Introduction
IBPS Clerk 2018 – Main Examination, conducted in online Mode, has: a duration of 160 minutes, 4 Sections, a total of 190 questions, a Maximum score of 200 marks, The 4 Sections are timed: General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude. The section wise details are as shown below.
Pattern
| S.No | Sections | No. of Questions | Maximum marks | Time allocate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| 2 | General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| 4 | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 minutes |
Syllabus
| S.No. | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Comprehension |
| 2 | Cloze Test |
| 3 | Fillers |
| 4 | Sentence Errors |
| 5 | Vocabulary based questions |
| 6 | Sentence Improvement |
| 7 | Jumbled Paragraph |
| 8 | Paragraph Based Questions (Paragraph Fillers, Paragraph Conclusion, Paragraph /Sentences Restatement) |
Note: Penalty for Wrong Answers
There will be penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty to arrive at corrected score. If a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
Samples
Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Financial Inclusion (FI) is an emerging priority for banks that have nowhere else to go to achieve business growth. The viability of FI business is under question, because while banks and their delivery partners continue to make investments, they haven't seen commensurate returns. In markets like India, most programmes are focused on customer on-boarding, an expensive process which people often find difficult to afford, involving issuance of smart cards to the customers. However, large-scale customer acquisition hasn't translated into large-scale business, with many accounts lying dormant and therefore yielding no return on the bank's investment. For the same reason, Business Correspondent Agents, who constitute the primary channel for financial inclusion, are unable to pursue their activity as a full-time job. One major reason for this state of events is that the customer on-boarding process is often delayed after the submission of documents (required to validate the details of the concerned applicant) by the applicant and might take as long as two weeks. By this time the initial enthusiasm of applicants fades away. Moreover, the delivery partners don't have the knowledge and skill to propose anything other than the most basic financial products to the customer and hence do not serve their banks"' goal of expanding the offering in unbanked markets.
Contrary to popular perception, the inclusion segment is not a singular impoverished, undifferentiated mass and it is important to navigate its diversity to identify the right target customers for various programmes. Rural markets do have their share of rich people who do not use banking services simply because they are inconvenient to access or have low perceived value. At the same time, urban markets, despite a high branch density, have multitude of low wage earners outside the financial net. Moreover, the branch timings of banks rarely coincide with the off-work hours of the labor class.
Creating affordability is crucial in tapping the unbanked market. No doubt pricing is a tool, but banks also need to be innovative in right-sizing their proposition to convince customers that they can derive big value even from small amounts. One way of doing this is to show the target audience that a bank account is actually a lifestyle enabler, a convenient and safe means to send money to family or make a variety of purchases. Once banks succeed in hooking customers with this value proposition they must sustain their interest by introducing a simple and intuitive user application, ubiquitous access over mobile and other touch points, and adopting a banking mechanism which is not only secure but also reassuring to the customer. Technology is the most important element of financial inclusion strategy and an enabler of all others. The choice of technology is therefore a crucial decision, which could make or mar the agenda. Of the various section criteria, cost is perhaps the most important. This certainly does not mean buying the cheapest package, but rather choosing that solution which by scaling transactions to huge volumes reduces per unit operating cost. An optimal mix of these strategies would no doubt offer an innovative means of expansion in the unbanked market.
1. Which of the following facts is true as per the passage?
- A) People from rural areas have high perceived value of banking services.
B) Cost is not a valid criterion for technological pack selection for financial-inclusion initiatives.
C) The inclusion segment is a singular impoverished_ undifferentiated mass.
D) The branch timings of banks generally do not coincide with the off-work hours of the labour class in urban markets
E. All the given statements are true
- A) Only (II)
B) Only (III)
C) All (I), (II) & (III)
D) Only (I)
E) Both (II) and (III)
- A) Banks always prefer the cheapest package (to cut cost) while making a choice of technology to be used.
B) The Business Correspondent Agents are highly demotivated to pursue their activity as a full-time job.
C) The investments made by banks and their delivery partners are not yielding equal amounts of returns.
D) Banks do not have adequate number of delivery partners required to tap the unbanked market.
E) Banks do not have adequate manpower to explore the diversity of the unbanked market and thereby identify the right target customers for various programs.
- A) It involves collection of documents from the applicants in order to validate their details.
B) It involves issuance of smart cards to the customers.
C) It suffers from latency as it takes a long time after submission of documents by the customer
D) It is an expensive process which people find difficult to afford.
E) All of the given characteristics have been specified
- A) Both I & II
B) All I, II, & III
C) Only III
D) Only I
E) Only II
Directions(1-10): In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.
In economics, the term recession generally describes the reduction of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for at least two quarters. A recession is ___(1)___ by rising unemployment, increase in government borrowing, ___(2)___, of share and stock prices, and falling investment. All of these characteristics have effects on people. Some recessions have been anticipated by stock market declines. The real – estate market also usually ___(3)___ before a recession. During an economic decline, high ___(4)___ stocks such as financial services, pharmaceuticals and tobacco ___(5)___ to hold up better. However, when the economy starts to recover growth, stocks tend to recover faster. There is significant disagreement about how health care and utilities tend to ___(6)___
In 2008, an economic recession was suggested by several important indicators of economic downturn. These ___(7)___ high oil prices, which led to ___(8)___ high food prices due to a dependence of food production on petroleum, as well as using food crop products such as ethanol and biodiesel as an ___(9)___ to petroleum; and global inflation; a substantial credit crisis investment blanks as well ___(10)___ as commercial banks in various, and signs of contemporaneous economic downturns in major economics of the world, a global recession.
