Last-minute preparation tips for IBPS Clerk Exam

Juliet D'cruz

Updated on:

IBPS or Institute of Banking Personnel selection is a nationwide examination that is conducted for recruiting new employees as bank clerks. There are around 11 banks that are a part of this examination whose posts will be filled. Currently, the 11th examination is to be conducted and this examination offers about 5830 posts.

Preparation for this examination can be extremely tedious and competitive. Cracking the examination requires plenty of preparation beforehand, but the final days play a very crucial role. Here are a few last-minute preparation tips for the examination:

  • Practice:

It goes without saying that practice makes perfect. In this situation, practice is essential till the last minute. Keep working out problems from the Numerical ability. Also, practice questions from analytical reasoning. This will make sure that all the difficult topics are made more familiar. Apart from this, regular practice can improve your speed of attempting the paper. 

  • Revise: 

This is another important and obvious point but is followed by very few. In order to learn and retain, it is vital that revision is made a part of the study plan. This should ideally begin right in the beginning, but a revision of everything that is important and volatile is greatly useful if done with the final preparation. 

Some of the concepts that require revision at the last minute are banking facts, dates and names, rules and formulae. These re-things that need to be memorised and taking a look at them at the end of preparation will make a huge difference.

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  • Get habituated to reading from a monitor:

Since the examination is held online, it is important to get accustomed to reading over the screen. This would be difficult in the beginning, but one can easily fall into this habit even within a week or ten days. Doing this will make sure that the eyes are not fatigued suddenly on the day of the exam. Also, it helps in reading fast. With examinations like the IBPS, time management counts in every second, so this practice will definitely play a role in the end result.

  • Mock tests:

One of the best ways to practice especially during the last few days of preparation is by attempting mock tests. IBPS clerk mock tests are available in many online coaching centres and also many educational websites. Try to get a hold of them and attempt them as you are attempting a proper examination. Set the paper for the stipulated time and attempt it in one stretch. This will easily tell you how much you are able to answer from the entire syllabus and will help in identifying the weak spots. This will also train you to be able to answer within the time limit. 

  • Avoid learning new topics

A big mistake that many of us do at the last minute is to try and learn new topics that we haven’t covered before in the last minute. This is only a reaction to anxiety and will not benefit in any way. The paper is set in such a way that superficial last-minute learning of an entire concept or topic will not help. In fact, it will deter the normal study pattern, create more anxiety and also take time away from the regular revision of topics that were already covered. Instead, try to look at concepts that were already learnt and recollect them.

  • Adequate rest:

Most of us have heard this one but hardly take it seriously. This is one of the biggest mistakes while preparing for an exam of such importance. The brain is subjected to a lot of information in the days of preparation, and it is vital for it to be able to recollect most of what has been read. To do this, it needs to be well-rested and rejuvenated. Do not compromise of sleep to complete any topics at the last minute. It would not prove beneficial and might actually affect your overall performance also.

  • Making notes:

As mentioned before, facts that need to be memorised, formulae, concepts, shortcuts can be written down on a separate piece of paper. This should be maintained through the study period so that you can easily read through it when needed. Looking at them towards the end of preparation will help jog your memory and make sure these facts stay at the top of your head for the exam.

  • Tips for specific subjects:
  1. English language: This segment is for 40 marks, and you are allotted 35 minutes for this unit. The best tactic for last-minute preparation is to go through some of the confusing rules in grammar. Try to quickly refresh the concepts by glancing through the examples. Practice plenty of exercises from mock tests to improve on speed and accuracy. 
  2. Numerical ability: This section is again for 50 marks, and you are allotted only 45 minutes. Be very careful with the time. For last-minute preparation, pay attention to more arithmetic-related topics which can easily be scored with formulae. For example, look at the solving process for percentage, profit and loss, simple interest. These are easy topics that can guarantee you marks.
  3. Reasoning ability: This section, along with computer aptitude is for a total of 60 marks and is also allotted 45 minutes only. Practice reading and understanding questions for this unit. This section is more about forming logical connections and analysing patterns. Topics like seating arrangements, analytical reasoning, syllogisms and decoding need to be practised vigorously to improve speed. 
  • While attempting the paper:

Make sure you stay calm and focused throughout the entire paper. If you find questions that are unfamiliar, read them again and you might find the answer. Pick questions to attempt very carefully. The paper has negative marking for wrong answers, and this can bring down the score by a lot. At the same time, attempt enough questions in order to score above the cut-off in all the sections.

And there you have it! The IBPS clerk examination is not an easy exam and requires a lot of preparation and attention. Keeping a few tips in mind especially for the last-minute preparation can be very useful in scoring those extra marks. So, get preparing for your exam and all the best!  

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