Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the exam for the post of Probationary Officer in various banks. Once selected, candidates are trained and there is probation of 2 years, hence the name probationary officer. The exam is held in three stages, Preliminary, Mains and Interview.
IBPS PO Preliminary Exam Pattern 2019
The IBPS PO preliminary examination will be conducted online and candidates are allocated a total duration of 1 hour to complete the preliminary exam. It consists of 3 sections with a total of 100 questions and a maximum score of 100 marks. There is negative marking in IBPS PO preliminary exam and 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer attempted by a candidate. It is necessary to clear the cut-off in all 3 sections to qualify for the IBPS PO Main exam.
| S.No. | Name of Tests(Objective | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2019
Last year, IBPS PO Mains Exam encountered quite a number of changes. It includes the introduction of a Descriptive Paper. An essay and a letter will be given to candidates to write that will constitute of 25 marks and that has to be completed in a time span of 30 minutes.
• The overall time allotted for IBPS PO 2019 Mains Exam has also been changed from 140 minutes to 180 minutes.
| Sr. No. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Medium of Examination | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | English & Hindi | 60 minutes |
| 2 | English Language | 35 | 40 | English only | 40 minutes |
| 3 | Data Analysis and Interpretation | 35 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
| 4 | General, Economy/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 35 minutes |
| English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) | 2 | 25 | English | 30 Minutes |
Practical tips to ace IBPS PO Examination:
Prepare a time table: A self-made time table focusses on the topics you need to spend more time on and the topics you are good at. This time table will help you maintain a balance between study and rest as too much studying can be often counter. Identify the important sections and your areas of weakness. To keep yourself motivated, break the problems into achievable tasks, and test yourself regularly.
Prepare formula sheet: The first thing you will be looking at when you start preparing for the day is this formula sheet. Write down all the formula you have trouble remembering. One of the most efficient ways to save time and energy is to memorize by using short notes. You can refer to this sheet whenever you solve problems.
Previous years’ papers: Attempt previous year’s papers during the time of the day when you are going to give the actual paper. This will help you analyze how your brain works during that time. It also pushes the brain to concentrate more. Solving previous years’ question papers can help you understand what to expect, and if you attempt them analytically, you will be able to find a way that helps you give your best in the exams.
Consistency is the key to success
Study regularly: The above is an old but a true adage. Last-minute cramming never helped anyone. Studying regularly allows you to finish the syllabus early and concentrate on solving mock papers and revise the topics.
Interleaving: At the end of a topic, not only should you solve topic wise tests, but also mix up questions from different sections. Solving one type of question for some time trains the brain to think in that particular direction for a long time. But this is not how you are tested in the exam. Studies have shown that few students who have done extraordinarily well in the unit tests have performed badly in the cumulative tests.
Space out: Instead of spending long on one topic, space it out evenly on different days of the week. This means, say if you are solving questions on probability, spend 2 hours a day on it. After this, change the subject and go for Logical Reasoning. This way you won’t get bored with the subjects and this also helps your brain stay attentive.
