If you are one of the aspirants who are planning to take both or even one of these exams, then you need to prepare a blueprint to guide your preparation. This will channelise your efforts in the right direction and take you much closer to success. Follow the tips mentioned below.
Since both NABARD and SBI will conduct online aptitude exams, there are bound to be certain similarities in the pattern. So, let’s first of all understand the common areas of preparation that you need to cover.
Common areas
1) English Language – Out here, you have to focus specifically on four aspects: Vocabulary, grammar, English usage and reading. Reading comprehension and vocabulary are generally interlinked as synonyms and antonyms asked in the exam are from the passage itself.
2) Numerical Ability/ Quantitative Aptitude – Within quant, the most important aspects are arithmetic and data interpretation. The questions based on simplification and numerical series also have significant weightage. Besides that, mensuration too accounts for a couple of questions.
3) Reasoning Ability – Puzzle test, mathematical inequalities, syllogisms, seating arrangement, blood relations, coding-decoding and input-output are the key topics in this area.
However, logical reasoning questions such as: Statement-assumption, statement-argument, statement-course of action and statement-conclusion must not be neglected as well.
4) Computer Knowledge – To comprehensively cover all the questions from this area you should study (a) keyboard shortcuts (b) software packages and usage (c) cyber security and security tools (d) abbreviations and acronyms (e) networking fundamentals (f) history of computers and programming languages (g) internet knowledge and protocols (h) basic computer terminology (i) computer hardware.
5) General and Banking/ Financial Awareness – The syllabus of this area generally seems vague to most candidates. However, preparing yourself to handle questions based on the following topics will be of maximum benefit.
General Awareness
(a) New appointments and who is who (b) prizes and awards (c) international summits /conferences (d) government welfare schemes and initiatives (e) sports tournaments (f) science and technology projects (g) books and authors (h) international organisations
Banking/ Financial Awareness
(a) Fiscal and monetary policy announcements (b) macroeconomic indicators (c) Indian banking system (d) regulatory framework (e) banking and financial terms (f) financial market developments (g) banking operations
Although SBI clerk preliminary exam (tier-I) will not include areas 4 and 5, yet you must work on them simultaneously with Quant, English and Reasoning. It is so because there will not be much of a time gap between the preliminary exam and the main exam. Moreover, if you have applied for NABARD vacancies, then note that all the five areas will be a part of the preliminary (tier-I) exam.
NABARD specific preparation
(A) Part–II of the preliminary exam will have two sections: 1) Economic and Social Issues II and 2) Agricultural and Rural Development.
To prepare for these sections you can use magazines such as Yojana (socio-economic issues) and Kurukshetra (agriculture and rural development). These magazines are published by the Govt. of India. Apart from these, it is suggested that you daily go through the editorial section of an English newspaper.
(B) Descriptive paper in the main exam – For this paper, you will have to practice essay, précis writing, comprehension and business and official correspondence. You can use any standard high school English grammar and composition text book for the same.
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