How to crack Bank Exams : There has been a tough competition in these days especially for bank jobs. We are here to help you to solve every doubt of yours and guide you to achieve your goal. Banking industry is looking for a pool of young talent to recruit. The selection procedure and the level of toughness are conveying the same. IBPS and SBI are all set to conduct banking examinations.
Here we are going to deal the basic information that every banking aspirant should know. The different aspects we are dealing ar
Entry levels for a fresher
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- Banking Exam dates
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- Different phases for different Entry level Examinations
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- Online examination structure of different examinations
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- What to prepare?
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- How to prepare?
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- Motto behind Preliminary Examinations
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- Preparation for Preliminary Examinations
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- Motto behind Mains Examinations
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- Preparation for Preliminary Examinations
Eligibility Criteria
We should know the eligibility criteria before going in detail of cracking bank examinations.
Three important factors of Eligibility criteria :
- Nationality or Citizenship
- Age
- Education
NATIONALITY
Not only Indians but subjects from other countries with due permission from the government of India can also take banking exams of Indian banks. Here you go,
Nationality or Citizenship in order to take a banking examination | |
A candidate must be either | |
A citizen of India or | |
A subject of Nepal or | |
A subject of Bhutan or | |
A Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or | |
A person of Indian origin who has migrated from
East African countries of
with the intention of permanently settling in India |
|
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories ii, iii, iv and v above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India. IBPS Guide |
EDUCATION CRITERIA
Minimum, people should have a bachelor’s degree in order to take any banking examination. Candidates with professional qualification and relevant working experience can be recruited for higher officer posts based on performance in the related examination particularly conducted for those posts.
1 | Minimum Educational requirement | Any bachelor’s degree(graduation) |
2 | Higher officer posts | Professional qualification and relevant experience |
3 | Language Proficiency (for some posts) | Able to read/write/speak in official language of the state that you are applying for is required |
4 | Computer Knowledge | Must have studied computer science/IT as subject in the school or college. IF not, then you need to possess at least a certificate/ diploma in computer operations/language form an institute |
5 | Note | Aspirants in the final year of their study or waiting for the result are not eligible |
AGE
- Age limit for general category : 20-28 years as on 01-08-2017
- Age relaxation for IBPS, SBI clerical category and RRBs,
S.No | Category | Age relaxation |
SC/ST
Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe |
5 years | |
OBC
Other Backward Classes(Non-Creamy Layer) |
3 years | |
PWD
Persons With Disabilities |
SC/ST- 15 years
OBC – 13 Years Gen – 10 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen/ Disabled Ex-Servicemen | Actual period of service rendered in the defense forces +3 years (8 years for Disabled Ex-Servicemen belonging to SC/ST) subject to a maximum age limit of 50 years | |
Widows, divorced women and women legally separated from their husbands who have not remarried | 9 years | |
Persons ordinarily domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period 1-1-80 to 31-12-89 | 5 years | |
Persons affected by 1984 riots | 5 years | |
Regular employees of the Union Carbide Factory, Bhopal retrenched from service ( Applicable to Madhya Pradesh state only) | 5 years |
- Age relaxation for Probationary Officer and Specialist Officer category
S.No | Category | Age relaxation |
SC/ST
Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe |
5 years | |
OBC
Other Backward Classes(Non-Creamy Layer) |
3 years | |
PWD
Persons With Disabilities |
SC/ST- 15 years
OBC – 13 Years Gen – 10 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen/ Disabled Ex-Servicemen | 5 years | |
Persons ordinarily domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period 1-1-80 to 31-12-89 | 5 years | |
Persons affected by 1984 riots | 5 years |
Now the confusion regarding eligibility criteria has been clarified. We should know the different entry levels to be a banker for a fresher in banking industry.
ENTRY LEVELS FOR A FRESHER
- Clerk/ Office Assistant / Multi-Purpose
- Officer Scale –I / Probationary Officer / Management Trainee
- Specialist officer
Note : Officer scale II & III are not for a fresher
Different phases for Different Entry level Examinations
RRB Office Assistants/ Multi-Purpose, SBI Clerk & IBPS Clerk
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
RRB PO & IBPS PO
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Interview
SBI PO
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination(Includes Descriptive test too)
- Group Discussion
- Interview
SBI SO & IBPS SO
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Interview
ONLINE EXAMINATION STRUCTURE OF DIFFERENT EXAMINATIONS
- RRB Office Assistant/ Multi-Purpose
- Preliminary Examination
Sr. | Name of Tests | Medium of | No. of Questions | Maximum | Duration | ||
No. | Exam | Marks | |||||
1 | Reasoning | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | Composite time of | ||
45 minutes | |||||||
2 | Numerical Ability | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | |||
Total | 80 | 80 | |||||
Note: Preliminary Examination for RRB Office Assistant has been introduced since 2016. Interview has been cancelled since 2016.
