Important Tips to clear SBI PO Prelims Exam 2017

SBI
PO job is one of the most sought after and lucrative job in the country. Every
year lakhs of students appear for this exam, however, only a handful out of
that huge number get to see their dreams come true. SBI
released the notification for the Probationary Officer (PO)

exam quite earlier than expected this year. Now, numbered days are left for the
preliminary phase of the SBI PO Exam.
A major
question that leaves the student in a fix is How to prepare for the SBI PO
exam? So, to help you all with this, we will now share some important tips that
will be help you clear the SBI PO exam.
Important
Tips to clear SBI PO Prelims Exam
To help you all score better in the SBI PO Prelims exam, we
will now share some important tips. Make sure that you read them thoroughly.
First and foremost, you should be very clear with the exam
pattern as well as the syllabus. Have a look at the pattern of SBI PO prelims
exam from the link below –

S. No.
Test name
No. of questions
Maximum Marks
Total duration
1.
Quantitative Aptitude
35
35
1 hour (i.e. a composite time of 60 minutes)
2.
Reasoning Ability
35
35
3.
English Language
30
30
Total
100
100
  • Cutoff
    would be applicable at two levels – Sectional cutoff and overall cutoff.
    In order to be eligible for the mains phase, the candidates need to score
    sufficient marks in both the sectional and overall level. So, make sure
    that you attempt sufficient questions. If you feel you are weak in a
    particular section, attempt enough questions to get through the sectional
    cutoff and cover for the overall cut off from your stronger areas.
  • For
    this, you should have an idea of the previous year cutoff.

SBI PO Prelims 2016 Sectional Cutoff
Name of Section
Total Marks
Sectional Cutoff (SC/ST/OBC/VH/OH)
Sectional Cutoff (General)
English Language
30
6.00
8.75
Reasoning Ability
35
4.25
7.00
Quantitative Aptitude
35
4.25
7.25
SBI PO Prelims 2016 Overall
Cutoff –

Category
General
OBC
SC
ST
OH
VH
HI
Overall Cutoff marks (out of 100)
47.50
44.50
38.75
29.25
36.00
37.00
15.75
However, this is just for reference. You need to aim higher
than this.
Another crucial thing to keep in mind is the time factor.
Unlike mains phase, there is no sectional time division in the preliminary
exam. You need to be utmost careful in this case. Make sure that you divide
your time efficiently among all the sections. If you do not manage your time
properly, you will put at stake your sectional cutoff. So, decide how you will
divide the composite 1 hour duration  among all the three sections
beforehand. 
Ideally, you should complete each section in the time frame
mentioned below – 
Name of test
Time to be spent
English Language
15 minutes
Reasoning Ability
20 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude
25 minutes

A very important parameter for the SBI PO
Prelims exam is Question Selection. How you select the questions that you
attempt first is crucial. For instance, if you start with a puzzle in the
reasoning section and get stuck at any point in the question, you will easily
ruin 4-5 minutes, which could have been used elsewhere. So, be very careful
with the question selection. Always attempt the less time consuming topics of
different sections first. These are – 
(a) English Language – Start with Cloze test,
spotting errors, fillers, sentence improvement etc first and then move on to
the other topics if time permits.
(b) Reasoning Ability – Attempt the topics like Inequalities, Syllogism, Blood
Relations, Direction sense, Coding – Decoding before puzzles and arrangements.
(c) Quantitative Aptitude – Topics like Number Series, Simplification/
Approximation, Quadratic Equations, Data Interpretation should be given
preference before Miscellaneous section.
You also need to be very particular about your
Accuracy. This is essential since every wrong answer would cost you 0.25
negative marks which would eventually detriment your final score. So, try to
avoid guesswork while attempting questions and be very accurate.
Speed is one of the most crucial factor for SBI
PO Prelims exam. You need to maintain a proper speed in the exam since the beginning.
A good speed will help you attempt more number of questions in the exam and
thus score better.
To implement the above mentioned
factors properly in the exam, is is essential that you practice mock tests on a
regular basis. Understand why it is essential. There are numerous benefits of
attempting mock tests – 
(a) Mock tests will help you analyse your
overall performance.
(b) They will also get you used to the exam interface.
(c) Mock tests will help you in effective time management.
(d) You will be able to select questions in a better way when you start
attempting mock tests.
If you wish to be updated regarding the upcoming
exams, their patterns, syllabus and other details, you can try Gradeup App. It
provides free study material, updates of upcoming exams and mock tests for
various competitive exams.

SBI PO Prelims Mock tests with Video Analysis – Get Now

All the best
for your exams..
Team
gradeup..!!