Skip to learning
Practice

IBPS ENGLISH · Reading comprehension

Read for meaning. Answer with evidence.

Find the main idea, separate evidence from assumptions, and choose the answer the passage actually supports.

Learn the method ↓Choose a practice set

3 worked examples · 3 practice sets · 24 original questions

BUILD A REPEATABLE METHOD

Four steps to a better answer.

Map the passage

Read once for the topic, the writer’s purpose and changes signalled by words such as however. Do not try to memorise every number.

Locate the evidence

Identify what the question asks: a detail, inference, purpose, tone or vocabulary meaning. Return to the relevant sentence and its neighbours.

Compare every option

Reject answers that contradict the passage, add unsupported facts, or turn a limited claim into an absolute one.

Explain your choice

Finish this sentence: “This option follows because the passage says…” For an inference, explain the link between the evidence and the conclusion.

SEE THE THINKING

Three worked examples.

A result is not a guarantee

After the centre added an evening class, attendance rose for four weeks. The report did not identify the reasons for the increase.

Can we conclude that the evening class caused the rise?

No. The passage reports that one event followed another; it does not establish the cause.

“Attendance rose after the change” is supported. “The change alone caused the rise” adds a claim that the evidence does not establish.

Read words in their setting

The organisers retained the paper form so that people without internet access could still apply.

What does retained mean here?

Kept or continued to use.

The purpose clause explains why the form remained available. Retained does not mean replaced, destroyed or redesigned in this sentence.

Who did the survey reach?

An online survey received 80 replies from people who had used a new booking service. Most respondents said it was easy to use.

Does this show that everyone in the town found the service easy?

No. The result describes the respondents, not every resident.

People who never used the service were not included, and some users may not have replied. Report the finding at the level supported: most of these respondents found it easy.

Common mistakes to avoid
Outside knowledge

An answer may be true in the real world and still be unsupported by this passage.

Strong words

Check all, only, always and never carefully. Strong wording needs equally strong evidence; it is not automatically wrong.

Tone labels

Choose a label based on language and purpose, not whether you personally like the proposal.

Inference versus guess

An inference follows from evidence. A guess merely describes something that could happen.

PUT THE METHOD TO WORK

Three sets. Twenty-four questions.

Choose a set below. Work through eight questions at a time, then review the explanations before moving to another set.

Untimed learning practice, not an official paper or full mock exam. One point per correct answer; no negative marking here. Show answer earns no point. Your score lasts for this page visit and does not predict an exam result.

Read the full questions below and expand each answer explanation. The interactive version needs JavaScript.

All 24 questions & answer explanations

Set 1 · Repair club

Read the original passage, then answer from its evidence. Keep the limits of the survey and the distinction between completed repairs and learning in mind.

Practice passage

A town library tested a repair club in which volunteers helped residents mend small household items. The aim was to teach basic repair skills and reduce the number of items thrown away. During the three-month trial, visitors brought 120 items, and 72 were repaired. Some of the remaining items needed parts that were unavailable, while others were considered unsafe to repair. Volunteers explained each repair to the owner rather than simply doing the work out of sight. In a survey, many visitors said they felt more confident about attempting simple repairs at home. However, the survey included only people who attended the club, so it could not show whether repair habits had changed across the town. The library planned to continue the club once a month and record which types of item were hardest to repair. It did not plan to charge a fee, although donations of suitable tools were welcome. The coordinator argued that learning from an unsuccessful repair could still be useful, provided visitors understood why the item could not safely be fixed.

  1. Which statement best summarises the passage?

    1. A repair club achieved some repairs and learning benefits, while recognising limits and planning further activity.
    2. A library proved that every household in town repaired more items.
    3. A repair club decided to replace all of its volunteers.
    4. A library charged residents to buy new household goods.
    5. A survey proved that unsuccessful repairs have no value.
    Set 1 · Answer 1 & explanation

    A. A repair club achieved some repairs and learning benefits, while recognising limits and planning further activity.

    The passage describes the club’s purpose, repairs, reported confidence, limits of the survey and plans to continue. The other options introduce claims that contradict the passage or are not mentioned.

  2. How many of the 120 items were repaired during the trial?

    1. 48
    2. 120
    3. 72
    4. Three
    5. All except unsafe items
    Set 1 · Answer 2 & explanation

    C. 72

    The passage states that 72 items were repaired. Subtracting 72 from 120 gives the 48 not repaired, so 48 answers a different question. It does not provide a separate count for unsafe items.

