How can working professionals crack IBPS Clerk 2017 Exam

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the IBPS Clerk Exam in two phases- Preliminary and Main. The Preliminary exam is scheduled to be held on 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th December 2017 and the Main exam on January 21, 2018.Government jobs are preferred job option among lot of people due tothe job security, better retirement benefits and perks it offers and because of these benefits the number of working professionals aspiring for IBPS Clerk Exam is rising significantly every year. Working professionals, unlike others, have less time to prepare for the exam, so here are some tips and tricks to crack the IBPS clerk 2017 exam if you are a working professional.

Understand Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Candidates aspiring for the IBPS Clerk Exam should first understand the exam that you are preparing for. You should be fully aware of the exam pattern and syllabus.

·         Preliminary Exam Pattern

Preliminary Exam consists of 3 sections- English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability. There are total 100 questions and the total duration of the exam is 1 hour.Only those who qualify in the Prelims exam are eligible for the Mains Exam.

Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
English Language	30	30	1 hr
Numerical Ability	35	35
Reasoning Ability	35	35
Total	100	100

Working professionals should focus more on IBPS Clerk Mock Test.

·         Mains Exam Pattern

The Main exam is of 2 hours and 40 minutes duration and consists of 190 questions.  There will be negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer for both Prelim and Main exam.

Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
General/ Financial Awareness	50	50	35 Minutes
English Language	40	40	35 Minutes
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude	50	60	45 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	45 Minutes
Total	190	200	160 Minutes

Study Material

Going for regular coaching will be tough for a working professional so get the right books and study materials. For your preparation, collect both online and offline study material for each section based on the syllabus. Do make notes of basic concepts, important formulas and tricks and revise them whenever you get some free time during office hours.

 

Time Management

Time Management is really important if you are a working professional and preparing for the IBPS Clerk Exam.  A full-time job is very demanding and may consume 8-10 hours of your daily schedule, so make sure you manage your study time productively. Follow a strict schedule and decide how much time is to be given to studies and how much time for rest of the daily activities.

Study Plan

Candidates should make a study plan based on the daily schedule. Try to devote two hours daily and seven to eight hours on weekends. On weekends, dedicate more hours for the topics that you are weak at. Start with the basic concepts first. Try to make time in between your office hours and attempt quizzes or read English newspaper, magazines and online blogs to improve your English Vocabulary and General Knowledge.

Practice mock tests

Attempt Mock Test to get an idea of the exam pattern, type of questions asked and also to identify your level of preparation. Identify your weaker areas based on your performance. You can also attempt IBPS Clerk Practice Papers for the exam preparation as it guides you to attempt the maximum number of questions within the stipulated time. Once you have a clear picture of where you stand in different sections, you can focus accordingly on your strong and weak areas.

Take few days off before the exam

Candidates should remember to opt for a few days leave from office just before the exam, so that you can revise all the topics well. Also, do not get stressed and have good rest before the exam.

Working professionals preparing for the exam, make sure you set a goal before starting your preparations. Be determined to clear the exam and do not skip on a single day of study. Remember if you are working professional, you need to go that extra mile to achieve what you have aimed for. Last but most importantly, be sincere with your studies. 

Best of Luck!