My Road to SBI PO : How I cracked one of India’s toughest exams in less than 6 months Part 1 of 7
If you appeared for the SBI PO exam in 2016 you would be competing against 17 Lakh aspirants who wrote the exam hoping to land a seat at India’s biggest and only Fortune 500 Bank. After a rigorous exam consisting of multiple hurdles and stages spread over many months, 2004 candidates made it through. Yes, if you were selected, you would be among the top 0.1% of all candidates who wrote the exam. If you were a General Category aspirant like me then your odds of making it stood at 0.05%. Even though the post had advertised for 2200 vacancies, they ended up taking in only 2004 – just like everything else about the exam, unexpected surprises prevailed.
Why Now?
A lot has changed since 2016 but the landscape of banking exams in India has only gotten more complicated. Much akin to the state of most Public Sector Banks riddled with NPAs, the PSB recruitment experience has developed a rot which is eating away at the dreams and aspirations of the young Indian. I am disconcerted by the fact that there exists an enormous information asymmetry- the newly minted graduates and unsuspecting dreamy eyed aspirants are lured by promises of exceptional results and coerced into buying heavily overpriced courses and run of the mill mock tests. From the tall talk of people who never wrote the exams peddling your courses to snake oil salesmen who promise instant results by selling you some magic “materials” –there is no dearth of misinformation and misguidance swirling in the competitive exam market. I was inundated by queries from friends and acquaintances and was astonished at how dead wrong most were about the entire process. I kept correcting and leading them down the right track but on a one-to-one basis I can only do so much. That’s where the idea of blogging about my experience took shape and I figured now is as good a time as any. This blog series is an attempt to get you all the information you need right from the horse’s mouth. Through the 7 parts of this blog series my goal is to help you make sense of the bank exam conundrum. I write about the experience from an SBI perspective but you can correlate the same to IBPS and most other competitive exams. And no, my advice isn’t hidden behind a paywall and I encourage you to share all that I share with you. So, in time, we can empower every young Indian with the information they need to embark upon their own journey.
But isn’t coaching necessary?
NO. I haven’t enrolled into any coaching class to crack this exam and neither should you. If you feel that coaching is necessary to keep you motivated and on track then please stop reading further. You won’t make it into a bank if you don’t know how to self motivate(More on that later). I have met numerous SBI POs and a substantially high number of them didn’t take any coaching classes. Infact, if you ask most of these POs they would reveal that not having studied in any coaching classes has been the secret to their success. Sounds counter-intuitive? Don’t worry, I’ll explain why in a moment. For now, just remember that not going for a coaching class can be a secret weapon. However, that said, its important to note that almost all of the POs I met, including me, have taken a myriad number of mock tests offered by different institutes to hone our skills and compare our standing amongst the wider populace. This is because you need a benchmark of your performance. What matters is not how good you are individually but how much better you are than your competition.
So what DO I need ?
That’s what I’m here to tell you. Through this 7 part series of blog articles I will explain to you, in depth, the entire methodology with which I had approached this exam. I will tell you which books and test series I referred to and how I kept myself motivated. I will share with you tips on how you can effectively increase your performance to
if you ask most of these POs they would reveal that not having studied in any coaching classes has been the secret to their success
reach the elite tier that is necessary to crack this exam. If you are a serious aspirant then by now you must have heard about the 2 key words in banking exam preparation – speed and accuracy. You might have listened to many debates regarding which one is more important. I’ll give it to you straight- it’s accuracy. It should be common sense, but unfortunately, its not. I have seen so many people who go into the exam with a mental image of x marks to be attempted in reasoning, y to be attempted in Maths. In the end, they fall short by a huge margin because of this mental block. Mental agility is so very crucial to your success. You feel like you can solve that problem, you know you’re close and yet… Bam! 15 minutes blown away and you’re out of the race. Yes, this is where the “deconcentration” ability will come in handy. When you need to move your mind from out of that problem and realize that there are easy pickings out there. Always, and I repeat- ALWAYS go after low hanging fruit first. Typically 30% of the exam is easy. It’s the race to find those 30% where people stumble. Remember: There are no prizes for correct attempts. The only prizes are for correct answers.
Why you need to hustle if you’re a banking aspirant
Hustle. Such a simple word. Such an important word. As you read this article Machines are getting better and better. I have friends who are working on AI and Machine Learning and what they tell me truly is unsettling. Did you know that in early 2017 Bank of America opened a branch without employees? Just imagine where automation will take us in 5 years from now. 10 years from now, will banks operate in the same inefficient manner by holding on to staff? Or will pink slips be the order of the day? Last year State Bank MD Shri Rajnish Kumar stated that SBI will reduce 10% staff by 2019 . The same article I linked to states that SBI will reduce hiring by 50%. Time is running out. You need to take action right now if you want to enter the banking industry. And, to top it off you need to learn skills that machines cannot replace fast enough. Many will read these news items and panic. But if you are truly determined you only need to remember 1 thing: Clichéd as it may sound, You only need one seat.