  3. Why could the survey not establish a change in repair habits across the town?

    1. The club charged too much.
    2. The volunteers refused to explain repairs.
    3. No one answered any questions.
    4. It included only people who attended the club.
    5. It was completed before the club opened.
    Set 1 · Answer 3 & explanation

    D. It included only people who attended the club.

    Only attendees were surveyed. Their responses do not establish what happened among all town residents. The passage does not say there were no responses or that the survey took place before the trial.

  4. Which statement is directly supported by the passage?

    1. Every unsuccessful repair lacked a spare part.
    2. Some items were considered unsafe to repair.
    3. All visitors repaired items at home after attending.
    4. The library stopped accepting tool donations.
    5. The club was open every day.
    Set 1 · Answer 4 & explanation

    B. Some items were considered unsafe to repair.

    The passage explicitly states that some items were considered unsafe. Other unsuccessful repairs involved unavailable parts, so not all had the same cause. Increased confidence is not proof that everyone later repaired something.

  5. Why did volunteers explain repairs to owners?

    1. To prevent owners from attending again.
    2. To justify an entry fee.
    3. To persuade owners to discard all damaged items.
    4. To replace the survey with a written test.
    5. To help owners learn rather than merely receive a repaired item.
    Set 1 · Answer 5 & explanation

    E. To help owners learn rather than merely receive a repaired item.

    Teaching repair skills is a stated aim, and explaining the process supports that aim. The passage contrasts explaining the work with doing it out of sight. No entry fee or written test is described.

  6. In “provided visitors understood why”, provided most nearly means:

    1. on condition that
    2. gave something to
    3. even though
    4. as soon as
    5. because of
    Set 1 · Answer 6 & explanation

    A. on condition that

    Here provided introduces a condition: an unsuccessful repair can still teach something if visitors understand the reason it cannot safely be completed. It is not the past tense meaning “supplied”.

  7. Which description best fits the passage’s overall tone?

    1. Angry about every volunteer
    2. Certain that all problems are solved
    3. Informative and cautiously positive
    4. Mocking residents who need help
    5. Entirely opposed to repair clubs
    Set 1 · Answer 7 & explanation

    C. Informative and cautiously positive

    The passage reports benefits while explaining the survey’s limitations and unsuccessful repairs. That balance supports an informative, cautiously positive tone rather than anger, mockery or certainty that every problem is solved.

  8. What will the library record when the club continues?

    1. The names of every resident in town
    2. The price of a compulsory membership
    3. How many visitors own a car
    4. Which types of item are hardest to repair
    5. Which volunteers should replace the library staff
    Set 1 · Answer 8 & explanation

    D. Which types of item are hardest to repair

    The continuation plan explicitly includes recording which types of item are hardest to repair. The other records are not mentioned. Use the stated plan rather than a plausible but invented administrative task.

Set 2 · Appointment pilot

Read the whole appointment-pilot passage. Distinguish observed changes from proven causes, and separate survey responses from claims about every visitor.

Practice passage

A local council tested an appointment system at one service desk for six weeks. Visitors could book a time online or by telephone, while a smaller number of places remained available for people arriving without a booking. The aim was to make waiting times more predictable, not to increase the number of cases handled each day. During the trial, the average wait fell from 35 minutes to 20 minutes. However, an additional experienced employee also worked at the desk, so the council could not attribute the entire fall to the booking system alone. A short survey was offered to visitors as they left. Of the 90 people who chose to respond, 68 preferred having the option to book. Several respondents asked for clearer signs explaining where unbooked visitors should wait. Staff also noticed that some appointment slots went unused when visitors did not attend. The council proposed sending reminders, but that change had not yet been tested. The next trial would keep the appointment system while returning staffing to its usual level. The council would compare waiting times and record unused slots. It would retain telephone booking and some unbooked places so that online access was not the only route to the service.

  1. Which statement best summarises the passage?

    1. A council proved that every service should accept online bookings only.
    2. A council tested appointments, observed promising results with limitations, and planned further testing.
    3. A council permanently closed its telephone service.
    4. A survey showed that all visitors attended their booked appointments.
    5. The trial aimed to double the number of cases handled.
    Set 2 · Answer 1 & explanation

    B. A council tested appointments, observed promising results with limitations, and planned further testing.

    The passage describes the appointment trial, shorter waits, an alternative explanation involving staffing, survey limits and a follow-up trial. It does not establish that online-only access is suitable or that all visitors attended.

