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HOW TO CRACK

IBPS CLERK EXAM:


EXPERTS’ ADVICE

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Contents
Introduction3

Preparation strategy to crack IBPS Clerk Exam 4

Interview: Javed R Siddique, director, BSC Academy 12

Interview: Hanumant Sabherwal, director, Smart Prep 16

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Introduction

T
his E-book brings to you preparation strategy for IBPS Clerk re-
cruitment exam, based on exam tips and inputs provided by domain
experts from leading coaching institutes. The preparation guide
includes complete exam pattern, overall preparation plan, last-week prepara-
tion tips and exam-taking strategy, along with the basic aspects of the IBPS
Clerk exam recruitment process.

The E-book also comprises Careers360’s exclusive interview with directors


of renowned couching institutes to help candidates with proper guidance.
This exam preparation guide also aims at offering a clear understanding to
aspiring candidates on how to ace the IBPS Clerk exam with an improved ba-
sic study schedule and time management strategy.

Also read this E-book to know important topics from the syllabus to under-
stand importance of different sections and their key elements. Hope you find
this E-book helpful to crack the IBPS Clerk recruitment examination.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Preparation strategy to
crack IBPS Clerk Exam

T
he IBPS bank clerical exam is one of the most competitive exams in
India. Though lakhs of candidates appear in the exam every year, only
a few thousands are selected for this entry level job in IBPS.

So, what does it take to outsmart your competitors? How should you pre-
pare to score high in the written exam? What can bring you competitive edge
in this banking exam?

Though experts say that cracking the clerical level exam for banks are not
much difficult, they suggest candidates to have a planned and consistent ap-
proach towards preparation strategy.

Careers360 here brings section-wise and overall exam preparation tips from
coaching experts to help candidates accentuate their IBPS exam preparation.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

According to coaching experts, a section-wise division of whole preparation


for IBPS Clerk exam can immensely help candidates qualify in the objective-
type test. They also stress on the importance of clarity of concepts and effi-
cient time management to succeed in banking job exam.

Plan your Preparation in synch with IBPS Clerk pattern


With lakhs of candidates appearing in the exam, making it one of the most
competitive recruitment exam, experts opine that candidates need to have a
planned preparation strategy for the last week and on the exam day as well
to crack it.

“A proper assessment of one’s strengths and weaknesses in the test are-


as will help an aspirant channelize his/her efforts in the required direction.
Thus, proper application of the results of this self-analysis will ensure success
across a number of bank exams. In addition to this, thorough preparation will
go a long way in yielding the desired fruit,” says Mr. Manek N Daruvala, direc-
tor at T.I.M.E.

IBPS Clerk Selection Process:


IBPS Clerk Selection Process includes written test and Personal Interview
(PI). The PI is conducted after the results of written exam are announced. The
candidates, who qualify in the Common Written Exam (CWE) – preliminary
and main, are called by participating banks and IBPS for a Common Interview
as the final round of IBPS Clerk Selection Process. The qualifying candidates
in the final round will be appointed in Clerk cadre of any of the participating
banks.

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern:


Candidates can check IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern for preliminary and main ex-
ams in separate tables below –

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern – Preliminary Exam


S.N. Test No. of Maximum Duration
Questions Marks
1 English 30 30 1 hour
Language
2 Numerical Ability 35 35
3 Reasoning Ability 35 35
Total 100 100

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern – Main Exam


S.N. Test No. of Maximum Duration
Questions Marks
1 Reasoning 40 40 2 hour
2 English Language 40 40
3 Quantitative Aptitude 40 40
4 General Awareness 40 40
(with special reference to Banking
Industry)
5 Computer Knowledge 40 40
Total 200 200

While each correct answer carries 1 mark, every wrong answer invites a
penalty of 0.25 marks.

