Test booklet: प्रश्न पुस्तिका
Booklet No.: 5005519
Series: C

IBPS PO Prelims Paper 10

Questions: 100
Maximum marks: 100
Minutes allowed: 60

Instructions निर्देश

This booklet has 100 questions in 3 parts: A. English Language (30), B. Quantitative Aptitude (35), C. Reasoning Ability (35).
Each part has its own clock. When it runs out, that part closes and the next opens.
Each question has 5 options and one right answer. Marks per question are shown with each part. Negative marking differs by part, as in the notice. A question left blank scores nothing.
Fill one bubble per question on the answer sheet. Unlike a real sheet, you can clear it and change your mind.

Scripting is off, so this page is a printed paper: answer on paper, then open each question’s working.

Part BQuantitative Aptitude

35 questions, 0.86 marks each, 0.21 off for a wrong answer

Solve both equations and compare x and y.
I. x² + 3x − 54 = 0
II. y² − 13y + 12 = 0

Question 31 x > y x ≥ y x < y x ≤ y x = y or no relation can be established

Answer and working
Answer E
I gives x = −9 or 6. II gives y = 1 or 12. Some x are bigger and some smaller than some y, so no single relation holds: x = y or no relation can be established.
Directions for questions 32 to 36
Study the table and answer the questions that follow.
Bicycles sold by five shops, in two successive years
Shop Year 1 Year 2
Shop P 800 1,040
Shop Q 620 496
Shop R 360 468
Shop S 500 700
Shop T 580 696
What is the total for Shop S over the two years?

Question 32 1,200 1,196 1,220 1,180 1,400

Answer and working
Answer A
500 + 700 = 1,200.
Shop R’s Year 2 figure is what percent of Shop P’s Year 2 figure?

Question 33 45% 35% 55% 48% 222.22%

Answer and working
Answer A
468 ÷ 1,040 × 100 = 45%.
What is the ratio of Shop R’s Year 1 figure to Shop T’s Year 2 figure?

Question 34 117 : 145 18 : 29 39 : 58 29 : 15 15 : 29

Answer and working
Answer E
360 : 696 = 15 : 29.
Which one grew the most in percentage terms from Year 1 to Year 2?

Question 35 Shop Q Shop S Shop R Shop P Shop T

Answer and working
Answer B
Growth: Shop P 30%, Shop Q −20%, Shop R 30%, Shop S 40%, Shop T 20%. The highest is Shop S.
What is the average Year 2 figure of the five?

Question 36 572 680 690 626 670

Answer and working
Answer B
Sum of Year 2 = 3,400. ÷ 5 = 680.
A bus goes from Pune to Nashik at 32 km/h and returns by the same road at 96 km/h. What is its average speed for the whole journey?

Question 37 46 km/h 50 km/h 64 km/h 48 km/h 68 km/h

Answer and working
Answer D
For equal distances, average speed = 2xy/(x + y) = 2 × 32 × 96 ÷ 128 = 48 km/h. The plain average, 64, ignores that the slower leg takes longer.
A sum of money becomes five times itself in 16 years at simple interest. What is the rate of interest per annum?

Question 38 22.22% 25% 31.25% 27.5% 6.25%

Answer and working
Answer B
The interest earned is 4 times the principal in 16 years. Rate = 4 × 100 / 16 = 25%.
A boat covers 44 km downstream in 4 hours and 35 km upstream in 5 hours. What is the speed of the stream?

Question 39 4 km/h 1 km/h 2 km/h 9 km/h 3 km/h

Answer and working
Answer C
Downstream speed = 44 ÷ 4 = 11 km/h; upstream = 35 ÷ 5 = 7 km/h. Stream = (11 − 7) ÷ 2 = 2 km/h.
One card is drawn at random from a well-shuffled pack of 52. What is the probability that it is a spade or an ace?

