• Written By Pritam G
  • Last Modified 27-09-2023

How to Crack SBI PO in First Attempt: Tips by Experts

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How To Crack SBI PO In First Attempt: The State Bank of India will soon release the SBI PO Recruitment 2022 notification on its official website, sbi.co.in. The details of the SBI PO vacancies will also be announced along with the notification. The selection process will be conducted through 3 stages, Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. Candidates often get confused and ask how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt.

The competition is relatively high as thousands of candidates appear in the exam every year, and they need the expert’s strategy for SBI PO Preparation. If you are serious about exam preparation and looking for 20 simple tips to crack bank exams on the first attempt, read this article till the end of the page. Here you’ll find 186 tips to clear SBI PO. Read this article to know how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt.

Experts Strategy for SBI PO Preparation: Overview

Before getting into the details on how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt, or Tips & Tricks to crack the IBPS PO exam in first attempt, let us have a quick look at the exam:

ExamSBI Probationary Officer Exam
Conducting BodyState Bank of India
VacanciesTo Be Announced
Job LocationAcross India
Exam ModeOnline (For both Prelims and Mains)
Stages1. Preliminary
2. Mains
3. Group Discussion & Personal Interview
Type of QuestionsObjective (MCQs) in Prelims
Both Objective and Descriptive in Mains
Level of DifficultyEasy to Moderate
SBI PO Prelims Exam DateTo Be Announced
SBI PO Mains Exam DateTo Be Announced
Official Websitesbi.co.in

Now that you have an idea about the exam, let’s get into the detailed study plan on how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt.

How To Crack SBI PO In First Attempt: Detailed Study Plan

Let us look into the complete study plan on how to study to crack SBI PO 2021 in the first attempt:

1. 20 Simple Tips To Crack Bank Exams In First Attempt: Check Exam Pattern

The first thing while preparing for this exam is to go through the entire SBI PO exam pattern. You must have a clear idea about the sections, the number of questions in each section, time duration, and marking scheme for each of the stages in SBI PO Prelims and Mains exam. This will be quite useful in your preparation.

SBI PO 2021 will be conducted in three stages. You can find the details of each stage below:

  1. SBI PO Prelims: SBI PO Prelims have three sections (English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability) of 20 minutes each. Every question carries 1 mark. Moreover, there is a deduction of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.
  2. SBI PO Mains: The Prelims stage is qualifying in nature. Candidates who successfully clear the Prelims will appear for the SBI PO Mains exam. This stage comprises two sections – Objective and Descriptive. The objective paper is for 200 marks, while the descriptive paper will be 50 marks. The exam mode for both sections is online.
  3. Group Exercises/Interview Test: The shortlisted candidates will then be called for the Final Interview round. The group exercises and interviews separately constitute 20 and 30 marks, respectively.

2. Be Thorough With The Syllabus

The next thing to do is to go through the latest and updated SBI PO syllabus for each section – Prelims and Mains. Remember, you have to prepare for SBI PO Prelims and Mains simultaneously. This is because, for example, certain sections are common to both Prelims and Mains, and the syllabus for those sections is somewhat the same. However, the type of questions might be a little different. Therefore, you must keep this in mind and prepare accordingly. You can utilize this time as the exam dates are yet to be announced.

To start your preparation, you must know the syllabus & important topics.

Detailed Syllabus:

English LanguageReading Comprehension, Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement, Cloze Test, Sentence Correction, Error Detection, FIllers, Vocabulary, Paragraph Completion, Sentence Connector, Match the column
Quantitative AptitudeNumber Series, Simplification, Approximation, Quadratic Equation / Mathematical Inequalities, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Miscellaneous(Profit & Loss,  %,  Time & Work,  Time Speed and Distance,  Ratio,  Partnership,  etc.)
Reasoning AbilityHigh-Level Seating Arrangement & Puzzles, Coding-Decoding, Coding Inequality, Syllogism, Series (Numeric,  Alphabetic,  Symbolic), Input-Output, Miscellaneous (Direction Sense,  Blood Relation,  Order,  and Ranking,  etc.), Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning (Inferences,  Assumptions,  Arguments,  Conclusions,  Course of Action,  Cause & Effect,  etc.), Computer Aptitude
General AwarenessCurrent Affairs of the last 9 months, Imp. news related to Banking Awareness in the last 9 months, Static Awareness, History of SBI, Important Banking Terms

3. Schedule A Timetable

Now that you know about the exam pattern and syllabus of the SBI PO exam, you need to create a realistic timetable based on your needs and convenience. This means that you have to allocate time for each section as per your weak areas. Moreover, you must have separate time slots for:

  • a) Learning new concepts
  • b) Revising old concepts
  • c) Solving practice questions
  • d) Taking SBI PO mock tests

4. Learn The Basics

As you will find out, the SBI PO syllabus is quite easy. You will be tempted to directly start practising. But remember, it is always better to start off from the basics. The basic concepts are the foundation elements of your preparation which will help you not to get stuck in the middle. Therefore, during the time that you have allocated for learning new concepts (for every section), ensure you read and understand the theory behind it as well.

For example, brush up on the rules of English grammar for a particular concept (or concepts), say ‘Subject-Verb Agreement’, or ‘Direct and Indirect Speech’ during the time allocated to learn new concepts in the English language section. Then go through the examples. This will help you clear your concepts properly and then solving questions will be easier. You can also make notes of important points, like formulas, various rules, steps to solve problems, etc. as you understand the concepts.

