- Reasoning Ability (35 marks)
- Numerical ability (35 marks)
- English language section (30 marks)
The duration of the test is 60 minutes. Here are some last-minute section-wise prep tips that will make it easy for candidates to ace the exam.
English Language
Though the English Language segment within the IBPS Clerk Prelims assessment is mostly easy to moderate, candidates find it difficult due to their poor grammatical skills and inadequate vocabulary. Following these tips will boost your scores for sure.
- Focus on improving your vocabulary and grammar knowledge. In grammar, pay attention to Active and Passive Voice, Subject-Verb Agreement as well as Tenses, Direct & Indirect Speech.
- Practising comprehension and reading every day will improve your vocabulary and wordsmithing skills, enabling you to choose judiciously the most significant pointers, structuring and sequencing of information.
- Creating a list of commonly confused words and phrases can also be a helpful preparation strategy, particularly for sentence-incorrect questions.
- Master the art of choosing the most appropriate word or phrase by carefully considering the context of the sentence.
- If you aim to excel in this section, learn idioms and phrases, rather than isolated words. Pay close attention to the meaning and usage of idioms. Incorporating idiomatic expressions into your daily writing and speaking practice can further solidify your grasp of this aspect of the exam.
Reasoning ability
Here, the key topics to focus on are Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Input-output, Syllogism, Order and Ranking, Odd One Out, Data Sufficiency, Direction Sense, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations.
- Analyse the puzzles carefully and go through the clues carefully. That’s the key. Also, organise the information in grids as well as timeline formats.
- Syllogism problems call for analyzing statements to determine the validity of conclusions drawn from them. Utilizing Venn diagrams when necessary will be a good idea.
- When encountering odd one-out problems, identify the element that doesn’t conform to the established pattern. Look for unique characteristics or properties that set it apart from the others.
Numerical Ability
The numerical ability section plays a pivotal role in assessing candidates’ mathematical and statistical skills. The most common topics to focus on include Number Series, Quadratic Equation, Simplification Questions, and Data Interpretation.
- Practise mental calculations, particularly for basic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This will save time during examination.
- Focus on percentages, as they appear frequently. Practising the conversion of percentages to fractions and decimals is recommended, as this skill aids in simplification and approximation problem-solving.
- Practise identifying patterns, particularly common arithmetic or geometric progressions.
- Start with simpler ones in case of questions on equations and progress towards more complex ones gradually. Gaining confidence in this process is crucial for success in handling number series questions.