Which Materials to study? Which social media groups to join?
SBI PO Study groups are a dime a dozen these days. WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook-you name it, they’re on it. The chatter on these groups is unbelievable. Add to that that the daily MCQ PDFs, the Current Affairs PDFs and heck, people even spam the groups for The Hindu PDFs! If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say 10% to 20% of your time is spent on keeping up with the notifications on the multitude of apps you have on your phone. Let me tell you something you already know- You will NEVER cover so many PDFs and study materials. Keep your study materials limited and use the time thus saved to do some actual studying. Invest in time. Its the most precious resource we have in this world. Social media is useless till you reach the Interview Stage. You can worry about that when you reach that stage. Meanwhile I suggest you exit those “prep” groups. Subsequent parts of this series will cover when exactly you will need the help of others except yourself to leverage yourself to the next level.
What if I don’t have a job yet? Should I settle?
I’ve been where you are. I was without a job for 6 months after leaving the IT sector. Unemployment sucks. But there’s 2 sides to every coin- If you don’t have a job then you have what many others are lacking- TIME. Now what you do with that time is up to you. You may whittle it away on Netflix binges and squabble over Game of Thrones theories with your friends. Or, you can strategize. For instance, if you’re preparing without a job, my advice would be to throw the net far and wide and avoid putting all your eggs into 1 basket. That’s precisely what my strategy was as I appeared for every single exam that I could find. I especially targeted exams conducted by IBPS as they conduct the SBI exam as well. It helped me gain a lot of confidence with the interface and I was pleasantly surprised to see a few repeated MCQs as well. Be warned though: while you do this you must never lose focus of your end goal- that single “dream” exam that you wish to crack with your heart and soul – that dream job for me was the coveted post of SBI PO and all of the other preparation was centred around it.
Some Exams I appeared for in 2016 (in total I attempted over 16 exams that year):
- GIC Re
- LIC AAO
- NABARD
- Bank of Baroda
- AAI
- RBI Grade B
- SBI PO
- SBI Clerk
- SBI Youth For India Fellowship
- UBI PO
- UIIC
The path was not easy. It never is. I’ve had my share of failures in bank exams and in other departments of life. But failure simply means one way which doesn’t work. There are a million others that do. Find one that works for you.
On Motivation
Let me repeat what I already told you: if you cannot self motivate then you should forget about SBI PO right now. Achieving any big feat in life needs a self determination that is unassailable. So you didn’t qualify anything till now. You might have lost in life. You might be in a dark place. Know something? Society doesn’t care. Your mom and dad care. Maybe your siblings care. That’s it.
“He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right”
-Confucius
Think about your life for a moment. Close your eyes. Can you see the sacrifices that your dad made for you? The days when you were partying with your friends and he was working till late into the night, hoping that he could give his child the future he never had? Do you know how many tears your mother had to shed to raise you? And yet she never told you what she was going through. She would hear all your stories and all the time you cribbed. Don’t you want to see your mom and dad happy? Don’t you burn with the fire to give them a life beyond their wildest imagination? Do you believe you have what it takes? Well then, what are you waiting for?
Finding your WHY
Why do you want to get into SBI? Unless you have a rock solid “why” you will not persist in the times of extreme challenge. What’s more, a lucidly articulated “why” will work wonders for you during the interview phase. I will tell you my “why” and I hope that it will help you find yours. After graduating from college I secured a job in TCS via the campus placements. Let me make this clear. TCS is an amazing company. Even though TCS was late to the IT party(Infosys had already gained a foothold in the industry) they took the nation by storm once they entered the fray and under the aegis of the legendary chairman S Ramadorai they showed what the Tata brand stands for and to this date remain the top IT company in India. Towards the end of 2015 I took a long hard look at my career and my future in the company. No doubt that the company had blessed me with amazing colleagues, friends and prospective international assignments. However I could not see a future for myself in the IT services industry and wanted to explore a different path. On March 31st 2016 I resigned from TCS and set out, not knowing where I wanted to end up. I had very less inkling as to what I wanted to do but I knew that I had a passion for finance even though my qualifications did not state the fact. I searched for freelance work and found a startup that needed to launch it’s web portfolio. It was a good fit for the skills I possessed and I jumped on board. Meanwhile, I began to look for career options which would help me launch my financial career.
There are no prizes for correct attempts. The only prizes are for correct answers.
At this time I began to develop an interest in bank exams. I researched a lot into the openings of many of the Public Sector Banks and found to my surprise that one didn’t need to have a finance background to get into these banks and I immediately decided to pursue these exams. I felt like I needed a goal and what better goal than to join the biggest bank of India? So I decided at that moment to become an SBI PO. It was a tough goal to strive for in the limited time that I had but without setting high standards for myself I wouldnt get anywhere. If you’re not dreaming big enough, why are you even dreaming in the first place?
