Critical Reasoning Tips and Tricks for RBI Grade B Phase 1

Critical Reasoning Tips and Tricks

Struggling with Critical Reasoning Questions are common among RBI Grade B Phase 1 aspirants. However, if proper tricks are followed, then it is the best scoring part in the exam. With 4 to 6 questions worth around 6 to 10 marks, it is important to practice this section and master it as it will help in clearing the cutoff during exam.

1. Understand the question type

The first step in solving RBI Grade B Critical Reasoning questions is to understand what the question is asking. All question of Critical Reasoning are from the following:

• Assumptions – Something that is taken for granted in the argument.
• Conclusions – What logically follows from the statement.
• Strengthening/Weakening Arguments – Does the new information support or contradict the argument?
• Cause and Effect – Determining the cause behind an event.
• Inference – Drawing logical conclusions from the information provided.

Example:

Statement: "Many people have started using online payment apps because they are fast and convenient."
Question: Which of the following, if true, strengthens this argument?

A) Banks are offering extra cashback for online payments.
B) Internet connectivity is poor in rural areas.
C) People still prefer cash for high-value transactions.

Answer: A strengthens the argument because it provides an additional reason why people would prefer online payments.

2. Identify the premise and conclusion

While solving the Critical Reasoning questions, candidates must identify the premises and a conclusion in the question. Identifying them correctly helps in answering any type of CR question.

Example:

Argument: "Rising pollution levels in cities have increased respiratory diseases. Therefore, the government should ban vehicles older than 10 years."

Premise: Rising pollution levels have increased respiratory diseases.

Conclusion: The government should ban vehicles older than 10 years.

When you know the premise or facts and conclusion, you can better judge whether the option supports or weakens the conclusion.

3. Focus on keywords and modifiers

Critical Reasoning questions often use words like all, some, must, may, only, none. These can change the entire meaning of the argument.

Example:

Statement: "All large companies provide health insurance to their employees."
Question: Which of the following weakens the statement?

A) Some small companies also provide health insurance.
B) One large company does not provide health insurance to its employees.

Answer: B weakens the argument because it contradicts "All large companies".

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4. Avoid personal opinions

Your answers must be based only on the information given in the question. Adding your own opinion or external knowledge can lead to wrong or contradict the answers.

Example:

Statement: "The city plans to build more metro lines to reduce traffic congestion."
Question: Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the plan?

A) People in the city enjoy driving their cars.
B) The cost of building metro lines is extremely high and may halt the project midway.

Answer: B weakens the plan using only the given context. A might be true in real life, but it's not strong enough based on the given argument.

5. Search for logical gaps

Many arguments contain gaps between the premise and the conclusion. Spotting these gaps helps you identify assumptions and evaluate the argument better.

Example:

Argument: "The company's sales increased after they launched a new ad campaign. Therefore, the ad campaign was responsible for the increase in sales."

Logical Gap: There might be other reasons for the increase, like a festival season or a competitor shutting down.

Question: Which of the following, if true, weakens the conclusion?

A) The overall market demand increased during that period.
B) The company increased its product prices during that period.

Answer: A weakens the conclusion by showing there was another possible reason (market demand) for the increased sales.

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6. Use elimination technique

If you are not sure about the answer, eliminate options that are clearly irrelevant, too extreme, or do not address the argument directly.

Example:

Statement: "Increasing taxes on sugary drinks will reduce obesity rates."
Question: Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

A) People can switch to other high-calorie foods even if they stop buying sugary drinks.
B) Sugary drink companies will protest against the tax.
C) The government will earn more revenue from the tax.

Answer: A weakens the argument directly, while B and C do not address the effectiveness of reducing obesity.

7. Recognize question pattern

Practicing more RBI Grade B Phase 1 Critical Reasoning questions will help you identify a specific pattern in every question such as causal arguments, assumptions, and generalizations. Recognizing these patterns helps you answer quickly in the exam.

Example:

Argument: "Whenever it rains, traffic jams occur. Therefore, installing better drainage systems will eliminate traffic jams."

Pattern: This is a cause-effect argument (rain → traffic jams).

Question: Which of the following, if true, weakens the conclusion?

A) Poor traffic management is the main cause of jams, not rainwater.
B) Drainage systems are expensive to build.

Answer: A weakens the conclusion because it attacks the cause-effect assumption directly.

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Practice questions for RBI Grade B Critical Reasoning

Practicing questions is the best way to apply the concepts you have learned. Below are some sample Critical Reasoning questions with detailed solutions to help you understand how to approach them effectively.

Question 1: Assumptions

Statement: "The government has decided to increase the tax on sugary drinks to reduce obesity rates."

Question: Which of the following is an assumption made in the argument?

A) People consume sugary drinks because they are cheap.
B) Higher taxes will lead to reduced consumption of sugary drinks.
C) Obesity is caused only by sugary drinks.

Answer: B
Explanation: The argument assumes that taxing sugary drinks will reduce their consumption, which will help reduce obesity rates. Option A might be true but is not directly assumed, and C is too extreme.

Question 2: Strengthen the Argument

Statement: "Many cities are installing bike lanes to encourage people to cycle to work."

Question: Which of the following, if true, strengthens the argument?

A) Cycling is cheaper than driving.
B) Cities with bike lanes have seen an increase in the number of people cycling to work.
C) Some people prefer walking to work.

Answer: B
Explanation: Option B directly supports the idea that installing bike lanes will encourage cycling. Option A is a general benefit but does not prove the argument, and C is irrelevant.

Question 3: Weakening the Argument

Statement: "The company plans to hire more sales staff to increase its revenue."

Question: Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the plan?

A) The company's main product is facing reduced demand in the market.
B) Competitors are also hiring more sales staff.
C) The company has launched a new advertising campaign.

Answer: A
Explanation: If demand itself is decreasing, hiring more sales staff may not increase revenue. Option B is neutral, and C could even strengthen the plan.

Question 4: Cause and Effect

Statement: "There has been a significant drop in road accidents since the city installed more traffic cameras."

Question: Which of the following best explains the above statement?

A) Drivers became more cautious to avoid fines.
B) The government earned high revenue from traffic fines.
C) The traffic police force was reduced after installing cameras.

Answer: A
Explanation: The cause (installation of cameras) led to the effect (drop in accidents) because drivers became cautious. B and C are side effects, not explanations.

Question 5: Inference

Statement: "Many schools that introduced coding as a subject have reported improved problem-solving skills among students."

Question: Which of the following can be inferred from the statement?

A) Coding is the only subject that improves problem-solving skills.
B) Introducing coding may have a positive effect on students' cognitive abilities.
C) All schools should make coding compulsory.

Answer: B
Explanation: The statement suggests a possible positive effect of coding on problem-solving, but it does not claim exclusivity (A) or recommend a policy for all schools (C).

Question 6: Evaluate the Argument

Statement: "The city plans to ban private vehicles in the downtown area to reduce air pollution."

Question: Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the plan's effectiveness?

A) How much pollution in the downtown area is caused by private vehicles?
B) How many private vehicles are registered in the entire city?
C) Whether other cities have banned private vehicles before.

Answer: A
Explanation: To evaluate the plan's effectiveness, we need to know if private vehicles are a major source of pollution in the downtown area. Options B and C provide additional information but don't directly assess effectiveness.

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Daily Practice Schedule

We have provided a daily timeline which can be followed to practice RBI Grade B Phase 1 Critical Reasoning questions and master this section:

Extra Tip: Dedicate Sundays to a full-length reasoning RBI Grade B Mock Test and detailed analysis.