How to Prepare for the IBPS PO Exam: A Complete Guide!

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At the end of this blog, you are going to be a step ahead in the journey of becoming a Bank PO. This blog is about Exam Preparation tips to crack the upcoming IBPS PO Exam. So, don’t miss out on anything, and keep reading this blog till the end. 

IBPS PO is an exam conducted by IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection). It is a central recruitment agency that conducts competitive exams for various Public sector banks that include regional and nationalised banks both.   

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IBPS PO exam is the best way to enter public sector banks and start your career in the banking industry. But the journey to get there comes with numerous challenges that every aspirant has to face. This can only be possible with the right guidance. Therefore, at ixamBee, we never hold ourselves back to help and guide students in the right way for the respective exam. This blog is going to help you in getting a better understanding of what the IBPS PO exam is all about. How to study, what to study, and everything you should know.

Significance of IBPS PO Exam 2023 

Every year, millions of students appear for IBPS PO Exam and perform to their best ability.  Nearly 5 lakh students appeared for IBPS PO 2022 Exam. You can easily understand from this figure how much desire is there among students to become a Bank PO. This year the IBPS PO Exam 2023 notification is expected to be released in August. As per the annual calendar of 2023 released by IBPS, the tentative date for the Prelims exams is September 23, 2023. Overall, 11 nationalized banks participate in the IBPS PO recruitment process except for SBI. However, the exam pattern of IBPS PO and SBI PO is almost the same. There is only a slight difference in the marking allocation in their Mains exam pattern. 

Before we begin with the preparation tips for the IBPS PO exam, let’s head to the IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2023 first,

IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2023 

IBPS PO comprises three stages of recruitment, Prelims, Mains, and Interview round. Candidates have to qualify for all the stages in order to get selected for the job of a Bank Probationary Officer. Also, you need to keep in mind that the final merit includes 20% marks for phase 2 and 80% marks for the final interview.  This means the final merit list won’t be the sole result of your interview but an addition of the mains exam and the final interview. 

Refer to the below table for the IBPS PO exam pattern 2023 

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern

Name of TestsNumber of QuestionsMaximum MarksMedium of ExamDuration (Separate time allotted for each section)
English Language 3030English20 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude 3535English and Hindi20 Minutes
Reasoning Ability 3535English and Hindi`20 Minutes
Total 100100

IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 

Name of Test Number of Questions Maximum MarksMedium of Exam Duration (Separate time for each section)
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude 4560English and Hindi60 Minutes 
General/ Economy/ Banking 4040English and Hindi 35 Minutes
English Language 3540English40 Minutes
Data Analysis & Interpretation 3560English and Hindi45 Minutes
Total 1552003 Hours
English Language (Letter Writing & Essay)25English30 Minutes

Your performance in the exam depends on your preparation. So, it becomes all the more important for you to strengthen your preparation by taking the right guidance from experienced mentors. You can find those experts at ixamBee. 

At ixamBee, we have a team of subject matter specialists, having industrial experience of more than 12 to 15 years. If you are seeking guidance from the right mentor, then you are at the place, and you can end your search right here. 

Now, let’s look at some preparation tips for the IBPS PO Exam 2023 that will help you throughout the recruitment process including Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. 

Tips for preparation for IBPS PO exam 2023

Planning 

Proper planning is the gateway to success. Unless and until you make a proper and feasible plan for the preparation of the exam, you will find it difficult to prepare for the exam. Beating around the bush is not recommended. You should go through the IBPS PO exam syllabus and exam pattern and then make strategies as per your convenience of how to study and from where to study.

Be aware

You should be updated with the latest news, daily activities and events, and current affairs, for which you should read the newspapers and magazines daily. Also, there are many other resources where you can easily get access to daily, weekly, and monthly current affairs for free.  We would recommend you cover more from the banking and finance industries.

Study deeply

Avoid standing on two boats at the same time. You should pick up one topic at a time and study it deeply. Do not switch to other topics just because another one hits your mind. Practice as much as you can on a particular topic to gain accuracy and speed.

Prepare your inventories

Prepare the charts and tables required by you and arrange for the relevant books and study material including the IBPS PO mock tests and IBPS PO previous year test papers.

Keep preparing for GK- 

General Knowledge is the most important section of the exam. This section is something that doesn’t demand a dedicated time slot. You can cover General Knowledge just by adding certain habits to your routine. You can prepare for it daily by reading newspapers, magazines, current affairs, and some GK books. The pro tip is, the early you start the more early you will be to complete your general knowledge syllabus. It is better to start today instead of waiting to qualify for your prelims. 

Manage your time well- 

As they say, time is money, you don’t need to spend your whole day in your preparation but you can easily dedicate a specific time slot to a particular subject. Time management is an essential part of your preparation. As you have limited time to solve the question paper and to solve it on time you need adequate practice. Sometimes you have to choose smart work over hard work. Thus, you should know some tricks and shortcuts to gain an edge over the questions. Always prepare taking time into consideration. Practice various mock tests and test series and try to stick to the time limit. You can even practice from the previous year’s question papers.

Revise and re-evaluate yourself- 

You should revise the syllabus a few weeks before your exam and work hard on your weak areas in the time you have left. Practicing consistently is the only solution for it. Once you have a grip on your weaker areas, no one can stop you from cracking IBPS PO 2023 exam. Keep on attempting mock tests and test series to re-evaluate yourself and know where you stand with respect to your preparation and performance.

Be confident- 

You should be confident about yourself when you are attempting for your exam. Relax when you get nervous and start again. There comes a time when you will get nervous and start doubting your ability to attempt answers. Remember that feeling is temporary, take deeper breaths, and get back to focusing on your exam. 