So tell me the dos and the don’ts
Simple enough. People these days have habitually adapted to a low attention span. So in case you skimmed over the last section, here’s what you need to remember if your goal is to get into a bank this year.
Mock Tests
Daily Inspiration
Deconcentration ability
Hustle
Coaching Classes
The incessant hunt for "Study Materials"
Constant Hyperconnectedness
Manic focus on "number of attempts"
Why NOT joining coaching classes can give you a comparative advantage
I told you I’ll come to this didn’t I? See! you can trust me. The year 2016 marked a distinctive shift in the SBI PO examination pattern. In 2016 the Prelims were easy enough and everyone was lulled into a false sense of security. Mains would be like 2016 as well, they all said. Boy, were they wrong! Reasoning and Maths were diabolical. For the first time in SBI PO history candidates had to leave many English paper questions because they were simply too tough. Think you know English? Wait till you sit for SBI PO mains. The aggregate time and number of questions were also changed and the revamped exam was the one that was administered for 2017. However, in the 2017 edition SBI removed the sectional cutoffs which stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversies(something that I discuss in part 7 of this series). This is why you need to avoid coaching. Usually coaching class “faculty” are extremely sure about the exam trends. You’ll notice what I’m talking about if you see their videos on YouTube and the way they promote their material. They establish certain norms in the minds of the examinees SBI defied all those norms. Coaching class students had to struggle so much to unlearn what they were told to clear the exam- since the “expert” faculty of these classes had conditioned them to approach the exam a certain way. If you don’t go for coaching, you go with a clean slate. The current SBI PO exam is far too dynamic and novel to be qualified by coaching. And remember this: Blaming the system or filing cases will not solve the issue at hand- the competition is far too fierce and the landscape of banking exams far too complicated for IBPS to risk sticking to a predetermined pattern. Change is good. It gives everyone a shot to clear the exam. Learn to use change and catapult yourself to success.
The Road Ahead
It has been almost 2 years since I wrote the exam and as I look back upon it I feel extremely priviledged and gratified by my journey so far. SBI has taken a city boy and flung him totally out of his comfort zone giving him oodles of life experiences that he’ll forever cherish. In a little over 1 year since I joined the bank I have travelled across 10 states and been to over 50 cities- a running joke among the newly recruited POs being that SBI had taken inspiration from UPSC and organized its own mini “Bharat Darshan”. And indeed it did-through my institutional and on job training I have been blessed with friends from all over India- Travelling and socializing with people of my age hailing from all over India has been an eye opener- my world, which was once limited to the comfy confines of the City of Joy has radically transformed. You must have heard the adage- travel broadens your mind. To experience that in person- now that’s a revelation! I’d always believed that in India we were living in discretely segregated silos with vast differences among us but travel made me realize the fact that despite all our differences, we are quintessentially Indian at heart. And no matter where you go in India you can expect to find yourself sipping a cup of chai as you engage in verbal vollies with die hard cricket fanatics!
Enjoy a few photos of the moments that SBI has brought to me. I continue my story in Part 2 of this series and I hope you will join me. Subscribe to Supriyo Panda’s Newsletter!
Supriyo Panda
Originally from the City of Joy, now reside in Karnataka. Bengali by heart, Indian by choice. My love for writing is rivalled by my love for finance, economics, technology and business. Connect with me on Facebook
Sir, please write about strategy for mains
Part 3 will deal with Mains strategy. Stay tuned!
PREPARING FOR BANKING FROM LAST 3 YEARS OUT EVERYTIME TELL ME STRATERGY???? PLZPLZZZ
Hi Amandeep, may I ask which stage you are getting stuck in? Have you attended any coaching classes? What is your educational background?
I was too from the city of joy but now I’m living in rajasthan.
Currently, I’m a b.com 2nd year student who is truly interested in economics and finance and i wanna become rbi grade B officer. Can you plz guide me how can i approach that exam now, along with my b.com.
Plz rply
Check my strategy video and stay connected with my channel, will provide guidance https://youtu.be/I0McxHzdLsY
Sir I have cleared IBPS clerk this year. Can you please suggest How to manage job+studies coz I want to target IBPS PO/IT officer
Hi Babaljeet
As you’re working in the Clerical Cadre you must first ensure that you leave the bank after your stipulated hours. Diligently do your work from 10:30 to 5:30 & then leave. It will give you many hours in your weekdays to prepare. If your manager creates any problems you can always approach the Union. This is your biggest advantage over Officers for whom there are “no official working hours”. Next, use your weekends well- Switch off your phone, refrain from going to parties, movies and stop socializing. Your friends might be annoyed at the start but it will all pay off in the end. All the best.
Thank You so much Sir. I will try my best to keep the above written things in my mind.And mobile is actually a biggest distraction in my case. Thanks a lot!!!
Do you prefer unacademy?
Can you suggest any teacher online for Quantitative aptitude because this is my weak point.
Check my video on Quant it will help you begin.
Can a terminated employee from a Public Sector Bank apply for other exams like SEBI, RBI, IBPS, SBI , BOI Credit Officer exams etc.?
if it was suspension then its difficult.