Official result for reference:
- Main Examination (objective) Office Assistant (Multipurpose)
Sr. | Name of Tests | Medium of | No. of | Max. Marks | Total Time | ||
No. | Exam | Questions | |||||
1 | Reasoning | Hindi/English | 40 | 50 | |||
Composite Time | |||||||
2 | Numerical Ability | Hindi/English | 40 | 50 | |||
of 2 hours | |||||||
3 | General Awareness | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | |||
4 a• | English Language | English | 40 | 40 | |||
4 b• | Hindi Language | Hindi | 40 | 40 | |||
5 | Computer Knowledge | Hindi/English | 40 | 20 | |||
Total :::::: | 200 | 200 | |||||
- RRB Officer Scale _ I
- Preliminary Examination
Sr. | Name of Tests | Medium of | No. of Qs | Maximum | Duration | ||
No. | Exam | Marks | |||||
1 | Reasoning | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | Composite time of | ||
45 minutes | |||||||
2 | Quantitative Aptitude | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | |||
Total | 80 | 80 | |||||
Note: Preliminary Examination RRB Officer Scale – I has been introduced since 2016.
Official Result for reference :
- Mains Examination
Officer Scale-I | |||||||
Sr. | Name of Tests | Medium of | No. of | Max. Marks | Total Time | ||
No. | Exam | Questions | |||||
1 | Reasoning | Hindi/English | 40 | 50 | |||
Composite Time | |||||||
2 | Quantitative Aptitude | Hindi/English | 40 | 50 | |||
of 2 hours | |||||||
3 | General Awareness | Hindi/English | 40 | 40 | |||
4 a• | English Language | English | 40 | 40 | |||
4 b• | Hindi Language | Hindi | 40 | 40 | |||
5 | Computer Knowledge | Hindi/English | 40 | 20 | |||
Total :::::: | 200 | 200 | |||||
Note: Preliminary Examination for IBPS CLERK has been introduced since 2016. Interview has been cancelled since 2016.
Sr. No. | Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Duration | |
1. | English Language | 30 | 30 | Composite | |
2. | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | time of | |
3. | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 1 hour | |
Total | 100 | 100 | |||
- Mains Examination
Sr. | Name of the Test | No. of | Max. | Medium of | Time allotted for each | |
No. | (Not by Sequence) | Ques. | Marks | exam | test (Separately timed) | |
1 | Reasoning | 40 | 50 | English & Hindi | 30 minutes | |
2 | English Language | 40 | 40 | English | 30 minutes | |
3 | General Awareness with special | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 25 minutes | |
reference to the Banking Industry | ||||||
4 | Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes | |
5 | Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | English & Hindi | 30 minutes | |
Total | 200 | 200 | 135 minutes | |||
- IBPS PO
- Preliminary Examination
Sr. | Name of Tests | No. of Qs | Maximum Marks | Duration | |
No. | |||||
1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | Composite time of | |
1 hour | |||||
2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | ||
3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | ||
Total | 100 | 100 | |||
- Mains Examination
Sr. | Name of Tests | No. of | Maximum | Medium of Exam | Time allotted for each |
No | (NOT BY SEQUENCE) | Questions | Marks | test (Separately timed) | |
1 | Reasoning | 50 | 50 | English & Hindi | 40 minutes |
2 | English Language | 40 | 40 | English | 30 minutes |
3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | English & Hindi | 40 minutes |
4 | General Awareness (with special | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
reference to Banking) | |||||
5 | Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 | English & Hindi | 10 minutes |
Total | 200 | 200 | 140 minutes | ||
- Interview
- SBI Clerk / Junior Associate
- Preliminary Examination
SL. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration | |
1. | English Language | 30 | 30 | Composite Time | |
of 1 hour | |||||
2. | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | ||
3. | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | ||
Total | 100 | 100 | |||
- Mains Examination
SL. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
1. | General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
2. | General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
3. | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
4. | Reasoning Ability& Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
Total | 190 | 200 | 2 Hours 40 minutes |
Note: Interview has been cancelled since 2016.
- SBI PO
- Preliminary Examination
SL. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
1. | English Language | 30 | 30 | Composite Time |
2. | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | Of |
3. | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 1 hour |
Total | 100 | 100 |
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- Mains Examination
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Test | Name of test | No. of | Max. | Duration |
Questions | Marks | |||
I | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 minutes |
II | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 minutes |
III | General/Economy/ | |||
Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes | |
IV | English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes |
Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours |
- Descriptive Test
Sr. No | Questions | Max. Marks | Duration |
1 | Letter Writing & Essay | 50 | 30 Minutes |
- Group Discussion and Interview
Sr. No | Tests | Max. Marks |
1 | Group Discussion | 20 Marks |
2 | Interview | 30 Marks |
Overall Result of SBI PO -2015 for reference
What to prepare????
Let’s see what to prepare for different sections in detail.
Sections | Syllabus | |
1 | Reasoning Ability |
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2 | Quantitative
Aptitude & Numerical Ability |
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3 | Data Analysis & Interpretation |
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4 | English |
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5 | General/Banking Awareness |
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5 | Computer Knowledge |
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How to Prepare for preliminary and mains examinations????
Motto Behind Preliminary Examination
What’s the need of preliminary Examination. Many people might get the same doubt. But the main motto behind it to ‘Eliminate the wrong one’ who are not genuinely giving the examination. True and determined aspirant doesn’t lose in this because he is genuine.
