Wednesday, September 30, 2015
As is the case for every examination or test, eleventh hour preparation is vital to the preparation of the SBI PO recruitment exam. With SBI introducing a Prelim paper this year, 2015 is set to be the most competitive of all the years. Some 15-20 lakh aspirants will be taking this exam over the four weekend days starting 20th June. Here are just a few last minute tips for SBI PO to follow before the big day to boost your preparation.
- Go through the syllabus and make sure you haven’t missed anything:
Students often leave out topics that they think are difficult. While this strategy is alright if you started your exam prep late, it is of vital importance that you at least glance through every topic. Try and look at the rules, formulae and tips of the topics and chapters you left out, and solve a couple of questions from each of them without delving too deeply in any of them.
- Go through the exam pattern and allocate time to each section:
Time management is of utmost importance when trying to crack a brief but lengthy paper like the SBI PO Prelim. By now you must have assessed which are your strong and weak topics and sections. Ensure that you allocate the required amount of time to each section so that you clear the sectional cut-offs. Start with whichever section you are most comfortable with and allocate a little less than a third of your time there. And then move on to the section where you have prepared thoroughly for and spend enough time to ensure that you have solved at least 2/3rd of the questions in that section. Then move to the difficult section and try and tackle as many as possible really quickly. Make sure that you know how much time to allocate to each questions.
- Beware of negative marking during the exam:
The SBI PO Prelim examination deducts 1/4th of the total marks allocated to each question if you answer it incorrectly. Considering the fact that there is a lot of competition, you should first answer questions you are completely sure of. Then move on to questions that you can take a good guess at.
- Solve a few Mock Test papers and analyse your mistakes and weaknesses:
It is important to get into the test rhythm. Since the PO Prelim paper is only an hour long in duration, you can easily solve a few mock test papers before the actual exam. But it is not enough to simply solve papers. An equally vital part is analysing your mistakes. Find the weaknesses that you can easily rectify. Also find the silly mistakes you make and figure out how you made them so you don’t do it again.
- Divide your attention between every section:
Students often make the mistake of revising only the easiest or the most difficult topics and sections before the exam. It is important to revise every section and every chapter.
- Write down every formula and rule in your syllabus:
You may think you know all the formulae and rules in your head, but it is important to write them down and practise. Visualizing them, the process of writing them down and seeing them written down in your own handwriting is scientifically proven to improve retention. Making a topic-wise list of formulae and a last minute revision of them is also a good idea.
- Go through your notes and important questions:
During your time of preparation, you are sure to have bookmarked or starred questions you thought were important or difficult or tricky. Make sure to go through these before the exam. Also, your hand-written notes are more valuable than any textbook because it is personalized to suit your requirements.
- Be prepared with everything:
Ensure you have your admit card ready and safe in a water-proof cover. And as obvious as it might sound, it is also essential to keep pens, pencils, erasers and whatever else is required for the exam. You also don’t want any panic or mental distraction on the day of the exam. Thus it’s best to visit you exam center in advance and familiarize yourself with the routes and the surroundings. Calculate the time it takes to reach the center, and plan your trip on the final day accordingly. Usually, arriving 1-2 hours before the exam gives you enough time to check your hall and seat numbers and to make your way to your seat and to give yourself some buffer in case you have forgotten something.
- Maintain a peaceful environment and confidence:
In the final few hours, mental calm and peace is important than cramming the entire syllabus. Remember that being confident but knowing slightly less gets you ‘more’ marks than knowing a lot but having no confidence. And confidence comes from avoiding panic and distractions. Also, take a 10-minute break after every 50 minutes of studying. Very ling stretches of studying don’t aid in last minute memorization.
- Get enough sleep and good food:
Don’t try to pull an all-nighter before the paper. You need to be alert during the actual paper and cannot afford to do so if you are still drowsy because you spent all of the previous night cramming. Also, make sure you don’t eat out before the exam. An upset stomach during the rains is the last thing you need while attempting the SBI PO exam.
Follow these tips and ensure success in your SBI PO Prelim 2015 paper. Good luck to you all from Scopian!