Thank you dada for your amazing content. Also from city of joy. Hope, will reach my dreams after impleminting your suggessions. Tumi amadr gorbo💕
I am preparing for Bank job from 2016. Yet does not clear any of them. Weak in English and Gk section. Can’t find what am i lacking of!
Hi Ayantika,
Since you have been appearing for multiple years you must have a good grasp of your weaknesses. English can’t be improved overnight but there is no reason to be unable to improve GA- read, make notes and revise again and again. See where you are allocating time- 80% of your time must be devoted to revising past concepts. Apply for all exams. Even for minor ones. Go through my 7 part blog for SBI here and I’m sure you can find some useful advice. Good luck.
Sir, please suggest some book or online material for banking exams and insurance.
Hello,
i am beginner for Rbi grade b exam …i don’t know how can i prepare, where from i can start my preparations,please just suggest me
watch my video on YouTube it will help you get a sense of where to begin. All the best!
I have doubts in Sebi grade A phase 1, if I secured Phase 1 Paper 1(40%) & paper2(40%) & cleared the 40% aggregate, I qualified for main exam. if 50k members writing prelims exam and all 50k members cleared 40% aggregate ,all 50k members qualified for the main exam????? or else there will select only top candidate based on vacancy.
we sent many mails to SEBI about this they confirmed that everyone getting 40% aggregate will be selected no matter the number.
Can you please let ue know if SBI Po gives extension to working employees owing to the notice period criteria in the present company and if yes then what docs will be needed.
Thanks !
yes, you need to provide a document from HR of your company on the letterhead stating this.
I have doubt regards semi grade A phase 1,
If I secured Paper 1(40 marks) and Paper 2(40 marks) and cleared the 40% aggregate, I will qualified for main exam as per the Sebi notification mentioned.
If 50000 members writing a prelims exam and all 50000 members cleared the 40% aggregate cutoff, all 50000 members qualified for the main exam? or else they will select the top candidate based on the vacancy.
Bhaiya I need to talk to you can I call you
Good Evening sir
my name is sunny, I passed my 10th , 12th, graduation(BCOM) from Delhi University with 64%, 70%, 62% respectively, and Completed my graduation in 2020 and I want to prepare for rbi grade b and i have confidence that will clear phase 1 and phase 2 but am thinking that interviewer giving me good marks or not because of my low academic back ground and have reason why my academic was poor please guide me
Great work hope you will ever in support of upcoming sbi po. Thanx a lot nd keep moving.
Thank you Kumar Gaurav! I will share all that I possibly can to help the next generation of bankers succeed 🙂
Hi Supriyo,
First of all, thanks a lot for sharing your journey to become a SBI PO. It really helped a lot.
I would request you to please help me with my below query:
I am from Kolkata and currently having 4.6 years of IT service experience. I have a strong inclination and zeal to crack SBI/IBPS PO. I have realized that my current work is not taking me anywhere and dont forsee any future 5-10 years down the line. I have to put in efforts to fulfil my goal of becoming a PO. I have 2 more attempts remaining as per the eligibility criteria. My office work is really hectic and spans from 10 A.M. and continues till 9:30 P.M.-10 P.M. (ends with client calls). I get really tired at the end of day’s work.Could you please suggest how should I go about studying so that I clear the PO exams in this attempt (2021) only.
Watch this video, you will get many ideas. Good luck! https://youtu.be/R3jmF0uWt2Q
Sir I m an handicap belonging to OH category I want a telephonic conversation or WhatsApp or Email conversation
Because typing is not convenient for my Queries
Please help sir
Sir pls suggest me.the books for complete self study for SBI PO
Booklist:
📚M. Tyra’s Magical Book on Quicker Maths
https://amzn.to/2RTyZAg
📚Quantitative Aptitude by R S Aggarwal (3 Book Set)
https://amzn.to/3eD3u78
📚Quantitative Aptitude Quantum Cat (High Level Book)
https://amzn.to/2xMSymP
📚Reasoning by R.S.Agarwal
https://amzn.to/2Kmda89
📚Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
https://amzn.to/2VorWBz
📚English Grammar Wren & Martin
https://amzn.to/2VSBaoC
📚 Disha Experts English Book with Topic-wise Solved Papers
https://amzn.to/3eJYlu6
Awesome work brother! Wish you well!
Thank You 🙂
Supriyo, I have gone through your blog. It will definitely provide future aspirants right strategy to crack SBI PO exam. I look forward to next blogs. Wish you all the best for the endeavour.
Thank you so much Sadhan sir! My mission is to help the future aspirants and if I can make a difference to even 1 person then my purpose is served 😀
Oh lovely!! Felt as if I was going through the same rollercoaster ride while reading it. More power to you buddy. And congratulations.
Thank you Sourav. Glad that it resonated with you! I’ll let you know once part 2 is up 🙂
Good work Supriyo, keep it up.
