After graduation, many young Indians attend several competitive exams, especially the ones held by the State governments and Central government. Bank tests conducted for the post of clerk, assistant manager, manager etc. are also highly in demand and are very competitive these days.
Graduates from different fields of study, be it engineering or arts or commerce, prepare for these exams as they provide a good pay package, security and are considered respectable professions. The Bank Exams conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for the Grade A and Grade B posts, are considered the most sought-after. If you are preparing for any of these exams, then here are some tips for you to crack them.
Effective Study Techniques for Bank Tests
Generally, bank examinations focus on the following areas:
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Logical Reasoning
- English
- Current Affairs
- Computer Aptitude
Different banks based on their area of specialisation give weightage to different subjects. For example, in the preliminary exam of IBPS PO, 35 marks are allotted to the quantitative aptitude section, whereas 20 marks are allotted to the quantitative section in NABARD Grade A exam. Therefore, candidates should understand the exam pattern, and go through previous years’ questions and prepare accordingly. Different strategies that candidates can adopt to study for various bank exams are given below.
Understand the exam pattern
Before starting your preparation, go through the exam pattern given in the official notification. Try to understand the weightage given to each section in the exam. Every bank test is different even though it may have the same sections. Therefore, understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and make changes in your preparation strategy accordingly.
Go through the past papers
After understanding the exam pattern, go through the previous years’ question papers available online and try to analyse the nature of questions. Based on your analysis of past papers, you should plan your preparation strategy.
Give mock exams
There is no substitute for mock tests. Once you are done with your preparation, give sectional and full-length mock tests. If you find quantitative aptitude or English difficult, then try to identify your weak areas, understand your mistakes and work on them.
Prepare well for current affairs
Current affairs are one of the most scoring sections. Candidates should ensure that they prepare really well for this section. This section can help you in increasing your overall marks and clear the overall cut-off.
Increase your speed and learn shortcuts
A bank test is a game of speed and accuracy. You should ensure that you learn shortcuts to solve quantitative aptitude and data interpretation questions.
Revision is the key
Revision is the key to crack any exam, and especially those that require speed and accuracy. If you are not thorough with the topics, then it is likely that you will waste a lot of your time recollecting formulae or shortcuts during the exam. Therefore, practise and revise well before the test.
Follow the tips and tricks given above, and formulate a strategy accordingly. Do not follow one strategy for all bank tests. Understand the exam pattern and prepare as per the requirements of the test. If you are preparing for bank tests, go through the list of some of the upcoming bank exams 2022 given below.
- RBI Grade B exam
- IBPS PO exam
- ECGC PO exam
- IBPS RRB exam
- SBI PO exam
- RBI Assistant
Do not wait till the last minute to begin your preparation for exams. Start early, strategise, plan and implement well!