IBPS RRB Clerk key terms

A reasoning topic where two or more statements are assumed true and you decide which conclusions logically follow. Questions use words like 'All', 'Some', 'No' and 'Only a few' to test whether a conclusion is certain.

A drawing technique for solving syllogism and set-based questions. Each statement is drawn as overlapping circles, and a conclusion is accepted only if it is true in every possible diagram.

A conclusion phrased as 'It is possible that...' is true when at least one valid diagram arrangement satisfies it. It is rejected only when no arrangement can make it true.

A reasoning question that describes family links in coded or indirect sentences, such as 'A is the brother of B's mother'. You must trace the relations and answer who is related to whom and how.

A question where symbols replace comparison words, for example P @ Q means P is greater than Q. You decode the symbols, combine the statements, and test which conclusion is definitely true.

An inequality question using the standard signs >, <, ≥, ≤ and =. You chain the statements and check whether a given conclusion, such as A > C, must follow from the chain.

A puzzle where people or objects must be placed around a circle or in a straight row using clues. Key details are facing direction, left and right, and fixed positions given in the statements.

A seating puzzle where people sit in one or two straight rows, often facing north or south. You fix positions using clues about ends, neighbours and counts between people.

A seating puzzle where people sit around a circle, facing the centre or facing outward. Inward-facing people have left on the clockwise side; outward-facing people have left on the anticlockwise side.

A reasoning question that shows a sequence of steps rearranging numbers or words by a hidden rule. You identify the rule, then predict the output at a later step or the final arrangement.

The starting line of numbers or words in an input-output question. Each step applies the same rearrangement rule, such as moving the smallest number left, until the final arrangement is reached.

A reasoning topic where words or letters are written in a code and you must find the pattern. Common patterns are letter shifts, reversal, position swaps and number-letter substitution.

A mixed sequence of letters, digits and symbols. Questions ask how many digits are followed by a symbol, or what comes at a certain position after rearrangement.

A reasoning question tracking a person's path using north, south, east and west turns. You draw the route and find the final distance or direction, often using Pythagoras on a right triangle.

The shortest straight-line distance between two points, found with the rule that the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of squares of the other two sides. Used in direction sense questions.

A question giving a problem plus two or three statements. You decide whether the statements, alone or together, supply enough information to answer, without actually solving the problem.

The judgement of whether given data is sufficient to reach a unique answer. If two different answers are possible from a statement, that statement is not adequate.

A numerical ability question asking for the value of an expression using BODMAS order: brackets, orders, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction. Speed comes from memorised tables, squares and fractions.

The order of operations rule: Brackets first, then Orders or powers, then Division and Multiplication, then Addition and Subtraction. It decides which part of a simplification expression is calculated first.

A question where exact values are replaced by nearby round numbers to estimate the answer quickly. Options are far apart, so a close estimate is enough to pick the correct choice.

A sequence of numbers with a hidden pattern, such as adding increasing values or multiplying by a fixed factor. You find the rule and supply the missing or wrong term.

A number series with one blank marked by a question mark. You identify the pattern from the visible terms and calculate the value that belongs in the blank.

A number series where all terms but one follow a rule. You detect the pattern, then name the term that breaks it; the answer is that odd term.

An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0. Questions give two such equations in x and y, and you compare the roots to decide whether x is greater, smaller, equal or the relation cannot be fixed.

The final step of a quadratic comparison question. After finding both roots of each equation, you pair values and check every case; if any case conflicts, the answer is 'cannot be determined'.

A part expressed per hundred. In arithmetic questions you convert percentages to fractions, find percentage increase or decrease, and use them inside profit, interest and data interpretation problems.

Commercial arithmetic using cost price, selling price, profit and loss. Key formulas are profit percent equals profit divided by cost price times 100, and selling price equals cost price times (100 plus profit percent) divided by 100.

Interest calculated only on the original principal, using the formula principal times rate times time divided by 100. The interest amount stays the same every year.

Interest calculated on principal plus previously earned interest, so the amount grows each period. The formula is amount equals principal times (1 plus rate divided by 100) raised to the number of years.

A set of five questions based on a table, bar graph, line graph or pie chart. You read values, compute ratios, averages and percentages, and choose the option matching your calculation.

A circular chart where each sector's angle is proportional to its share of the total. A full circle is 360 degrees, so a sector's value equals its angle divided by 360 times the total.

Arithmetic about rates of completing a task. If a person finishes work in n days, one day's work is 1/n; combined rates are added, and questions ask for total time or days worked together.

A time-and-work variant where inlet pipes fill a tank and outlet pipes empty it. Filling rates are added and emptying rates subtracted to find the net time to fill or empty.

English vocabulary questions asking for a word with the same meaning or the opposite meaning. Marks come from a working vocabulary rather than from grammar rules.

A short passage with numbered blanks, each with options. You choose the word that fits the grammar and meaning of the surrounding sentence and keeps the passage coherent.

A passage followed by questions on its main idea, details, tone and implied meaning. Answers must be supported by the passage text, not by outside knowledge.

A comprehension question asking what can be concluded but is not stated directly. The correct option must follow logically from the passage without adding new assumptions.

A grammar question where a sentence is split into parts and you find the part containing a grammatical error, or state that no part is wrong.

A question giving a sentence with a highlighted part and options to replace it. The correct option must fix grammar and keep the original meaning.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and phrases between subject and verb do not change the verb's form.

A set of numbered sentences that must be rearranged into a logical paragraph. You find opening and closing sentences and link ideas using pronouns, connectors and repeated nouns.

Linking words such as however, therefore, although and moreover. They signal contrast, cause, result or addition, and are key clues in para jumbles and cloze tests.

Sentences with one or two blanks and options for each. You pick words that complete the sentence grammatically and logically, often using collocations and context clues.

Central bank actions that manage money supply and interest rates. In India the RBI sets the repo rate, reverse repo rate, CRR and SLR to control inflation and support growth.

The interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities. Raising it makes borrowing costlier and helps cool inflation.

The rate at which the Reserve Bank of India absorbs surplus cash from commercial banks. It usually sits below the repo rate and is used to drain liquidity from the banking system.

Cash Reserve Ratio is the share of deposits banks must keep with the RBI as cash. Statutory Liquidity Ratio is the share kept in approved liquid assets such as government securities.

A rule requiring banks to give a fixed share of credit to sectors such as agriculture, small enterprises, education and housing for weaker sections. Targets are set by the RBI.

Non-Performing Asset: a loan where interest or principal is overdue for more than 90 days. Banks must classify such accounts as substandard, doubtful or loss assets and make provisions.

Computer memory accessed directly by the CPU, such as RAM and ROM. It is fast but limited in size, and RAM loses its contents when power is switched off.

RAM is volatile working memory that holds programs and data while the computer runs. ROM is non-volatile memory holding permanent startup instructions such as the BIOS.

Non-volatile storage that keeps data permanently, such as hard disks, SSDs, pen drives and DVDs. It is slower than primary memory but far larger in capacity.

System software that manages hardware, files and programs and provides a user interface. Examples include Windows, Linux, macOS and Android.

A unique numerical label given to each device on a network so data can be routed to it. IPv4 uses four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by dots.

A URL is the full web address of a resource, such as https://example.com/page. The domain name is the human-readable part identifying the website, like example.com.

Keyboard combinations that trigger commands quickly, such as Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste, Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+S to save.