This year too, SBI PO exam 2022 exam will be conducted across the country to induct Probationary Officer in various SBI bank. The first exam, that is the Prelims will be testing the aspirant’s knowledge and skills with 35 Objective-Type questions. Similarly, the Mains exam will be a test of 2 Descriptive Type questions. English section will have 30 questions in the Prelims and 35 questions in the Mains exam. Many students find English Language section to be the toughest and face difficulty in answering the questions.
Let’s discuss the proven tips that will help you score maximum marks in the English section of Prelims and Mains along with the best Prelims and Mains Mock Tests that will enhance your speed and accuracy in dealing with every type of question in the upcoming SBI PO exam.
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Candidates can check below the exam pattern of SBI PO for preliminary and mains exam.
| SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2022 | |||
| Name of Subject | No of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 1 hour |
*Note: 0.25 marks will be deducted for every question attempted wrong by a candidate. No deduction will be there in marks if a question is left unattempted or blank by a candidate.
| S.No. | Name of Tests(Objective) | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 50 minutes |
| 2 | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| 3 | General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| 4 | English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours | |
| Descriptive Test | 02 | 50 | 30 minutes |
(i) Objective Test: The objective test of 3 hours duration consists of 4 Sections for total 200 marks. The objective test will have separate timing for every section.
(ii) Descriptive Test: The Descriptive Test of 30 minutes duration with two questions for 50 marks will be a Test of English Language (Letter Writing & Essay).
The English Language section has always been a tough nut to crack for most banking aspirants. But those who prepare it well reap its benefits by scoring well in it. This section examines the candidates’ grammar knowledge, reading and writing skills, and all that in the stipulated time.
Here are a few important SBI PO English preparation tips that will help you score maximum marks in the exam:
Read daily without fail. It enhances your comprehension as well as writing skills. Go for daily Newspapers like The Hindu or The Indian Express of The Economic Times, and Magazines. Plus solve as many questions as you can on questions based on the paragraph.
Keep building your vocabulary powerhouse to deal with questions based on it. Whenever you find new word, try to note it down them with the meaning and sentence examples and use it wherever you can to remember it forever. This habit will help you build your vocabulary arsenal for optimum results.
Revisit basic grammar rules and practice questions daily on topics like sentence re-arrangement, idioms, and phrases, error spotting, sentence correction, etc.
Practice is the key to success. So, practice questions for the English Language section by solving previous years’ question papers during your preparation.
RC is an important part of the English test. It can invite passages about various topics like Philosophy, Psychology, Economics, Politics and even Science. The RC questions are mostly fact-based. So you must read articles on these topics and practice it as much as you can.
Take as many Mock Tests as possible to train your mind to confidently attempt Maximum questions in 20 minutes’ time. Practice Mock Tests with sectional time as much as you can. Verbal ability questions like sentence re-arrangement can sometimes be time-consuming or confusing. Practice them
Go for previous year’s question papers and find what sort of questions come in the SBI PO Prelims and Mains exams. This will give you a fair idea of the type of questions that keep appearing in the actual exam. This is an old trick but very rewarding.
Try to be as accurate as possible while practicing a question in speed. To make it easy, you can set a timer while practicing different topics from the English language syllabus. This will improve your speed along with your accuracy.
As reading the comprehension needs focus and time, make sure you attempt it right at the beginning before doing any other section in the paper.
Unless you are absolutely sure about the answer, do not attempt a question. If you have already qualified the subject-wise cut-off in this section, avoid such guess works.
Below are some important topics for the Prelims and Mains exam that will help you to clear the cutoff:
| Prelims (MCQ Based) | Mains (Written Exam) |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Reading Comprehension |
| Cloze Test | Vocabulary |
| Para jumbles | Sentence Improvement |
| Miscellaneous | Cloze Test |
| Fill in the blanks | Verbal Ability |
| Multiple Meaning /Error Spotting | Fill in the blanks |
| Paragraph Completion | Error Spotting |
Based on the observations and previous records, here are the topics that invite most questions in the English section:
| Topic Name | Number of Questions |
| Reading comprehension | 7-10 |
| Cloze test | 5-6 |
| Match the column | 4-5 |
| Fillers | 5-6 |
| Error Spotting/ Sentence correction/ Sentence Improvement | 5-6 |
| Phrase replacement | 5-6 |
| Sentence connector | 3-4 |
| Sentence completion | 3-4 |
| Sentence formation | 3-4 |
| Para jumble | 5-6 |
Note: All three sections have separate cut-offs which you have to clear to qualify for the exam. The average cut-off for the English language in paper-1 for the general category is 8.75 and for the reserved category, it is 5.75.
Books play a vital role in shaping your studies. Therefore, it is recommended to choose the best books for your Prelims and Mains preparation. Here is a list of some SBI PO exam books for English Language:
| Book | Author/Publication |
| High School English Grammar and Composition | Wren & Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| Objective General English | SP Bakshi (Arihant Publication) |
| Mirror of Common Errors | Dr Ashok Kumar Singh |
If you want to score maximum or full marks in English language section, you need to have a good command of grammar and vocabulary. Hence, you must prepare the syllabus through good books and take latest SBI PO Prelims and Mains 2022 Mock Tests. Along with the aforementioned books, develop a habit of reading a newspaper mentioned above it will improve your vocabulary and reading speed, which would benefit you during the exam. Don’t forget, the English sections of SBI PO exam become tough for two kinds of students. Those who think they are weak in English, and for those who neglect proper practice. Therefore, you need to invest proper time in it to make sure you score well in it and easily meet the subject-wise cut-off for English. Regular practice and reading habits will surely prepare you well to counter all the questions on all the topics including Grammar and Vocabulary. It’s time for you to prepare well and crack the exam!
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