Banking is one of the most sought-after employment sectors in India. Banking jobs, especially the Probationary Officer (PO), have emerged as the most desired career option. The SBI PO test is the gateway to the banking industry’s managerial cadre. Therefore, to fully comprehend the exam, bank PO aspirants should begin preparing for the exam during their undergraduate years.
To simplify your preparation, here are five invaluable tips for cracking the SBI Probationary Officer exam. Read on!
Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Research the syllabus for SBI PO and then look at the sample questions from previous years to learn more about the exam pattern. The objective and descriptive tests are typically the two portions of the written tests for the bank PO exam. The objective test has four sections- an English language test, a Numerical ability test, a Reasoning test, and a General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness aptitude test. The descriptive test requires candidates to produce essay-length responses on current events. The candidates who qualify for the SBI PO Mains exam and descriptive test are then called for a group discussion and an interview. The selection of an individual solely depends on the marks obtained in the mains and descriptive test and interview.
Preparation for the exam
Candidates aspiring for the SBI PO exam should be proficient in mathematics through Class X. For this purpose, the candidate should study NCERT books or a reputable postal course from any institute. To hasten the process, prepare and focus on using mental calculations to answer problems. Further, the reasoning portion must be thoroughly practised to pass the sectional cut-off. The applicant should also focus on their English proficiency and excellent vocabulary, tested through comprehension questions, fill-in-the-blanks, antonyms, and synonyms, among other formats. The General Awareness portion can be quickly and readily prepared by making it a habit to read a national newspaper carefully every day.
Time management
Besides effort and determination, time management skill is the secret to passing the SBI PO Exam’s entry-level test. One should be able to plan their time by concentrating on the simpler subjects first and then moving on to the more difficult ones. A candidate should try the simpler sections, such as general awareness or marketing aptitude, to ensure you have sufficient time left for complex sections like reasoning and quantitative aptitude. The right time management strategy is the key to success because you will be required to attempt 225 questions in 135 minutes. This means that a candidate can only spend 36 seconds on each question. Try answering 175–185 questions with 90% accuracy to get closer to your goal. You can do this by signing up for an online, offline, or home-based test series and practising at least one test daily.
Leave doubtful questions
Whether attempting the actual exam or the mock tests, never hesitate to leave the doubtful question. You should only try responses in which you are confident rather than questions about which you are uncertain. This is crucial because there is a negative mark in the SBI PO examination, which means that your 0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer. Applying negative markings to examinations will reduce the ratio of correct answers to incorrect ones. One can only get practical knowledge of this thing by solving multiple mock tests, practice sets, or previous year question papers.
Understand Banking Laws
A bank PO candidate should be familiar with SEBI and its regulations and other banking regulations. Candidate knowledge of banking rules and regulations will be checked through the Banking awareness section and during the interview. In the General Awareness section, a significant chunk of questions will be asked from the Banking industry. Therefore, the syllabus for SBI PO includes banking information like repo rate, reverse repo rate and bank’s static affairs like major organisations/ banks, their taglines, headquarters, and more. So you should be familiar with various banking terminologies, procedures, current rates and rules used in the banking industry.