Self-belief and resilience important during exam preparation – SBI Probationary Officer

DIMAPUR — Like many students with a background in Science, Ayelan Awomi initially wanted to pursue medical studies and began preparing for the NEET exam after completing Class 12 from Pranab Vidyapith Higher School, Dimapur, but had to discontinue due to personal reasons.

Two years later, she enrolled in a B.Sc in Anthropology at Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, before inclining towards a career in the banking sector and went on to clear the State Bank of India Probationary Officer exam on her first attempt after a year of preparation. She is currently undergoing SBI PO 2023 Foundation Training Programme 1 (FTP 1) in Haryana.

In an interview with Eastern Mirror, the 24-year-old shares insights on the SBI PO examination, pattern, study materials, offers tips to aspiring candidates, and more.

What is the exam pattern for SBI PO Exam?

It consists of Prelims, Mains, GD (Group Discussion) and Personal Interview.

Prelims consists of Quantitative Analysis, Reasoning and English paper. All the questions from every section are objective in nature. 35 questions from both the Quants and Reasoning section, and 30 questions from the English section. The duration for the prelims exam is one hour.

Mains consists of Data Analysis and Interpretation, Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking Awareness and English language. It has additional descriptive tests. The total duration of the mains exam is three hours and 30 minutes (30 minutes for the descriptive test).

How did you prepare for prelims? Could you share any specific strategies or resources that candidates can benefit from?

Continuous mock tests every alternate day helped me boost my scores in prelims, as prelims exam is all about speed and accuracy that we maintain during the exam.

Aspirants can start by giving sectional tests every alternate day and mock tests every weekend. The only strategy that I followed was to be disciplined enough, complete all my study targets of the day, and to strictly follow my study routine.

I solely depended on the online materials which were for free and easily accessible i.e., YouTube classes and materials from Telegram channels. And for the mock test, I enrolled in apps like Oliveboard, Smartkeeda, Adda247 and Testbook.

Which study materials or books did you find most useful for the mains exam?

For mains, I solely depended on YouTube channels. Continuous mock tests helped me for the mains exam as well. I would like to suggest YouTube channels like ‘Learning Capsules’ for mains quants preparation, Art of Reasoning for mains reasoning preparation and to read editorials daily from any newspaper to improve comprehension ability.

For banking and current affairs, I followed Smartkeeda Smartpoints Monthly PDF and AffairsCloud monthly PDF articles which are easily accessible online. Continuous revisions helped me retain the things I studied before.

How can candidates manage their time during the exam?

Candidates should first answer the questions which they know as the time is limited especially during the preliminary exam because maintaining accuracy matters more, answering the wrong answer will lead to negative marks.

Could you share some tips on how to prepare for Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds?

Getting updated about current affairs really boosts confidence during the GD and PI rounds. And maintaining a positive attitude helps significantly. One should always prepare for topics related to economic, finance and social issues for GD rounds.

What are some common mistakes you would advise candidates to avoid during their exam preparation?

Well, the common mistakes that candidates make is not believing in oneself and losing faith during the preparation journey. And that is how I was during my tough days but despite all those doubtful thoughts we should still continue to keep on working hard until we achieve our goals. Because every little step and effort matters and none of the efforts ever gets wasted. Just be patient and keep on working, your effort will lead you to something better that you never expected of.

How can students optimise their preparations for this exam, considering the competition?

Setting a proper study plan, staying consistent to daily study schedule, setting daily and weekly goals and continuous revisions.

One should also not neglect their health and well- being. So, spend time with family and friends, and do activities that you like – these will help one maintain good mental and physical health.

Anything else that you would like to share?

I just want to tell the readers that when things don’t go according to your plan in life, don’t be disheartened because a better opportunity is in store for you.

And my journey till here is an example of it. I never planned or dreamt to be blessed with this job when I passed my Class 12 exam, just like any other young student I planned to prepare for NEET, and when I was unable to achieve my dream to study medicine. I felt like my life was shattered as I immensely felt like a failure. I just want to tell the young readers that there are so many other career opportunities which would suit you the best. Just don’t be disheartened when you face failures but regain your strength and determination whenever you fall so that you can excel and reach higher heights.

RAPID INSIGHTS

How do you start your day?

The first thing I do in the morning is pray, then drink a glass of water and read a scripture passage to remind myself that I am blessed and always loved by God.

Biggest learning experience

“Never to compare myself with others but to compare with my own self so that I can excel further in my own life and to be always patient and trust the timing for good things to happen.”

Three words to describe training in Haryana

Informative, structured and challenging