Tips and tricks to solve Inequality based questions in Reasoning

In the Reasoning section of Banking Examinations, there are some important topics like Seating arrangement, Coding decoding, Statement Conclusion, Machine Input, Decision making, Classification, Statements & assumptions and Inequalities. These questions have a good weightage in the banking exams which means you should definitely preapare for them.

Today we will discuss about Inequality based sections and some handy tips and tricks to solve them. In any banking exam, you can expect about 3 – 5 questions on inequality.  Though it is one of the easiest topics of the reasoning section, it can be difficult for you if you don’t know the basic rules.

So let us start step by step. The first thing is to know about what are these questions.

What are Inequality Based Questions?

In these questions, you will be provided with a statement consisting of a group of elements. These elements will be having a certain coded relationship among them which is denoted by different inequality symbols like >, <, = etc.

You should know the meaning of different symbols which will help you in finding the relationship between the different elements of a statement.

For the sake of convenience, the relationship between certain statements and their meaning is given below in a tabular form.

The table given above shows the six symbols on which the entire inequality is based. But in exam, you will find a statement that will have a relationship between more than 2 elements.

Let us take some patterns likely to be asked in the exam

If you understand the above rules, you will be able to attempt all the questions asked in the exam

Types of Questions asked in Inequality

Now a days, inequality based questions are provided in two types

• Direct Inequality in which direct symbols will be given in the statement.
• Coded Inequality in which coded symbols (like @, %, $ etc) will be given and they signify will be provided separately.

Both kinds of questions can be solved easily once you have gone through the above tables.

Example:

In the following question, the symbols (*, $, #, % and @) are used with the following meanings as illustrated below:

• ‘X%Y’ means ‘X’ is greater than ‘Y’.
• ‘X#Y’ means ‘X’ is smaller than ‘Y’.
• ‘X$Y’ means ‘X’ is either greater than or equal ‘Y’.
• ‘X*Y’ means ‘X’ is either smaller than or equal to ‘Y’.

‘X@Y’ means ‘X’ is equal to ‘Y’.

A) If only conclusion I is true.

B) If only conclusion II is true.

C) If either conclusion I or II is true.

D) If neither conclusion I nor II is true.

E) If both conclusions I and II are true

Statement: P * Q, Q#R, R*S

Conclusions:

I. P # S

II. Q*S

Answer: A

 Explanation:

P ≤ Q < R ≤ S.

Rence, P< S which implies Conclusion I is true.

As Q< S which implies conclusion II is not true

Tips and Tricks to solve Inequality based question:

You should keep in mind the priority order while solving these type questions

• Priority 1: < or >
• Priority 2: ≥ or ≤
• Priority 3: =

Trick 1: Whenever in a statement you get both the priority 1 in opposite order (A>B<C) there will be a conflict and thus no conclusion.

If A > B <C Then A < C = False & C > A = False.

But

If A > B >C then A > C = True, C < A = True

Example:

• Statement:  A < D > C < E > B
• Conclusions:

1) C > B   → False

2) A < E   → False

3) D > B   → False         

In simple way, whenever these two sign comes in opposite direction the answer will be false.

Trick 2: Whenever in a statement you get both the priority 2 in opposite order (A≥ B ≤C) there will be a conflict and thus no conclusion.

If A ≥ B ≤C Then A ≤ C = False & C   ≥ A = False.

But

If A ≥ B ≥ C then A ≥ C = True, C ≤ A = True.

Example:

• Statement: B ≥ D ≤ A ≥ F ≤ C
• Conclusions:

1) A ≥ C → False

2) B ≤ F → False

3) D ≥ C → False

Trick 3: When it occurs to you that the statement of order is opposite just change the sign in the alternate direction

If A > B > C > D < E < F

We can say that A > B > F = C < B < A

This was all about tips and tricks to solve Inequality based questions.So try the above tips and tricks on the Inequality based questions.

This article is written by Amit Chaudhary, education consultant at MockBank.com, a Bengaluru based online test Preparation Company for government/PSU jobs.