How to prepare for SBI PO Main Exam

The SBI PO Exam is one of the most pursued exams of our country with lakhs of students preparing every year religiously for it. As you must be aware that the exam is conducted at three different stages wherein every stage is a qualifying stage leading to the next one. If you pass all three stages namely prelims, mains, and the final interview, you will qualify to get the reputed job of an SBI PO.

As you begin your preparation for the Preliminary exam, make sure that you are preparing for the main exam in parallel. This way you will get the required preparation time for the main exam and your preparation for prelims will also be solid.  The main exam is longer than the preliminary exam and contains more sections and is at a slightly higher difficulty level than the prelims.

Here are some essential things to keep in mind while preparing for the main SBI PO Exam.

The need for planning: 

Planning is the first and most important stage that will determine how your preparation goes and eventually the outcome of your result. If you plan each day well, you will be able to crack the main exams. To have a good plan, you need to have knowledge about a few things; the exam pattern, syllabus, time left for the exams, and your current level of knowledge.  Keep all of these things in mind and devise a study plan. Start early and prepare for main exams along with preliminary exam preparation. Ideally, you should prepare for a year to give the SBI PO Exam with full preparation and confidence. You will need to study 6-7 hours every day scrupulously. However, if you are trying to attempt the exam with 2-3 months of preparation, you need to spend 10-12 hours daily to achieve the required results.

The need to practice: 

SBI PO Exam tests your time management skills and the level of accuracy to its limit. Hence you need to have a rigorous practice of every topic for the exam. You also need to practice weekly mock tests a few months before exams. As the exam approaches closer, you must give mock tests daily and analyze yourself under a magnifying lens. You must improve with each passing mock test. See more on this page to utilise credible online resources that offer mock details and previous years' questions papers with detailed solutions and analysis.

The need to be consistent:

If you are determined to crack the SBI PO Exam, you must be consistent in your studies. Persevering with consistency is the only way for you to stay on top of your game for the SBI PO Main exam. You must be consistent each day with your time and studies. Get rid of all the distractions and focus on your goal. Nothing in life comes easy and SBI PO exams most certainly won't.

The need to have the right resources: 

Another important thing that can make a ton of difference in your preparation is having the right set of resources at your convenience. These can be good and trusted books like  Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma, Quantitative Aptitude, and Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal. For Banking and General Awareness, you can use R Gupta's book. Wren and Martin is a well-recognized book for grammar. Also, these days you can find several online resources that are not only credible but update you every day with the latest information and assistance for your exam. So do good research and choose wisely.

The need to have a smart section-wise strategy:

Everyone will tell you that you need to have a good strategy to solve each section of the main question paper. For this, you need to familiarize yourself with each topic of every section of the exam. You must also understand your strong and weak areas. For some people, English is their weakness, while for others, the reasoning section can be their Achilles heel. So you should know which areas you need to work harder on. But every section's preparation should be given its due. Some general tips are to inculcate a daily habit of reading books and newspapers, solve daily puzzles, practice using shortcuts for problems, etc.   You must practice writing on the computer for your descriptive paper. The descriptive paper can help you score well if you have the practice of writing well-structured essays and letters without any grammatical mistakes. During exams, you must see to it that for every section, you start with questions that are less time-consuming as every section has a cut-off time. For instance, for the Quant section, do the word problems later, as you would need time to read every problem carefully. Do the questions that can be done quickly and then come back later to time-consuming questions.

The need for self-assessment:

You must also devise a self-assessment plan. As you complete a certain topic, revise it well, and practice its questions, analyze how much you have done. Moreover, the practise of mock tests should be done in all seriousness. You must devote at least 1.5 hours after every mock test to analyze your performance. Maintain a record book to note down the progress you make with every mock test. You must analyze your speed, accuracy, and problem areas after each mock test. Make sure that with each passing day your score and time management only improves. You cannot afford to let your performance deteriorate.

The need to be confident:

Lastly, you need to be confident while giving the exam. This can only come if you have adequate preparation with your syllabus and enough practice with the mock tests. Also while answering questions in examination, only answer the questions that you are absolutely confident with. Since there is negative marking, avoid guesswork.

These tips can help you only so long as you keep them in mind and follow them diligently. Having a plan is not enough if you do not have the determination to stick to it. What you do at the preparatory stage is what will determine the outcome of your exam. So use your preparation time well and you can most certainly pass the SBI PO Main exam.

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