Banking Exams

Arihant, RS Agarwal

1. Know About Exam Pattern and Syllabus: It is the first step, understand the exam pattern and syllabus before start your preparation. Go through the previous year questions which was asked and analyze the type of questions that are asked and the weightage given to each section. For example, in banking exams mainly there are four sections: Logical Reasoning, Mathematics, English and General Awareness. Analyze each section carefully. The pre exam will be of one hour and you have to solve three section in given time frame.
2. Study Plan: Based on your analysis of the syllabus and exam pattern, make a study plan which covers all the topics and revise them properly.
3. Study Material: There are so many books and online resources available for banking exam preparation. Select the right study material according to you that cover all the syllabus and easy to understand.
4. Practice Regularly: In the banking exams practice is the key to success. Solve as many mock tests and previous year’s papers as possible. This will help you in identifying your weak points and improve you speed and accuracy.
5. Speed and Accuracy: In any banking exam time is most important so practice solving questions within a stipulated time frame. This will help you improve your speed and accuracy. In beginning you can try “Testbook” mock test and when you get a certain level then go for some other test series according to you.
6. Current Affairs: Current affair plays important role in scoring in banking exams. After qualifying pre-exam, you won’t get so much time to cover all the previous months current affairs so it’s better to read it on daily basis or on weekly basis.

Note: In some clerical exams they also asked computer related question so go through them once, for example IBPS Office Assistant’s mains exam they asked approx. twenty questions related to the computer so read them once.

In last remember, self-study requires discipline and consistency. Stay motivated and keep working hard towards your goal and be patient. Best of luck for your future!

Without coaching it would be a really lengthy and slow process. Plus, you need to create your own study environment. On the other hand, if you take coaching, then you will get to know all the correct material to study and you will get a proper study environment too

Let’s understand what coaching does that helps students clearing the exam and how can you do it yourself.

1. Coaching provides you the learning content. However all books and study material are available in the market. Your confusion is there are large number of books, which one to select. Ask some friend or senior who has cleared the exam and you will find book list online also.
2. Coaching tells you the strategy to prepare and crack the exam. There are number of successful candidates who have written their strategy and there are videos also available on YouTube you may learn from there.
3. In a coaching you can ask your quarries to the teacher and get a solution. However, there are many people who can help you in solving a question. Bank exam questions are not very difficult. You may ask someone who knows the subject better or you may use various online videos to see similar type of questions.
4. By joining a coaching you understand the competition by observing the performance of others. However you can do the same by attempting mock tests online and analysing your rank and score.
5. In a coaching you get a learning environment and you follow a calendar and discipline to study. This is entirely upto you how you can bring that self-discipline in you so that you study regularly and you find company of people (online or off-line) to get you motivated.

Therefore, by joining a coaching you get all these things at one place which you can get from various places by putting some extra efforts. However you have to decide how much time you have and whether it makes a significant difference for you if you get selected 6 months earlier by joining a coaching. By joining coaching also you will have to study yourself coaching can increase your speed. There people who get selection without joining a coaching but there are more people who take benefit of coaching and save time. If you can manage all this yourself better you can prepare your own.

UPSC-EPFO Vs RBI grade-B Overview:

Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) recruits Enforcement officers through an exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. There are 421 vacancies in 2021. It is a group-B general central service and comes under level 8 of the Pay Matrix as per the 7th Central Pay Commission.

RBI grade-B is a national-level examination conducted by the Reserve Bank of India every year. They have mentioned 322 vacancies in 2021. The job profile of RBI Grade B Officer includes the proper circulation of currency, control of the supply of liquidity in the market, and most importantly, managing government and central bank accounts. The basic pay is Rs.35,150 while the net salary (inclusive of all allowances) is Rs.67,933.

Eligibility Criteria:

The eligibility of candidates for both the exams is Bachelor's degree in any domain and should be within the age limit of 21 to 30 years.

However, the RBI grade B exam provides concessions to M.Phil and PhD candidates up to 32 and 34 years respectively. The maximum number of attempts for the examination is six(general category).

The candidates appearing for the UPSC-EPFO examination require two years of job experience in administration/Accounts/Legal Matters in any government or Listed-Private Organization. The number of attempts isn’t limited.

