IBPS PO exam is one of the most prestigious banking exams in India. Every year, over eight lakh candidates who want to join the banking sector apply for the exam. But, since the number of applicants is very high and the number of open vacancies is limited, the competition for these positions is cut-throat. Without clear-cut concepts and a proper strategy, you might disappear easily in the crowd. So, if you are an aspirant preparing for the exam, you need some tips and strategies that will help you sail through the IBPS PO exam.
In this article, you will be learning about some tips and strategies that you can use to prepare for the IBPS PO 2021:
Exam pattern of IBPS PO 2021
The exam pattern for the IBPS PO comprises a preliminary exam, a mains exam, and an interview. Let’s discuss what each of these exams entails:
- Prelims – There are three sections in the prelims exam. The test paper will have a total of 100 multiple-choice, objective-type questions that you will have to answer in 60 minutes. The maximum score for the exam is 100.
- Mains – The IBPS PO mains exam includes objective as well as descriptive type tests. For the test paper, there will be a total of 157 questions, out of which 155 will be objective type and 2 will be descriptive time. The duration of the exam is 3 hours and 30 minutes. The maximum marks for the test are 225.
- Interview – The interview round will be of 100 marks. You need a minimum of 40 percent for qualifying for the interview. For SC, ST, OBC, and PWBD candidates, there is a relaxation of 5 percent.
Syllabus for the IBPS PO 2021
The standard syllabus of the exam is of high school or graduation level. Here is the syllabus for the IBPS PO exam:
- Prelims exam – The IBPS PO prelims exam syllabus comprises topics from Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language.
- Mains exam – The IBPS PO mains exam syllabus comprises topics from Data Interpretation and Analysis, General Awareness, Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, and English Language.
Section-wise preparation tips for IBPS PO 2021
Check out the section-wise preparation tips for the IBPS PO exam, prelims, and mains:
- English Language – For the English Language section, the syllabus is almost the same for prelims and the mains. If you want to score well in this section, you should start reading magazines and newspapers. Also, use your high school grammar books for brushing up your vocabulary and grammar.
- Reasoning Ability – This is the section where you can score a lot. The best way to prepare for this section is through mock tests and previous years’ question papers. Practice seating arrangements and puzzles as they cover a major portion. Apart from this, you also have to focus on other topics like syllogism, inequality, and coding-decoding.
- General Awareness and Descriptive section – For both these sections, you will have to focus on reading magazines, newspapers, and books. It will help you improve your grammatical knowledge and brush up on current affairs.
- Quantitative Aptitude – For this section, you need to have strong foundational knowledge. The majority of the questions in the section will be from Data Interpretation, so you have to give special focus to this topic. Make sure that you revise your short tricks regularly. These short tricks will help you in calculating problems related to cubes, squares, percentage values, etc. Try sectional tests for improving your performance.
- Computer Aptitude – This is an easy section and you only need to spend one hour every day on this to get a good score. You have to focus on the basics of computers, their history, internet browser, short-cut keys, spreadsheets, MS Excel, etc.
General tips to prepare for the IBPS PO 2021 exam
Apart from the section-wise preparation tips, you also need to focus on the following general tips that will help you prepare for the IBPS PO exam:
Know the syllabus
There is no distinctive syllabus for the IBPS PO exam. You can study the exam question papers from past years and deduce the major topics. Once you know the syllabus, you will be able to save a lot of time and effort. Try covering all the topics included in the exam syllabus.
Create a study plan
One of the most important steps of preparing for the IBPS PO exam is creating a study plan. You should aim to cover all the topics included in the syllabus and revise them periodically. Your study plan must include analyzing the questions papers from previous years and identifying important topics.
Try as many mock tests as you can
If you want to stay updated with the questions that are asked in the exam, you have to solve mock tests regularly. It will give you a proper idea of how prepared you are for the exam and help you identify your strong and weak areas. You can get the free IBPS PO mock test on several online platforms along with study material.
Read newspapers every day
An important part of your IBPS PO preparation should be reading newspapers. You have to read them every day, especially the business pages so that you can cover current affairs for your exam.
Review question papers from previous years
By analyzing the question papers from previous years, you will be able to get an understanding of the exact exam pattern and apprehend the examination level. You should also review questions from the topics that are asked frequently in the exam.
Cut off marks of previous marks
Make sure to check out the previous years’ cut-off for the IBPS PO exam and the minimum qualifying marks. You can analyze the increase or decrease in the trend.
Analyzing the IBPS PO exam
It is crucial that you analyze the previous years’ question papers. It will help you understand the overall and section-wise difficulty level of the exam. For instance, in 2020, the prelims exam was overall easy to moderate. The Mains exam was considered to be of the moderate level.
By using the above-mentioned tips and strategies, you will be able to prepare well for the IBPS PO exam.