5. Practice With Commitment

Every time you finish understanding a concept, solve practice questions for them during the time allocated for solving practice questions. Even if a certain concept is very easy, you need to practice it diligently so that you master the application skill. Start off with the easy ones. Then move on to more difficult questions. mark the questions that you find difficult or get incorrect. Revise/practice them later.

6. Cultivate Reading And Writing Habits

Read English newspapers and books regularly. This is very important, especially for General Awareness, English Language and the descriptive test of the SBI PO exam. Pay more attention to social, economic, cultural, financial, and banking-related articles. Make notes of important points and learn the meaning and usage of new words. Even for the Computer Aptitude section, you need to read a lot.

7. Make A Notes:

Making notes helps in retaining concepts, formulas and shortcut techniques in memory. It also develops your thought process as a reflex and serves as a guide for last-minute revision. It is also extremely time-saving. Notes making saves you the time of going back to the study material and reading everything all over again. Notes contain the most important points that you need to remember for the exam, in an orderly manner, which makes it easier to revise.

8. Attend Coaching Classes

When you have no idea about the exam, It is suggested to go for coaching classes. In a coaching institute, experienced professionals will be there who are very familiar with the tricks that are very helpful for the Bank Examination. Opting to prepare from the coaching centre can also help the candidate as these coaching centres have a long term/short term/ crash course, in which the candidates are trained with a frequent pattern of questions, shortcuts and tricks for solving the bank exams question papers with speed and accuracy.

9. Analyze & Practice Previous Year Exam Papers

Go through the SBI PO previous year’s question papers and analyse the exam strategy that has been followed all these years.

a) Attempt those papers, check your score, analyze where you stand and then start working on your performance. 

b) Sometimes, the aspirant thinks that he is having enough knowledge on a particular topic. But attempting the questions in a particular time frame with accuracy is not very easy. It will come with regular practice.

c) So, practising papers help you figure out the list of topics you need to understand and clear the basics, Increase speed and accuracy, Start from scratch.

10. Take Mock Tests

Taking SBI PO Mock Tests on a regular basis, and especially after the completion of the full syllabus, is highly important.

  • a) This will give you an idea about the nature of the questions asked in the exam and then you can prepare accordingly.
  • b) Also, you will get to know where you stand and how much you are likely to get in the actual exam. You can then work on weak concepts and improve on them. Analyzing your paper after every test and identifying your strengths and weaknesses is very important.
  • c) Taking mock tests also helps in getting used to the pressure of taking the exam.

11. Read News Paper Daily

Newspaper reading is an essential component of any bank and government examination preparation. In fact, Reading newspapers on a daily basis is an important part of the preparation for the bank examination. Newspaper reading mainly helps a lot in dealing with two sections for the exams which are General Awareness and English Language.

12. Improve Your Test-Taking Skills

Test-taking skills weights the max and candidates just cannot ignore this aspect of preparation. Even if your concepts are clear, you will not be able to convert your knowledge into marks unless you have a proper and effective strategy to take the exam. Two of the most important aspects of a smart test-taking strategy are:

  • a) Time management
  • b) Question selection

As you can see in the SBI PO exam pattern, you have to answer 100 questions in 1 hour (60 mins) in Prelims and 155 objective questions in 3 hours in Mains. Also, for each of the phases of the exams, the sections are separately timed. So, you need to be quick as Flash to clear this sort of exam. For this, you must master the skill to select the right questions and then answer them within the right amount of time. You must work on them as you practice and take tests. Remember, you shouldn’t try to attempt all the questions. Also, spending too much or too little time on any question is not at all recommended.

How To Crack SBI PO In First Attempt: Important FAQs

Let’s look at the important FAQs answered by a lot of candidates:

Q.1: Can I crack the bank exam on the first attempt?
Ans: Clearing the bank exams on the first attempt is not a myth, so many candidates had cracked the exam in their first attempt. To crack the upcoming bank exams on the first attempt, candidates need to have a full preparation strategy that will help them to sail through the competition.

Q.2: How can I prepare SBI PO without coaching?
Ans:
Learn & analyze the syllabus and exam pattern. Go through previous exams’ papers, Identify your weakness and work on them. Give proper time for study, practice and revision. Follow the Study plan & preparation strategy mentioned in the above article.

Q.3: Where can I attempt mock tests for SBI PO?
Ans:
You can attempt a SBI PO Mock Test at Embibe.

Q.4: When can I apply for the SBI PO 2021?
Ans:
You can apply for SBI PO 2021 as soon as the Notification is released. You can expect it to be released in July 2021.

Q.5: Is there a sectional cut-off for SBI PO Exam 2021?
Ans:
As per the new exam pattern, SBI has removed sectional cut off for both prelims and mains exam. However, there will be an Overall Cut Off.

With Embibe, you can sequentially level up your preparation by opting for Advanced Feedback Analysis. This will help you improve your time management as well as other test-taking skills. This way you can work on them and improve.

We hope this detailed article on how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt helps you. If you have any queries or doubts regarding how to crack SBI PO in the first attempt, ping us in the comment section provided below. We will answer all your questions at the earliest.

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