Thank you sir 🙂
well done.keep the spirit alive
Thank you, will do my best 😀
Congratulations for your success, Write as early as possible about Pre and Main strategy for SBI PO and also what to read and from where to get information about GD, Interview Phase.
Thank you Atul. All that you wrote about is in the pipeline! Bit busy with March closing and Statutory audit at my branch, I’m working on the next parts and will definitely release them soon. Thanks for your suggestions!
Well done mate! Can’t wait for the other parts!
Glad that you liked it Edward, stay tuned for the next parts!
It’s very good and inspirational article for all the youths to stay tuned always to positive and to try our best in every assignment.God bless you.
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂
You are amazing, just nothing can suffice what you have told and imbibed in me, great…! Looking forward to the other parts too!
Hi Subhendu,
I’m glad that my words could inspire you with a renewed vigour. The next parts will be online very soon. I hope you crack the exam and I’ll be happy to welcome you to the SBI family! 😀
You are an amazing writer and an influencer as well. It’s high time we pull our socks with the much-needed support you are providing us, which is commendable.
Dear Sushant, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Time waits for none and we must always be ready to sacrifice our today to find for ourselves a new tomorrow! Hustle and seize the day! Carpe Diem! 👊
Sir i have a query. I have appeared for sbi ja 2021prelims exam.I forgot to put tick mark on the box provided in hand written sample section.and after the exam it shown unanswered. How will it affects my result?
It’s fine, don’t worry about it
sir, how to prepare for RBI Grade B exam
Dear Rama, you will find lots of resources online. You should start from the syllabus mentioned in the notification and work your way up from that. If you have any specific doubts you can ask me.
Though the article was about sbi po strategy but i was really impressed by tour writing skills.Would you like to share some tips on that😉
Haha, Thank you Vartica! 😀
Well, I would ascribe my writing skills to be drawn from the multitude of books that I have read and continue to read. So I have only 1 tip: READ! Some people go on a clothes shopping spree and I do the same for books- for instance, check out what happened when I went book shopping the last time 😋
You are an amazing writer and down-to-earth person. I can very much relate with you as I am also going through my struggle phase, a dark tunnel hoping for the light at the end.. looking forward for the next part….
Thank you for your lovely words Nilam!
DO NOT EVER GIVE UP, that is my message for you. So many people will say “It can never be done”, “you can never do it”, but you must weed out the negativity from your life. Surround yourself with positive people and you will see remarkable changes. This is one of the most beautiful poems by Charles Bukowski that I have cherished for a long time. I hope it inspires you to go forth and revolutionize your life 🙂
Sir…I am banking asi part, from the starting of my preparation ,As i am weak in english section I am always not able clear the English section cutoff ,even in some of the exam i scored more than overall over all cutoff and in english scored only 2/3 mark.it has been 2yr starting of my prepartion and I am not able crack any bank exam yet.so plz give some tips/suggestion which will help me to score more in english..
Hi Lalit,
How are you approaching the English section? Are you trying to attempt everything? The cutoffs for English are quite low so you only need to get a few of them correct if your intention is to just cross the cutoff. Try and see where your strengths lie- are you good in error correction/Cloze test/Para Jumble/Sentence Correction/RC ? You must attempt 100% of the section that you are naturally good at. Since English is becoming a barrier, I suggest that you read an article everyday(can be a blog, a newspaper editorial or anything else) and then write a summary of it in your own words. Also, download a dictionary app and look up new words daily to build your vocab.
Can u suggest the study plans for exam …
Hi Punitha, go check out Part 2 for an overall high level strategy and study plan for the whole exam.
Superb work Sir it’s work like a torch in today’s darkness of blind competition and to show a narrow way to success..!! Thank you.
Thank you Nilesh. I firmly believe that the light will find the one who wishes to leave the darkness. Trying to shine the light that I had been missing while preparing myself.
Read your blogs and found the mistakes i am doing while preparing.. Thank you so much sir for this initiative.. waiting for next part….
Glad to hear that it has helped you Shiksha! Part 4 coming soon, stay tuned. All the best for your prep!
really inspiring…sir….i gradually started improving by inspiration
Hi Gora, I am glad to know that. Keep improving everyday. Be relentless!
Hello sir, I’ve been a student of engineering from ECE. Recently passed out and didn’t get the placement. I’m right now not sure I’m interested in Bank PO job or not. May be coz I know too less about it. All I’m trying to do is explore all my carrier options. But more it unravels, more it gets muddled up. I think its too late. Shall I give myself more time or I should just pick one option Like SBI PO and go ahead?
Hello Ankit,
Brother, everyone goes through a phase when they are not sure about which career option they should go for. You are very young, don’t worry that you didn’t get the job on campus. Years later you will understand it was for the best. You now have the time to explore life before “locking in” your career choice. Go ahead and sit for SBI PO. Sit for other banking/insurance jobs. Go ahead and see if MBA is your cup of tea. Try EVERYTHING! You have the most important asset: TIME. Your qualification will NEVER be an impediment to success. Shri Rajnish Kumar was a Physics Honours student and Madam Arundhati Bhattacharya was an English Honours student and see how ably they headed the largest bank of India. Keep looking my friend and one day you will FIND YOURSELF. Good luck 🙂
Hello Supriyo, what would you do if you didn’t qualify any of the competitive exams? Then you would commit suicide?