IBPS Clerk Syllabus:


Read below important topics covered under broad sections of IBPS Clerk
exam –

Reasoning - Series Completion, Syllogisms, Decision Making, Statements,


Analogy, Coding & Decoding, Blood Relations, Sitting Arrangements, Clas-
sification

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

English Language - Deriving Conclusions, Passage Completion, Error De-


tection, Passage Correction, Sentence Correction, Vocabulary, Spelling Cor-
rection, Grammar, Idioms, Phrases, Synonyms, Word Formation, Antonyms,
Sentence Completion, Comprehension, Theme Detection

Quantitative Aptitude - Number System, Simplifications, Roots, Averages,


Surds & Indices, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Ratio& Proportion, Partnership,
Chain Rule, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Time & Distance, Problems On
Trains, Boats & Streams, Allegation & Mixtures, Simple & Compound Inter-
est, Clocks & Algorithms, Mensuration, Volume& Surface Area, Permutations
& Combinations, Heights& Distances, Line Graphs, Bar Graphs, Pie Charts,
Tabulation

General Awareness - Indian Constitution, News on Technology & Re-


searches, News on India And Its Neighbouring Countries, Knowledge of Cur-
rent Events, Sports, History, Geography, Culture

Computer Awareness - Computer Software & Hardware, Operating Sys-


tem, Shortcut Keys, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet & Networks

IBPS Clerk Preparation Strategy:


Based on the suggestions of experts of the field, our comprehensive prepara-
tion strategy is broadly divided into three parts – overall preparation strategy,
last-week preparation strategy and exam taking strategy. Let’s have a look at
all the three level of your preparation for IBPS Clerk.

Section-wise IBPS Clerk exam preparation plan


The syllabus of a banking job exam comprises five different sections and the
right approach to get perfection in all these areas is to divide your prepara-
tion according to the sections. Further, work more on your weak areas and
simultaneously continue practicing those subjects where you have a good
hand. But be sure that you are not ignoring any of these sections and give
equal importance to all the subjects.

“The written exam for the banks consists of sections on Quantitative Apti-
tude, Reasoning Ability, General Awareness, English & Basic Computers and

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

candidate has to qualify in each of the sections individually. So, if you are
weak in any of the above sections, you should immediately start working on
the same,” Mr. Anil Nagar, director of Career Power Institute.

How much weightage to different sections: Analyze weak points (sec-


tion-wise) and on the basis of them, give weightage to every section. Equally
you have to have perfection in every section but it doesn’t mean you should
give equal weightage to each section in last month of preparation. Give more
importance to sections which need to be strengthened.

Daily practice and revision: More or less, the last-month of preparation


for this competitive exam is based on revision and practice. At this moment,
candidates are suggested to be focused and selective with their studies. In-
stead of studying all the topics, they should try to strengthen their weak-
nesses and utilize their strengths in the best possible way.

Group exercise for General Awareness: Nothing is more effective for en-
hancing General Awareness than discussing various topics with others and
allowing a two way communication to understand viewpoints of other. Even
with a small group of 5 students, you can do this daily exercise, where every
student comes up with 10-20 questions for discussion. After a group discus-
sion of an hour or so, you will be able to learn at least 50-100 GS questions a
day which will remain in your memory for longer.

Read Newspapers for General Awareness, English, Marketing: You can-


not afford to skip questions based on General Awareness and Current Affairs
while preparing for the banking job exam. You have to be aware of what are
the major happenings in your country and the world. You cannot avoid read-
ing a newspaper. Apart from that, an English newspaper improves your Eng-
lish and enhances your Marketing knowledge.

“The candidates should read newspapers regularly. An English newspa-


per reading can help improve their General Awareness, Marketing knowledge
and English language. The idea behind setting a question paper is that the
candidates are Graduates and they must know the basics,” says Mr. Javed R
Siddique, director at BSC Academy.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Daily Mathematics and Reasoning Practice: In areas like Mathematics


and Reasoning, you should have clear concepts and strong fundamentals. Be-
sides this, you need to have accuracy and speed to cover Mathematics and
Reasoning portions. Your calculation skills must be strong. Daily practice is
a must for all these sections. Consulting a few good reference books to learn
short cut to solve questions and calculation techniques is also a good option.

Last-week preparation strategy for IBPS Clerk exam


In the last week of preparation, the candidate should be focused and very
selective in terms of subjects and topics to be revised and studied. Study only
those subjects where you need to improve. Practice of a few hours a day will
work. Solving previous test papers will help you build and maintain confi-
dence.

Solve test papers: The candidate appearing for this exam should possess
commendable speed and accuracy level for solving questions. You can con-
tinue with solving previous test papers to polish your skills at every level.