  2. By how many minutes did the average wait fall during the trial?

    1. 15 minutes
    2. 20 minutes
    3. 35 minutes
    4. 55 minutes
    5. The passage gives no waiting times.
    Set 2 · Answer 2 & explanation

    A. 15 minutes

    The average fell from 35 to 20 minutes: 35 − 20 = 15. Twenty minutes is the new average, not the size of the reduction.

  3. Why could the council not attribute the entire reduction to the booking system?

    1. The desk stopped accepting all visitors.
    2. The trial had no staff at all.
    3. The council did not measure waiting times.
    4. An additional experienced employee also worked at the desk.
    5. Telephone booking was unavailable.
    Set 2 · Answer 3 & explanation

    D. An additional experienced employee also worked at the desk.

    Staffing changed at the same time as the booking system. The extra employee could have contributed to shorter waits, so the passage does not isolate the booking system as the sole cause.

  4. Which statement accurately reports the survey?

    1. All council residents preferred booking.
    2. All 90 respondents preferred booking.
    3. Of 90 people who chose to respond, 68 preferred the option to book.
    4. Only visitors who disliked booking were surveyed.
    5. The survey proved that reminders would work.
    Set 2 · Answer 4 & explanation

    C. Of 90 people who chose to respond, 68 preferred the option to book.

    The figures describe the 90 respondents: 68 preferred having the booking option. They cannot be extended to all residents or all visitors, and the reminders had not been tested.

  5. Which proposed change had not yet been tested?

    1. Telephone booking
    2. Allowing some visitors without bookings
    3. The appointment system itself
    4. Having an extra employee at the desk
    5. Sending appointment reminders
    Set 2 · Answer 5 & explanation

    E. Sending appointment reminders

    The passage explicitly says that reminders were proposed but had not yet been tested. The appointment system, telephone bookings, unbooked places and extra staffing were part of the completed trial.

  6. In “It would retain telephone booking”, retain most nearly means:

    1. replace completely
    2. keep available
    3. charge extra for
    4. advertise as compulsory
    5. reduce to zero
    Set 2 · Answer 6 & explanation

    B. keep available

    Retain means keep or continue to provide. The next sentence explains the access reason: online access should not be the only route. Nothing here says telephone booking would become compulsory or attract a fee.

  7. What would the next trial help the council examine?

    1. Whether the appointment system still performs well with the usual staffing level
    2. Whether every respondent owns a telephone
    3. Whether all unused slots were caused by unclear signs
    4. Whether the council should stop measuring waiting times
    5. Whether visitors prefer a desk that is permanently closed
    Set 2 · Answer 7 & explanation

    A. Whether the appointment system still performs well with the usual staffing level

    The next trial keeps appointments but restores usual staffing, then measures waits and unused slots. This helps examine performance without the additional employee; it does not guarantee a particular outcome.

  8. What is the purpose of retaining telephone booking and some unbooked places?

    1. To prevent anyone from booking online
    2. To ensure that appointments never go unused
    3. To remove the need for signs
    4. To provide routes for people who cannot or do not book online
    5. To prove that online booking caused every improvement
    Set 2 · Answer 8 & explanation

    D. To provide routes for people who cannot or do not book online

    The passage says these routes are retained so that online access is not the only way to use the service. That is an access measure, not proof about the cause of shorter waits or a guarantee of full attendance.

Set 3 · Beyond the planting count

Read this original fictional practice passage. Distinguish activity counts from outcomes, check what the figures establish, and avoid treating an observation as proof of a cause.

Practice passage

A town planted 180 young trees along streets and in public spaces. Its first announcement highlighted the number planted, but a review one year later asked a different question: how many were still alive? The review found that 150 had survived. The report argued that planting counts showed how much activity had taken place, whereas survival checks gave useful evidence about an early outcome. Neither measure, by itself, showed how much shade the trees would eventually provide. Survival differed between locations. Trees beside a busy market had fared less well than those in a nearby park. Inspectors recorded compacted soil at the market and gaps in its watering records. The report did not claim that either factor alone explained every loss. Instead, it recommended examining the conditions at each site before choosing replacements. Replanting the same kind of tree in the same conditions, without investigating the problem, might repeat the earlier failure. Some residents wanted the next budget to support a larger planting event. The report supported further planting, but also recommended reliable care for existing young trees. It proposed publishing survival checks after each summer and recording growth over several years. Volunteers could help with agreed care tasks, while trained staff would assess site conditions and select suitable replacements. The report concluded that a visible launch could attract support, but that the less visible work afterwards was essential. It asked the town to judge progress by both planting and longer-term results, rather than treating a large initial count as sufficient evidence of success.