Question 40 ¹⁄₄ ⁴⁄₁₃ ¹⁷⁄₅₂ ¹⁵⁄₅₂ ⁸⁄₁₃

Answer and working
Answer B
16 of the 52 cards qualify. Probability = ⁴⁄₁₃.
What is the value of 81² − 56²?

Question 41 18,495 625 3,313 3,425 3,525

Answer and working
Answer D
a² − b² = (a + b)(a − b) = 137 × 25 = 3,425.
Simplify: 51 + 6 × 11 − 60 ÷ 6

Question 42 617 127 107 95 113

Answer and working
Answer C
Division and multiplication first: 6 × 11 = 66 and 60 ÷ 6 = 10. Then 51 + 66 − 10 = 107.
Which number replaces the question mark? 5, 6, ?, 45, 184, 925

Question 43 7 14 22 15 13

Answer and working
Answer B
The rule: each term is the previous × 1 + 1, × 2 + 2, × 3 + 3, and so on. The missing term is 14.
A shopkeeper marks his goods 20% above the cost price and allows a discount of 30%. What is his profit or loss percent?

Question 44 10% loss 16% profit 11% loss 16% loss 50% profit

Answer and working
Answer D
Take CP = 100. Marked price = 120. After 30% off: 120 × 70/100 = 84. So 16% loss.
Simplify: ¹⁄₄ + ⁵⁄₆ + ²⁄₃

Question 45 2 ⁷⁄₄ ⁹⁄₁₇ ³⁄₂ ⁷⁄₅

Answer and working
Answer B
Over the common denominator 24: the sum is ⁷⁄₄. Adding tops and bottoms separately (9/17) is the trap.
Solve both equations and compare x and y.
I. x² + 7x − 18 = 0
II. y² − 4y − 60 = 0

Question 46 x > y x ≥ y x < y x ≤ y x = y or no relation can be established

Answer and working
Answer E
I gives x = −9 or 2. II gives y = −6 or 10. Some x are bigger and some smaller than some y, so no single relation holds: x = y or no relation can be established.
120 litres of a mixture contains milk and water in the ratio 7 : 5. How much water must be added to make the ratio 5 : 4?

Question 47 4 litres 3 litres 56 litres 6 litres 8 litres

Answer and working
Answer D
Milk = 70 l, water = 50 l. For 5 : 4, water must be 70 × 4/5 = 56 l. Add 56 − 50 = 6 litres.
Which number replaces the question mark? 1, 41, 8, 38, 15, 35, 22, ?

Question 48 42 33 31 32 9

Answer and working
Answer D
The rule: two series alternate: 1, 8, 15 … rising by 7, and 41, 38, 35 … falling by 3. The missing term is 32.
Solve both equations and compare x and y.
I. x² + 11x + 24 = 0
II. y² + y − 2 = 0

Question 49 x > y x ≥ y x < y x ≤ y x = y or no relation can be established

Answer and working
Answer C
I gives x = −8 or −3. II gives y = −2 or 1. Every x is smaller than every y: x < y.
₹10,290 is divided among Ravi, Sunita and Imran in the ratio 4 : 1 : 2. What is Ravi’s share?

Question 50 ₹3,430 ₹5,880 ₹1,470 ₹5,145 ₹2,940

Answer and working
Answer B
Total parts = 4 + 1 + 2 = 7. Ravi gets 4/7 × 10,290 = ₹5,880.
Which number replaces the question mark? 9, 18, 36, 72, ?, 288

Question 51 145 108 143 144 216

Answer and working
Answer D
The rule: each term is the previous × 2. The missing term is 144.
Simplify: 21 + 14 × 11 − 35 ÷ 7

Question 52 170 177 180 50 380

Answer and working
Answer A
Division and multiplication first: 14 × 11 = 154 and 35 ÷ 7 = 5. Then 21 + 154 − 5 = 170.
A is three times as efficient as B. Together they finish a job in 18 days. How long would A take alone?