“These exams are speed and accuracy based so my suggestion to students


is that they should first gain clarity on basic concepts of subjects/topics and
then practice questions from previous year papers with a focus on their speed
and accuracy,” Hanumant Sabharwal, director, SmartPrep India.

Get involved in recreational activities: This is the time when exam is ap-
proaching and stress is obvious. The candidates need to be involved in some
recreational activities in order to bust exam stress. Play your favorite sport,
watch your favorite movie and listen your favorite song. You can also opt to
visit an amazing destination around the town.

Don’t forget it’s a digital age: In this age of digital revolution, when the
banking job exams are coming up in their newest online avatar, regular prac-
tice and time management are the key to crack any competition exam. Can-
didates, pursuing a bank job, cannot skip computer awareness and marketing
knowledge. You can be more concerned with these parts in the last week.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

“Many candidates may face problem due to lack of fluency in online test
format. Computer awareness and marketing knowledge are compulsory parts
of the recruitment process, so, the candidate should be well-versed with basic
operating knowledge of computers and basics of marketing and technology to
keep up with the competition,” says Ms. Neetu Singh, founder and director of
Paramount Coaching Centre.

IBPS Clerk exam-taking strategy


You have already practiced a lot. You have solved a number of test papers be-
fore entering the examination hall. You are not nervous but full of confidence.
Still, experts suggest following some basic test-taking rules in the examina-
tion hall.

Read question paper: The first thing you can do with your question paper
is to read it carefully, calmly and patiently.

Divide time: You should divide your 2 hour and 15 minute time according
to your section-wise strengths and weaknesses. Now, make sure what to at-
tempt first and what to leave for the last.

Accuracy: You cannot compromise with accuracy at any cost. Concentrate


and do it carefully. If needed, revise your calculation, etc.

Speed: Time management part has to be totally taken care. You cannot
come out of the examination hall, leaving your paper half-done only because
the time allotted was not enough for you.

Revise: Make sure some time has been left with you after completion of all
the answers to revise them.

Know all about IBPS Clerk


The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts IBPS Clerk to
fill in around 40,000 vacancies (based on vacancies declared in a few previous
years) of Clerical or similar posts in 23 public sector banks across India. The
IBPS Clerk preliminary exam is held tentatively in December and main exam
in January next year.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

According to IBPS PO Selection Process, candidates have to qualify follow-


ing three stages of IBPS PO Exam. They are required to appear in preliminary
exam and secure minimum required marks to get qualified for the main exam.
Candidates, qualifying in the main exam, are called for interview round that is
the final phase of selection process. The candidates, who qualify in the inter-
view round, are appointed in Clerical cadre of any of the participating banks.

The applicants have to get registered themselves in online mode only by


filling in the application form of IBPS Clerk, available online tentatively in
the months of August and September.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Interview:
Javed R Siddique,
director, BSC Academy

W
hy Banking sector is being seen as a lucrative career option by
not only simple graduates but also candidates with diverse pro-
fessional backgrounds ranging from Engineering to Manage-
ment? What are the factors behind the Banking jobs becoming one of the first
most sought after job choices?

In this interview with Careers360, Mr. Javed R Siddique, director at BSC


Academy shares in-depth insight on widening opportunities in banking in-
dustry. He, however, advises candidates to analyze their expectation and
assess their ability before starting preparations for Banking exams. Mr. Sid-
dique, who has over 20 years of experience in education sector, also talks on
key prep elements for bank job aspirants to crack exams announced by State
Bank of India (SBI) Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

“Candidates have to change with the technology


and be tech-savvy as they have to take online papers.
Every year we see some changes in paper pattern. If
concept is clear, a candidate will easily adapt the
changes.”

Interview Excerpts:
Careers360: What is the scope of seeking a career in Banking sector
in the current job scenario?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: Banking sector is one of the fastest growing sec-
tors of Indian economy. For a growing economy like India, which is based on
the concept of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG), need for
sturdy banking system becomes paramount. So, our banks are coming up with
lots of new services – Internet Banking and Mobile Money Transfer, etc. – to
cope up with the growing need. Secondly, government’s financial inclusion
policy mandate to make banking accessible to every village in the country is
giving further push for expansion in the sector.

