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Expert tips to ace the IBPS Bank Exam 2013

Last updated on: December 14, 2012 08:30 IST
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Youngsters aspiring for a banking career in India will have to now clear the IBPS Common Written Examination.

Since 2011, all PSUs, except the State Bank of India and its associate banks, recruit their employees through a Common Written Examination (CWE) conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

The CWE for clerical cadres is scheduled on December 15, 16, 22 and 23, 2012.

Also, there have been a few changes to the exam this year.

IBPS Bank Exam 2013: New rules explained

In a quick online chat with readers, Anil Nagar, Director, Bank Power Institute, Delhi addressed queries on how to prepare for the exam.

For those who missed the live chat, here's the unedited transcript:


Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) says, Hello everyone. I am Anil Nagar, Director, Bank Power Institute, Delhi. Please post your questions and I will try my best to answer them

amitranjan asked, what is IBPS

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers, at 2012-12-14 13:52:59
IBPS is the a organization which has been entrusted by the PSU Banks to conduct recruitment tests for these banks
riya singh asked, hi english me kaise atttempt karu
Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers, Well Riya - there will be 40 questions from English section in IBPS Clerk Exam. You should make a strategy so that you score atleast 20 marks in this section (remember there is cut-off in section section of IBPS Clerk 2012, which you have to clear)
sumit asked, what is the subject wise cutoff in the new format of ibps clerk

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Sumit - Subject wise cut-off is not fixed. It depends on the level of difficulty of a section and marks scored by candidates in that section. Basically what IBPS do is - first they convert you actual scores to Total Weighted Scores (TWS) and then decide on the cut-off marks. Roughly speaking, your TWS score should be above 40% to clear cut-off in each section.
janardhan asked, sir i want detailes of online exam

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Janardhan, please be specific, what do you want to know about online exam?
NC asked, is there seperate cut off for each section ????

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Yes, there is separate cut-off in each section, which is roughly 40% of the TWS score.
Komal asked, Hi, I wanna know the approximate cut off expected this time

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Komal, cut offs are as such not fixed as it depends on the level of difficulty of the exam and marks scored by candidates in that section. For example, if there is a easy section, cut-off for that may go upto 25-30 marks but for a easy section it may be as low as 10-12 marks
Deepak asked, How will be manage time? If i want to attempt other section is it possible to return previous section? Pls reply me.....

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Yes, you can move around various sections. For example, if you are attempting reasoning section and suddenly you want to move to computer section, you can do so. BUT, to much to and fro between sections is not advisable, as it leads to wastage of time.
gaurav asked, what all strategy should i accept in the exam of CWE of clerk

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Gaurav, each individual has his/her own strategy to crack a exam i mean there is no universal law regarding this. But candidate should keep in mind that he/she has to perform equally good in each section so as to clear cut-off and also maximise his/her overall score so clear the overall cut-off and qualify the exam
neha asked,which section to attempt frst????

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Neha, although it is very individual thing as to which section to attempt first. But I will suggest start will a section which you feel is easiest for you. It will give you confidence and moment in the exam
sangram asked, where should we get regd id & password for online login

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
You will get all these details in the exam hall.
NC asked, GEneral knowledge section will consists of which areas....it will be from banking or all over??? and question from current affair would be between which duration?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi NC, this section will have questions from 2 areas - Banking and Current Affairs. Generally current affair questions come from last 6 months

Please click NEXT to continue reading...

Expert tips to ace the IBPS Bank Exam 2013

Last updated on: December 14, 2012 08:30 IST
Image for representational purposes only

Prem asked,
Do we need to submit the paper at the end of each section or at the end of paper, also what if we miss to submit...will it save automatically

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
No, you need not submit paper after each section. Paper will be submitted only after 2 hrs i.e. in one go. If you do not submit it, it will automatically be submitted after 2 hrs
Rajesh asked, Good Afternoon Sir, Hw can we manage the tym in Online exam, I heard that the Tym will be killed when we are going to nxt page itseems.

