The Evolution of Banking Exams

Number of candidates appearing for these exams has been increasing every year. Consequent to that, we have seen the level of these Banking Exams reach a new high. There were major changes in pattern as well as level of exams conducted by IBPS and SBI this year along with introduction of many new topics. This left many students in quandary. Through this article we will try to throw some light on how this exam has evolved over time and what you may expect in years to come.

Let us have a look at individual sections of the bank exams and how their level varied.

English Language

• Changes in pattern and level of English Section started with SBI PO Mains Exam this year and same trend continued in IBPS PO Mains Exam as well. Not only was the pattern changed as compared to last year, questions from new topic were also introduced this year.
• Vocabulary based questions i.e. Synonyms/ Antonyms were asked separately unlike previous pattern, where they were asked within Reading Comprehension. This was a huge change since identifying the meaning of words this way was a lot tougher and one could attempt such questions only with a good hold over vocab.

• Questions based on fillers were also varied. It was more on lines of Para Completion where you had to identify entire line that would fit most aptly in the given passage. Questions like these can be attempted once you understand the gist of the passage properly.
• Questions related to Odd One Out were asked in IBPS Clerk Mains this year where you had to identify one sentence from the given options that did not follow the context of remaining sentences.
• There was variation in pattern of Para Jumbles as well which were more on the lines of questions asked in CAT exams.
• Questions based on Phrase Starter were also introduced this year where you had to combine the sentences in question by selecting appropriate starter from the option.  

Reasoning Ability

• Lot of variations were introduced in this section as well. Level of Puzzles asked in the question was improved to a great extent and so was their number.
• Pattern of questions asked from Coding - Decoding was also changed. This pattern varied in SBI as well as IBPS PO Exams.
• Pattern of Syllogism was also changed in IBPS PO Mains Exam this year.

Quantitative Aptitude

• Although there were no major changes in pattern of this section, level of this section was raised as compared to last year. Questions were more calculative
• We also saw an increase in the overall number of Miscellaneous Questions asked in quant section this year.

A major concern among students after appearing for these exams is, If it is worth spending so much time and energy on these exams only to face rejection later? We would like to add here that these are still the same competitive exams that you used to prepare for, only revamped with higher levels. What you need to understand now is that preparation for Banking Exams is no longer a 1-2 month affair, it needs consistent practice and dedication. In order to own such a lucrative package, you need to give in a lot.

Here are a few pointers that you should keep in mind for upcoming bank exams this year -

• Enthusiasm for preparation usually dies out after a few days. Do not let this happen. Dedicate time and efforts to your preparation on a regular basis. Give yourself a break once a week but do not slack on other days.
• Try to form a timetable for yourself but make sure it does not merely decorate your study table. Follow it on a regular basis.
• Another thing that you need to work on is ‘Continuous Self Evaluation’. For this, first and foremost, go through the topics of different sections and try to identify your strong and weak areas. This is imperative because  once you analyse them, you can work on them accordingly. This should be a continuous process. Try to check your performance on a weekly basis and keep analyzing how you have been performing.
• We post quizzes for different sections on a regular basis. These are based on new as well as existing pattern. Make sure you attempt all the quizzes on a regular basis. This is hardly a 1-1.5 hour exercise. This will help you stay in touch with all the sections on a regular basis as well as with your continuous self evaluation. Links for all the quizzes posted throughout the day are uploaded in the Review of the Day section as well. Make sure you attempt the quiz from that in case you miss out on any quiz in the day.

Gradeup team is here to help you with this. We have already revamped and improved the level of our quizzes and have aligned it in lines with the new pattern and will keep doing so in future. We request you to go through Quant, Reasoning and English quizzes posted  by us in last 3 days and give your feedback. We'll be happy to know more about it.. But this does not render the old pattern obsolete. You’ll come across questions from that pattern as well. So, do not ignore that section in your preparation. Remember, this is supposed to be a two way exercise. If you come across any problem, let us know, we'll sort it out for you. 

Let this year be the year of new beginnings. Start afresh. Prepare well. You cannot expect to excel if you are not ready to make efforts. Remember,

Difficult Roads often lead to Beautiful Destinations.

So, give your best this year and promise yourself that you will not face rejection now. Work hard and smart and it will definitely pay off..!!

All the best for your exams..

Team Gradeup..!!