What one misses out while preparing for bank exams
Karanvir Singh
Bank job is a highly sought-after opportunity in the employment industry and each year lakhs of aspirants prepare for the entrance exam. Bank jobs are in demand, primarily because of their numerous benefits such as a pension, job security, and additional perks. The entrance exam becomes more competitive with such a promising future. Some of the tests taken nationwide are; SBI Clerk Mains, SEBI Grade A exam, RBI Assistant Mains, UPSC EPFO, LIC AAO & AE, IBPS PO, and IBPS RRB, etc.
To excel in these tests, many students even join expensive institutions that provide coaching. However, they often lose the highly coveted seat, even after all the hard work and dedication. This is because many students only focus on how to ace the exam rather than on avoiding silly errors that make all the difference. Here are some points:
1. Missing practice and preparation through mock tests
Students often forget the critical role that mock tests play during entrance exam preparation. Mock tests are essential and should not be missed at all. They help in providing a detailed analysis of speed and accuracy. If tests are attempted frequently, one can utilise the learnings from their results to get a better score in their final exams.
2. Missing on the revision of topics comprising strength areas
Often, students tend to ignore those topics or subjects believing they are good at, and tend to push their revision towards the end of the preparation. This is a common mistake. For a good result, students should thoroughly prepare every subject assigned in the syllabus. Having a solid grip on their strength areas will give the students, additional time to spend on the weaker concepts. Revision of the topics/subjects that comprise the students’ strength areas is a must, as one tends to forget eventually, no matter how strong their prowess in a particular study area.
3. Missing consistency in preparations
The primary reason why so many students fail at securing a seat in a bank entrance exam is that most of them lack consistency in their preparation. While hard work and motivation do play their specific role in one’s success, consistency and discipline make students more competent than anything else. This is why joining an excellent coaching institute helps students stay motivated through the journey. Still, only those students who stick to their schedule with discipline succeed in these exams.
4. Missing reading about general knowledge and current affairs
News and general knowledge will become the strongest pillars of a students’ Bank PO exams preparation. Therefore, developing a daily habit of reading through the newspaper will help significantly in increasing the score. This point is often missed, and students end up relying on collecting six months’ worth of information in one day. This leads to stress, over-saturation of the brain. Hence, dedicating 10 minutes every day to reading about current affairs and news helps in better preparation.
5. Avoid choosing between Banking Exams or SSC
Most students preparing for a Bank PO exam often end up debating whether they should opt for Banking or SSC. The dilemma between the two is expected; however, it can cost the students both the streams if they do not make a timely and efficient decision. The end goal of students should be to focus on one fixed target and follow it through to success. If in a dilemma, students can research both exams, their patterns, syllabus, and most importantly, the number of vacancies.
6. Missing quality sleep and a healthy schedule
Several working professionals prepare for bank exams alongside their day job every year, and many succeed in getting selected. However, due to preparing for such a tight schedule, often aspirants avoid taking 8 hours of optimum sleep. This unhealthy schedule does give them extra time to study, but in the long run, it becomes more disadvantageous. Disregarding sleep results in students not recalling important topics later, and the extra hard work doesn’t bear fruitful results. Therefore, creating a balance between the bank exam preparation and day job is essential. The aspirants’ schedule should include quality sleep and a healthy diet.
These are some of the most common factors that students miss taking into consideration. The lack of practice in any aspect can result in a massive gap in an aspirant’s bank exam preparation. Even after putting in a lot of hard work, students can end up with disappointing results if they do not work more intelligently. After all, it is an entrance exam, with a limited number of seats. Therefore, students should constantly monitor their key priorities and stay wary of every vital factor missing in their preparation strategy in order to play their cards right.
The writer is Founder & CEO, Pariksha- vernacular edtech platform