1.
- A) Imagined
B) Depict
C) Shown
D) Visualized
E) Characterized
- A) Increase
B) Variance
C) More
D) Decrease
E) Abundance
- A) Weakens
B) Initiates
C) Awakens
D) Strengthens
E) Volatile
- A) Maintained
B) Yield
C) Heavy
D) Result
E) Payment
- A) Are
B) Want
C) Tend
D) Yearn
E) Made
- A) Distribute
B) Recover
C) Wait
D) Increased
E) Fight
- A) Meant
B) Show
C) Numbered
D) Included
E) Encompass
- A) Fearful
B) Dangerous
C) Abnormally
D) Healthy
E) Nutritious
- A) Alternative
B) Variant
C) Substitute
D) Element
E) Integral
- A) Wealthy
B) Costly
C) Stand
D) Created
E) Established
Directions (1 - 5): In the Questions given below, there are two statements, each statement consists of a blank. You have to choose the option which provides the correct set of words that fits in the blanks in both the statements appropriately making them meaningful and grammatically correct.
1. I. The administration ______ protesters by agreeing to consider their demands.
II. The angry customer was not _____ by the clerk's apology.
- A) poked
B) incite
C) aggravate
D) placated
E) evoke
- A) investigate
B) keenness
C) stability
D) sharpness
E) durability
- A) minute
B) gigantic
C) contented
D) concise
E) analogy
- A) rigid
B) wise
C) smart
D) flexible
E) innate
- A) distinguish
B) put above
C) disprove
D) trivial
E) maintain
Directions (1 - 5): In each of the following sentences, find if any part of the sentence (1), (2), (3) or (4) contains error. If there is no error mark “No Error” as you answer.
1. (1)Part of the enthusiasm for this /(2) 22-stock basket can no doubtedly be traced /(3) to the timing of this offer during /(4) a euphoric phase in the stock market.
- A) (1)
B) (2)
C) (3)
D) (4)
E) NE
- A) (1)
B) (2)
C) (3)
D) (4)
E) NE
- A) (1)
B) (2)
C) (3)
D) (4)
E) NE
- A) (1)
B) (2)
C) (3)
D) (4)
E) NE
- A) (1)
B) (2)
C) (3)
D) (4)
E) NE
Directions (1 - 5): Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold.
1. Ubiquitous
- A) Quintessential
B) Popular
C) Omnipresent
D) Simplified
E) Abnormal
- A) Impoverished
B) Handful
C) Acknowledged
D) Plenty
E) Solitude
- A) Control
B) Venture
C) Perish
D) Determine
E) Surpass
- A) Suspected
B) Publicised
C) Dragged
D) Objective
E) Benefit
- A) Rise
B) Gear
C) Hurl
D) Lessen
E) Retreat
Directions (1 - 5): Which of the phrases A, B, C, and D given below each statement should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given, mark E as the answer.
1. The improvement in rankings resulted into coordinated efforts made by the government over the past few years.
- A) resultant into
B) is the resultant of
C) resultant of
D) is the result of
E) No Correction Required
- A) at fourth position
B) at the fourth position
C) to fourth position
D) positioned fourth
E) No Correction Required
- A) as such
B) likely
C) such as
D) same as
E) No Correction Required
- A) india needs
B) India still needs
C) india needing
D) india still needing
E) No Correction Required
- A) help push
B) help in pushing
C) help to pushing
D) help for pushing
E) No Correction Required
Directions (1 - 5): Rearrange the following five sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) , (E) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph and then answer the questions given below.
(A) Man’s mind is complex and a crucial entity and its capabilities are far-reaching in respect of its power to dictate and shape each one’s lot in samsara.
(B) While one learns to accept the inevitability of ageing and death that affect the body, hunger and thirst that pertain to one’s prana are perceived as natural demands that are to be met.
(C) Old age and death, hunger and thirst, sorrow and delusion — are the basic challenges of human life.
(D) The very purpose of human life is lost and defeated by failing to hold the mind in check. .
(E) To lead the mind in the right direction is a tall order, for it is the source of endless desires.
1. Which of the following would be the 'Second' sentence after rearrangement?
- a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
- a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
- a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
- a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
- a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E
Directions (1 – 5): Which of the phrases A, B, C, and D given below each statement should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given, mark E as the answer.
1. The improvement in rankings resulted into coordinated efforts made by the government over the past few years.
- A) resultant into
B) is the resultant of
C) resultant of
D) is the result of
E) No Correction Required
- A) at fourth position
B) at the fourth position
C) to fourth position
D) positioned fourth
E) No Correction Required
- A) as such
B) likely
C) such as
D) same as
E) No Correction Required
- A) india needs
B) India still needs
C) india needing
D) india still needing
E) No Correction Required
- A) help push
B) help in pushing
C) help to pushing
D) help for pushing
E) No Correction Required