India’s employment landscape is undergoing a metamorphosis. Public sector bank jobs are once again emerging as coveted career options and simultaneously, evolving as one of the top recruiters of fresh graduates in the country. With high social acceptance for these jobs and good payscales, it is not without reason that there is a huge demand for them. Incidentally, over 60,000 new vacancies are advertised annually and several applicants vie for seats. The selection process is through competitive exams conducted by the Indian Banking Personnel Selection Board (IBPS) and the State Bank of India (SBI).
These bank exams are not tough. They test quantitative, reasoning and verbal abilities along with general awareness of the individual. The syllabus does not cover topics which one learns in school. In spite of this, owing to the competition, it is increasingly difficult to crack these exams.
Over the last four years, having reached out to numerous bank job aspirants, I have interacted virtually with 8,00,000 aspirants in a quest to provide free content for preparation. Here are some myths that aspirants believe hinder preparation for such exams.
I know these topics and need no preparation
The biggest challenge in bank exams is that the syllabus is simple — a class X student will think that he or she knows it all. However, one should understand that such exams are about speed, accuracy and competitive performance. If accuracy alone is required, any bank exam can be solved by an individual in six to ten hours. However, the key is to do so in the given time and be better than others who are attempting the exam with qualifications and aptitude similar to yours. This requires a lot of preparation and practise in order to boost your score.
If I can learn shortcuts I will succeed
In the mathematics section, the first thing a student seeks is shortcuts to remember formulae. Today, thanks to the Internet, most people know many common shortcuts. However, one who succeeds knows thebasics and can solve questions using fundamental concepts without having to fully depend on shortcuts.
The more I practise the better I will become
Practice makes a person perfect. However, when a graduate is on the lookout for a bank job, it is by practice that one solves even simple calculations. It is by habit that he or she starts solving every question without deciding whether or not it makes sense to attempt or skip a particular question. Many students practise hard but with the wrong approach and therefore, flounder. If they were willing to practise the right way, their hard work will make it easier for them to score more.
I need to answer all the questions
Scoring more is definitely the key. This means, one needs to correctly answer as many questions as possible. But with negative marking involved, it is equally important to decide which questions to attempt and which to skip. The ability to identify and skip questions which are time consuming and have a low probability solution plays a key role in boosting one’s score. One should focus on solving easier questions.
I need to surpass last year’s cut-off marks
Much like in sports where one can have a previous record as a reference for preparation and goals, in bank exams, the cut-off has become a rage among aspirants. However, it is a misplaced notion that one needs to work on achieving more than the previous year’s cut-off. In bank exams, the cut-off is not pre-decided, it is calculated based on the marks secured by all students across different sections, with respect to the number of vacancies. The cut-off is not in one’s control.
The writer is Senior aptitude trainer, TalentSprint