The best part of this expansion story is that with corporatization of banks,
public sector undertaking banks cannot leg behind in offering the best fa-
cilities to their employees. So, there are enormous opportunities for young
graduates in banking sector jobs.

Careers360: Graduates from diverse set of academic background are


aspiring to day for banking sector jobs. What is the key attraction which
draws applicants from all backgrounds?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: Yes, this is true. Now, not only simple graduates
but also students with engineering and management background are inclin-
ing towards banking jobs.

This sector offers you some of the best facilities – job security, social status
and career growth – which you cannot find collectively in many other sectors.
Along with the scheduled promotions, banks also offer follow merit based
promotion system.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Careers360: How should candidates evaluate their suitability for a


job in the Banking Sector?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: First of all, a candidate who wishes to apply for
banking jobs must have an interest in finance and banking area. He must be
good at public dealing as banks don’t work in isolation. It is consumer centric
operation.

Further, it is not a 10 am to 5 pm kind of job. You have to have a positive


attitude towards work for long hours. Managers have to set goals and targets,
and work towards achievements. You should also bear in mind that the aver-
age basic salary in the sector is around Rs 25,000/- per month which goes up
to around Rs 50,000 when allowances are added.

Careers360: What are the key testing areas for banking job exams?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: Apart from written exams, rigorous interviews
are conducted for different kind of profiles. Now a day, banks examine can-
didates in different test areas including Computer Knowledge and Marketing
Aptitude. Questions are also asked from General Awareness, Current Affairs
apart from high level Reasoning, Mathematical Aptitude and even Data Inter-
pretation questions.

Careers360: How should a candidate mentally prepare himself/her-


self for a career in the Banking sector?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: The candidates, who want to join public sector
banks, should conduct a self-assessment before starting their preparations.
Candidates should go through previous years’ papers and solve 4-5 papers for
their self-assessment. Out of those papers, 2-3 papers can be solved without
considering the time limit and 2-3 with time limit.

There are two types of problems candidates may face – conceptual and
time management. They will understand that what they have to learn and
where they have to practice more. They will also ascertain what to attempt
first and what to attempt last. For example, they will know where they lack in
Mathematics – basic calculation or concept. What is minus point in Reason-
ing – analytical reasoning or common sense reasoning. What is weak point
in English – grammar or comprehension. They will know where they stand in

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

General Awareness and Computer Knowledge.

Careers360: What are the challenges that a student might face while
entering this competitive space of Banking job seekers?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: There are many challenges. Candidates have to
change with the technology and be tech-savvy as they have to take online
papers. Every year we see some changes in paper pattern. If concept is clear, a
candidate will easily adapt the changes. But if concept is not clear, he/she will
not be able to crack the exam even in many attempts. In fact, clear concept is
the key to success in any banking job exam.

The candidates should read newspapers regularly. An English newspaper


reading can help improve their problems with GS, Marketing and English lan-
guage. The idea behind setting a question paper is that the candidates are
Graduate and they must know some basic points. Difficulty level in a bank
exam varies from candidate to candidate. Though generally, 50 percent of
questions are average at difficulty level, 25 percent are above average and
others 25 percent are tough. In my opinion, decent score to clear this round
is around 60 percent.

Banking job is more of a public dealing kind of job. Ability of a candidate


is assessed accordingly in interview round, including how good he/she is at
communicating with people.

Careers360: What is your suggestions and advice to those candidates


who are looking to prepare for banking jobs and wish to build a career
in the banking sector?
Mr. Javed R Siddique: I will advise them to not join a public bank just
because it is a government job. You should have interest in whatever you are
studying during preparation and also in what you have to do after joining.
Be ready for a great exposure, dealing with public and facing different chal-
lenges.

The candidates have to be prepared to be posted anywhere in the country


or abroad. They should bear in mind that there is enough scope to learn and
improve in this sector. There is a lot of competition ahead and you have to do
extremely well in the sector. With these positive thoughts and passion, you
can enter the field and excel.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

Interview:
Hanumant Sabherwal,
director, Smart Prep

W
ith lakhs of candidates applying for Special Officer (SO), Proba-
tionary Officer (PO) and clerical cadres of various public sector
banks every year, competition in this space is getting extremely
stiff. Experts suggest that availability of wide range of job profiles, job secu-
rity in PSU banks and nature of bank jobs continue to attract huge number of
aspirants every year, making the competition tougher.

