How to prepare for IBPS PO in 6 months?

Cracking IBPS PO exam does not require years and years of preparation. One can clear the exam with six months of preparation if they follow the right strategy and approach. You need to really work hard to crack the exam. Consistency is important for preparation and candidates should study regularly for the exam. Complete the syllabus, understand the fundamentals and concepts in the first two months of preparation. In the next two months, dedicate time to learn shortcut tricks of solving lengthy problems and practice section-wise topics from a preparation book. In the last two months, start attempting section-wise and full length mock tests. In the last 15 days before the exam, focus more on revision of concepts and topics.

See Here: IBPS PO 2024 Exam Analysis Live Updates

In this article, we have shared some strategy and tips on how to prepare for IBPS PO exam in six months. Read this article and start preparing for the exam accordingly.

IBPS PO Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

IBPS PO exam pattern is divided into prelims, mains and interview. The exam pattern of each stage is explained below.

Prelims: The prelims exam is divided into three sections-Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language. The total marks allotted to the test are 100. The duration of the test is 60 minutes.

Mains:The mains exam comprises objective and descriptive test. The objective test is divided into four sections-Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness, English Language, and Data Analysis & Interpretation. The descriptive section carries questions from English Language (Letter Writing and Essay). The duration of the test is 3 hours 30 minutes. The mains exam carries total 225 marks.

Interview: The interview carries a total of 100 marks. The minimum qualifying marks in the interview are 40 per cent and 35 per cent for SC/ST/OBC/PWBD candidates.

There is a penalty for wrong answers marked in the objective tests. For each wrong answer, 0.25 marks assigned to a question will be deducted as penalty to arrive at the corrected score. There are no negative marks for unattempted questions.

Also Read: IBPS PO Syllabus

How to prepare for IBPS PO in 6 months: Plan for first & second month

• Make a list of section-wise important topics from which questions are usually asked in the exam
• Begin with the topics that you find the toughest
• Dedicate one hour on each section
• Refer to the school textbooks to learn the fundamental concepts
• In the first two months, learn the formulas and memorise theorems
• Refer to the IBPS PO books and online courses to learn the topics given in the syllabus

Also Read: IBPS PO Preparation Tips

Best books for IBPS PO

The section-wise books that candidates can refer to for IBPS PO exam are given below.

Name of the book	Author/Publisher name
Word Power Made Easy	Normal Lewis
High School English Grammar and Composition	Wren and Martin
Fast Track Objective Arithmetic	Rajesh Verma
A Modern approach Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	BS Sijwali
Verbal Reasoning	RS Agarwal
Guide to Banking General Awareness	R Gupta

How to prepare for IBPS PO in 6 months: Plan for third and fourth month

• After completing the syllabus and understanding the concepts, you need to begin focused preparation
• Start solving topic-wise questions from sample papers or practice papers
• Dedicate an hour a day for practice questions
• Focus on learning the shortcut tricks of solving problems

How to prepare for IBPS PO in 6 months: Plan for fifth and sixth month

• In the last two months, start taking mock tests to understand the functionalities of an online test
• Solve at least one mock paper a day
• Practising mock tests help to identify the weak areas and you can work on them
• You need to revise all the topics learned for the exam

Read More:

• How to solve puzzles for IBPS and other banking exams?
• How to prepare for Data Interpretation?
• IBPS exam: Smart strategy to crack by studying 18 hours a week