Haha Premji, I hope you are joking 😂😂😂
Life is more than qualifying 1 exam, getting into 1 job etc. I would surely have done something else productively and served society at large. The only limit to what we can achieve is our imagination 🙂
Namaskaram Supriyo
I am indebted to you for sharing all your findings in such elaborate way which is of immense help to every aspirant including me for this year . I wish you all the best in your life ahead.
hello sir,
I have huge problem in solving puzzles and in current trend of exams it seems difficult to clear the exam without solving puzzle problems.Could you guide me how to deal with this section?
I don’t have words to write to praise you… mind blowing writer ….. thank you so much for make understand so beautifully …..😊😊😊😊
I am an aspirant and clearing SBI po is my dream. I read your blog about the same and have started preparing accordingly, but there is one thing that I would like to ask you today?
Being an aspirant/student is not a cake walk and I know you must have felt the same, there is hell lot of things going around but all we have to do is focus on our goal and keep moving. Handling everything is somehow mangable in my case but when it comes to financial support, it is something I am losing sleep over, I graduated in 2017 and did some job for 10 months but now I am jobless as of now because I am in search of my dream job. I am left with no savings and i Don’t want to bother my parents anymore when it comes to any financial support, ofcourse they have done much more than we as a children could ask for.
All I want is to do some part time job so that I can finance my small needs.
Please suggest me how to go about it until I start living my dream.
PS- I have no hard skills and this is a harsh truth.
I hope I can get some help here.
Thanks already for the super amazing approach that you have shared in your blog.
Hi Sudha,
I can understand what you’re going through. Being an aspirant today is no easy feat. But don’t think you don’t have any skills. Even being an aspirant for a few months has given you considerable skills that you can use in the market. Plan A: I would suggest you to approach coaching centres or companies like BankersAdda, Gradeup, Oliveboard etc. If you manage to get a part time teaching/admin job in these companies (you have to email them and ask or go into their career listings) then your own prep can be sharpened as you teach other students. Plan A will be ideal. If it doesn’t work out go for Plan B: Freelance work. There are many websites that allow you to work from the comfort of your home. Appen is one such great website that you can try (see “flexible jobs” section in their website). You can also check out Fiverr which is used by millions of freelancers across the world. Keep your spirits high. There is no easy way to get to your dreams but keep faith in yourself and life will give you what you seek. All the best.
Hello sir i am interested in sbi po but i am failed to complete my graduation. i am confused what to do or not
Hi Rizwana,
What are your qualifications? All bank exams require you to atleast be a graduate so maybe you can try some Open Universities to complete your course before starting for these exams.
Hello sir, right now I’m doing my 3rd mechanical engineering
I’m having good percentage but I’m not willing to join in any IT companies or core comapnies ini just want to join bank. I think im OK in quants after watching some interview videos i realized that I’m too weak in banking awareness and the technical question about commerce . How could i prepare for it sir… kindly suggest me a right way sir
Sir I have graduated this year in bcom and I want to pursue my career in banking industry but currently I am underage so now I want to join some corporate for to help with the finances of my family so what courses or certification I should do online to get a job immediately after lockdown ends
any certification that helps you with sales & marketing skills will be nice. If your target is IT then you can do some basic coding certifications. If you can find one in retail banking or in SME then those will also add value to your pursuit of a banking career.
Sir I got job in TCS and Infosys
I am from ECE background and 2019 passed out
Some where I feel that I can’t give my 100% in IT job I am not interested in coding
Now I am very interested in bank jobs..
So plz suggest me whether to join IT company or to try for bank jobs
And also now due to mergers do the vacancies will be reduced plz suggest me sir
Decent vacancies will remain until 2022. You need to self reflect, if coding isn’t your cup of tea you should try for bank jobs, just fill every exam form that comes out and keep giving exams, you will crack something eventually.
Sir is it sure that the vacancies will be there for next two years…so that I can continue my preparations for bank jobs
Yes, 100%. If you don’t want to join IT then forget the placements, stay at home and fully focus on all bank jobs. Go for RBI Grade B it is the top bank job in the country (notification is out now, you can apply today itself), and keep giving as many exams as possible.
Thank you so much sir for your advice
Can we get the study material for the paper 2 of IT stream for SEBI EXAM
Hello Supriyo Panda,
I have done M.com and have been preparing for upsc. given three attempts, stuck in mains twice. so a gap of three years is there and corona virus is increasing the gap even further. I decided to prepare for SEBI….. even prepared completely. but it is getting delayed further…..Should i consider to sit for RBI grade B…… Because,if gap years affects the selection and there are chances of rejection in the interview due to this reason…then there is no point of preparing and giving it 3-4 months….. and then no result in the end…
gap years won’t matter if you can justify them, go for it!