In this interview with Careers360, Hanumant Sabherwal, director at Smart


Prep coaching, discusses different aspects of banking jobs. He also shares
here various criteria to evaluate a candidate’s suitability for banking indus-
try. He offers tips to aspirants on how to become mentally prepared for the
entry-level challenges in the banking sector jobs and how to crack banking
job exam.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

“Today, amid stiff competition in the job world,


banking comes as a very good career option, which not
only gives you job security, especially in PSU banks,
but also ensures job enrichment and good growth op-
portunities.”

Interview Excerpts:
Careers360: What is the scope of seeking a career in Banking sector
in the current job scenario? How is the sector as compared to other sec-
tors in terms of job opportunity?
Hanumant Sabherwal: Banking as a career has always been seen with
a lot of respect. Today, amid stiff competition in the job world, banking comes
as a very good career option, which not only gives you job security, especially
in PSU banks, but also ensures job enrichment and good growth opportuni-
ties.

With a paradigm shift in the fashion banking is done these days, the sector
holds good opportunities for people from all type of streams and it is no more
restricted to people with knowledge of accounts and finance. As compared to
other sectors, banking gives a steady, secure and growth oriented career path.
Again, when it comes to variety in the job profile, banking has a lot to offer
right from investment banking to treasury, retail, loans, foreign exchange and
many more options.

Careers360: How should candidates evaluate their suitability for a


job in Banking sector?
Hanumant Sabherwal: Most of the bank jobs, announced by Institute
of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and State Bank of India (SBI), are office
jobs and involve good level of public dealing. Anyone who is good at interper-
sonal skills and has good problem-solving ability should think of such jobs.
To work in this field, a person not only needs to have an interest in Accounts
and Finance but also they should have excellent communication skill as they
have to deal directly with public.

Careers360: What is the level of competition in the sector for differ-


ent levels of available job opportunities?
Hanumant Sabherwal: The level of competition in PCU bank jobs is

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

very high and supply of candidates is quite higher than the demand in the
sector. At any level, whether Probationary Officer or Clerk, with lakhs of aspir-
ants applying for few hundred/thousand jobs it becomes extremely tough for
aspirants to crack exams at one go. Many of the candidates try on an average
two to three times to get the coveted job.

Careers360: How should a candidate mentally prepare himself for a


career in banking sector?
Hanumant Sabherwal: With opening up of the economy, there has
been lot of competition in all the sectors such as telecom, insurance, automo-
bile and also in banking. For a great career in banking today what is impor-
tant is that any candidate who wants to be a part of this sector should pos-
sess qualities like good communication skills, interpersonal skills, reasonable
problem-solving ability and familiarity with numbers.

Careers360: What are the challenges that a student might face while
entering this competitive space of Banking job seekers?
Hanumant Sabherwal: Right focus is very important in order to qual-
ify a bank job exam in this tough competition. Once a candidate has made up
his/her mind to be a part of this sector, they should start immediately with
setting up their goals. There are a number of entry-level challenges which
have to be dealt with. Candidates have to find out answers of many certain
questions before starting preparation for a bank job. They should try to know
what the recruitment process is. When to apply? How to apply? What is the
exam pattern? What was the cut-off last time? Which are their weak areas and
where to focus more? In the nutshell, there is a need to have a proper strategy
around the preparation for cracking the exam.

Careers360: What is your suggestions and advice to those candidates


who are looking to prepare for banking jobs and build a career in bank-
ing sector?
Hanumant Sabherwal: These banking job exams are speed and accu-
racy based, so my suggestion to students is that they should first clear there
concepts and then practice questions from previous year papers with a fo-
cus on their speed and accuracy. This practice will definitely help them get
perfection in solving papers and finally cracking a competitive exam in the
banking sector.

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HOW TO CRACK IBPS CLERK EXAM: EXPERTS’ ADVICE

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Thank you for downloading this E-Book.


By now, you may have sketched an overview of the exam.
All the best for your exam!

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