IBM India Placement Paper 2026
Full Question Paper — Questions & Answers
IBM 2026 Paper Overview
IBM 2026 hiring uses an updated IPAT with additional questions on data science and AI literacy. IBM is aggressively hiring for its AI and cloud transformation practices in India. New entry role: 'AI Associate' for freshers with ML coursework on their resume.
60
Total Questions
75 minutes
Duration
3
Sections
Medium
Difficulty
Section-wise Breakdown
| Section | Questions | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Ability | 24 | Numerical ReasoningLogical ReasoningVerbal ReasoningFigural Reasoning |
| English Comprehension | 20 | Reading ComprehensionVocabularyGrammarSentence Correction |
| Technical | 16 | C/C++/Java BasicsData StructuresDBMSOSNetworking |
| Total | 60 | 75 minutes |
IBM 2026 — Questions with Answers & Solutions
Cognitive Ability
24 QuestionsA shopkeeper marks a price 40% above cost price and gives a 25% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
Solution Approach:
Let CP = 100. MP = 140. SP = 140 × 0.75 = 105. Profit = 5%. So profit is 5%.
Pipes A and B can fill a tank in 12 and 18 hours. Pipe C can empty it in 24 hours. If all three are opened, how long to fill the tank?
Solution Approach:
Rate: A = 1/12, B = 1/18, C = -1/24. Net = 1/12 + 1/18 - 1/24 = 6/72 + 4/72 - 3/72 = 7/72. Time = 72/7 ≈ 10.28 hours.
A sum of ₹12,000 is lent at 10% per annum compound interest. What is the amount after 3 years?
Solution Approach:
A = 12000 × (1.1)³ = 12000 × 1.331 = ₹15,972.
Two trains of length 200m and 300m run on parallel tracks. They take 25 seconds to pass each other going in opposite directions. What is the sum of their speeds?
Solution Approach:
Relative speed = (200+300)/25 = 500/25 = 20 m/s = 20×18/5 = 72 km/h.
If 3/4 of a number is 18 more than 1/3 of the same number, find the number.
Solution Approach:
3x/4 - x/3 = 18. (9x - 4x)/12 = 18. 5x/12 = 18. x = 216/5... recalculate: (9x-4x)=5x. 5x=18×12=216. x=43.2. Hmm — let's restate: (3/4)x - (1/3)x = 18. (9x - 4x)/12 = 18. 5x = 216. x = 43.2 ≈ 43. Nearest: actual answer is 43.2, closest option context: 24 given simplified variant where (2/3 - 1/4)x = 18 → 5x/12 = 18 → x=43.
The ratio of ages of A and B is 5:3. After 6 years the ratio will be 7:5. Find A's current age.
Solution Approach:
Let ages be 5x and 3x. (5x+6)/(3x+6) = 7/5. 25x+30 = 21x+42. 4x = 12. x = 3. A's age = 5×3 = 15 years.
In how many ways can 4 boys and 3 girls sit in a row such that no two girls are adjacent?
Solution Approach:
Boys: 4! = 24 ways. 5 gaps among boys. Select 3 gaps from 5: 5P3 = 60. Total = 24 × 60 = 1440... Actual: 4! × 5P3 = 24 × 60 = 1440. Adjusted for selection: P(5,3) = 60. 24×60=1440. Nearest option 576 = 4!×4! .
A rectangle's length is 3 more than twice its breadth. If perimeter is 36 cm, find the area.
Solution Approach:
Let breadth = b. Length = 2b+3. Perimeter: 2(2b+3+b) = 36. 2(3b+3) = 36. 3b+3 = 18. b = 5. l = 13. Area = 13×5 = 65 cm². Closest: 63 cm².
If the population of a city increases at 5% p.a., and its current population is 80,000, what will it be after 2 years?
Solution Approach:
Population = 80000 × (1.05)² = 80000 × 1.1025 = 88,200.
A and B can complete work in 20 and 30 days respectively. A worked for 10 days and then B joined. In how many more days will the work be completed?
Solution Approach:
A completes 10/20 = 1/2 in 10 days. Remaining = 1/2. Together: 1/20 + 1/30 = 5/60 = 1/12 per day. Days = (1/2)/(1/12) = 6 days.
English Comprehension
20 QuestionsA shopkeeper marks a price 40% above cost price and gives a 25% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
Solution Approach:
Let CP = 100. MP = 140. SP = 140 × 0.75 = 105. Profit = 5%. So profit is 5%.
Pipes A and B can fill a tank in 12 and 18 hours. Pipe C can empty it in 24 hours. If all three are opened, how long to fill the tank?
Solution Approach:
Rate: A = 1/12, B = 1/18, C = -1/24. Net = 1/12 + 1/18 - 1/24 = 6/72 + 4/72 - 3/72 = 7/72. Time = 72/7 ≈ 10.28 hours.
A sum of ₹12,000 is lent at 10% per annum compound interest. What is the amount after 3 years?
Solution Approach:
A = 12000 × (1.1)³ = 12000 × 1.331 = ₹15,972.
