A comfortable IT job, a decent salary, and a predictable career path, most people would hesitate to walk away from that. But for Suvamkar Paul, the bigger dream was stability, meaningful work, and a career that offered long-term growth. Leaving his job wasn’t the hardest part. The real challenge was starting from scratch, navigating countless study resources, and staying patient through setbacks. His journey to cracking SBI PO 2025 is proof that success doesn’t come from studying more, it comes from studying smarter.
Choosing Stability Over Comfort
Born and brought up in Guwahati, Suvamkar graduated from NIT Silchar and began his career in the IT sector through campus placement. While the job paid well, he found himself craving something the corporate world couldn’t offer him, long-term stability. Balancing work and competitive exam preparation soon became exhausting, especially with unpredictable work hours.
In 2023, he made the difficult decision to resign and prepare full-time. It was a risk, but one he believed was necessary. Even then, his preparation wasn’t perfect. Like many aspirants, he spent too much time switching between YouTube videos, random practice questions, and multiple study resources without a clear roadmap.
The Turning Point That Changed Everything
The breakthrough came when Suvamkar realised that clearing SBI PO wasn’t about consuming more content, it was about following the right strategy consistently.
He stopped relying on scattered resources and started taking Oliveboard’s Mock Tests regularly. Many aspirants call these mocks difficult, but that became their biggest advantage. Instead of chasing easy scores, he trained himself for tougher questions than he would face in the actual exam. Alongside mock practice, he completed the Reasoning classes on Oliveboard, which strengthened his concepts and improved his confidence in solving high-level puzzles and reasoning questions.
“Don’t run after easy mock tests for high scores. They only give temporary satisfaction. Tough mocks prepare you for the real exam.“
–Suvamkar Paul
His SBI PO Preparation Strategy
Quant & Reasoning
Since Mathematics had always been one of his strengths, Suvamkar focused more on improving speed than learning concepts from scratch. He spent nearly three hours every day practising Quant and Reasoning, but with a twist. Instead of solving Preliminary-level questions repeatedly, he directly practised Mains-level questions, believing that stronger concepts automatically made the Preliminary stage easier.
English
Grammar wasn’t his strongest area, so he chose a practical approach. He developed his reading habit by regularly reading Business Standard. Over time, this improved his vocabulary, comprehension, and reading speed, helping him perform better in English without relying heavily on grammar rules.
General Awareness
For General Awareness, he avoided one of the biggest mistakes aspirants make, following too many sources. He focused on a single current affairs source for about four months and supplemented it with Budget, Economic Survey, RBI circulars, and regular MCQ practice to improve retention.
Why Mock Tests Became His Biggest Strength
According to Suvamkar, mock tests should never be treated as scorecards. Their real purpose is to expose mistakes, improve decision-making, and build speed under pressure. Every Oliveboard mock test helped him understand where he was losing marks and what needed improvement. By exam day, difficult questions no longer felt intimidating because he had already faced similar challenges during practice.
What You Can Learn From This Journey
- Practice at the Mains level to build stronger concepts from the beginning.
- Stick to one reliable source instead of constantly changing study materials.
- Read newspapers daily to improve English naturally.
- Analyse every mock test instead of focusing only on scores.
- Choose challenging mock tests that prepare you for the actual exam.
Your SBI PO Journey Starts Here
Suvamkar Paul’s success wasn’t built on shortcuts or last-minute preparation. It was the result of disciplined practice, smart resource selection, and the willingness to challenge himself every single day. His journey shows that the right preparation strategy matters far more than the number of hours you study.
If you’re preparing for the upcoming SBI PO exam, start where successful candidates do.
I started my journey with storytelling and journalism, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I truly love writing. Words have always been my way of connecting with people.
With 4+ years of experience in content creation, social media, and video storytelling, I focus on building meaningful conversations, not just posts. I enjoy understanding audiences, planning engaging content, and turning followers into active, connected communities.
At Oliveboard, I work on creating value-driven content that informs, engages, and brings people together.