Hello Sir, Since I came across your Blog I have been a big fan of yours. I have been binge-watching and reading all your content. I was preparing for IBPS PO and was in dilemma to whether to join online coaching for it. You have mentioned in this post to not join any coaching but recently you have been promoting some guidely online coaching which has further increased my confusion. Can you please clarify this?
Hi Akshay,
Glad to know you found my content useful. Coaching of course is not necessary but mock tests are essential. I partnered with Guidely because they are the only test prep company in the market that provide a lifetime subscription to their course & the price at which they offer the full course is cheaper than the price of mock tests offered by other companies. The course also provides personalized guidance which new students find useful. At that extremely cheap price no one will offer so many mocks, sectional tests, PDFs and live classes. If you want to check their free content visit my Telegram channel’s files section. Hope this clarifies your question.
Thanks for the reply. Sir, you start your own course, I will be the first one to join..😁
Hello sir…i am a big fan of your writing skills and youtube videos…You are really a great mentor…
I am preparing for bank and insurance exams… I m really confused to buy unacademy plus course or not…?
Can you please suggest me
And i have just completed my graduation.. should i persue masters side by side along with the preperation???
Unacademy plus didn’t seem worth it to me. You should give 1 solid year to your preparation & then if you do not get any job you can always enrol for a masters.
Hi Supriyo,
Feeling nice to share that I have been watching your youtube videos for the past few months. I found them quite genuine and real. Congratulations for helping aspirants in the best possible way.
Hope you will continue your support to aspirants in the future ahead too.
I felt a bit connected with you and got the confidence to share my issue with you(Seeking for your suggestions)
Supriyo, after working in a Pvt. firm for 4 years, I left it because I wanted something better and satisfying for my professional career. Something that I won’t find monotonous.
I opted the banking and insurance sector because of its versatile job profile. Started my preparation journey from the IBPS PO-2017 exam and since then, I am preparing for government jobs.
In the last 2-3 years, I have given a lot of banking/insurance exams. Initially , I wasn’t able to clear even Phase 1 but then after putting a lot of effort and practice , I was able to reach Phase 2 in 2019 but unfortunately couldn’t clear the mains of SBI PO 2019 and IBPS PO 2019 with 5-10 marks in overall cutoff.
I was firm with my will of getting a government job even after failing multiple times. This year, I continued my preparation with better efforts since the beginning and prepared very hard for SBI PO 2020 but due to unexpected COVID-19 circumstances, it hasn’t come yet. Gave RRB-PO 2020 but was able to attempt only 55+ there. Filled SEBI-2020 but god knows when they will conduct their exams now.
I have completed 30 years of age now so I won’t be eligible for any bank/insurance exams after this year.
I need your help/suggestions because I feel stuck. I am keenly looking forward to your revert.
Regards’
Reeta
Thank you for sharing all this Reeta. First off I want you to watch this video: https://youtu.be/giy3ejmhv78
I can understand your frustration but life is more than bank exams and there are other avenues where you can excel, think deeply about what you are good at, what you enjoy doing and start creating your next step around that idea, never give up, when one door closes another will open.
Hello Mr. Supriyo. I thank you for the manner in which you are helping so many students to get through the competitive exams. I tried to find your mail on net but couldn’t find it. I request you to reply me your mail id wherein I can speak to you. I am a Chartered Accountant and preparing for SEBI Grade A 2020 exam.
you can find contact link in description box of any of my videos
Hello SIr, I searched I am unable to find your mail id in the description box also. On the Youtube channel i just found this link http://eepurl.com/dqpNhX. Request you to share the mail id if possible.
Hii supriyo… I am graduated in civil Engineering from IIT delhi on 2012-2018.. I am deaf (Hearing Impaired )!!
we filled for Ibps po/ rrb po/ sbbi po and any bank exam coming soon..
I was wrong solve for some syllabus Reasoning and Quantative bank po .. English descriptive was tough and Curent afairs is okay !! I was cleared for sbi po pre 2019,, after main exam was diffficult… I was less practice for some syllabus bank
Because I dont have job an experiennce !! But I dont want Private job.. it was entry difficult job I have worries !
Please help me!!! How I cleared for bank po ?
Take a look at this playlist Mohit it will help you, good luck : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2NC8pgDYeU&list=PL373zZDqBdnoNyPCAAf9aIw_igRBNIXvs
Hi Supriyo,
I have read your posts reg. exam. I just wanna know your reading habits. The books that you read till now. Newspaper and Magazines that you read to enrich knowledge.
Thanks
too many books to list, take a look at this video for a few recommendations: https://youtu.be/1JnkS6Cswio
Hi Sir I am Preparing for my SBI Po examination and I am from Tamilnadu.