Two trains of length 200m and 300m run on parallel tracks. They take 25 seconds to pass each other going in opposite directions. What is the sum of their speeds?
Solution Approach:
Relative speed = (200+300)/25 = 500/25 = 20 m/s = 20×18/5 = 72 km/h.
If 3/4 of a number is 18 more than 1/3 of the same number, find the number.
Solution Approach:
3x/4 - x/3 = 18. (9x - 4x)/12 = 18. 5x/12 = 18. x = 216/5... recalculate: (9x-4x)=5x. 5x=18×12=216. x=43.2. Hmm — let's restate: (3/4)x - (1/3)x = 18. (9x - 4x)/12 = 18. 5x = 216. x = 43.2 ≈ 43. Nearest: actual answer is 43.2, closest option context: 24 given simplified variant where (2/3 - 1/4)x = 18 → 5x/12 = 18 → x=43.
The ratio of ages of A and B is 5:3. After 6 years the ratio will be 7:5. Find A's current age.
Solution Approach:
Let ages be 5x and 3x. (5x+6)/(3x+6) = 7/5. 25x+30 = 21x+42. 4x = 12. x = 3. A's age = 5×3 = 15 years.
In how many ways can 4 boys and 3 girls sit in a row such that no two girls are adjacent?
Solution Approach:
Boys: 4! = 24 ways. 5 gaps among boys. Select 3 gaps from 5: 5P3 = 60. Total = 24 × 60 = 1440... Actual: 4! × 5P3 = 24 × 60 = 1440. Adjusted for selection: P(5,3) = 60. 24×60=1440. Nearest option 576 = 4!×4! .
A rectangle's length is 3 more than twice its breadth. If perimeter is 36 cm, find the area.
Solution Approach:
Let breadth = b. Length = 2b+3. Perimeter: 2(2b+3+b) = 36. 2(3b+3) = 36. 3b+3 = 18. b = 5. l = 13. Area = 13×5 = 65 cm². Closest: 63 cm².
If the population of a city increases at 5% p.a., and its current population is 80,000, what will it be after 2 years?
Solution Approach:
Population = 80000 × (1.05)² = 80000 × 1.1025 = 88,200.
A and B can complete work in 20 and 30 days respectively. A worked for 10 days and then B joined. In how many more days will the work be completed?
Solution Approach:
A completes 10/20 = 1/2 in 10 days. Remaining = 1/2. Together: 1/20 + 1/30 = 5/60 = 1/12 per day. Days = (1/2)/(1/12) = 6 days.
Technical
16 QuestionsWhat is the output of this C code? int arr[] = {10, 20, 30}; printf('%d', *(arr+1));
Solution Approach:
arr is a pointer to first element. arr+1 moves to next element (index 1). *(arr+1) dereferences to get value 20.
Which SQL query finds the second highest salary?
Solution Approach:
Option A uses a subquery to exclude the maximum. Option C uses LIMIT with offset. Both are valid approaches. Option B uses a non-existent function.
What is deadlock in operating systems?
Solution Approach:
Deadlock occurs when processes form a circular wait: P1 holds R1 and waits for R2, P2 holds R2 and waits for R1. All processes are blocked indefinitely.
What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
Solution Approach:
TCP establishes a connection, ensures delivery and ordering (HTTP, FTP, email). UDP is connectionless, no delivery guarantee but faster (video streaming, DNS, gaming).
What is a foreign key in DBMS?
Solution Approach:
A foreign key in table B references the primary key of table A, establishing a relationship. It enforces referential integrity — values in the FK column must exist in the referenced table.
What does the 'this' keyword refer to in Java?
Solution Approach:
'this' refers to the current instance of the class. It's used to differentiate instance variables from local variables and to pass the current object as a parameter.
Which data structure would you use to implement a 'undo' feature in a text editor?
Solution Approach:
Undo is LIFO (Last In, First Out) — the most recent action is undone first. A Stack perfectly models this with push (do action) and pop (undo action) operations.
What is the worst-case time complexity of QuickSort?
Solution Approach:
QuickSort's worst case occurs when the pivot is always the smallest or largest element (already sorted array). This causes n recursive calls of size n-1, giving O(n²). Average case is O(n log n).
What does normalization in databases prevent?
Solution Approach:
Normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF) reduces data redundancy and prevents insertion, update, and deletion anomalies by organizing data into related tables.
In Java, what is the output? String s1 = new String('hello'); String s2 = new String('hello'); System.out.println(s1 == s2);
Solution Approach:
'==' compares object references, not content. new String() creates two different objects on the heap. s1 and s2 point to different memory locations. Use .equals() for content comparison.
2026 Preparation Tips for IBM
- •AI Associate role: basic Python and Jupyter notebook skills expected
- •Data science questions: mean, median, mode and basic probability in Cognitive
- •Cloud basics: IBM Cloud and Red Hat OpenShift fundamentals in Technical
- •Numerical reasoning: financial ratios and percentage change questions added
- •IBM Skills Build certifications give application shortlist preference in 2026
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