Question 53 6 days 27 days 54 days 24 days 72 days

Answer and working
Answer D
If B does 1 unit a day, A does 3; together 4 units a day for 18 days = 72 units. A alone: 72 ÷ 3 = 24 days.
Which number replaces the question mark? 1, 3, 9, 27, 81, ?

Question 54 405 242 244 135 243

Answer and working
Answer E
The rule: each term is the previous × 3. The missing term is 243.
The sum of the present ages of a father and his son is 86 years. 4 years ago, the father was 5 times as old as the son. How old is the son now?

Question 55 21 years 17 years 52 years 13 years 14 years

Answer and working
Answer B
Let the son be s. Then (86 − s − 4) = 5(s − 4), so 102 = 6s and s = 17 years.
The population of a town is 80,400. It grows by 5% every year. What will it be after 2 years?

Question 56 88,641 88,440 90,857 86,425 84,420

Answer and working
Answer A
80,400 × (1 + 5/100)² = 80,400 × 1.1 = 88,641. Growing 5% on 80,400 twice, not 10% once.
Which number replaces the question mark? 17, 18, 20, 23, ?, 32

Question 57 31 29 27 28 26

Answer and working
Answer C
The rule: the differences grow by 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The missing term is 27.
The population of a town is 35,150. It grows by 20% every year. What will it be after 2 years?

Question 58 51,881 49,351 42,180 49,210 50,616

Answer and working
Answer E
35,150 × (1 + 20/100)² = 35,150 × 1.44 = 50,616. Growing 20% on 35,150 twice, not 40% once.
What is √484 + √324 − √729?

Question 59 11 9 15 31 13

Answer and working
Answer E
22 + 18 − 27 = 13.
A scooter runs at 144 km/h. What is its speed in metres per second?

Question 60 80 m/s 72 m/s 45 m/s 30 m/s 40 m/s

Answer and working
Answer E
Multiply by 5/18: 144 × 5/18 = 40 m/s.
Solve both equations and compare x and y.
I. x² + 3x − 40 = 0
II. y² − 13y + 36 = 0

Question 61 x > y x ≥ y x < y x ≤ y x = y or no relation can be established

Answer and working
Answer E
I gives x = −8 or 5. II gives y = 4 or 9. Some x are bigger and some smaller than some y, so no single relation holds: x = y or no relation can be established.
₹80,000 amounts to ₹96,800 in 2 years at compound interest, compounded annually. What is the rate of interest?

Question 62 10% 8% 12% 20% 10.5%

Answer and working
Answer A
(1 + R/100)² = 96,800/80,000 = 1.21, so 1 + R/100 = 1.1 and R = 10%. Dividing the interest equally between the years (simple interest) gives a wrong answer.
Solve both equations and compare x and y.
I. x² − 6x + 8 = 0
II. y² + 5y − 36 = 0

Question 63 x > y x ≥ y x < y x ≤ y x = y or no relation can be established

Answer and working
Answer E
I gives x = 2 or 4. II gives y = −9 or 4. Some x are bigger and some smaller than some y, so no single relation holds: x = y or no relation can be established.
A trader buys a bicycle for ₹900 and sells it for ₹855. What is the profit or loss percent?

Question 64 5% profit 3% loss 10% loss 5.26% loss 5% loss

Answer and working
Answer E
Loss = ₹45. As a percent of the cost price: 45 ÷ 900 × 100 = 5% loss.
Section A has 15 students with an average score of 71; section B has 30 students averaging 80. What is the average score of both sections together?

Question 65 77 80 81 78 76

Answer and working
Answer A
(15 × 71 + 30 × 80) ÷ 45 = 3465 ÷ 45 = 77. The plain mean of 71 and 80 ignores the sizes of the sections.

IBPS PO Prelims Paper 10

Instructions निर्देश

Part AEnglish Language

Part BQuantitative Aptitude

Part CReasoning Ability

Shop	Year 1	Year 2
Shop P	800	1,040
Shop Q	620	496
Shop R	360	468
Shop S	500	700
Shop T	580	696