Hi I would like to have the sample question paper for the Probationary Officers recruitment examination conducted by IBPS?

The sample question paper for the Probationary Officers recruitment examination conducted by IBPS is as given below.

English Language

Q. (1–15): Read the following passage carefully and the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

China’s rising power is based on its remarkable economic success. Shanghai’s overall economy is currently growing at around 13%per year, thus doubling in size every five or six years. Everywhere there are start-ups, innovations, and young entrepreneurs hungry for profits. In a series of high level meetings between Chinese and African officials, the advice that the African leaders received from the Chinese was sound, and more practical than they typically get from the World Bank. Chinese officials stress the crucial role of public investments, especially in agriculture and infrastructure, to lay the basis for private sector-led growth. In a hungry and poor rural economy, as China was in the 1970s and as most of Africa is today, a key starting point is to raise farm productivity. Farmers need the benefits of fertilizer, irrigation and high-yield seeds, all of which were a core part of China’s economical takeoff. Two other equally critical investments are also needed: roads and electricity, without which there cannot be a modern economy. Farmers might be able to increase their output, but it wont be able to reach the cities, and the cities won’t be able to provide the countryside with inputs. The government has taken pains to ensure that the electricity grids and transportation networks reach every village in China. China is prepared to help Africa in substantial ways in agriculture, roads, power, health and education. And that is not an empty boast. Chinese leaders are prepared to share new high-yield rice varieties, with their African counterparts and, all over Africa, China is financing and, constructing basic infrastructure. This illustrates what is wrong with the World Bank. The World Bank has often forgotten the most basic lessons of development, preferring to lecture the poor and force them to privatize basic infrastructure, which is untenable, rather than to help the poor to invest in infrastructure and other crucial sectors. The
Bank’s failure began in the early 1980s when under the ideological sway of then American President and British Prime Minister it tried to get Africa and other poor
regions to cut back or close down government investments and services. For 25 years, the bank tried to get governments out of agriculture, leaving impoverished peasants to fend for themselves. The result hits been a disaster in Africa, with farm productivity stagnant for decades. The bank also pushed for privatization of national health systems, water utilities, and road and power networks, and has grossly under financed these critical sectors. This extreme free-market ideology,
also called “structural adjustment”, went against the practical lessons of development successes in, China and the rest or Asia. Practical development strategy
recognizes that public investments—in agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure—are necessary complements to private investments. The World Bank has instead wrongly seen such vital public investments as an enemy of private sector development. Whenever the bank’s ideology failed, it has blamed the poor for corruption, mismanagement, or lack of initiative. Instead of focusing its attention on helping the poorest countries to improve their infrastructure, there has been a crusade against corruption. The good news is that African governments are getting the message on how to spur economic growth and are getting crucial help from China and other partners that are less wedded to extreme free-market ideology than the World Bank. They have declared their intention to invest in infrastructure, agriculture
modernization, public health and education. It is clear the Bank can regain its relevance only if it becomes practical once again, by returning its focus to financing
public investments in priority sectors. If that happens, the Bank can still do justice to the bold vision of a world of shared prosperity that prompted its creation afterWorld War II.

Q.1. The author’s main objective in writing the passage is to
(1) make a case for the closure of the World Bank since it promotes US interests over those of other countries.
(2) illustrate how China can play a more concrete role in Africa.
(3) criticize the World Bank for playing a crucial role in China’s development but neglecting Africa.
(4) recommend that China adopt the guidelines of the World Bank to sustain growth.
(5) use China’s success as an example of the changes required in World Bank ideology.

Q.2. What advice have African leaders received from their Chinese counterparts?
(A) Focus primarily on innovation, start-ups and urban development.
(B) To ensure all citizens benefit from economic development, investment in crucial sectors should come from the government, not the private sector.
(C) Improve agricultural output through government investment to stimulate economic growth.
(1) None
(2) Only (C)
(3) Only (B)
(4) Both (A) & (B)
(5) None of these

Q.3. What effect has the World Bank policy had on African nations?
(1) The African government has restricted private sector investment in agriculture.
(2) Africa has focused more on health and education rather than on agriculture.
(3) The agriculture sector in these countries is not as productive as it could be.
(4) US and Britain have volunteered substantial aid to Africa as Africa has complied with World Bank ideology.
(5) None of these

