How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam? SBI Clerk Tips-Tricks 

How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam? – When you have millions of applicants registered for the same opportunity you aspire for; it becomes extremely important how you approach the examination. The preparation eventually turns into a strategic endeavor. Read the article till the very end if you don’t wish to miss out on all the tips, tricks, & all other essential details which are relevant & are usually left uncovered by many while preparing for the SBI clerk examinations.  

How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam? – Table of Content

• Overview of SBI Clerk Exam
• Exam Pattern for Prelims & Mains
• SBI Clerk Syllabus
• SBI Clerk 2020 Prelims Paper Analysis
• SBI Clerk Preparation Tips & Tricks
• Best Reference Books for 2021
• SBI Clerk 2021 Cut Off
• Lifestyle Modifications for Enhancing Productivity

How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam? – Overview of SBI Clerk 2021 Exam

It was only a month back when the prime most bank of India SBI announced a total of 5454 vacancies for clerk jobs. It consists of three examination rounds; Prelims, Mains, and the test of Opted Language. The tentative dates of the Prelim’s exam are being expected to be in June 2021 and the Mains on July 31, 2021. The exam pattern for both prelims and mains is nearly the same but there are certain key differences that are duly mentioned in the table below.  

Preliminary Exam 

• Total Duration: 1 hour
• Correct Answer: +1 mark
• Incorrect Answer: 0.25 mark

S.No	SECTION	NO. Of Questions	Max. Marks
1	English Language	30	30
2	Numerical Ability	35	35
3	Reasoning Ability	35	35
	TOTAL	100	100

The candidates who manage to score the required cut-off will qualify for mains. Generally, the total strength of mains eligible candidates would be 10 times the vacancies available. So, approximately 55,000 might qualify for mains this year.  

Mains Exam 

• Total Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
• The right answer for objective type question: +1 mark
• Wrong answer for objective type question: -0.25 mark

S. No	SECTION	No. Of Questions	Max. Marks
1	General/Financial Awareness	50	50
2	General English	40	40
3	Quantitative Aptitude	50	50
4	Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude	50	60
TOTAL		190	200

Candidates with minimum qualifying marks on the aggregate will end up qualifying for the next round of local language test.  

Local Language Test – The candidates who have qualified further will now be asked to take a local language test which they must have chosen during the application roll outs.  

Final Selection – The preliminary scores aren’t included while calculating the final total. The marks obtained in both mains and local language tests are considered as a qualified total along with document verification.  

SBI Clerk Syllabus

SUBJECT	SYLLABUS
Quantitative Aptitude	Basic 10th, 11th and 12th Mathematics including Profit and Loss, Percentage, Number System, Averages, Ratios and Proportions, Speed and Distance, Time Clock, Calendars, Analogies and Distance, and Ages.
Reasoning Ability	Syllogism, Data Interpretation, Number Series, Blood Relations, Odd Series, Coding, and Decoding, Seating Arrangement, Distance and Direction, Ranking, Order and Ranking, and Making Judgments.
General English	Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, Word Formation, Sentence Completion, Comprehension – Theme detection, Deriving conclusions, Passage completion, Error detection, Passage correction, Sentence correction, Spelling – Grammar, Phrases, Idioms.
General Awareness	Knowledge of Current affairs, Sports, History, Geography, Culture, Indian Constitution, News related to Reserve Bank of India, Banking Awareness, Financial Awareness (Union Budget/ Railway Budget), and Economics News.

SBI Clerk 2020 Prelims Paper Analysis

It is always crucial to study the paper patterns which have appeared in the past 2-3 years. It always provides an in-depth understanding of what the employer/organization is looking for judging an ideal candidate. The last year prelims were conducted in late February and in early March.  

Assessments of 2020: 

• The English language was overall an easy attempt.
• Reasoning & Numerical Ability was a moderate attempt.

By studying such patterns one can strategically plan their time schedules for different subjects. For somebody who is exceptional at reasoning subjects & below average in English can choose to prioritise English for covering up and be at par or ahead with the other candidates.  

SBI Clerk Preparation Tips & Tricks

You can be good at academics but if you don’t like reading news then you need to make amends to your study plan. As you must have gathered from the syllabus; SBI is looking for a candidate who has comprehensive knowledge & aptitude of various streams. Remember at all times it is a multi-dimensional examination. 

• Create an Unbiased Timetable – You know your strengths and weaknesses based on the syllabus better than anybody else. Don’t end up spending too much time on your favourite subjects where you easily end up solving questions like a walk in the park. Remember the key lies in prioritising the preparation as per your strengths and weaknesses.

