RBI Grade B Phase 1 Time Management on the day of the exam

 

RBI PHASE 1

TIME MANAGEMENT ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM

(User discretion advised. This is written considering 2014 phase 1 pattern)

TOTAL TIME AVAILABLE : 130 MINUTES

NUMBER OF SECTIONS : 4

ORDER OF ATTENDING THE SECTIONS ALONG WITH TIME TO BE ALLOCATED

Ideally, you can start with English. The standard of English section isn’t mediocre anymore. Standard has been improved drastically. Nothing to fear. It isn’t comparable with CAT English section. It is doable. Just that it needs a little more concentration. Now how to attend this particular section. Aspirants who have already attended online bank exams would know how the paper would be on THE SCREEN. For the newbies, let me give an idea. All the four sections would be in different tabs. All these tabs would be placed horizontally. More or less like the below image.

 

So if you click on reasoning, first 80 questions would get listed on the right side of your screen. Just like a painting palette.

 

This would give you a rough idea. So, you will be getting a list of 60 numbers here. Right from 1 to 60 (of course with a scroll bar for the palette). So now you can imagine. If you click on quantitative aptitude, it will show the list from 61-90. If you click on English, it will show the list from 91-120. If you click on general awareness, it will show the list from 121-200.

NOTE: The order of tabs may differ. So please consider that.

 

Now back to the time plan.

 Start with the English section.

Why?

Has only 30 questions. Even quant has 30 questions only. But it will consume more time. Once you are done with 30 questions in say 12-15 minutes you will have a mental satisfaction that you have completed a section. This will keep you going.

 

So where to start in English. Please do not start from question 1. In this case, first question in english section will be 91. Why not? For sure it will be a reading comprehension. It might eat your time if it is a very very long passage. By trend (remember the blueprint you have created?) 10 questions would be asked on reading comprehensions. 5 general questions, 5 questions on synonyms/antonyms. So do not take chance. Now why directly click on 111^th question. The same trend says that the last ten questions are cloze text (Fill in the blanks). If am not wrong, we have been doing this right from 6^th grade. Piece of cake. (This time it might be only 5 as I was mentioning about the new topic for 5 marks in my earlier post). So wherever the English tab is, once you click on the tab. Click on the first number of the last ten questions. In this case it is 111. Eat the cake. Please eat within 3 minutes. Yes it is possible. Do not start clicking on answers as and when you read (can do when you find the option to be too obvious). First skim the full passage. Hardly takes 30 seconds. This will help you in understanding the essence/tone of the passage. If it is a passage with positive tone and you realise that even before you start marking answers, chances are that you won’t make any mistake. Repeating again. Do mark answers in the first go when skimming if you find the option to be too obvious in any case (positive passage/negative passage). Skimming will help because in some cases you may be thinking that the passage is positive and start clicking answers and somewhere you get to know that it isn’t positive. So few of the answers you marked maybe wrong. So to prevent that mistake, skimming is very much important. Now click on 106^th question. Should be “Rearrange the following”. Requires maybe 1-2-3 (max) minutes to solve. Once done, click on 101^st question. Should be spot the errors. Take less than a minute please. Now click on 96^th question, welcome to questions on synonyms/antonyms (NOTE: Not the general meaning or opposite is asked. It is asked in relation to the passage. For example, the word “broke“ has a lot of meanings. In the passage, in what context has the author written? You need to mention that. Same applies to antonyms too. Max 1 minute for this. So in toto, you will be consuming 8 minutes of your time. You still have 5 questions on reading comprehensions. Just leave them. We will get back if we have time. As of now, you have attended 25/30. Cut off would be around 14. So please attempt 20+ at least. If you are able to attend all 30 questions in ten minutes, well and good.

NOTE: I considered English section to be the third tab. Please act wisely and accordingly if the tab position is different. Just remember the idea of “which number to start with” for each topic in English section

 Now you are back to IBPS PO exam with two extra minutes. Ok let those 2 minutes be buffer. You have 120 minutes with 170 questions. Sounds easier isn’t it?

Start the exam now: P

Considering that you have done enough prep for General awareness section (Never say it is tough to memorise. If you say yes, you will never be able to memorise. It is cool to study general awareness stuff. You get to know what’s happening in the world. It is not dry at all)

(Already mentioned the source, still reminding once again)

Last four months gk pdfs from

Bankersadda monthly cpasules

Bankersadda finance capsules

Bankersadda consolidated capsule (if available for RBI grade b. If not, take the consolidated pdf of any other bank exam that is conducted very near to rbi phase 1)

 

In short, anything and everything related to rbi grade b by bankersadda

Nirdeshak (both monthly and finance capsules)

Gktoday

Linking sky (if you still have space in your brain)

RBI FAQ (important)

Union Budget 2015 (very important. All those numbers. Like how many crores have been allotted for this scheme, that scheme, blah blah)

Any other site that you have found to be amazing (which I haven’t found :/)

And importantly common sense. (Needed for logical guessing. Use only when you are desperate to increase your score to meet the cut off (anyway your choice)/when you are desperate to maximise your score to top the charts. If you are in between and contended with your attempts forget common sense :P)

NOTE: Most things are repetitive. Bankersadda covers everything. But a few important points may be found in the other sites mentioned above.

If you have memorised it so well, it will take you maybe 12 minutes to complete all 80 questions.

