By | 25/10/2023
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How To Prepare For IBPS Clerk & Get the Best Preparation Strategy!

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Public sector banks are significant government-owned institutions in which the Indian government’s Ministry of Finance or one of the state governments’ ministries of finance holds the majority of the bank’s shares. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is the authorized body that assesses individuals for recruitment in public sector banks. Every year it conducts a common recruitment process to fill vacant clerical cadre at 11 public sector banks. In This Blog, We”‘ll See How to prepare for IBPS clerk

What is the IBPS clerk exam?

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the IBPS clerk exam to recruit individuals for clerical-level jobs. IBPS Clerk is a Common Written Exam which is a pre-requisite for the selection of individuals for clerical positions in public sector banks. Selected individuals are on probation for 6 months after which they appear for a performance test to confirm their position. The IBPS clerk exam is conducted every year to recruit personnel for nationalized banks.

Individuals are chosen based on how well they perform in the two stages of the exam. Those who pass both the stages are selected.

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern

The IBPS clerk exam is conducted in two stages, prelims, and mains, both of which are conducted online. Final selection is done based on mains, prelims marks are not considered in the final merit list.

Exam pattern for prelims-

The prelims exams contain 100 multiple choice questions, for one mark each and the duration of the exam is one hour.

Sections No. of Questions Maximum Marks Sectional Duration
English Language 30 30 20 minutes
Numerical Ability 35 35 20 minutes
Reasoning Ability 35 35 20 minutes
Total 100 Questions 100 Marks 60 minutes

Exam pattern for mains-

The mains exam contains 190 multiple choice questions, with maximum marks being 200 and a time duration of 160 minutes.

Sections No. of Questions Maximum Marks Sectional Duration
General/ Financial Awareness 50 50 35 minutes
General English 40 40 35 minutes
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude 50 60 45 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude 50 50 45 minutes
Total 190 Questions 200 Marks 160 minutes

Though the exam pattern for both exams is different, a negative marking of 0.25 marks is applicable The exam is conducted in English and Hindi language, except for the sections that test English language ability.

How to prepare for IBPS clerk

Which books to use for preparation?

IBPS Clerk Prelims Books

English Language

  1. High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
  2. Objective General English by Arihant Publications
  3. SmartBook by Testbook by S.Chand
  4. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

Reasoning Ability

  1. Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal
  2. Analytical Reasoning by M. K. Pandey
  3. SmartBook by Testbook by S. Chand
  4. A New Approach to Reasoning, Verbal and Non-Verbal by B.S. Sijwali, Indu Sijwal

Numerical ability

  1. SmartBook by Testbook by S. Chand
  2. Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Agarwal
  3. Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma
  4. Objective Mathematics by Tarun Goyal

IBPS Clerk Mains Books

General and Financial Awareness

  1. India Year Book by Publications Division
  2. Banking Awareness by Arihant Publications
  3. Manorama Yearbook

Computer Aptitude

  1. Objective Computer Knowledge by Kiran Prakashan

IBPS Clerk Cut-Off

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection releases the cut-off for the exam. Cut-off refers to the minimum marks required to pass the exam. Candidates who score more than or equal to the cut-off qualify for the next stage. Factors that determine the cut-off include –

  1. Total number of candidates appearing for the exam
  2. Number of vacancies in the participating banks

Though there is a minimal difference, the cut-off for each state differs.

Candidates can check the cut-off by following these simple steps –

Step 1- Open this site official portal of IBPS.

Step 2- Click on the IBPS Clerk Cut-off link available at the top of the homepage.

Step 3- Enter your roll number/registration number and password/date of birth, then fill in the captcha.

Step 4- You will be directed to the IBPS Clerk scorecard page that displays the candidate’s marks and overall cut-off.

Tips to ace the exam

Now that you have become familiar with the examination pattern, here are a few tips to keep in mind while preparing –

  1. Strengthen your English grammar basics and build vocabulary by reading the newspaper daily. Learn new words and phrases and start using them in your daily conversations.
  2. Practice topics such as Reading Comprehension, Error Spotting, Cloze Test, Sentence Improvement, Para Jumble, Fillers, Fill in the Blanks, Active and Passive Voice, Subject-Verb Agreement, Tenses, Direct and indirect Speech, etc to ace the English language test.
  3. For reasoning ability, practice ample questions on puzzles, inequalities, syllogism, coding-decoding, blood relations, and seating arrangements. First attempt Direction and distance, Ranking, Syllogism, and Inequality first as they are less time-consuming.
  4. Master topics like Number Series, Quadratic Equations, Simplification Questions, and Data Interpretation questions are commonly asked from these and they are comparatively easy.
  5. Revise regularly and to test your weaknesses and strengths, attempt as many mock tests as you can.
  6. Thoroughly study previous years’ papers to understand the weightage of each subject. Focus more on high-weightage subjects.
  7. To improve your speed and accuracy, master the art of mental calculations and use the rule of elimination. Learn the formulae and tables up to 25, squares and cubes up to 30 & percentage-decimal-fraction table equivalent by thoroughly solving lengthy questions quickly. Speed is essential to complete a section within the allotted time.

How long does it take to prepare for the exam?

Ideally, it takes about a year, but if you study diligently, you can crack the exam with six months of preparation. Rest, it depends on the knowledge and preparation level of the candidate. Firstly, thoroughly understand the syllabus and exam pattern. Secondly, create a systematic plan for each section like ​​English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness. Allot ample time for each section and practice mock tests regularly. It is mandatory to revise topics and keep track of your progress.

Conclusion

Clearing competitive exams like IBPS clerks requires a lot of practice and patience. The syllabus is huge, but if you understand the syllabus well and practice mock tests, you can clear the exam. Check out their official website for more information. We Pesofts Help Teachers and Educational Institutions By Providing Online exam Software and Online Teaching Apps. So Their Students Can Easily Clear Competitive Exams and This Question Shouldn’t Arise In Their Students’s Minds “How to prepare for IBPS clerk”

Manjeet Mehta CEO @Pesofts

Manjeet Mehta is a professional writer and also the CEO @Pesofts. He passed out from IIT Roorkee in 2013 and started their own business, thinking of the growing education sector with the help of technology. You can check out LinkedIn and follow him here LinkedIn