SBI PO 2017: Section Wise Strategy | English Language

SBI PO 2017 notification is already out and all you must have started your preparations for the same. This is the most sought after examination in the banking sector after RBI Grade B direct recruitment exam carried out each year. In order to equip you for the examination, we are bringing to you section wise strategy for various sections in this exam. 

                                         

English Language: The topics that have made it all the more difficult

English language section has proved to be very difficult for average candidates in almost all the recent banking examinations because of its surprising nature along with the unique type of questions in most of the examinations. The topics that have made it all the more difficult to even score sectional cut off marks are:

• Reading Comprehension: This has been there even before the radical change that has taken place in banking examinations since 2016. Reading comprehension is mainly about your capacity to deduce something from the given piece of information and also understanding contextual meaning of words in the passage.

• Error finding questions: It is mostly about finding error in case of a number of sentences. It has not been only one sentence divided into a number of parts in order to find the error in one of the parts thereof as earlier. Rather it is about a bunch of sentences from which you have to find the wrong sentence or sentences.

• Paragraph completion questions: Instead of fillers in a sentence, questions have evolved to become paragraph completion questions where you are required to fill the gap in a paragraph instead of a sentence.

• Cloze Test: Though these questions are not there in abundance these days but you may find it again all on a sudden. These questions are based on your understanding of the context of a paragraph. You are required to find the right word for the blank in a sentence in a paragraph.

• Relevant Statements: This one is another googly for all of you since this is very unique for all of you. One sentence is given and after that, a number of sentences are given and you are asked to find the relevant one from the options. 

• Finding the starters for sentence joining: Two sentences are given and you are supposed to join them with the linkers given in the options. You are required to find the right starter among them to link the two sentences without changing the meaning. 

• Essence of a paragraph: This is another unique type of question these days in banking examinations. In this, you are required to find the right essence of a given paragraph among the given options. 

• Para Jumbled questions: These are also new for most of the aspirants apart from the CAT aspirants obviously. You are required to find the odd one from the given options in a given paragraph. These questions were very difficult in last year IBPS PO Mains examination as the pattern was new. The question stumped a lot of candidates in IBPS PO 2016. 

English Language Section: How to master it?

In order to score well in the english section, you are required to follow following rules and strategy:

• Read the basics of English: This is the first step for securing good marks in this section in SBI PO examination. You are required to take a standard book on English grammar and finish the basic rules on sentences, clause, tense etc as questions often are asked from these areas. 

• Read Newspaper daily: You are going to benefit a lot from this as most of the questions are asked in order to test your conceptual knowledge and contextual application of the language. Reading novels, newspapers, listening to English news etc will help you a long way in scoring well in English. 

• Practice makes a man perfect: There are a number of rules in English grammar and you are certainly not going to benefit from reading those rules only. You are required to practice as much as possible before the examination so that you are accustomed to the exam level questions and difficulty level. 

• Do not attempt only for the sake of attempting: This is important since most of us attempt more in English because it takes less time to answer questions. But it proves fatal for most of the candidates as they end up losing marks in the form of negative marks in this section. Do not attempt without even a slightest of knowledge regarding something only to boost up the number of total attempts. 

• Go for CAT books: This is the best way to go for English section in the banking examinations these days. Most of the question types are taken from the verbal ability questions in the management entrance examinations such as CAT, XAT, MAT etc. Hence, it is in your best interests that you start preparing at that level only. So, prepare yourself with the required level of preparation in this section since good preparation can fetch you good marks in this section. 

• Learn as many new words as possible: Try to learn new words by going through newspapers, novels in English so that your vocabulary is strong enough to counter any challenge thrown at you by SBI in the examination. 

• Practice writing as well: This is important for mains examination but it will help you in the overall preparation as well. Writing correct English will give you confidence in this section even in the prelims examination. 

• Time Limit for preparation: First go for a basic grammar book and finish it within this month including revision of the same. After that, puck up a good CAT Verbal Ability book and attempt exercises of the questions that have been asked in the latest banking examinations. This should do for the whole March month as it will also help you revise your grammar rules that you have learnt in February month. The month of April should be devoted to Speed Tests only as it is necessary to be exam ready before the actual examination on 29^th April, 30^th April, 06^th and 07^th May 2017 followed by mains examination the following month. 

The first thing that you should keep in mind while starting your English preparation is that this is the most scoring section in the paper. The catch is that you have to be confident enough and practice as many types of questions before the actual examination. Start giving this section its due importance and grab good marks in this section. English is going to play a vital role in your final selection as it is there in prelims, mains and also in the form of descriptive examination. So, work hard and smartly and give a boost to your English language with the strategy discussed above.

All the best!!