Gone are the days, when each public sector bank organized its separate exam for the recruitment of clerks. It was hectic both for the applicants as well as the banks to go through the scrutiny process after every few days. To streamline the entire selection process, all public sector banks, have given their consent to recruit clerks via Common Written Exam of the CWE. For making matters easy, all banks have given the responsibility in the hands of IBPS or the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Now, candidates need to sit for this one examination to get into any public sector bank, except SBI.
While some applicants feel that it reduces the stress, others were not happy with the arrangements. A single exam can ruin your entire year’s preparation. Thus, one must take the guidance of those who have been in the same shoes but have managed to crack the exam. Here, you will learn about some tips and tricks, which helped applicants to top IBPS Clerk Exam in 2017.
Proper planning is the key to succeed
No matter how dedicated, and hardworking you are, it is impossible to crack the IBPS Clerk Exam without adequate planning. The main hurdle is the syllabus. The sheer vastness of the curriculum can leave many perplexed. If you think that handling one subject at a time will do the trick, then you need to step out of the fool’s paradise. Chalk out a plan that will leave enough time for revision as well. Toppers suggest it is better to mix subjects during preparation. English or history must always follow a tough subject like mathematics or reasoning. The mix will eliminate pressure from your brain, and will also keep things interesting.
Reading is a must
The more you read, the more you will learn about the topic. Reading will not only help you to prepare for the IBPS Clerk Exam but will also enrich your mind. Apart from books, make it a habit of reading more newspapers and magazines. General Knowledge often becomes the decisive factor. Depending only on GK books will take you nowhere. These books will help, but one must also keep an eye open about the things happening in present times.
Don’t just read!
Several candidates put so much stress on reading books that they entirely ignore a critical aspect of the exam. You will have to write answers as well. Thus, time management is of great importance. Once you sit down with a mock test paper, you will realize that time literally flies. It can be unnerving for many, but toppers say that with practice, it is possible to stay ahead of time. So, along with reading, invest sufficient time in solving papers as well.
Solve previous year’s papers
IBPS trainers often say that solving last ten year’s papers will definitely bring you success. It is true. These exams happen every year. It is not possible for question paper setters to come up with new problems every year. They change the figures, and the pattern slightly to test the candidates. If you desire to crack the IBPS Clerk Exam in the first go, make sure you have solved at least question papers from last 15 years. The more, the better! Solving these papers will also develop your time management skills.
Spend time on self-help test modules
Additional assistance from classroom coaching centers is fine. But you also need to work on developing your self-motivation. The best way to do this is by taking part in online preparation modules. These come with sample papers, doubt clarification sessions, experts’ lectures and much more.