Tips and Tricks: Section-wise Preparation for IBPS PO Exam 2023

Section-wise Preparation Tips and Tricks for IBPS PO Exam 2023:

Quantitative Aptitude:

For IBPS PO Exam 2023, focus on mastering fundamental concepts. Practice regularly and learn time-saving shortcuts for calculations. Prioritize percentage, ratio, and data interpretation topics. Solve previous years’ papers and mock tests to assess your progress and identify weak areas. Work on improving accuracy and speed to handle diverse quantitative questions effectively.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Focus on understanding fundamental concepts and practice regularly.
  2. Learn shortcut methods for calculations to save time.
  3. Prioritize important topics like percentages, ratios, and data interpretation.
  4. Solve previous year’s question papers and mock tests to gauge your progress.
  5. Identify your weaknesses and work on improving them.

Reasoning Ability:

Get familiar with various reasoning question types. Regularly practice puzzles, seating arrangements, and coding-decoding. Enhance analytical and logical thinking skills. Time management is crucial; identify solvable questions quickly. Focus on accuracy to avoid negative marking. Revise reasoning concepts and techniques to excel in this section.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Familiarize yourself with different types of reasoning questions.
  2. Practice puzzles, seating arrangement, and coding-decoding regularly.
  3. Improve your analytical and logical thinking skills.
  4. Time management is crucial; learn to quickly identify solvable questions.
  5. Work on improving accuracy to avoid negative marking.

English Language:

Expand your vocabulary by reading newspapers and books. Practice grammar rules and sentence correction exercises. Work on reading comprehension skills and speed. Solve previous years’ English papers to understand the exam pattern. Target areas of weakness and consistently improve through practice.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Enhance vocabulary through reading newspapers, articles, and books.
  2. Practice grammar rules and sentence correction exercises.
  3. Work on reading comprehension skills and speed.
  4. Solve previous year’s English question papers to understand the exam pattern.
  5. Focus on areas where you struggle the most and seek improvement.

General Awareness:

Stay updated with current affairs from newspapers and online sources. Study banking and financial awareness topics in-depth. Revise important events, awards, and appointments of the last six months. Practice quizzes and participate in online forums to enhance knowledge sharing.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Stay updated with current affairs through newspapers and news portals.
  2. Study banking and financial awareness topics in-depth.
  3. Revise important events, awards, and appointments of the last six months.
  4. Practice quizzes and stay informed about the latest developments.
  5. Join online forums to discuss and share knowledge with peers.

Computer Awareness:

Understand computer hardware, software, and networking basics. Focus on internet, operating systems, and computer terminology. Practice quizzes and previous years’ computer awareness questions. Stay updated on the latest technology and cybersecurity advancements.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Understand the basics of computer hardware and software.
  2. Focus on topics like internet, operating systems, and computer terminology.
  3. Practice online quizzes and previous year’s computer awareness questions.
  4. Stay updated with the latest advancements in technology and cybersecurity.

Descriptive Writing:

Practice essay and letter writing on diverse topics. Focus on clear structuring and coherent organization of thoughts. Improve grammar, vocabulary, and proper formatting. Practice time-bound writing to enhance speed and efficiency.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Practice essay and letter writing on diverse topics.
  2. Work on structuring and organizing your thoughts coherently.
  3. Focus on grammar, vocabulary, and proper formatting.
  4. Practice time-bound writing to improve speed and efficiency.

Time Management:

Create a study schedule and adhere to it. Allocate sufficient time to each section based on strengths and weaknesses. Take regular breaks to avoid burnout. Simulate exam-like conditions during practice to improve performance. Continuously analyze and learn from mistakes for steady progress.

Here are some quick tips to consider while preparing for the exam:

  1. Create a study schedule and follow it diligently.
  2. Allocate sufficient time to each section based on your strengths and weaknesses.
  3. Take regular breaks to avoid burnout and maintain focus.
  4. Simulate exam-like conditions while practising to enhance performance.

These tips and tricks will only help you when you prepare with consistency. The main role these tricks will play is to 10x your preparation speed. Therefore, it will make you ahead of others in this competitive exam of IBPS PO Exam 2023. 

Strategies may differ from person to person. Hence, you should formulate your own strategies and plan accordingly. Work hard and conquer all the subjects.

Preparing for quants and reasoning consumes a lot of time; so start your preparation early so that you do not fall short of time in the end. Do not let the question paper affect your confidence.

Try to attempt the sections or questions you are less confident with and prepare for the ones that are easy and require less time. 

Conclusion

IBPS PO is the ladder to skyrocket your career in the banking industry. Students invest years in its preparation. It starts with a dream and consistent dedication and at ixamBee, we help you in making your dream of being an IBPS PO come true by enlightening you with guidance and mentorship. Therefore, for the right guidance and approach, you can take help from our mentors that are experienced enough to clear all your doubts. The notification is yet to be released by IBPS, it is better if you start your preparation from today with due diligence. Manage your time well and keep in mind the changes in the pattern of the exam (if any) and prepare with a calm and composed mind while focusing on the target of cracking the exam. All the best and kick-start your preparations well.

To help you prepare 50% faster for competitive exams, ixamBee provides free Mock Test Series and all the Current Affairs in English and Current Affairs in Hindi in the BeePedia capsules for GA Preparation. You can also get the latest updates for Bank PO, Bank Clerk, SSC, RBI Grade B, NABARD and Other Government Jobs.

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sanjeet Singh
sanjeet Singh
5 years ago

Given content for bankexam guidance is helpful