First of all, Thank you supriyo sir for giving detailed explanation about competitive exam in general and sbi po in particular, very nice and useful tips for the aspirants and personal do’s and don’ts.
second is that you r website design is Amazing! Really Really Amazing I love it, selection fonts size and style are very much made me to reading whole 7 part of your journey at one stretch!
But my small suggestion is that you change the heading colour other than Blue because key links are blue in colour. Thank you sir for sharing your journey in a detailed manner I absoluetly enjoyed while reading it and you had created a memorable reading experience.
Thanks for your suggestion and kind words Varadharajan!
Hello sir, please clear up my doubt regarding RBI grade B’s age relaxation for the unreserved category – This time I am 27 and in January, I will be 28 so if I crack bank PO exams e.g. IBPS PO’s mains is in February, will I be eligible for the age relaxation in RBI grade B? As there will be a probation period of 2 years so I am doubtful whether I will get that relaxation or not. I have just started thinking of it so I really want to know how much time I have for it. Second, do officers in RRBs also get this age relaxation or this is just for commercial PSBs?
Thank you, Sir!
every PSB officer gets age relaxation but it needs confirmed service (not probation) so you will not be eligible.
I got single digit marks (7/30) in SBI PO interview (2019)
Not just me, many of my friends got 7, 8, 9, 10 Marks only in that panel
I am preparing for SBI PO 2020 and Tell what went wrong and how can I get 25+ in interview
Tonight I posted a video on GD (https://youtu.be/osQmwIU2j-8) very soon I will cover PI as well. Follow my channel will continue to provide guidance for the exam.
I have few doubt regarding NPA trust exam.
1. I’m b.tech, btech is eligible for manager(IT) post.
2. I have 5yrs experience in Testing, I’m eligible for manager(IT) post?
3. Take home salary for NPA trust Manager post.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Surpriyo, I’m preparing for RBI grade B and been searching for editorials for Precis Writing. Could you please recommend any website or articles I should do practice on.
Looking forward for your response.
Do it from editorials of any of the financial newspapers. The real exam will have that type of article.
Sir i am from Electrical engineering background and i no background knowledge or never i have tried for banking industry but in voew pf these pandemic situation and competition world i wish to apply for an all the exams i ma elgible and i ave appeared for sebi grade a 2020 exam held on jan 17,2021 from electricL BACKGROUND
i AM CONFIDENT OF CLEARING PHASE 1 but realmhurdle is second in which descritptive [art pof english is first paper and i have also gone through ur video of how to attain it
but ny question were to find topics and how to have well traine dwith the topics to ans in an essay precis questions
check my YouTube channel I have covered descriptive topics
Sir I am a sociology graduate from Kolkata. I am intent on giving SBI Po and RBI Grade exam. Could you please explain me the strategy on how to go with the exam. Since I belong from a non maths and non economics background. I am always demotivated from giving these exams
Just watch this video for SBI PO, I am sure you can do it! https://youtu.be/s2NC8pgDYeU
This is the coomplete strategy for RBI Grade B – https://youtu.be/I0McxHzdLsY
Thanks Dada
I am preparing for my SBI PO interview and I am currently working in IT . I need to get a correct answer for “why banking”.
Watch this video: https://youtu.be/pgnfru5z6J4
Hi sir,
I am currently working in TCS. Please let me know if NOC is mandatory for me. What documents do I need to provide as work ex proof?
TIA.
no need of NOC, just show offer letter and carry 3 latest salary slips with you
Hi Sir, I had a rotator cuff tear in my Right shoulder, due to which I couldn’t attend RRB PO and IBPS PO exam. It hasn’t recovered yet. The doctor had suggested a surgery as I cannot use my right hand because of stiffness and pain. For the current GIC recruitment, will I be allowed to seek the help of a scribe? I do have my MRI report. Please guide me.
this is a very special situation, you need to email them and ask permission they may allow. Its entirely their decision.
Here is some appreciation for the blog that constantly inspired me throughout the journey of my SBI PO preparation. Supriyo sir, I have a lot of respect for you. Today, after being selected as an SBI PO, I thank you for being the constant source of motivation.
I have read this blog a thousand times as a source of guidance and a source of motivation. Thank you, sir.
Ashish, I am super happy to know this, many congratulations to you! Hope you were in the interview group, join the final Telegram group (Send a message to @Pidero) and we will have a discussion there soon! Enjoy this moment, it is very precious. And party on! 🙂
hi sir..i have educational loan overdue and having impact in cibil below 600 ..i have cleared ibps po in Canara Bank will it affect my joining or only in joining sbi po cibil is checked..
In all banks its checked. Clear your dues immediately and it won’t be a problem
Sir, I have cleared RBI phase to and preparing for interview, I need some help on my profile, can you please help?
Please send me an email after registering from following link: http://eepurl.com/dqpNhX
Attach your bio data form and also let me know the date of your interview
Sir I have mailed you regarding RBI Grade B interview preparation . I have attached my biodata. I want your suggestions on few questions. As my date of interview is very close, I request you to please take my case on a priority basis.