IBPS PO 2015 Previous Year Question Paper

Reading comprehension

For decades, the poorest households in the countryside were kept outside the formal banking system less by law than by arithmetic. A branch in a remote block costs roughly the same to run whether its customers deposit a few hundred rupees or a few lakh, and a bank that judges every outlet by the profit it earns has little reason to open one where balances are thin. The result was a familiar pattern: savings hidden in tin boxes, loans taken from the village moneylender at rates that would embarrass a credit-card company, and money sent home through informal couriers who charged heavily for the favour.

The recent drive to open no-frills accounts has changed the first of these facts faster than the others. Millions of accounts now exist on paper, but a large share of them lie dormant. An account that is never used costs the bank money to maintain and gives the holder nothing, so the real test of inclusion is not how many accounts are opened but how many are used month after month.

Two developments could make that test easier to pass. The first is the business correspondent, a local agent with a hand-held device who can accept deposits and pay out cash without the overhead of a branch. The second is the steady fall in the cost of mobile connectivity, which allows small transactions to be recorded and settled cheaply. Neither is a cure on its own. Agents must earn enough commission to stay in the business, and a payment that is cheap to send is still of little use if the person receiving it must travel half a day to withdraw it. Inclusion, in short, is a problem of design rather than of numbers.

1. According to the passage, why did banks avoid opening branches in remote areas?

   1. The law did not allow branches in blocks with small populations
   2. Running a branch costs about the same regardless of how small the deposits are, so thin-balance areas were unprofitable
   3. Villagers preferred moneylenders and refused to open accounts
   4. Mobile connectivity in such areas was too expensive
   5. Business correspondents had already captured those customers
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Running a branch costs about the same regardless of how small the deposits are, so thin-balance areas were unprofitable)

   The first paragraph says exclusion came 'less by law than by arithmetic': a remote branch costs roughly the same to run whatever the deposit size, so a profit-judged bank had little reason to open one where balances are thin.

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about dormant accounts?

   1. They are proof that financial inclusion has succeeded
   2. They are more profitable for banks than active accounts
   3. They add to a bank's costs without giving the holders any benefit
   4. They are mostly held by moneylenders
   5. They will automatically become active once agents are appointed
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (They add to a bank's costs without giving the holders any benefit)

   Paragraph 2: an account that is never used 'costs the bank money to maintain and gives the holder nothing'. The passage treats such accounts as a failure of the real test of inclusion, not a success.

3. Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to 'dormant' as used in the passage.

   1. idle
   2. inert
   3. active
   4. latent
   5. sleeping
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (active)

   'Dormant' here means unused or inactive. Idle, inert, latent and sleeping are all close in meaning; 'active' is the opposite.

4. What is the main point of the last paragraph?

   1. Business correspondents should replace bank branches completely
   2. Mobile connectivity alone will solve the problem of exclusion
   3. Agents and cheaper connectivity can help, but inclusion depends on how the whole system is designed
   4. The number of accounts opened is the best measure of inclusion
   5. Commission paid to agents is too high and should be cut
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (Agents and cheaper connectivity can help, but inclusion depends on how the whole system is designed)

   The paragraph names two helpful developments, says 'neither is a cure on its own' because of agent earnings and withdrawal distance, and concludes that inclusion is 'a problem of design rather than of numbers'.

Fill in the blank

5. Choose the word that best fills the blank: The committee's report was so ______ that even members who had opposed the proposal found little in it to dispute.

   1. meticulous
   2. haphazard
   3. ambiguous
   4. perfunctory
   5. partisan
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (meticulous)

   The clause 'even opponents found little to dispute' calls for a word meaning very thorough and careful. Haphazard, ambiguous, perfunctory (done carelessly) and partisan would all invite dispute.

6. Choose the word that best fills the blank: Despite repeated warnings from the regulator, the lender continued to ______ its bad loans by rolling them over into fresh credit lines.

   1. disclose
   2. conceal
   3. recover
   4. auction
   5. write off
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (conceal)

   Rolling a bad loan into a new credit line makes it look regular, i.e. hides it. 'Conceal' fits; disclose and write off are the opposite of what the rollover achieves, and recover/auction do not match 'by rolling them over'.

Error spotting

7. Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: Neither the manager nor his assistants (A) / was aware that the vault (B) / had been left unlocked (C) / throughout the weekend. (D) / No error (E)

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

   Answer: B (B)

   With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject 'assistants' is plural, so 'was aware' in part B should be 'were aware'.

Sentence rearrangement

Rearrange the sentences into a meaningful paragraph.

A. Within a decade, the town had become a centre for handloom exports. B. A cooperative of weavers pooled their savings to buy modern looms. C. Encouraged by the first export orders, more families joined the cooperative. D. The new looms doubled output and cut the cost of each saree. E. The town had once been known only for its weekly cattle fair.

