Barclays 2025 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
Barclays Placement Papers 2025
Overview
This page collects Barclays placement papers from 2025 with practice questions, worked solutions, and the exam pattern students reported that cycle. Use it when you want drive history: what the first round looked like, which topics repeated, and how to approach solutions. Work the sets below under a timer, then compare with newer material so your prep matches both established Barclays patterns and recent shifts.
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Barclays 2025 coding
DSA practice aligned to Barclays online assessments
Barclays interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
Barclays prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
Barclays Aptitude Mock Quiz
Timed placement-style MCQs with score and explanations after you submit. Use it to check speed and accuracy before the real test.
Questions15
Time10 min
Quantitative
Simplify the ratio 24:36:48.
Correct answer: 2:3:4
Reasoning
A walks 3 km north, then 4 km east. Distance from start is:
3-4-5 right triangle → 5 km.
Quantitative
The following table shows the sales of a company over 5 years. If the total sales in 2020 was ₹50,000, and sales increased by 20% each year, find the sales in 2024.
Sales in 2020 = ₹50,000 Sales in 2021 = 50,000 × 1.2 = ₹60,000 Sales in 2022 = 60,000 × 1.2 = ₹72,000 Sales in 2023 = 72,000 × 1.2 = ₹86,400 Sales in 2024 = 86,400 × 1.2 = ₹103,680
Quantitative
A can complete a work in 12 days, B in 15 days, and C in 20 days. If they work together, in how many days will they complete the work?
Let total work = LCM of 12, 15, 20 = 60 units A's efficiency = 60/12 = 5 units/day B's efficiency = 60/15 = 4 units/day C's efficiency = 60/20 = 3 units/day Combined efficiency = 5 + 4 + 3 = 12 units/day Time taken = 60/12 = 5 days
Verbal
Antonym of "Optimistic":
Optimistic ↔ pessimistic.
Reasoning
Find the next number: 8, 6, 9, 7, 10, ?
−2,+3 alternating → 10-2=8 → 8.
Quantitative
Simple interest on ₹5,000 at 8% p.a. for 3 years is:
SI = PRT/100 = 5000×8×3/100 = ₹1,200.
Reasoning
If in a code, CAT = 24 and DOG = 26, then BAT = ?
Sum of positions: B+A+T = 2+1+20 = 23.
Verbal
Neither the teacher nor the students _____ present.
Verb agrees with nearer subject (students) → were.
Quantitative
The following table shows the sales of a company over 5 years. Find the average annual growth rate. | Year | Sales (in crores) | |------|-------------------| | 2020 | 100 | | 2021 | 120 | | 2022 | 150 | | 2023 | 180 | | 2024 | 200 |
Correct answer: 19.03%
Reasoning
Find next number: 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?
Pattern: Differences are 3, 5, 7, 9 (odd numbers) Next difference = 11 Next number = 26 + 11 = 37
Verbal
Antonym of "Transparent":
Transparent ↔ opaque.
Quantitative
If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest of these integers?
Let the integers be x, x+1, and x+2. x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 72 3x + 3 = 72 3x = 69 x = 23 Therefore, the integers are 23, 24, and 25.
Verbal
The company's profits have been _____ steadily over the past year.
Correct answer: declining
Reasoning
If every letter is shifted +2 in the alphabet, CAT becomes:
Each letter +2 → ECV.
Your score
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Barclays exam pattern 2025
| Section | What shows up | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|
| Aptitude / logical | Quant, reasoning, sometimes verbal | Timed sectional accuracy |
| Coding / programming logic | Easy-medium DSA or output-style MCQs | Handle tricky inputs |
| Technical interview | OOPs, DBMS, OS, projects | Explain aloud |
| HR | Fit, location, intent | A few real examples ready |
First round: Barclays Online Assessment
Skills emphasized: Aptitude, coding/SQL, banking awareness
Languages: Java, Python, SQL
Sample Barclays questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for Barclays drives around 2025. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2025)
Q1: Boat upstream
Problem: A boat’s speed in still water is 15 km/h and the stream is 3 km/h. How long to cover 36 km upstream?
Solution: Upstream speed = 15 − 3 = 12 km/h. Time = 36 / 12 = 3 hours.
Answer: 3 hours
Q2: Mixture milk
Problem: A mixture has milk and water in the ratio 4:1. If 5 litres of water are added to 20 litres of mixture, what is the new milk:water ratio?
Solution: In 20 L: milk = 16 L, water = 4 L. After adding 5 L water: milk 16, water 9. Ratio = 16:9.
Answer: 16:9
Q3: CI vs SI hint
Problem: Find compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% per annum for 2 years, compounded annually.
Solution: Amount = 10000 × (1.1)² = 10000 × 1.21 = ₹12,100. CI = 12100 − 10000 = ₹2100. (SI for same period would be ₹2000; the extra ₹100 is interest on first-year interest.)
Answer: ₹2100
Q4: Clock angle
Problem: What is the angle between the hour and minute hands at 3:00?
Solution: At 3:00 the hands are exactly 90° apart (one quarter of the circle).
Answer: 90°
Q5: Permutation basic
Problem: In how many ways can 5 different books be arranged on a shelf?