  1. Which statement best expresses the passage’s main idea?

    1. Tree-planting events should always be cancelled.
    2. Planting numbers should be considered alongside survival, care and longer-term outcomes.
    3. A planting count proves how much shade will exist in ten years.
    4. Volunteers should replace all trained staff.
    5. Every tree beside the market died.
    Set 3 · Answer 1 & explanation

    B. Planting numbers should be considered alongside survival, care and longer-term outcomes.

    The passage supports planting but argues for checking survival and later results as well. It does not reject planting, predict a precise shade outcome or say every market tree died.

  2. How many of the original 180 trees had not survived at the one-year review?

    1. 150
    2. 180
    3. 330
    4. 30
    5. The passage does not allow this to be calculated.
    Set 3 · Answer 2 & explanation

    D. 30

    Subtract the 150 survivors from the original 180 trees: 180 − 150 = 30. This is a count of trees that had not survived, not a percentage or the number of survivors.

  3. What could neither the planting count nor the one-year survival count show by itself?

    1. How much shade the trees would eventually provide
    2. How many trees were initially planted
    3. How many trees were alive at the review
    4. That the report recommended further checks
    5. That a review took place
    Set 3 · Answer 3 & explanation

    A. How much shade the trees would eventually provide

    The passage explicitly says neither count alone shows the eventual shade provided. Planting and one-year survival measure different things from the future size and coverage of tree canopies.

  4. What does the report establish about losses near the market?

    1. Compacted soil was proved to be the sole cause of every loss.
    2. Missing watering records proved that no tree was ever watered.
    3. Inspectors noted possible contributing conditions, without identifying one sole explanation for every loss.
    4. All locations had identical conditions.
    5. The park had a lower survival rate than the market.
    Set 3 · Answer 4 & explanation

    C. Inspectors noted possible contributing conditions, without identifying one sole explanation for every loss.

    Inspectors recorded compacted soil and gaps in watering records, but the report expressly avoids claiming that either alone explains every loss. Missing records are not, by themselves, proof that no watering occurred.

  5. Why did the report recommend examining each site before choosing replacements?

    1. To delay every replacement indefinitely
    2. To avoid publishing any further information
    3. To prove that all tree species behave identically
    4. To replace the review with another announcement
    5. To reduce the risk of repeating a failure caused by unsuitable conditions
    Set 3 · Answer 5 & explanation

    E. To reduce the risk of repeating a failure caused by unsuitable conditions

    The report warns that replacing trees without investigating the site may repeat the earlier failure. The purpose is to inform the replacement decision, not to postpone all planting or assume all trees have the same needs.

  6. In “the trees … had fared less well”, fared most nearly means:

    1. were advertised
    2. performed or managed under the conditions
    3. were transported to another town
    4. were counted twice
    5. were guaranteed to survive
    Set 3 · Answer 6 & explanation

    B. performed or managed under the conditions

    Fared describes how the trees did or what happened to them in those circumstances. Here it introduces the comparison in survival between the market and park; it does not refer to transport or publicity.

  7. Which division of responsibilities matches the proposed plan?

    1. Volunteers would select every replacement without advice.
    2. Only volunteers would assess site conditions.
    3. Trained staff would stop monitoring the trees.
    4. Volunteers could help with agreed care tasks, while trained staff would assess sites and select replacements.
    5. Residents would be required to pay a separate fee for each review.
    Set 3 · Answer 7 & explanation

    D. Volunteers could help with agreed care tasks, while trained staff would assess sites and select replacements.

    That division is stated in the third paragraph. The passage does not propose a fee or give volunteers sole responsibility for assessing sites and selecting replacements.

  8. Which description best captures the report’s attitude towards further planting?

    1. Supportive, provided it is accompanied by care and meaningful checks
    2. Completely opposed, regardless of the circumstances
    3. Certain that larger launch events guarantee survival
    4. Indifferent to whether the trees survive
    5. Interested only in publicity figures
    Set 3 · Answer 8 & explanation

    A. Supportive, provided it is accompanied by care and meaningful checks

    The report supports further planting while stressing care and outcome checks. Its position is qualified support, not opposition or a guarantee that large events will succeed.

MAKE THE LEARNING STICK

Review before moving on.

  1. Locate the evidence for each answer you missed.
  2. Label the error: missed detail, unsupported inference, vocabulary or overstatement.
  3. Summarise the passage in one sentence without adding a fact.

Use the IBPS exam routes and official sources for the current pattern, timings and marking rules. These lessons develop shared English skills; question types and requirements differ by exam and stage.

KEEP BUILDING YOUR SKILLS

Choose your next lesson.