The Bank PO or the Probationary Officer post is one of the most sought after entry-level posts in the Banking Industry. Every year lakhs of candidates aspire to join the Banking Industry and get appointed at Officer or Clerical cadre positions.
There are three main Bank PO exams which are conducted in the country. These include:
- SBI PO
- IBPS PO
- IBPS RRB PO
The exam pattern for all the three exams is almost the same and the topics included in the syllabus are also the same.
Candidates looking for assistance to prepare for the upcoming bank exams can turn to various Coaching Institutes, Private Tutors or bank exam preparation apps and get all the required preparation tips and study material. Interested candidates can learn more about the various Bank Exam Preparation App at the linked article.
Further in this article, we bring to you the detailed section-wise preparation strategy for the bank exams to help aspirants crack the upcoming exam in the very first attempt and to understand the question types asked in the preliminary and mains examination.
Section-wise Bank Exam Preparation
There are three common stages for all Bank PO exams. This includes:
- Preliminary Examination (Computer Based Test)
- Mains Examination (Computer Based Test)
- Interview
Only in case of SBI PO, there is Group Discussion along with the Interview. Of the three phases of the exam, the prelims phase is only qualifying in nature and the marks scored in Mains and Interview are considered for the final merit of the candidates.
There are 5 common subjects which are a part of the Bank PO syllabus. Given below is the preparation strategy for each of these posts:
- Reasoning Ability – Included in both prelims and mains exam, the reasoning section comprises questions based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Mostly Puzzles and seating arrangement covers the maximum part of this section and scoring marks in this section is easier
- Quantitative Aptitude – One of the lengthiest sections in prelims and mains exam, the quantitative aptitude or the data interpretation section involves lengthy calculations and solutions and can take the maximum amount of time in comparison to the other subjects. So, candidates must look for shortcuts and tricks to solve such questions within a smaller time duration
- English Language – This section comprises Reading Comprehensions, Cloze Test, Antonyms-Synonyms, Rearrangement, etc. are included in this section. Although there is no calculation required to answer questions in the English section, candidates tend to make mistakes in choosing the correct option because of similar choices provided
- General Awareness – Everything including General Awareness, Banking Awareness, Financial Awareness, Current Affairs, Static GK, is included in this section, which is a part of only the Mains exam. Any candidate who thoroughly reads the newspaper on a daily basis and is aware of the events happening across the Globe can easily score marks in this section
- Computer Knowledge – Very basic questions related to Computer abbreviations, fundamentals, languages, terms, etc. are asked in this section. Initially, the computer section was separate but now it has been merged with the Reasoning Ability section and 10-12 questions are asked from this subject in the Mains exam only
The syllabus is set by the conducting body themselves and at any point in time, they can make changes in the exam pattern or syllabus for the exam.
With a great salary, responsibility, designation and a reputation, the Bank PO post is every aspirants’ dream and to crack the exam for the same is an achievement in itself. For any further information regarding the Probationary Officer exam or post, candidates can visit the linked article.
Since there is a sectional cut off for most Bank PO exams, the preparation strategy must be made giving equal attention to all the subjects, to crack the exam in the very first attempt.
