is an advantage adults have when learning a language?

   1. They pick up accents more easily than children
   2. They can understand grammar rules when explained and can organise their study
   3. They have more free time than children
   4. They are never afraid of making mistakes
   5. They learn faster from long weekly classes
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (They can understand grammar rules when explained and can organise their study)

   The first paragraph lists these advantages: adults understand explained grammar rules, know how to organise study and have a clear reason to learn.

2. Why do teachers of adult learners prefer short daily practice?

   1. It is cheaper than weekly classes
   2. Repeated contact with new words helps the brain remember them
   3. Adults cannot sit through long classes
   4. It removes the need to speak
   5. It improves accents quickly
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Repeated contact with new words helps the brain remember them)

   They say short daily practice works better 'because the brain needs repeated contact with new words to remember them'.

3. Choose the word closest in meaning to 'overlooked' as used in the passage.

   1. ignored
   2. supervised
   3. admired
   4. examined
   5. exaggerated
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (ignored)

   Advantages that are 'often overlooked' are ones people fail to notice, i.e. ignored.

Sentence rearrangement

Arrange the sentences in a logical order. A. Then add the rice and stir gently. B. First, heat oil in a deep pan. C. Finally, cover the pan and cook for fifteen minutes. D. Next, fry the onions until they turn golden.

4. Which is the correct order?

   1. BDAC
   2. BADC
   3. DBAC
   4. BDCA
   5. ADBC
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (BDAC)

   The sequence words decide it: First (B), Next (D), Then (A), Finally (C).

Fillers

Choose the word that best fits the blank.

5. The bank ______ its customers by SMS whenever a transaction is made.

   1. alerts
   2. alarms
   3. allows
   4. alters
   5. alights
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (alerts)

   Sending a message to inform customers of a transaction is to 'alert' them.

6. Her explanation was so ______ that even the new trainees understood it at once.

   1. lucid
   2. vague
   3. lengthy
   4. confusing
   5. hurried
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (lucid)

   'So ... that even new trainees understood it at once' needs a word meaning clear: 'lucid'.

Error spotting and phrase replacement

7. Find the part with an error: My brother, along with his friends, / are planning / a trip to the hills / next month.

   1. (A) My brother, along with his friends,
   2. (B) are planning
   3. (C) a trip to the hills
   4. (D) next month.
   5. (E) No error
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B ((B) are planning)

   With 'along with', the verb agrees with the first subject, 'My brother' (singular): 'is planning'.

8. Choose the best replacement for the underlined phrase: He has been working hard so that he can [pass in the exam].

   1. pass the exam
   2. passing in the exam
   3. be pass the exam
   4. passed in exam
   5. No replacement required
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (pass the exam)

   'Pass' is transitive and takes the exam as its object directly: 'pass the exam'.

Simplification and number series

9. 3/7 of 581 + 15% of 340 = ?

   1. 280
   2. 290
   3. 300
   4. 310
   5. 320
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (300)

   3/7 of 581 = 249; 15% of 340 = 51; 249 + 51 = 300.

10. 1.5 × 64 − 2.5 × 16 + ? = 100

    1. 36
    2. 40
    3. 44
    4. 48
    5. 52
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (44)

    1.5 × 64 = 96; 2.5 × 16 = 40; 96 − 40 = 56; ? = 100 − 56 = 44.

11. 3, 5, 9, 17, 33, ?

    1. 49
    2. 57
    3. 63
    4. 65
    5. 66
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (65)

    Each term = previous × 2 − 1: 33 × 2 − 1 = 65.

Data interpretation – Set 1

The table shows loans disbursed (₹ crore) by four regions of a bank in a year, and the percentage of each region's loans that went to agriculture.

12. Agricultural loans of the East region are what percent of the agricultural loans of the South region?

    1. 80%
    2. 100%
    3. 110%
    4. 120%
    5. 125%
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (120%)

    East: 40% of 180 = 72; South: 20% of 300 = 60; 72 ÷ 60 × 100 = 120%.

13. What is the total amount of agricultural loans (₹ crore) disbursed by all four regions?

    1. 224
    2. 230
    3. 234
    4. 240
    5. 246
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (234)

    North 60 + South 60 + East 72 + West 42 = 234.

Data interpretation – Set 2

Monthly sales (₹ lakh) of a store from January to May were: January 42, February 48, March 36, April 54, May 60.

14. In which month was the percentage increase in sales over the previous month the highest?

    1. February
    2. March
    3. April
    4. May
    5. January
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (April)

    February: 6/42 ≈ 14.3%; March: a fall; April: 18/36 = 50%; May: 6/54 ≈ 11.1%. April is highest.

