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Last minute tips to ace the SBI Bank PO exam
Anil Nagar, director, Bank POwer Institute, Delhi shares some strategies that will help you ace the State Bank of India's Bank PO exam on April 28, 2013.
For several young graduates, the State Bank of India's Probationary Officer position is considered to be one of the most coveted jobs among all PSU banks.
In the month of January this year, one of the largest banks in the country, the State Bank of India had invited applications of the post of 1500 Probationary Officers.
Over 17 lakh candidates from across the country sent in their applications this year.
Selection for the Probationary Officer position will be based on performance in the SBI's Bank PO exam which will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2013.
Considering the competition, if one were to look at the selection probability, approximately only 0.1 per cent (1 candidate out of 1,000) will make it through.
The competition is going to be really tough and it will not be easy for any candidate to sail through.
Let's try and understand what to expect in the upcoming exam.
Sunday's Bank PO exam will have two components:
1. Objective test of two hours, comprising the following four sections, each carrying 50 marks
(a) Test of English Language (Grammar, Vocabulary, Comprehension etc)
(b) Test of General Awareness, Marketing and Computers
(c) Test of Data Analysis and Interpretation
(d) Test of Reasoning (Higher Level)
2. The Descriptive Test (50 marks) of one hour duration will test you for English Language (comprehension, short precis, letter writing and essay).
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1. Go with a plan
Keeping in mind the tough competition, candidates should ensure that they go to the exam hall with full preparation and avoid the slightest mistake.
Essentially, candidates should keep in mind the following, while attempting the exam.
1. Go with a plan
Candidates should have a proper plan.
You must know which section to attempt first and also how much time you can devote to each section.
It is very important that candidates stick to their plan. For instance, if you had planned to give 40 minutes to the Reasoning section, you should stick to it.
At times, a particular section may be very difficult, and while attempting the same you might get carried away by devoting more time. This will mean that you have to compromise on some other section by giving it lesser time than you originally intended to.
You need to remember that there is a sectional cut-off for the exam. So if a particular section is tough for you it will be the same for everyone else too and hence the overall cut-off for that section will be low.
You need not worry too much and spend precious time solving one particular section.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier
2. Attempt the paper in two rounds
You should attempt each section in two rounds.
While attempting each section -- first solve the questions you are confident about and particularly attempt those that can be solved in less than a minute.
Leave tougher questions for the second round.
This way, you will not miss the easier questions in the paper and will also be able to optimise your overall score.
3. Start with the easier section
Suppose, you are more comfortable solving the English section, attempt that first.
It will give you confidence and set the pace for the exam.
You can attempt the difficult section later.4. Fill the OMR sheet parallelly
Do not leave filling of Optical Mark Recognition sheet to the end.
Very often we have seen that candidates are able to solve the questions and towards the end when s/he starts filling the OMR sheet, they lose out on time.
This could be very frustrating for the candidate who has managed to solve the paper but wasn't able to fill the OMR sheet.
The best strategy would be to fill the OMR sheet after completing each section.
5. Never give up during the exam
Competitions like these test your nerves.
You should go with a positive frame of mind to the exam hall and maintain the same throughout the exam.
There have been instances where candidates find a particular section difficult and give up easily.
Always remember that success comes to those who act bravely.
The paper's difficulty level will be same for everyone and the winner will be the one who will be able to hold on till the end.6. Work on your presentation skills
The Descriptive Paper comprising 50 marks is very crticial.
Several candidates we know of ignore this section while preparing for the exam.
While attempting this paper, one should bear in mind that more than English language skills, candidates are tested for expressing their own opinion on the given topic.
You must read enough and work on your presentation skills to ace this paper.
7. Get a good sleep
And last but not the least candidates should get proper sleep before the exam day so that you feel fresh on the D-day.
Also have a light breakfast before the exam to avoid fatigue.
The Bank Power team wishes you all the best for the exam. Good Luck!