IBPS PO English Preparation 2022: Preparation of any exam begins with acquainting oneself with what are we going to prepare for, what all it includes and how are we going to execute it. There are basically 4 sections that come in almost all exams, they are – Reasoning, Quants, English, and General Awareness. And the section that most of the candidates find difficult is English, although it is the most scoring of all. So, to let you all overcome this fear, we have discussed here, how to start preparing for this particular section. Check in this article IBPS PO English Preparation along with some Tips that you can just implement in your Prelims as well as Mains preparation. Not just that, get access to the English Course on Oliveboard to master all the topics through online English Classes, practice sessions, and sectional tests.
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1. IBPS PO English Preparation – How to Start from Scratch
1.1. Understand the Pattern for Both Prelims and Mains
While you prepare for IBPS PO English Section, the first thing you need to know is the pattern and weightage of different topics in prelims as well as mains. So, first let’s understand the pattern of the English Section in IBPS PO for both Prelims and Mains:
| Parameters | Prelims | Mains |
|---|---|---|
| No. of questions | 30 | 35 |
| Marks | 30 | 40 |
| Time Allotted | 20 mins | 40 mins |
As you can see, there is a slight difference between the prelims and the mains exams, with regard to the number of questions but there is a stark difference between the time allotted for the English section in both the sections. The reason for this is the rise in the difficulty level of the exam.
The prelims exam tests you more on your speed and has comparatively easier questions. The mains exam, on the other hand, thoroughly tests you on your understanding of the subject. Having said this, let us now dive into the weightage of some major topics for the examination. Knowing the weightage of the different topics will give us insight into the topics we need to focus more on.
| Topic | Weightage in Prelims | Weightage in Mains |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 7-10 | 17-20 |
| Para Jumbles | 0-5 | 0-7 |
| Grammar (Error detection, phrase replacement, sentence joining, etc.) | 10- 13 | 7-13 |
| Fillers (Fill in the Blanks and Cloze tests) | 5-12 | 0-7 |
| Vocabulary (word usage, word interchange, etc.) | 0-5 | 0-5 |
1.2. Develop the Aptitude
Remember your school days that how you all started? Was it with the Grammar rules? No, we were introduced first with the stories, poems, etc. so that we can build a basic understanding of the text. And this can be developed only if you Read Something on a regular basis – it can be novel, fiction, course-book, anything! Because once you have got the gist of the text, the rest of the things will gradually fall in place.
1.3. Read Newspaper
Here we are especially stressing on reading newspapers because it can help you fetch some extra marks in other sections as well. Not only you get updated with current affairs, but the Editorials in them also help you in solving Reading Comprehension. The best way is to read and summarize it in your own words. This benefits in two ways:
- Summarizing in your own words will prepare you for Descriptive English – Essay writing
- You’ll have crisp notes to revise before the exam
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1.4. Brush up your Basics
Yes, it is never too late to start from scratch. Go through basic grammar rules – trust us they are not many that you cannot learn or revise. Grab the Best English Language Book for exam preparation and go through it! Revise it every week so that you don’t forget them. And why worry when you can count on us for classes? Just attend the Grammar Basics Course on Oliveboard website and take your preparation to the next level.
1.5. Vocabulary Building
This is something of utmost importance, but we hardly pay heed to it. Most of the questions will be solved in one go only if you are good at vocab. Because if you don’t understand the meaning of it, you won’t be able to understand its context and the whole thing might just turn upside down. To avoid getting into such circumstances, keep updating your vocab.
The best way to do it is to jot down anything that you find new – it can be during reading any text or giving the test. If there’s a word that you are not sure of, just note it down. Search for its meaning, synonyms/ antonyms, also its correct usage when used in a different tense. But don’t settle there! Make a few sentences on your own to finally get a hold of it. You must follow our FlashCards and Daily Vocab Quizzes to level up your preparations. Most importantly, with these FlashCards and Daily Vocab Quizzes, you get to learn a lot of new words and to retain them in an effective manner.
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2. IBPS PO English Preparation – Practice these on a Daily Basis
2.1. Reading Comprehension
Practice at least 2 RC daily. The daily practice will surely increase your reading speed as well as accuracy in answering the questions. Practicing from previous year question paper is an added advantage. Click here to attend Master RC Classes before attempting the Reading Comprehension Test.
2.2. Cloze Test
Cloze Test is considered as one of the scoring topics in the English Language section in almost all bank and government exams, like SBI PO, IBPS PO, EPFO Asst., etc. It tests the candidate’s knowledge of comprehension in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and its usage. Practice Free Cloze Test Questions from Here.
2.3. Word meanings, Idioms, and Phrasal Words
You can find few questions from them in Reading comprehension, Cloze Test, Fillers, Match the Following, Correct Usage, Meaning (Same or Opposite), etc. Try to learn 10 of each every day and make a note of it separately. Download Free Ebook of 100 Important Verbal Phrases.
Similarly, you can go on practicing One Word Substitution, Synonyms/Antonyms, Misspelt Words, Fillers, etc.
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2.4. Descriptive English
It’ll come in the IBPS PO Mains exam. The only way to prepare this section is to practice, practice, and practice. Reading different texts will help you gather information about a particular topic but in the end, it is the practice that’ll help you get command on writing anything within a set time-frame. That’s the reason we recommend summarising important articles in your own words once you are done reading them. IBPS PO Descriptive writing will involve Essay/ Precis/ Comprehension that you’ll have to complete within 45 minutes. Emphasis will be on comprehension and analysis. Here’s the Free Ultimate Guide for Descriptive English to take help from!
2.5. Practice in a Time Bound Manner
Preparation and Practice must go together. Once you have prepared a topic, go on practicing it but in a time-bound manner. The IBPS PO Topic tests will help you do exactly that! You can follow it up with IBPS PO English Sectional Test to practice all the topics together.
3. IBPS PO English Syllabus: Important Topics
|
Grammar (Verb, Prepositions, Adverbs, Articles, Tenses, etc.) – Watch Grammar Basics Lesson |
|
| Reading Comprehension | Vocabulary based questions |
| Cloze Test | Error Spotting |
| Odd One Out | Idioms and Phrases – Download PDF |
| Correct Usage | One Word Substitution |
| Para jumbles | Sentence Joining |
| Fillers – Single, Double | Synonyms/ Antonyms |
| Paragraph Completion | Word/Phrase Replacement |
|
Descriptive English Guide – Free PDF |
|
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Be it Prelims or IBPS PO Mains, practicing Mock Tests is the only way to test your preparation. Attempt the IBPS PO Free Mock Test provided on Oliveboard. This will provide you the actual exam-like scenario and on the exam day, you will see the difference it has made in your preparation.
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What is an AI Coach?
AI Coach is an AI-driven recommendation to help users increase their score by 45% (or by + 16). It gives complete feedback on mock attempts and test strategy followed. Also, it provides guidance around what to do next to improve score and accuracy. Attempt Free IBPS PO Mock Test to get the AI Coach experience. All the Best!
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