Plan your Studies and Exam to crack IBPS exam 2014

Posted by GuduruKarthik on October 14th, 2014

Time management is the key to success especially in competitive exams. With IBPS PO scheduled for the next month, there is hardly any time left for preparation. In this situation it is very important to plan efficiently the little time available.  

Time management is not about making to-do lists or marking each task complete. It is putting together all the important aspects, allocating time for each of them and completing them successfully within the timespan. With exams like IBPS exam 2014, SBI Associate Recruitment exam lined up one after the other, it is now time to create an intricate plan for your preparation and also for your exam.

Create a Study Plan:

Not everyone is a master in everything. So, analyze your strengths and weaknesses before attempting IBPS Clerk exam. Make your weaknesses the highest priorities. There may be different studying demands like - to learn, practice, do assignments, research etc. Instead of allocating continuous hours to just ‘learning’, you can make your study hours interesting by breaking them down among the activities mentioned above. Do not follow the same regime every day. Change the topics and timings to avoid it from appearing like mundane plan.

Plan Practically

Make a Study Calendar for IBPS Clerk exam. Write schedules in a tabular format with Task/Topic, Time, and Number of hours. A sample table is given below. Add important dates like, registration, mock tests, call letter download etc. Weekly calendars are the most effective.

The plan to prepare for IBPS exam 2014 must be implementable, for example, you can’t assign 5 hours of study for a single subject without a break. Instead, divide 5 hours into 2 slots each allotted to different subjects with a break of 10-15 minutes for each.

Follow Your Plan

The main concept of creating a Study plan is to follow it. Implementation of the plan is most important to succeed in IBPS Clerk exam. Avoid external disturbances and pressurizing yourself. Remember that goals can only be achieved if you respect deadlines. Set correct priorities to achieve the exact goals.

Assess your Plan

Once you start following your plan, you can easily identify the pitfalls. But wait for at least a week before you measure its effectiveness. This time allows you to calm down the initial hiccups and settle in the daily plan. Ask yourself the questions like - Are daily targets being met? Is there an improvement in the productive study hours? Make small adjustments to your plan accordingly.  

While the above steps are to be followed to prepare for exams like IBPS exam 2014, IBPS clerk exam etc. there should be a Time Management plan for the exam. With the experience of mock tests attended, analyze your capabilities and comfort levels during the exam. Based on these, create a strong schedule to follow in the final exam.

Line up the Sections

Decide on which sections you would be attempting when. Some people suggest starting off an exam on a confident note by attempting English, Computer Science and General Awareness first, followed by Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. While others argue that teaming the most difficult sections together would reduce your mental strength and concentration levels. So based on your skills and ability, create a personal plan on how to attempt the various sections in IBPS exam 2014.

Allocate Times

Not all sections take the same time. Hence, allot time for each section including the time required to mark the questions. Identifying the difficult aka time-consuming questions helps you to quickly decide whether to attempt them or not. Vice-versa, spotting easy questions can considerably reduce the time spent on that question. Also, assign time separately for last minute revision.

Keep back-up Plan ready

Things always do not go as planned in IBPS Clerk exam. In case you cross the time allotted for a particular section, be ready to deal it with a different plan. It can be anything from attempting only the easy questions from that section to cut-short the time from other sections. But keep the backup plan as practical and effective as the actual plan.

All the best for IBPS exam 2014 and SBI Associate Recruitment exam!