SBI Clerk Preparation Strategy – SBI Clerk 2019 Exam

A total of 8653 vacancies have been announced in the recruitment notification of SBI Clerk. SBI Clerk is one such exam in the Banking sector that is aspired by lakhs of aspirants all over India. State Bank of India being a brand in itself offers the great career prospective and the best starting salary to a banking aspirant who just starts his/her career. If you are one among them who wishes to pursue a career in State Bank of India and wants to climb up the ladder to the that of the highest post, here we are with the SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy for you. You can follow this SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy for your basic preparation and as well as amend this strategy as per your convenience, strengths and weaknesses.

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Let us first take a glance at the Exam Pattern of the SBI Clerk 2019 so that we can devise a preparation strategy accordingly.

SBI Clerk 2019 Exam Pattern

Phase-I: Preliminary Examination

Preliminary Examination (online) consisting of Objective Tests for 100 marks will be conducted online. This test would be of 1 hour duration consisting of 3 Sections as follows:

Sr. No.	Name of test	No. of Questions	Marks	Duration
1.	English Language	30	30	20 Minutes
2.	Numerical Ability	35	35	20 Minutes
3.	Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 Minutes
	Total	100	100	1 Hour

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Phase – II: Main Examination:

The structure of main examination (online objective type) would be as follows.:

Sr. No.	Name of Test	No. of Questions	Marks	Duration
1.	General/Financial Awareness	50	50	35 minutes
2.	General English	40	40	35 minutes
3.	Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	45 minutes
4.	Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude	50	60	45 minutes
	Total	190	200	2 Hours 40 Minutes

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SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy – Section Wise Tips

SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy – Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude

Important Topics for Reasoning Section:

1. Inequalities
2. Syllogism
3. Direction based/ Direction sequence
4. Series completion/ analogy
5. Alphabet/ Dictionary
6. Blood relations
7. Data Sufficiency
8. Seating Arrangements
9. Puzzles
10. Machine Input- Output

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Tips for the Reasoning Section

• The key to ace this section is the logical ability to comprehend the question and come to a conclusion.
• The best strategy to be great in Reasoning aptitude is to practice as as many questions as possible in all the above given topics. Get acquainted with each of topics. None of them should be left unpracticed.
• After you are done with the learning, you should immediately start practicing. You can use the online practice sets for Reasoning available on various online platforms or practice using books or take online classes. Always remember practice is the key. Extensive practice of any topic gives you an expertise of that topic and thus help you in solve it in no time. 
• While practicing, you can simultaneously take Topic Tests and Sectional Tests so that you know where you are lacking in your preparation.
• The same applies for Full Length Mock Tests. Take a SBI Clerk 2019 Mock Test regularly to enhance your solving abilities.
• After taking the full length Mock Test, do not forget to analyse the complete test. Analysis is of utmost importance. Solve the entire mock test again during analysis. This helps you understand the technique as to how to go about the a particular question. Also you get to learn the formulas, concept and also solve a variety of questions.
• This section can be the most scoring sections with adequate practice and attempting time bound tests that give you real time exam atmosphere.

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SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy – General English

The key to ace this section is reading extensively. With the changing exam patterns, only mugging up rules of grammar won’t help. One cannot be sure of the type of questions asked in this section so one must be able to read and comprehend the exam question without panicking. And this will happen only when one is in habit of reading.

Reading of an English newspaper is must. Not only will it put you in the habit of reading but also will enhance your vocabulary and general awareness.

Important Topics to be covered

Reading Comprehension 

• This may sound repetitive but reading articles extensively on different topics is the key to answering the questions asked here.
• Try practicing at least 2-3 passages daily to get hold of the topic. This is the lengthiest area in the subject; first read the questions and then skim through the passage.
• This way, you will be able to ‘pick’ out the answers from the passage as you go through it. If you are comfortable, try answering the vocabulary questions first.

Take a Reading Comprehension Test Here

For detailed tips regarding RCs refer to the below given links.

How to increase the reading comprehension scores – Part 1

How to increase the reading comprehension scores – Part 2

Grammar Questions

First be thorough with grammar basics using standard books like Wren and Martin or Objective General English by SP Bakshi. Then start practicing the type of questions by various quizzes and then try and attempt sectional tests which will give you grip over these types of questions. 