Solution: Arrangements of 5 distinct items = 5! = 120.
Answer: 120
Q6: Consecutive integers
Problem: If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest of these integers?
Solution: Let the integers be x, x+1, and x+2.
x + (x+1) + (x+2) = 72 3x + 3 = 72 3x = 69 x = 23
So the integers are 23, 24, and 25.
Answer: 23
Q7: Train and pole
Problem: A train 150 meters long passes a pole in 15 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?
Solution: Distance = 150 m = 0.15 km. Time = 15 s = 15/3600 h = 1/240 h. Speed = 0.15 ÷ (1/240) = 0.15 × 240 = 36 km/h.
Faster check: 150/15 = 10 m/s → 10 × 18/5 = 36 km/h.
Answer: 36 km/h
Q8: Profit on a pen
Problem: If the cost price of a pen is ₹40 and it is sold at a 25% profit, what is the selling price?
Solution: Profit = 25% of 40 = ₹10. Selling price = 40 + 10 = ₹50.
Or SP = CP × 1.25 = 40 × 1.25 = ₹50.
Answer: ₹50
Logical reasoning (2025)
Q1: Odd one out
Problem: Find the odd one out: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Solution: 3, 5, 7, and 11 are prime. 9 = 3×3 is composite, so it is the odd one out.
Answer: 9
Q2: Coding letter shift
Problem: If CAT is coded as DBU, how is DOG coded in the same way?
Solution: Each letter moves +1 in the alphabet: C→D, A→B, T→U. D→E, O→P, G→H → EPH.
Answer: EPH
Q3: Blood relation
Problem: Pointing to a photograph, Ravi says, ‘She is the daughter of my mother’s only son.’ How is the girl related to Ravi?
Solution: Ravi’s mother’s only son is Ravi himself (assuming one son). The girl is therefore Ravi’s daughter.
Answer: Daughter
Q4: Syllogism
Problem: Statements: All engineers are graduates. Some graduates are managers. Conclusion: Some engineers are managers. Does it follow?
Solution: The ‘some graduates’ who are managers need not overlap with the engineers. The conclusion does not follow necessarily.
Answer: Does not follow
Coding practice (2025)
Coding Q1: First unique character
Problem: Find the first non-repeating character in a string and return its index, or -1 if none exists.
Approach: Count frequencies in one pass (hash map or array of 26 for lowercase). Second pass returns the first index with count 1.
Complexity: O(n) time
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q2: Stack with min
Problem: Design a stack that supports push, pop, top, and getMin in average O(1) time.
Approach: Keep a parallel min-stack (or store pairs). When pushing, also push the new minimum. When popping, pop both stacks.
Complexity: O(1) per operation amortized
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q3: Maximum subarray sum (Kadane)
Problem: Given an integer array, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum and return that sum. Example: [-2,1,-3,4,-1,2,1,-5,4] → 6 (from [4,-1,2,1]).
Approach: Keep a running sum. If the running sum drops below 0, reset it to 0 before taking the next element (or track the best ending-here value). Track the global maximum as you scan once from left to right.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q4: Reverse a string in place
Problem: Given a mutable character array representing a string, reverse it in place without allocating another array of the same size.
Approach: Use two pointers at the start and end. Swap characters, then move inward until the pointers meet. Watch empty and single-character inputs.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q5: Check prime
Problem: Write a function that returns true if n is prime and false otherwise. Handle n < 2 correctly.
Approach: Return false for n < 2. Trial-divide from 2 to floor(sqrt(n)). If any divisor divides n evenly, it is composite; otherwise prime.
Complexity: O(√n) time
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q6: Valid parentheses
Problem: Given a string containing only ‘()[]’, decide whether the brackets are balanced and correctly nested.
Approach: Scan left to right with a stack. Push opening brackets. On a closing bracket, the stack top must be the matching opener. At the end the stack must be empty.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q7: Two Sum
Problem: Given an array of integers and a target, return indices of two numbers that add up to the target. Assume exactly one solution and you may not use the same element twice.
Approach: Walk the array once. For each value x, check whether target − x was seen earlier in a hash map of value → index. If yes, return both indices; else store x.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q8: Longest substring without repeating characters
Problem: Given a string s, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters. Example: ‘abcabcbb’ → 3 (‘abc’).
Approach: Sliding window with a map (or last-seen index) of characters. Expand the right pointer; when a duplicate appears inside the window, move the left pointer past the previous occurrence.
Complexity: O(n) time
Barclays tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Deep prep notes for Barclays
How the Barclays Online Assessment usually feels
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For Barclays, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: Java, Python, SQL.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at Barclays |
|---|---|
| Aptitude | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| Banking, Financial Services awareness | Helps in managerial / HR conversations |
| Communication | Explain your approach clearly; keep a few real examples ready for HR |
14-Day sprint
- Days 1-3: Learn the 2025 pattern and take two sectional mocks
- Days 4-7: Closed practice on weak topics from your error log
- Days 8-10: Full mocks every other day; review the same day
- Days 11-14: Practice explaining projects out loud, light revision, sleep and IDs ready
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