Yes. I am not kidding. (And it isn’t compulsory to attend all 80)

 

So when did you start this section? When the clock was at 120 minutes. Now it is 108 minutes. You have done (and probably dusted or you got dusted: P) with two sections.

Sigh! 80 + 20 = 110 questions. SIGH! I am great. NO. Strictly do not have this feel. Top 200-300 candidates would have done this by now. You are still running the race. No time to even feel happy/sad/neutral.

 

Ok…. You have got 3 minutes buffer. 108/107/106/105 anywhere in these minutes is fine. But once you reach 105, whatever attempts you have made even if you have only a few questions left where you can score, it is ok, leave the section and go to the next. Discipline is ver important when it comes to managing time. Many of us get carried away by tension/anxiety and lot other related stuff during exam. So keep your mind under control. So 105….. tada. You are in reasoning section now!

105 good minutes for 90 questions. Theoretically you have got more than a minute for each question.

Reasoning has been the nightmare for a lot of aspirants. But I think this is the most scoring and coolest section of all. I LOVE REASONING. And ya you too please start loving it. Helps you big time.

Basically reasoning = puzzles. Why do you have to fret? :/ Enjoy it.

As per the sample tabs above, reasoning is tab 1. So starts with question1. Go through all questions from 1 to 60 (answer whatever you know). So what all to answer in round 1? Ya you are going to split reasoning into two and attempt in two rounds. Questions from the topics below are to be attended in round 1.

Syllogisms, blood relations, coding decoding, input output, miscellaneous (statements and conclusions/inferences/cause and effect etc), data sufficiency, statement inequality (most feared topic. It’s a cake walk trust me. I have explained it in my blog). So you have 30-40 questions here (cut off would be in 30s I guess). Attempt them in round 1. So any other question that you find on your way from 1 to 60, just click on mark for review and traverse till 60 and attempt the questions on the mentioned topics. So for these questions imagine that we spare 1 minute for each question (actually you would be finishing sooner say for example all 5 syllogisms should take you a max of 2:30 minutes, input output 3-5 minutes, coding decoding 4 minutes, data sufficiency (tricky), max 1 minute for each question…….. blah blah).

So now 105-40=65 minutes. Wow! I have 65 minutes now for quant. Nope K. You do have a few questions in other sections! So you got only 35-40 minutes for quant(more than enough).

Start from the first question in quant. Cannot predict where what will be. My general idea is first 15 questions will be on data interpretation, then find the next number/odd number series, quadratic equations and five miscellaneous questions(sometimes this could be 10. Minus five questions from data interpretation in that case). Whatever it is, you would be getting a grip of all the topics in this section in the month of august, September, October, because you are gonna prepare them every morning! So what is there to fear :P

Still, you will have a few sitter questions in data interpretation, find the missing number/odd number (awful 5 questions K. I generally do not attempt or mark same option for all 5. Like b b b b b (works if you are lucky ;)) and a few in quadratic, where you get confused like hell! (if you are thorough with statement inequality, you won’t make mistake in quadratic while comparing x and y)

So let us assume that you have taken the max 40 min that we fixed, to complete say 20+ questions. Good enough. But please attempt 20+ Cut off would anyway be between 12-14. Still you cannot take risks right. So attempt 20+ with 90% accuracy. For this you need to prepare well.

 

Now look at the clock. It is at 25 minutes. Go to reasoning section. Go to marked for review questions. (They would be marked in purple (wish I am remembering properly) with a small tick mark on it.). They should be seating arrangement/logical reasoning questions and a few data sufficiency/miscellaneous/syllogisms questions that were tricky/made you perplexed. Attempt them all. Relax. Do not panic if seating arrangements isn’t working your way. Try attempting remaining stuff. Try to finish one caselet at least. Either in seating arrangements or logical reasoning, Practise a lot of inside out type seating arrangements. That is the basic seating arrangements type asked now(standard has improved! Reminding yet again).

So now look at the time. You might have been lucky in clearing all those left out reasoning questions, half satisfied with a few correct ones or badly hit with no luck.

It is ok. Now go to English section, skim the passage. QUICK. Max two minutes to read, sorry skim (of course with concentration). Answer them. Should take max 4-4.5 minutes. Remaining 2.5 minutes. Left out questions in GK (marked for review).

You are done. If you follow this you will be attempting 180+ (backed up with good (smart) prep)

 

NOTE:

·         This strategy might not work for all.

·         Might work for all

OTHER IMPORTANT TIPS:

Do not fear the number of people applying

Do not fear looking at the crowd in your centre

Do not day dream

Do not get lost

Do not get depressed (half the way. Mostly reasoning/quant would be making you feel this way :P. Close your eyes for 10 seconds. Start afresh with a new section. Come back to reasoning)

If this strategy collapses, half way it is ok. Not mandatory to follow. Do what is required at that point of time. Just see to that you attempt max possible with good accuracy keeping in mind sectional cut off.

Never think you belong to reserved category. You are a general candidate (pushes you to perform better)

At the end of the day, if you clear sectional cut offs and overall cut offs, you are in. It is as simple as that.

The person next to you, opposite you whomever, they do not play any role in your selection. It is just between you and RBI. RBI sets a standard, try to clear it.

It is just like aim for the sky, reach the roof top.

 

Aim for 170+ score. Land up with 130+ (which is very high when compared to last year). And start preparing for phase 2 (terrible pressurised days!! K ;))

 

Happy to help!