How To Prepare For Bank Exam

As the lockdown restrictions are being relaxed, the independent recruiting bodies responsible for recruiting banking personnel are also announcing revised dates for several selection processes such as the IBPS PO, SBI Clerk etc.

The IBPS PO application window will reopen on the 28th of October and aspirants can apply for the exam till the 11th of November 2020. The IBPS PO vacancies have also been increased to 1417. The mains stage of the SBI clerk was earlier postponed and now the revised SBI Clerk Exam Dates have been officially released. The exam is scheduled to happen on the 31st of October 2020. Since applying for bank exams is almost a no brainer with the competitive salary, job security and associated benefits, we will only discuss how to effectively prepare for bank exams and crack them effortlessly.

1. Apply for more than 1 exam:
   This isn’t exactly a preparation tip but this often overlooked tip can drastically improve your chances of landing a bank job. It is advisable to apply for multiple bank exams since the syllabus and pattern for several exams are very similar. Bank exams are also spaced well apart so you will have sufficient time to work on your aptitude and problem solving skills. A classic example is to attempt both the SBI PO and IBPS PO if you are aspiring to become a bank PO.Please remember that the salary shouldn’t be the only deciding factor while applying for a job. For example, SBI Clerk Salary is just over 20,000 while a bank PO makes over 40,000 and an RBI Grade B officer makes well over 70,000. The syllabus might be very similar but the difficulty level of each exam is very different. Consider your long term career goals, personal goals, your skill-set, growth prospects, roles/responsibilities that come with the job title etc and make an informed decision.

Also read – SBI CBO Recruitment 2020 – Government Bank Jobs 3850 Circle Based Officer

1. Familiarize yourself with the Intricacies of the exam:

As obvious and cliched as it sounds, a lot of people don’t spend enough time doing this.  This involves not just knowing the exam pattern and syllabus for the various stages of the selection process but also analyzing the previous year exam papers and figuring out the frequently tested topic and the approximate weightage they carry in the exam. This will come in handy while designing your preparation strategy and study plan

1. Devising a realisting study plan:
   Don’t look up the internet for 30 day study plans or 3 month study plans for bank exams. They definitely won’t work for you. You need a PERSONALIZED Plan. A sure-shot strategy that will work for you. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a good point to start. If you don’t already know your strengths and weaknesses then attempting last year’s question paper without any prep and analyzing it will do the trick.

Also read – SBI SO Recruitment 2020 – Government Bank Job for 400 Multiple Post

A few pointers to devise the perfect study plan:
– Try not to skip any topics
– Your plan should include breaks
– Allocate enough time to work on your weaknesses
– Don’t waste time solving problems from topics that you are already good at
– Solve all possible questions from each topic immediately after you learn the concepts to cement your understanding

– Last 2-3 weeks before the exam should be utilized only for solving mock tests/previous year question papers and revising concepts that you are committing errors in

1. Make the timer your friend
   A lot of the aspirants solve problems and spend a lot of time practicing but it won’t be of any help unless you solve them in under 40-60 seconds. Most questions that appear in the bank exams are from your middle school/ high school syllabus and anyone would be able to solve the questions if they are given enough time. In order to clear the sectional cutoffs and overall cutoff you have to be smart. You need to know which questions to attempt and which ones to skip. This only comes with practice. Using a timer will also help you get accustomed to solving under time pressure.
2. Taming the General Awareness Beast
   Last but not the least – You aren’t Tony Stark to master all the important topics in the GK section let alone nuclear physics overnight. In order to qualify for the further stages of the selection process you will have to clear the sectional cutoff of the GK section. It needs consistent prep and focus. Guessing answers with negative marking could easily backfire. In this section, you either know the answer or you don’t.Read the newspaper daily (national and local). Make notes religiously. Be familiar with the major issues that plague our nation and your state/region.Feel free to further optimize/customize these tips to make them your own.

Execution is key! All the best!