Exam Pattern and Selection Process:

The RBI grade-B exam is conducted in two phases as in Phase I(Preliminary)- Objective type for 200 marks and Phase II(Main) is a descriptive type consisting of three papers: Economics and Social Issues, English Writing & Finance and Management each for 100 marks. Based on the Phase II score, candidates will be shortlisted for an Interview. The exam is bilingual - English & Hindi. There is negative marking for both the exams(Preliminary & Main), about 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

The UPSC-EPFO exam is conducted in two phases: Phase I- Paper Pen-based exam and Phase II- interview. The exam is bilingual- English & Hindi. There are negative markings for this exam as well, one third of the marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

Important Dates:

The notification for the RBI grade B exam is usually released in mid-January and around a month's time is given for the online application registration process. The Phase I exam is conducted in the first week of March. The Phase II exam is usually conducted in March or April.

The notification for the UPSC EPFO exam is usually released in June and registration ends by the month. The exam is conducted in August/September usually.

The exam dates may vary due to the Pandemic.

Conclusion:

Both the jobs provide perks such as Dearness Allowance, Local Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Family Allowance, Grade Allowance, Medical Allowance, etc. Though the EPFO employees enjoy it a little more.

Both are similar in working hours. But the work environment in RBI is more corporate and is autonomous. The promotions in EPFO/EO are much faster(4 years) and the number of attempts is also unlimited while the RBI Group-B officer’s promotion period may vary.

Reply given by Sourabh Chivarkar, successful candidate of Sankalp IAS Forum;s Banking course:

Yes, one can easily and definitely crack it in a time span of 6 months; infact for a focused candidate, that is way too much of time. I had started taking coaching in Sankalp IAS Forum, and all for the exam in July, and appeared for prelims in Oct and mains in Nov this year. And by God's grace, managed to crack both. But I must confess that I was not a serious candidate at all. So, I really feel like if an unfocused candidate can do it in 4 months or so, then 6 Months are more than what is required for a focused candidate

You can prepare for it. Try to read English newspaper or a book in the morning and start reading daily current affairs. No need to make notes just read it for your awareness, this will make a good habit. Do it daily don't ski

As a beginner you should first of all get acquainted with the syllabus. Write the syllabus on a paper. And start prepa

robationary Officer at State Bank of India (SBI)May 5

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Partially Yes. While the core syllabus of quant, reasoning and english is same but there are some changes around the edges. With some additions and deductions. You can get an idea here:-

In Clerical exams, according to level of toughness and competition,

Rbi asst> sbiclerk> ibps clerk> rrb clerk.

•Rrb clerk and rbi asst has computer sections.

•Rrb has composite timing, while the rest have sectional timings.

•Sbi clerk doesn't have sectional cutoff.

•The time distribution is slightly different among them.

For officer exams, accordingly,Rbi grade b > sbi po> ibps po> rrb po

•Rbi grade b has 400–450 vacancies. The pattern is also very different from rest of the exams. Such as inclusion of economics etc in mains and G.A section in prelims.

•Rrb po again has computer section and with composite timing.

•Sbi po has 2k vacancies, ibps po comprises of many banks that's why it has around 5k-6k vacancies.

•Rrb po doesn't have descriptive writing. Rest of them do with different marks distribution.

•Again , marks distribution, time distribution is different among all these exams.

You can understand better from the mock tests of each exam. Understanding the pattern, the timings , the cutoffs, all are essential. I have seen ppl coming to know about the descriptive or computer section few days before the mains which puts them into a lot of panic.

It depends on your personal opinion, choices and circumstances. In a general way regulatory bodies such as RBI,SEBI, NABARD, SIDBI etc in financial systems provide the best career option in this field.

They ensure the work life balance with a good package and they are first choice and last destination for almost every banking aspirant. After that comes SBI and other banks respectively.

Then here are RRBs exams and last but not least private banks selection exams.

This all information is in a general way. The liking of people can vary.

Yes it is possible and even if you are thinking to quit your job and then start preparing then I will not suggest you to do so. After quitting your job you will find it hard to stay at home and you'll loose your financial independence too. Take things slow and complete the syllabus first. Take you time get your basics right and then it is all about attempting mocks and gaining speed. You'll struggle a little while completing your syllabus but if you stay consistent you could do it in 3–4 months. As you are working so I think you could afford paid material easily this will save you time and you'll get all the necessary contents at a single place, though YouTube itself is sufficient for bank exams. Even if you don't crack the exams in your first attempt you won't feel that bad because you have a job which might not be the case if you quit. Preparing for competitive exams require lot of patience and smartwork.