15. What were the average monthly sales (₹ lakh) from January to May?

    1. 46
    2. 47
    3. 48
    4. 49
    5. 50
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (48)

    Total = 42 + 48 + 36 + 54 + 60 = 240; 240 ÷ 5 = 48.

Arithmetic

16. The perimeter of a rectangle is 64 cm and its length and breadth are in the ratio 5 : 3. What is its area?

    1. 200 cm²
    2. 220 cm²
    3. 240 cm²
    4. 256 cm²
    5. 280 cm²
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (240 cm²)

    Length + breadth = 32, so length = 20 cm and breadth = 12 cm; area = 240 cm².

17. A's salary is 25% more than B's. By what percent is B's salary less than A's?

    1. 15%
    2. 20%
    3. 25%
    4. 30%
    5. 33⅓%
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (20%)

    If B = 100, A = 125. B is 25 less than 125, i.e. 25/125 × 100 = 20% less.

18. A car travels 360 km from P to Q at 60 km/h and returns at 40 km/h. What is its average speed for the whole journey?

    1. 45 km/h
    2. 48 km/h
    3. 50 km/h
    4. 52 km/h
    5. 54 km/h
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (48 km/h)

    Time = 360/60 + 360/40 = 6 + 9 = 15 h for 720 km; average = 720 ÷ 15 = 48 km/h.

Puzzle

Five persons K, L, M, N and O attend a training programme in five different months from January to May, one per month. Each is from a different city: Agra, Delhi, Kochi, Pune and Surat.

K attends in the month immediately after N. The person from Delhi attends in March. Two persons attend between K and L. M attends in the month immediately before L. N is from Pune. K is from neither Surat nor Kochi. The person from Kochi attends in May. O is not from Agra.

19. Who attends the training in March?

    1. K
    2. L
    3. M
    4. N
    5. O
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (O)

    Final arrangement: January: N (Pune); February: K (Agra); March: O (Delhi); April: M (Surat); May: L (Kochi). K is right after N, L is three months from K, and M is right before L. Only two cases work: N–K–O–M–L (Jan to May) or M–L–O–N–K. In the second case K would be in May, the Kochi month, but K is not from Kochi; so the first case holds. L (May) is from Kochi and O (March) from Delhi; N is from Pune; K is not from Surat, so K is from Agra and M from Surat.

20. Which city is M from?

    1. Agra
    2. Delhi
    3. Kochi
    4. Pune
    5. Surat
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (Surat)

    Final arrangement: January: N (Pune); February: K (Agra); March: O (Delhi); April: M (Surat); May: L (Kochi).

21. Who is from Agra?

    1. K
    2. L
    3. M
    4. N
    5. O
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (K)

    Final arrangement: January: N (Pune); February: K (Agra); March: O (Delhi); April: M (Surat); May: L (Kochi). K cannot be from Surat or Kochi, Delhi and Pune are taken, so K is from Agra.

Syllogism and inequality

Decide which conclusion(s) definitely follow.

22. Statements: Some files are folders. Some folders are papers. Conclusions: I. Some files are papers. II. No file is a paper.

    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: C (Either I or II follows)

    Neither conclusion is definite on its own, but they form a complementary pair (one must be true), so either I or II follows.

23. Statement: A ≤ B < C, C > D ≥ E Conclusions: I. A < C II. B > E

    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: A (Only conclusion I follows)

    A ≤ B < C gives A < C. B and E are both less than C but are not related to each other, so II does not follow.

Miscellaneous

24. How many letters in the word BACKGROUND remain in the same position when the letters are arranged in alphabetical order?

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

    Answer: C (Two)

    Alphabetical order: A B C D G K N O R U. Comparing with B A C K G R O U N D, only C (3rd) and G (5th) stay in place.

25. If BAD is coded as 7 (B = 2, A = 1, D = 4 added together), what is the code for CAGE?

    1. 14
    2. 15
    3. 16
    4. 17
    5. 18
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (16)

    C = 3, A = 1, G = 7, E = 5; 3 + 1 + 7 + 5 = 16.

26. Introducing a woman, Arun said, 'She is the wife of the only son of my father.' How is the woman related to Arun?

    1. Sister
    2. Sister-in-law
    3. Wife
    4. Mother
    5. Daughter-in-law
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Wife)

    The only son of Arun's father is Arun himself, so the woman is Arun's wife.

27. Sunita is facing East. She turns 90° clockwise, then 180° anticlockwise, and then 45° clockwise. Which direction is she facing now?

    1. North-East
    2. North-West
    3. South-East
    4. South-West
    5. North
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (North-East)

    East → 90° clockwise → South → 180° anticlockwise → North → 45° clockwise → North-East.