Preparing for Bank Exams

The Banking Sector has always been one of the most sought after domain for employment. A career in banking means a well paid and secure career.

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Bank Exams

In India, a series of Common Written Examinations (CWEs) are conducted every year for the posts of Probationary Officer / Clerk/ Management Trainee/ Specialist Officer,  in 20 Public Sector banks (and for in 82 Regional Rural Banks.

All CWE’s generally have sections from: Quantitative Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, English Language, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge and Descriptive Ability.  Except for the “English Knowledge” section, the entire exam is bilingual (i.e. both in English and Hindi).

The Tips

Here are some section specific tips to clear any Bank Exam:

Quantitative Reasoning

This section includes basic 10^th standard level questions on topics like average, time and work, distance and time, percentage, profit and loss, percentage, interest etc.

Getting a good score in Quant is not very difficult. The only thing you need is the ability to go through the questions while first identifying and then keeping the time consuming questions for the end. Like, a DI (Data Interpretation) question is quite easy and must therefore be attempted first while a compound interest question might consume some time & should therefore be attempted at the end of the section.

• Try to get well versed in 10^th level mathematics using the NCERT books.
• Try to learn Vedic maths shortcuts and tricks for solving questions easily and quickly.
• Since quant is all about maths, you will have to remember all important formulas, especially the ones related to geometry like area, volume and parameter of square, rectangle, hexagon, parallelogram etc.
• Since there’s not going to be any calculator in the exam, learn as much tables as you can (preferably up to at least 30).  This will help you to make bigger calculations with ease.

Logical Reasoning

This section tests your analytical and reasoning abilities. Here are some major types of multiple choice type questions:

a) Word Arrangement, If the code for TABLE is RYWDS, what is the code for BEETLE?

b) Venn-diagram representations (A series of patterns will be given and you’ll be required to select the next pattern

c) Ordering numbers & symbols (A series is given and you have to choose the next number/symbol

d) Comprehension based questions (You have to answer some questions based on a given paragraph)

e) Statements and assumptions/conclusions/actions (You have to choose an answer based on the given statements and assumptions/conclusions/actions).

So here’s what you must take care of:

• Never assume anything. Read the entire question carefully and twice.
• The statements & comprehension questions might confuse you. You should therefore stay extremely focused while solving these.
• Never assume anything. Read the question carefully.
• Look for keywords like only, some, all, none and also pay attention to prefixes like Non, Un, Dis etc.

English Language

This section checks your proficiency in English. Some of the areas being tested are reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.

Some major types of questions in this section will be comprehension passages, sentence completion, identifying the errors, Para-jumbles, synonyms-antonyms etc. To excel in this section, here is what you’re suggested to do:

• Work on improving your vocabulary. Learn at least 7 new words (along with their meaning) everyday.
• To score good in the reading comprehension, read a newspaper everyday (especially the editorial section).
• Always keep a pocket dictionary with you (avoid in-built dictionaries in phones and get an oxford).
• Use English while interacting with your friends/family. This will improve both your fluency and general proficiency because you will get to learn passively.
• Remember that the more you read and speak English, the sooner you’ll get proficient in it.

General Awareness

This section has a special focus on the Banking awareness therefore it’s highly important to stay updated with every development and change which the banking industry has been through in the past few years.

In this section, the candidate is tested for knowledge about banking, economy affairs, current affairs (related to science, sports, awards etc). To clear the sectional cut-off for this section, here is what you can do:

• Reading a popular newspaper is the best way to stay updated with all the current affairs.
• You can also make daily notes of the current affairs you read about. Make subheadings like international affairs, national events, sports etc)
• Make sure you learn all the basic information, like the names of the chief ministers of all states, Indian geography, famous personalities receiving major awards like Bharat Ratna award etc.

Computer Knowledge/ Professional Knowledge

In most the Bank P.O and clerical level exams, there is a “Computer Knowledge” section which tests the basic computer knowledge of the candidate. You shall have knowledge about history of computers, hardware, software etc.

In the “specialist officer” exams, a “Professional Knowledge” section tests your domain specific knowledge, which is based on the post you have applied for ( like IT, Agriculture etc). Make sure that you brush up the skills related to your domain.

Descriptive Section (Writing Skills)

This section is to test your writing skills. The questions in this section will be based on paragraph writing, precise writing, essay writing, letter writing. To score well in this section you can follow the following tips:

• Make a habit of writing every day. You can write about your day, new experiences and anything that you like.
• Learn the format of writing different types of letters.
• Improve your vocabulary so that you spell each word correctly.
• After you’re done with this section on the day of exam, re-check the paper for any spelling mistakes.

Note:Always remember that there is a negative marking in all Bank exams. Do not attempt the questions you’re unsure about solving correctly.

If you’re preparing for a bank exam and want to join a class, you can post your Bank Exam Coaching requirement here.