Hi students,

 If you are planning to prepare for banking exams along with your graduation then you must go through these key points which can be helpful for you while preparing for exams.

Preparing for banking exams alongside your graduation requires effective time management and a well-structured study plan. Here are some tips to help you balance your exam preparation with your ongoing studies

Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus: Familiarize yourself with the exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme of the banking exam you are preparing for. This will help you prioritize topics and allocate your study time effectively.

Create a Realistic Study Schedule: Assess your daily and weekly commitments, including college classes, assignments, and other activities. Develop a study schedule that accommodates your graduation requirements while dedicating sufficient time for bank exam preparation. Be realistic and consistent in following your schedule.

Make the Most of Your Free Time: Identify gaps in your daily schedule when you can dedicate time to exam preparation. Utilize breaks between classes, commuting time, or weekends effectively to study or solve practice questions.

Focus on Core Concepts: While studying for your graduation, focus on building a strong foundation in subjects that are relevant to the banking exams, such as quantitative aptitude, reasoning ability, and English language. Strengthen your conceptual understanding by referring to textbooks, taking notes, and solving related problems.

Combine Study Materials: Incorporate study materials and resources specifically designed for banking exams alongside your regular college curriculum. Utilize textbooks, online study materials, video lectures, and previous years' question papers to cover the relevant topics comprehensively.

Regular Practice: Regular practice is essential for success in banking exams. Set aside specific time slots for solving practice questions and taking mock tests. This will help you improve your speed, accuracy, and problem-solving skills.

Prioritize Weak Areas: Identify your weak areas and allocate more time to improve them. Regularly assess your performance in practice tests to understand where you need additional focus and revision.

Stay Organized: Keep track of important dates, exam notifications, and study materials. Maintain a study planner or use digital tools to stay organized and ensure you don't miss any crucial deadlines or exams.

Seek Support: Connect with fellow aspirants or join online forums and communities to share knowledge, discuss strategies, and seek clarifications. Consider joining coaching classes or online courses specifically designed for bank exam preparation to receive expert guidance.

Maintain a Healthy Balance: While it's important to dedicate time to your studies, don't neglect your physical and mental well-being. Take breaks, exercise, get enough sleep, and maintain a balanced lifestyle to stay focused and motivated.

Remember that perseverance, consistency, and disciplined time management are key to balancing your graduation studies and bank exam preparation successfully

First of all relax, don’t think that your english is not good, infact it is better than your assumption,but the point is that, just knowing to speak & write english is not at all sufficient in clearing SBI PO or any other Bank PO exams. Now, you will think that do i need to clear my grammatical concept. Then its a big NO because grammer is such a vast ocean that one or two dip into it wouldn’t be sufficient. What you need to do is just know the pattern of questions asked in the previous PO exams & for that I don’t need to tell what you have to do. Next,thing is practice such questions as much as you can & for that you can practice from daily quizzes of Bankers Adda,Testbook,Olive board,Gradeup and many such stuffs are lying nowadays. Keep on practising first sectional quizzes based on particular topics & after that move to full English sectional test. Next thing is analysing & let me tell it is the most important of all, the analysing time should be more than the solving time, mind it.

Another important thing are the various options to improve if the marks aren’t getting better. Watch online videos of English at Bankers Adda, it will help you in clearing the concept and be in the context of syllabus.For brushing some basic grammetical concept buy wren & martin or SP Bakshi book & you can practise from it.

Secondly,learn at least 10 vocabulary daily as it will help you in every topics of english. Read both online as well as offline articles from the editorial section of The Hindu/ Economic Times.

And finally keep practising till you start achieving at least more than 80 percent marks in whatever quizzes you are solving.

Though,english is bit tough of PO exams, but regular practising with proper analysing will sail you through it in exam.

You already know your weakness.50% of the problem has been solved here only.

1.Start reading any good newspaper(It will improve your grasping power)

2.Circumscribe yourself with English.

3.Try to listen english news at least for 15 minutes a day.

4.Last but not the least to crack an exam like SBI PO,Practice lots n lots of questions (online mode only within time limit).

5.Make a notebook and pen down words to remember in it,Revise it periodically