8. Which sentence comes THIRD after rearrangement?

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

   Answer: D (D)

   The order is E-B-D-C-A: the town's old identity (E), the cooperative buys looms (B), the looms raise output and cut costs (D), first orders attract more families (C), and the outcome a decade later (A). The third sentence is D.

Data interpretation (table with missing values)

The table shows the number of loan applications received and approved by five branches of a bank in a year, and the approval rate (approved as a percentage of received). Some values are missing (—); work them out from the other two columns where needed.

9. How many applications did branch Q receive?

   1. 410
   2. 430
   3. 441
   4. 420
   5. 400
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: D (420)

   Received = approved ÷ rate = 294 ÷ 0.70 = 420.

10. What is the total number of applications approved by all five branches together?

    1. 1738
    2. 1708
    3. 1768
    4. 1792
    5. 1748
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (1748)

    R approved = 64% of 650 = 416; T approved = 85% of 400 = 340. Total = 360 + 294 + 416 + 338 + 340 = 1748.

11. What is the ratio of applications rejected by branch R to those rejected by branch S?

    1. 7 : 9
    2. 9 : 7
    3. 13 : 9
    4. 9 : 13
    5. 5 : 4
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (9 : 7)

    Rejected by R = 650 − 416 = 234; by S = 520 − 338 = 182. Ratio 234 : 182 = 9 : 7.

12. What is the simple average of the approval rates of the five branches (in %)?

    1. 71.8%
    2. 71.2%
    3. 72.4%
    4. 73%
    5. 70.6%
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (71.8%)

    P = 360/480 = 75%, S = 338/520 = 65%; Q, R, T are given as 70, 64, 85. Average = (75 + 70 + 64 + 65 + 85) ÷ 5 = 71.8%.

Quadratic equations

In each question two equations (I and II) are given. Solve both and mark the correct relationship between x and y.

13. Solve both equations and choose the correct relationship between x and y. I. x² − 13x + 42 = 0 II. y² − 15y + 56 = 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)

    I: x = 6, 7. II: y = 7, 8. Comparing every pair of values gives: x ≤ y.

14. Solve both equations and choose the correct relationship between x and y. I. 2x² + 9x + 10 = 0 II. y² + 7y + 12 = 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: A (x > y)

    I: x = -5/2, -2. II: y = -4, -3. Comparing every pair of values gives: x > y.

Number series

15. Find the wrong number in the series: 7, 15, 32, 67, 136, 281

    1. 15
    2. 32
    3. 67
    4. 136
    5. 281
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (136)

    Rule: ×2 + 1, ×2 + 2, ×2 + 3, ... Correct series: 7, 15, 32, 67, 138, 281. The term after 67 should be 67 × 2 + 4 = 138, not 136; the next term 281 = 138 × 2 + 5 confirms it.

16. What should come in place of the question mark? 5, 6, 14, 45, ?, 925

    1. 186
    2. 190
    3. 184
    4. 182
    5. 180
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (184)

    Rule: ×1 + 1, ×2 + 2, ×3 + 3, ×4 + 4, ×5 + 5. So ? = 45 × 4 + 4 = 184, and 184 × 5 + 5 = 925 checks.

Approximation and arithmetic

17. What approximate value should come in place of the question mark? 39.98% of 649.9 + 24.03 × 15.97 = ?

    1. 644
    2. 610
    3. 590
    4. 676
    5. 702
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (644)

    ≈ 40% of 650 + 24 × 16 = 260 + 384 = 644.

18. A sum invested at 10% per annum compound interest (compounded annually) amounts to ₹14,520 in 2 years. What is the simple interest on the same sum at the same rate for 3 years?

    1. ₹3993
    2. ₹3630
    3. ₹3300
    4. ₹3600
    5. ₹4200
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (₹3600)

    Principal = 14520 ÷ 1.1² = 14520 ÷ 1.21 = ₹12000. SI for 3 years = 12000 × 10 × 3 ÷ 100 = ₹3600.

Linear seating arrangement

Eight friends J, K, L, M, N, O, P and Q sit in a straight row, all facing north.

M sits third from the left end. Only two people sit between M and Q. K sits immediately to the right of Q. P sits at one of the extreme ends. N sits third to the left of P. L also sits at an extreme end. O sits somewhere to the left of M. J is not an immediate neighbour of O.

19. Who sits at the extreme left end?

    1. L
    2. O
    3. P
    4. J
    5. M
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (L)

    M is 3rd from left; Q is three places from M, and K must be immediately right of Q, so Q is 6th and K 7th. N is third to the left of P, which is only possible with P at the right end (8th) and N 5th. L takes the left end. O is left of M, so O is 2nd, and J (not next to O) is 4th. Final order from left: L – O – M – J – N – Q – K – P.