• Don’t miss out on tiny aspects of the syllabus – At times we tend to cover all the major aspects of the syllabus and often end up neglecting the portions which we consider trivial. Such mistakes can lead to not getting qualified by the lack of a few unattended questions which will ultimately reflect on the total score sheet.  One of the very essential factors is to cover the entire syllabus by signing up for free mock tests available.

• Focus on conceptual learning – Most students are in a hurry to cover the syllabus at a significant speed which is fine but relying too much on shortcuts & mugging up the predicted questions can backfire for most candidates. There is no such phenomenon as accurate predictions. So, don’t live in a wishful world. The candidate with conceptual learning and regular practice will be able to cope up with any uncertainties which might appear in the coming exam.

• Accuracy vs Time Taken – The most critical aspect of all such examinations is to not only get the attempted questions right but to also attempt them in the given time. Due to the rule of negative marking, it becomes even more vital to have a clear understanding of which questions you should attempt and leave unattended.

• Mock Tests – The more you take them; the more you will get closer to your dream job. A mock test will give you a real-time experience of what it feels like while giving an actual exam. It is a perfect way to test all the difficulties you shall face on the given day. Mock tests are like video games but the real exam will only be a one-time shot. Wouldn’t it be nice to make all the mistakes during mocks rather than crashing on the final day!? But where can you take the good quality mock tests for SBI Clerk? Well, Practice Mock is India’s leading mock test platform for banking and insurance examinations. You can immediately sign-up for a free SBI Clerk mock test which is available right now for limited slots!

• “Read, Read, Read” – If you are new to reading then it can be a daunting task. Many get consumed under the pressure of not being habitual, slow reading speed, or get nervous due to the poor command over the language. The key is to take it slow if you have such issues. If you will try to read 50 pages in one go you will get burned out very quickly because of the unrealistic goals you have set for yourself. Reading 5-10 pages a day is a very good start & later build-up on the same. It is true for all the reading materials such as magazines, newspapers, web articles, etc. Your consistency would matter when it comes to scoring good in language-based subjects.

• Regular Revisions – Be humble and don’t get overconfident if you have covered the syllabus once and have also scored well on mock tests. Such a behaviour would make you complacent and would lead to regret once limited number of days will be left at your disposal.

How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam? – Best Reference Books for SBI Clerk 2021

You now already have an edge as you have registered for PracticeMock mocks; also take note of such reference books which will keep you ahead from the crowd.  

Magical Book on Quicker Mathematics by M. Tyra	BSC Publication
Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma	TMH Publication

A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal and Non-Verbal	Arihant Publication
Modern Approach to Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Agarwal	S. Chand Publication

Ultimate Guide for SBI Bank Clerk Preliminary & Main Exam 3rd Hindi Edition 3 (English, Paperback)

Disha Experts

Bank Clerk English Language Chapterwise Solved Questions	Kiran Prakashan
Analytical Reasoning by M. K. Pandey	BSC Publication
Bank Clerk Reasoning Chapterwise Solved Papers 2003 – Till Date	Kiran Prakashan

Objective Banking & Financial Awareness	Dhankar Publication
Banking Awareness (Objective with Subjective)	Sangram Keshari Rout

Banking Awareness (English, Paperback)

RPH Editorial Board

Quantitative Aptitude by R. S. Aggarwal

S. Chand Publication

Topic-wise Solved Papers for IBPS/ SBI Bank PO/ Clerk Prelim & Mains (2010-16) Quantitative Aptitude

Disha Experts

SBI Clerk 2021 Cut-Off

The cut-off is solely based on one factor which is your overall performance. Aspirants being able to crack the exam is directly proportional to their performances.

Lifestyle Modifications

In order to How to prepare for SBI Clerk Exam?

Perhaps this is the most underrated aspect of cracking such exams. Your both physical and mental health are core pillars of how well you will perform in these highly competitive exams. Everything from your diet, sleep cycle, practicing stress coping mechanisms, physical activity is of very high importance. And it goes for everybody whether somebody is in the top 1000 or if somebody ranks in the top 10,000. You can always optimise your academic results by focusing on your overall health. A healthy person will have enhanced productivity levels, desired response to stressors, better focus, & overall happiness.  

We hope all your doubts are clear by now and have a positive outlook towards SBI Clerk 2021 examination. You can still ask us your questions in the comments section below. We will be happy to answer them all. All the very best for taking on a journey of your hopes and dreams.  

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