Preparation for Preliminary Examination
Preparation for Preliminary Examination is very easy compared to Mains Examination. Preliminary Examinations of any bank exam consists only 3 sections with a time span of 60 minutes (an hour) except RRBs. Because RRBs consists of only 2 sections with a time span of 45 minute.
Motto Behind mains Examination
Banks want the best among all aspirants. It is the competition among all the true aspirants. Luck favored aspirants of preliminary examination cannot last for the final selection. The more the aspirants the more the competition and toughness. Difficulty level depends on many factors. We do need to prepare for everything. Every decimal counts in the final score. In these days banking mains examination especially PO examination almost resembles CAT level toughness.
Preparation for Mains Examination
We need to be careful while preparing for Mains. Every aspect counts in this examination. Never take a chance while preparing. There will be 4 to 5 sections in this examination. We need to cross the sectional cutoff only for every section. Over cutoff depends on our own interest. So we need to calculate our positive and negative sections. Where can we score the best is to be considered. Ssome might be well at quants, some may at reasoning, other may at English or current affairs or banking or computer awareness.
The preparation varies from exam to exam because of difficulty level of an examination.
The list we need to prepare are :
- English Language
- Numerical Ability(Clerks) / Quantitative Aptitude( PO)
- Reasoning Ability
- General Awareness
- Computer Knowledge
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Topics we need to prepare are
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- Reading Comprehension
- Spotting Error
- Sentence Improvement
- Cloze Test
- para Jumbles
- Fill in the Blanks
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English Preparation tips for clerical Examination
English is very easy when it comes to clerical examination. Mostly Basic English grammar and basic level of understanding is enough.
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- Reading comprehension and Para Jumbles are of fables which we have been hearing since our childhood.
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- Spotting errors and sentence improvement require basic English grammar. We should know tenses and usage of different auxiliary verbs
- Close Test and Fill in the blanks require minimum vocabulary, degrees of comparison and V2 and V3 of a basic verb.
English Preparation tips for Officer level (PO) Examination
English section in PO preliminary examination is tougher when compared to clerical level. As this is a qualifying examination this section is less tougher than mains PO examination.
Tips to Prepare
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- Read English News paper daily
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- Enhance your vocabulary
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- Try to make a list of synonyms and antonyms of some words
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- Be through with commonly used Phrasal Verbs and Idioms
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- Practice comprehending passages daily
- Increase the speed in reading English
Books to Prepare
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- Follow a standard English Dictionary
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- Standard Grammar book. Eg: Wren and Martin
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- Word Power made easy
- English News Paper. Ex : The Hindu
NUMERICAL ABILITY/QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
The only tip for this section is the more you practice the less the time will be taken in the examination. This section makes us satisfy because we usually get an answer which can made us more confident. Less uncertainty. The only thing we need to do is practice practice and practice.
Clerical and PO level
Note: Difficulty level vary based on the type of examination. Model will be the same in both kinds of examinations but the logic will be different
Tips for Numerical Ability/Quantitative Aptitude
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- Practice as much as possible
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- Try to solve different types of questions
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- Create own questions and solve
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- Revise frequently
- Make a list of short cut formulae
Books we need to follow
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- Any book with model questions
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- RS Agarwal is preferable
- Arun Shrama Quantitative Aptitude
REASONING ABILITY
Reasoning section is the tricky section in the examinations. If we miss small logic we may miss the question and need to restart. So be careful while answering this section. We may not be true all the time when it comes to reasoning section.
Tips to follow
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- Practice more and more model books
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- Try to understand the question carefully
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- Never miss the logic
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- Try to identify what exactly needed
- Never get confused
Books to follow
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- Verbal and Nonverbal reasoning by RS Agarwal
- Analytical Reasoning by M K Pandey
Note: The syllabus and preparation is same for Preliminary and Main when it comes to Quantitative and Reasoning sections. But the difficulty level varies from the clerical level to Officer level .
GENERAL/ BANKING AWARENESS
Tips to prepare
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- Try to collect as many questions as you can
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- Follow newspapers and news channels daily
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- Make a short notes on daily updates in news
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- Be thorough with static GK
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- Be thorough with latest banking updates
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- Banking terminology
- Get updated with last 6 months current affairs
Books to follow
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- Any news paper ( State/ National level)
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- Monthly current affairs magazines
- Objective type static GK
COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE
Computer knowledge tests our basic knowledge in operation computers. Our school and college education is enough for computer background students. For others better to follow a standard book of objective type questions.
Tips to prepare :
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- Get updated with latest technology related to computers
- Read school children computer text books
Books to follow :
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- Computer Text Books
- Objective type question books
How to prepare Descriptive for SBI PO type examinations?
DESCRIPTIVE TEST
This section mainly consists Letter writing and Essay writing which tests the candidate ability of professional writing skills. The test is always online.
Tips to prepare :
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- Practice keyboard typing
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- Learn rules for letter writing and essay writing
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- Enhance vocabulary
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- Read English news papers
- Test yourself to write in the limited time
Books to follow
- Any standard book for letter writing and essay writing