Success Story of Arpan Roy Choudhuri- Cleared SBI PO 2016, NABARD Grade A 2018,RBI Grade B 2018

Read the Success Story of Arpan Roy Choudhuri, who proved everyone wrong who believed that clearing competitive exams with a job is difficult, and went on to clear NABARD Grade A with AIR 7 & RBI Grade B with AIR 37 in 2018 after working for SBI PO for almost two years.

So guys, nothing is impossible. The difference between achieving people and others is their perception of and response to failure.

Here is his inspiring story:

Hello, I am Arpan Roy from Kolkata, West Bengal. My father was working in State Government Service and retired in 2016. He was my constant source of inspiration that kept me going to join Government sector. In 8th Semester itself I started preparing for MBA exams. Soon SBI PO notification was out and I thought to give it a try. As my basics were quite clear, I was able to crack SBI PO 2016 with some good amount of practice.

I worked in SBI for almost 2 years and the experience was pretty good. It was during this time when I came to know about other regulatories bodies like NABARD & RBI and then itself I realized that it was the place to be. Moreover, when I came to see what these jobs had to offer like the great opportunities and learning curve, I became even more determined to achieve my dreams.

To be honest, it was not an easy task to clear NABARD & RBI while working with SBI, as the time I could get for preparation was quite limited and I had to plan things accordingly. So I used to wake up early in the morning and dedicated around 4 to 5 hours daily for my preparation before I could go to my office. Initially it was very tough to adjust myself according to new pattern & routine but I was determined to clear these exams at any cost and I knew that there is no gain without pain. Thus my patience & determination showed colors and I was able to clear NABARD (AIR-7) & RBI GRADE B (AIR-37) in 2018.

My preparation Strategy:

As already said earlier, preparing for SBI PO was easy as I had enough time during my last semester but NABARD & RBI GRADE B were a tough nutshell to crack along with my job. Many people told me that it would be impossible to crack any other competitive exams while working for a commercial bank but I did not listen to them and thought to take a plunge.

So let me tell all the aspirants that it is possible……I have proved it myself. So never listen to what others have to say, just listen to your heart and keep believing in yourself.

Having said this, in today’s age there is information overload and you have to be very cautious in order to select what to study and what not to study. Focus on reading very selectively, very precisely and to the point. Most importantly, cover current affairs properly as when you talk about such competitive exams, current affairs are a must. For Prelims cover 4-5 months current affairs and for Mains at least 8 months current affairs.

For GK/GA go through any monthly GK booklet available on the internet and read newspapers rigorously for interviews and GA section. Along with this, do not forget to cover Economic Survey Volume 1 & 2 and Budget that is available in Ministry and Finance Website. They will be very helpful for your preparation. As far as books are concerned, you can refer Ramesh Singh for Economics & Bharati Pathak for Finance and Management. Remember, read what is important and relevant to the exams.

Many successful candidates advised me to refer at least one financial newspapers but it would take a good amount of time. As I was already in shortage of time, I preferred referring such important news online itself and focused only on what was relevant.

As far as interview is concerned, you need to be very well versed with the fundamentals of Banking. You can refer to any Banking capsules available online for the same. Especially for NABARD, do read about the recent developments in Agricultural and Rural Sectors of India. In such exams you can expect questions from latest as well as previous schemes so be thorough with them. For RBI, go through their official website and keep a track of the monthly updates published there to keep yourself updated with the latest happenings related to the same. Moreover, after clearing Mains you will have sufficient time in your hand so do read one to two newspapers daily to prepare yourself best and be accustomed with the latest happenings.

Role of Oliveboard:

Soon after filling the SBI PO form in 2016 I started surfing the internet for some good mock tests and there I came across Oliveboard. As my fundamentals was quite clear due to my prior MBA preparations, I focused only on Prelims & Mains mock tests from Oliveboard. These tests were entirely based on the latest pattern and syllabus and helped me immensely to cover all types of questions for the real exam. Again for NABARD & RBI GRADE B, I trusted Oliveboard with the mock tests and I was not wrong with my selection. Finally I managed to clear NABARD & RBI GRADE B IN 2018 with help of Oliveboard mock tests. I downloaded their app and gave mock test online which helps me to know the level of questions in examination

Tips for Aspirants:

Remember that you may go through a lot of stress and pressure while preparing for such exams but that should never deviate you from your goals. Do strategize your study plan wisely and once in a while take time for yourself in order to relax and keep going.

I would advise all the aspirants especially if you are already working to utilize your weekends properly for your preparation. Most important, have an inspiration that can keep you going. Blindly following your goal without an inspiration is unworthy. For example, I took a printout of the RBI Logo and pasted on my study desk and every morning I used to look at it before studies and trust me even this small step inspired me enough to overcome all hurdles.

So guys, never doubt your capabilities and keep going. At end, I would like to wish all the best to all the aspirants and hope my story would have helped you to some extent.

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