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Rajesh, dont worry, there will be no wastage of time while moving between question to question. There overall online testing platform of IBPS is really student friends and you should be able to see the next question just be a click of mouse (friction of seconds). Also, here you can randomly jump to any question without wastage of time (which is not there in paper pencil test format), as question number will be written on the right of your screen, you just need to click on that.
NC asked, how will be the marks distribution of the paper? will each question would be consisting of equal marks or something else ....plz give the details

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi NC, IBPS Clerk 2012 paper will be of 200 marks having 40 questions from each section - Reasoning, English Language, Numerical Ability, General Awareness with special reference to the Banking Industry &Computer Knowledge
itsrakeshjyo asked, sir which section is better to attempt first

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
As i said earlier, start with a section which you feel is easier. It i will give you confidence in exam and also help building momentum
Subodh asked, Sir we can view entire Questions paper on clicking questions paper button? We can see All 40 questions at a time or one by one ?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Subodh, you will see only one question at a time. But on the right of you screen all question numbers (1-200) will be mentioned and you will be able to see a question as soon as you click on the same (question number).
ravis oni asked, sir how to attempt reasoning question.... individual first ya group question...and which section attempt frist...

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
I will suggest, attempt individual questions first. Also remember, in past we have seem that there, at time, some difficult questions in group category. So, be very prudent. While attempting a group question, dont get stuck into it. If, in first 30 second of starting a group question, you are clueless or facing difficulty, it is advisable to leave that group for the time being. You can come back to it later, if you get time later.
Asha asked, hello sir, will we b given d option to choose any particular section at the time of starting our exams??

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Yes, you can choose sections as per your choice. On the topic of your screen, you will be able to see the name of all sections and as soon as you click on that section, you can see questions from that section.
Sandy1 asked, Is there a negative marking?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Sandy, yes, there is negative marking in IBPS Clerk 2012 exam. While for a correct question you get 1 mark, 0.25 mark is deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for un-attempted questions.
Subodh asked, Sir plz tell me is there any boundation of time for particular each section ?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
There is no boundation of time for each section. You just need to keep in mind that you have to clear cut-off in each section and test will bet automatically submitted after 2 hrs
Sandy1 asked, What is the highest post one can get immediately after the exam (topping the exam)?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Sandy, this is the recruitment exam for Bank Clerk. So, everybody, who finally gets selected, will get the position of a Bank Clerk in a PSU Bank.
Sandy1 asked, What is the level of difficulty compared to CAT?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Sandy, level of difficulty will be far lesser than CAT
mohit asked, sirjee tell me safe score u xpect this tym for general candidates

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Mohit, We believe you TWS score should be 155+ (out of 200)this time to get a interview call.
Sagar asked, In the Examination Hall What to do What 2 not do...pls tell me.....

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Sagar, one important thing, which you should not do during the exam is - do not use your keyboard. Otherwise the whole test will be locked. I mean during the test, you are supposed to use only mouse to answer questions.
bapi123 asked, ibps question pattern will be same as last year?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Exam pattern will remain same with only difference being - this time there will be total 200 question (40 from each section) instead of total 250 last year. Also, time allowed to attempt will be 2 hrs. You should also expect level of questions to be tougher than last years.
shikha asked, will result be declared at the same time after submiiting all questions

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Shikha, result will not be declared at the same time. You have to wait 1-2 Months to get you scores and know the status of your candidature.
SAJU asked, Dear Sir, Good after noon. Expected Minimum Cut-off marks for each section for OBC Candidates.

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi Saju, actual cut-off will depend on the level of difficulty of each exam. But in term of TWS, minimum sectional cutoff should be around 40 % in each section.
ani asked, Hello sir what is procedure after cracking this exam?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Once you qualify this written exam, you will be called for a common interview by IBPS. Post common interview a merit list will be prepared (on the basis on written test marks & interview marks) and selected candidates will be allocated banks/location in order of their preference.
ONKAR asked, Hello Sir,May u tell me the method of getting twss of actual score using by IBPS?

Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) answers,
Hi ONKAR, details of calculting TWS from actual score has been given on IBPS website. Please refer to this link - http://www.ibps.in/career_pdf/Process_for_Arriving_at_Standard_Scores_CWE_CL.pdf
Anil Nagar (Director - Bank POwer Institute Delhi) says, Dear All, Thank you for attending this chat. Within this limited time, we tried to take maximum number of queries. Wish you all the best for the exam! Go to exam hall with confidence and half the battle will be done! Best wishes!