As per the statistics, approximately 15-20 lakh aspirants appear for the IBPS PO Preliminary examination every year. As the candidates get filtered after the Prelims, number of candidates equal to 10 times the number of vacancies is selected for the IBPS PO Main examination and furthermore 3-4 times the number of vacancies is called for the interview.
With lakhs of candidates aspiring for 8000+ vacancies in IBPOS PO 2016, the competition gets tougher. Therefore, your preparation strategy acts as the key to make or break your chances of selection.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern
Before we share our tips and strategies, let’s glance through IBPS PO (Prelims) exam pattern. IBPS PO is an online objective exam which tests your aptitude and problem solving ability.
IBPS PO (Prelims) exam pattern
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Composite time:
60 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | |
| English | 30 | 30 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
IBPS PO (Main) exam pattern
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Limit |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 | 10 minutes |
| General/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 140 minutes |
Now since you are aware of the IBPS PO Prelims & Main exam pattern, let’s discuss ways to maximize your score in both Prelims & Main exam of IBPS PO.
- Analyze yourself
- Adopt a methodological approach. Assess yourself by going through the detailed IBPS PO exam syllabus and taking an online mock test. Take the test as if you were taking the real IBPS PO Preliminary exam. Begin with the Prelims, as this will take you further to the IBPS PO Main exam.
- Review your performance and know where you stand.
- Analyze your strong and weak areas depending upon your sectional scores.
- Watch on these
- Vocabulary
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Aptitude & Reasoning skills
- Time management
- It is said, “A minute saved is a minute earned”. Efficient utilization of time plays a crucial role in deciding your score.
- While preparing for the exam, begin with the end in mind. Don’t forget about the sectional cut-off. Qualifying sectional as well as overall cut off will only take you a step closer to your dream banking job. Prepare a schedule such that maximum time is allocated to your weak areas. This will not only help you to master your weak areas but also boost your confidence.
- Remember, you don’t have to solve all the questions. You have to solve questions with 100% accuracy. So, start with your strong areas and spend 75-80% of the time in those questions. After that, move onto your weak areas as this will help you to stretch your overall score.
- Adequate practice
- ‘Practice’ is the key to success in any exam. The more you practice; the better will be your efficiency in the examination. Practicing under the testing environment can work wonders.
- Practice sectional as well as full length tests. You can enroll for CL’s IBPS PO mock tests and CL’s speed tests.
- Sectional tests or speed tests will help you to analyze your mastery over a particular section.
- It is advisable to practice as many mock tests as possible. This will make your D-day just another mock test day.
- Don’t focus on the entire syllabus
- As far as the IBPS PO Prelims is concerned, there are 35 questions each of Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude and 30 questions of English Language. Instead of focusing on the entire syllabus of all the sections, you should pick up important and frequently asked topics from all the sections.
- Practically, 30-35 questions cannot cover a vast syllabus, so it’s anytime better to focus on the following topics from various sections.
Reasoning Ability
- Syllogisms
- Seating Arrangements
- Puzzles
- Inequalities
- Input Output
- Coding Decoding
English Language
- Reading Comprehension
- Para Jumbles
- Vocabulary and Grammar
Quantitative Aptitude
- Data Interpretation
- Approximation
- Arithmetic
- Number Series
- Data Sufficiency
- Probability
- Quadratic Equations
General Awareness
Go through current affairs of past 4-5 months thoroughly.
- Order of the sections
- You should first attempt the section you are most strong at.
- Since IBPS PO Prelims has a sectional time limit, make it a point to complete the section in the stipulated time limit.
Remember, determination and strategy can help you achieve your goal. Stay focused and study regularly.