Q.4. What is the difference in the Chinese and World Bank approach to development?
(1) Unlike the World Bank, China favors the public sector and restricts private sector participation in crucial sectors.
(2) Contrary to China’s strategy of dependence on the private sector, the World Bank pressurizes governments to take the lead in investing in agriculture.
(3) While the World Bank has focused on agriculture, China’s priority has been rooting out corruption so that investment in infrastructure is utilized appropriately.
(4) The Chinese government has retained control over essential services like transport while the World Bank favorsprivate sector involvement.
(5) None of these

Q.5. What is China’s view in the development of the transportation and power networks?
(1) Development in these sectors is not as important as investing in agriculture.
(2) Resources need to be diverted from the rural to the urban areas to meet the needs of the growing population in cities.
(3) The government should be solely responsible for developing these services so all citizens have access to them.
(4) It is more important to develop and maintain transportation networks and power grids in rural areas.
(5) None of these
Q.6. Which of the following cannot be said about structural adjustment?
(1) It is the World Bank’s free market
ideology adapted by Asian countries.
(2) Under this strategy public sector investment in priority sectors is discouraged.
(3) As a development strategy it has failed in Africa.
(4) With this strategy there has been a lack of adequate investment in critical sectors.
(5) It is an ideology advocated by the World Bank which needs to be modified to facilitate economic growth.

Q.7. Which of the following is NOT true in the context of the passage?
(A) China’s involvement in Africa so far has been restricted to
advising its leaders.
(B) The World Bank was created by the US and Britain for the sole purpose of furthering their interests.
(C) China’s economy was once in the same state as many African countries are today.
(1) None
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (A)
(4) Both (A) & (B)
(5) None of these

Q.8. What has/have been the outcome/s of Shanghai’s economy prospering?
(A) The World Bank has changed its development strategy.
(B) China’s importance globally has been enhanced.
(C) Rural areas are being neglected to promote development of cities.
(1) Only (B)
(2) Both (A) & (B)
(3) Both (B) & (C)
(4) All (A), (B) & (C)
(5) None of these

Q.9. Why is the author optimistic about Africa’s future?
(1) The World Bank has committed itself to invest huge sums in Africa’s development.
(2) Africa has decided to adopt a structural adjustment ideology which has benefited many nations.
(3) Africa has committed itself to adopting China’s strategy for economic growth.
(4) China has urged the World Bank to wa
ive the interest on its loans to Africa.
(5) None of these

Q.10. What advice has the author given the World Bank?
(1) Support China’s involvement in developing Africa
(2) Reduce the influence of the US and Britain in its functioning
(3) Adopt a more practical ideology of structural adjustment
(4) Change its ideology to one encouraging both public and private sector investment in basic infrastructure
(5) Focus on fighting corruption rather than interfering in the governance of developing countries

Q.(11–13): Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in
bold as
used in the passage.

Q. 11. sway
(1) fluctuate
(2) influence
(3) govern
(4) dependence
(5) unsteady

Q.12. core
(1) centre
(2) heart
(3) adequate
(4) intermediate
(5) essential

Q. 13. stress
(1) highlight
(2) strain
(3) taxing
(4) tension
(5) emphasis

Q.(14–15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as
usedin the passage.

Q.14. untenable
(1) viable
(2) unsound
(3) consistent
(4) superior
(5) attractive

Q.15. empty
(1) foil
(2) objective
(3)meaningful
(4) occupied
(5) intelligent

Q.(16 –20): Which of the phrases 1), 2), 3) and 4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentences to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and there is no correction required, mark 5, ie ‘No correction required’ as the answer.

Q.16. The minimum age criterion shall be less to sixty years to allow more senior citizens to avail of the benefits of the scheme.
(1) should be lowered
(2) should be lower
(3) being lesser
(4) must be lessen
(5) No correction required

Q.17. The latest study by Nasscom indicates possibly short of five lakh qualified engineers in the IT industry.
(1) the possible shortage off
(2) possibly short by
(3) possibility of shortage
(4) a possible shortage of
(5) No correction required

Q. 18.
China has to be prepared to meet many age-related social and financial challenges in the coming years.
(1) is been preparing
(2) was prepared
(3) have been prepared
(4) has preparations
(5) No correction required

Q.19. It is necessary to ascertain that we can do to attract investment to the manufacturing sector.
(1) how we can do
(2) what we can do
(3) more can be done
(4) that has been done
(5) No correction required

Q.20. Despite all my efforts I could not prevail him to attend next week’s conference.
(1) was unable to prevail
(2) Cannot prevail for
(3) Could not prevail on
(4) Am not able to prevail with
(5) No correction required