Type of questions are mentioned below:

• Error Spotting
• Active and Passive Voice
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• Idioms and Phrases
• Arrangements and Rearrangements of Sentences

Sentence Rearrangement

• Read through all the sentences to determine the gist or summary of the passage;
• Look up the sentences independently and then think of how they come or match together.
• Then try arranging them separately or one-by-one; try to identify the first and last sentences of the passage, because that helps build a mental image or idea of how the rest of the sentences should be like.

Take a Test for Sentence Rearrangement Here 

Spotting Errors/Sentence Improvement and Correction

• Read the sentence in its entirety and see if it makes sense to you; quite often, some error will be obvious and hence it will be easy to spot that out.
• If not, look for the options and see what appears to be the most logically correct choice.

Phrase Replacement

• Once you read the initial sentence first, you shall be able to answer the question easily by eliminating the options.
• Ensure that your preparation and knowledge of grammar is at par, because often spotting a grammar error is one of the easiest ways to disregard an option.

Vocabulary 

• These questions might be asked directly as a standalone question or may be asked in RCs.
• For these reading newspapers and learning new words daily would help a lot.
• Also, when synonyms/antonyms are asked in RCs, try to understand the context in which a that particular word is used and then decide accordingly.

Take a Vocabulary Test Here

Type of questions asked are mentioned below:

These questions might be asked directly as a standalone question or may be asked in RCs. For these reading newspapers and learning new words daily would help a lot. Also, when synonyms/antonyms are asked in RCs, try to understand the context in which a that particular word is used and then decide accordingly.

• Cloze Test
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Spellings

Cloze Test

• Practice is needed to familiarize yourself with more topics; when presented with the options.
• Make sure you read each word that is given as an option and try fitting it in the sentence and seeing if it makes sense to you; that way by the method of elimination, you can remove the parts that you think are not a good fit for the sentences.

Take a Cloze Test Here

Take a complete English Section Test to test the level of your preparation

SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy – Numerical Ability & Quantitative Aptitude

Important Topics – Quantitative Aptitude Section:

1. Simplification/ Approximation
2. Problem on ages
3. Percentages
4. Averages
5. SI/CI
6. Profit and Loss
7. Ratio and Proportion
8. Data Interpretation Questions
9. Time and work Questions
10. Speed, Time and Distance Questions
11. Probability Questions
12. Number Series Questions

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Tips for the Quantitative Aptitude Section

• We hope that your basics of the Numerical Aptitude are clear by now because the solution for a numerical ability question cannot arrived at unless you are thorough with the fundamentals like formulas, short tricks, calculation speed, Tables etc.
• The key to excel in this section is extensive practice of a vast number of questions pertaining to different topics. Practicing will give you an edge over your competitors as it will enhance your calculation speed and and also help you in understanding as to how to solve a particular type of question,.
• In these last few days, take daily mixed question quizzes to enhance your speed. 
• While practicing quizzes, note down important formulas and tricks to solve the question etc as and when you feel that some formula is important. This will help you revise the formulas.
•  If you feel that you lack in any topic, you can always take topic tests to boost your confidence.
• To test the level of your preparation for the complete section, take a 3-4 sectional tests so that you can feel confident.
• Your practice of each type of question and your understanding in each topic will sail you through. Attempt sectional tests and try to formulate your own strategy so that you can implement the same in the exam.
• You cannot experiment in the real exam as it would cost you very high. Instead devise your strategy through tests and then implement it in your exam.
• Solve Data Interpretation Questions daily because the Exam will focus on the Data Interpretation type questions. Try to solve 3-4 DI questions daily to have command over this topic using various online websites. 

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SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy – General and Financial Awareness

• This section can help you immensely in increasing your overall marks as this is very scoring section.
• Preparing for this section is always Work-in-Progress. You must be in a habit of getting a daily dose of GA. Read the current affairs daily so that you are not under pressure of reading and learning it all at once a few days before the exam.
• Take a lot of daily quizzes on general and financial awareness from various websites. This helps you in retention of the GA you read. While you read daily GA, give special importance to the financial news that is there. It is advisable to cover GA of at least of 6 months before the exam month.
• You can also revise the monthly GA using Oliveboard’s Banking Bolt.
• Static awareness is in some way or the other related to current affairs only.
• You can also refer to static GK awareness section here. Also you can download our Ebooks for free to enhance your knowledge.
• Also do not forget to learn about SBI and RBI.

This was all from us in this blog of SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy. We hops you will benefit from the information given in SBI Clerk 2019 Preparation Strategy and be able to implement it. To complete your preparation you can join Oliveboard’s Mock Test series for SBI Clerk 2019 for both prelims and mains exam.

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