20. How many people sit between O and K?

    1. 6
    2. 4
    3. 2
    4. 3
    5. 5
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (4)

    M is 3rd from left; Q is three places from M, and K must be immediately right of Q, so Q is 6th and K 7th. N is third to the left of P, which is only possible with P at the right end (8th) and N 5th. L takes the left end. O is left of M, so O is 2nd, and J (not next to O) is 4th. Final order from left: L – O – M – J – N – Q – K – P. Between O and K: 4.

21. Who sits second to the right of J?

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

    Answer: B (Q)

    M is 3rd from left; Q is three places from M, and K must be immediately right of Q, so Q is 6th and K 7th. N is third to the left of P, which is only possible with P at the right end (8th) and N 5th. L takes the left end. O is left of M, so O is 2nd, and J (not next to O) is 4th. Final order from left: L – O – M – J – N – Q – K – P. Second to the right of J is Q.

22. Four of the following five pairs are alike in a certain way based on the arrangement and so form a group. Which pair does NOT belong to the group?

    1. LO
    2. MJ
    3. NQ
    4. KP
    5. OJ
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (OJ)

    M is 3rd from left; Q is three places from M, and K must be immediately right of Q, so Q is 6th and K 7th. N is third to the left of P, which is only possible with P at the right end (8th) and N 5th. L takes the left end. O is left of M, so O is 2nd, and J (not next to O) is 4th. Final order from left: L – O – M – J – N – Q – K – P. In LO, MJ, NQ and KP the second person sits immediately to the right of the first. In OJ, M sits between O and J, so it is the odd pair.

Syllogism

23. Statements: All banks are branches. Some branches are lockers. No lockers are vaults. Conclusions: I. Some banks are lockers. II. No banks are lockers. Decide which conclusion(s) logically follow from the statements, disregarding commonly known facts.

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

    Answer: C (Either conclusion I or II follows)

    From 'All banks are branches' and 'Some branches are lockers', nothing definite links banks and lockers: some banks may or may not be lockers. Conclusions I and II form a complementary pair (Some/No) about the same two terms, so exactly one of them must be true. Answer: Either conclusion I or II follows.

24. Statements: Some branches are lockers. All lockers are vaults. No vaults are banks. Conclusions: I. Some branches are not banks. II. All branches being vaults is a possibility. Decide which conclusion(s) logically follow from the statements, disregarding commonly known facts.

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

    Answer: E (Both conclusions I and II follow)

    Some branches are lockers and all lockers are vaults, so those branches are vaults; no vault is a bank, so those branches are not banks: 'Some branches are not banks' follows. Nothing prevents every branch from being a vault, so II (a possibility) also follows. Answer: Both conclusions I and II follow.

Inequality

25. Statements: R ≥ S > T, U = T ≤ V, W < V. Conclusions: I. R > U II. W ≥ S. Which conclusion(s) is/are definitely true?

    1. Only conclusion I is true
    2. Only conclusion II is true
    3. Either conclusion I or II is true
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II is true
    5. Both conclusions I and II are true
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (Only conclusion I is true)

    R ≥ S > T = U gives R > U, so I is true. W < V and V ≥ T give no link between W and S, so II is not definite. Answer: Only conclusion I is true.

26. Statements: F ≤ G = H, H ≥ J > K, L ≥ G. Conclusions: I. L ≥ J II. K < F. Which conclusion(s) is/are definitely true?

    1. Only conclusion I is true
    2. Only conclusion II is true
    3. Either conclusion I or II is true
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II is true
    5. Both conclusions I and II are true
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (Only conclusion I is true)

    L ≥ G = H ≥ J gives L ≥ J, so I is true. F ≤ G and K < J ≤ H = G put both F and K below or at G, with no link between them, so II is not definite. Answer: Only conclusion I is true.

Coding-decoding and blood relation

27. In a certain code language 'BANKER' is written as 'CZOJFQ'. How is 'LENDER' written in that code?

    1. MDOCFQ
    2. MDOEFQ
    3. KFMEDS
    4. MDOCFS
    5. MFOCFQ
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (MDOCFQ)

    Letters in odd positions move one step forward and letters in even positions move one step back: B→C, A→Z, N→O, K→J, E→F, R→Q. So L→M, E→D, N→O, D→C, E→F, R→Q = MDOCFQ.

28. A is the brother of B. B is the daughter of C. C is the wife of D. E is the father of D. How is A related to E?

    1. Son
    2. Grandson
    3. Nephew
    4. Son-in-law
    5. Cannot be determined
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Grandson)

    B is the daughter of C and D (C is D's wife), and A is B's brother, so A is a son of D. E is D's father, so A is E's grandson.