IBPS PO exam is one of the most sought-after exams in our country and every year lakhs of aspirants apply for IBPS PO. The number of applicants has been on the rise for the past few years. The lifestyle and career growth of an IBPS PO are the factors behind this high demand. The salary is good and the chances of promotions are high. You can go up to the post of Deputy Manager. You receive a lot of benefits and allowances as an IBPS PO. An IBPS PO gets to work in one of the most prestigious banking organizations in India. There are 11 participating institutes that recruit through this exam. IBPS PO is a highly reputed post.
The IBPS PO exam is conducted in three stages: prelims, mains, and interviews. The syllabus for prelims and mains is similar, except some extra topics are added in the mains syllabus. The syllabus is pretty exhaustive but you can complete it with the right strategy and dedication. Start your preparation early so that you have sufficient time to complete the syllabus. Keep checking the official website of IBPS regarding any updates related to the PO exams. Always refer to the latest syllabus that is uploaded on the official website of IBPS. Go through it thoroughly and make sure that you have all the study materials and resources before you start your preparations.
If you go through the syllabus, you will notice that quantitative aptitude is important both in prelims and mains exams. It is a very scoring section and can cause significant changes in your score. It is not difficult but can be tricky. You need to be accurate with your answers since there is a penalty for wrong answers. Speed is also very important in the IBPS PO exam since there is a sectional time limit. You need a lot of practice to gain the required speed and accuracy.
Let us look at the various topics asked in the quantitative section of the IBPS PO exam.
- Data interpretation
- Quadratic equations
- simplification/ approximation
- Speed, time, and distance
- Work and time
- Number series
- Profit and loss
- Simple and compound interest
- Ratio and proportions
- Permutation and combination
- Mixture and allegations
- Probability
- Percentages and averages
- Quantity based questions
- Data sufficiency
The expected number of questions from different topics are summarised in the table below:
| Topics | Number of questions |
| Number series | 5 |
| simplification/ approximation | 5 |
| Quadratic equations | 5 |
| Data interpretation | 10 |
| Data sufficiency | 5 |
| Quantity based questions | 5 |
| Miscellaneous questions | 10 |
You need to approach different questions in different ways. It is advisable to find the approach best suited to you. But there are some general tips that you can benefit from. Let us look at those tips:
- Number series: Questions on number series give you a series of numbers where you must be quick at identifying the patterns. While you might encounter some new patterns, there are some common series that are frequently asked in exams like alternate term series, prime number series, difference based series, square and cube series, multiplication and division series, series involving arithmetic functions, etc. You can get fast at solving these questions through practice only. You just need a good level of concentration to detect the pattern and solve it. These questions are less time-consuming.
- Simplification/ approximation: This section has questions that involve complex mathematical calculations. Again this is a matter of speed and accuracy. This topic checks the calculation skills of the candies. You are prone to making mistakes in this section since it involves many steps of calculation and a silly mistake at any step can result in wrong answers. One basic and fundamental principle that you must keep in mind is the BODMAS rule. This rule is applied through all mathematical calculations. Use brackets to partition the expressions into smaller expressions. This will help you simplify the question and not get confused while solving. Try to use approximate values for carrying out the calculations. This will save you a lot of time and effort.
- Data interpretation: Ratio, averages, and percentages are the most important topics that come under the data interpretation section. There are mandatory questions from these topics. Do not skip these topics. These are easy to solve and you will get fluency after solving a few questions. Data interpretation is a highly scoring topic as there are many questions from this topic. Practice these questions thoroughly. Apart from this, there are questions from the following:
- Pie chart
- Bar graph and histograms
- Line charts
- Mixed graphs
- Tabular charts
The questions based on charts and graphs are frequently asked in IBPS PO. This section can be time-consuming if you do not read the questions properly. These questions are of low to medium level of difficulty.
- Data sufficiency questions: Data sufficiency questions are widely asked in banking exams. These questions do not require you to solve them completely. You just need to have an idea of mathematical operations.
Tips to follow
- You have only 20 minutes to solve the questions from the quantitative aptitude sections. Use this time wisely. Do not waste time in solving one question. Skip the questions about which you are not confident. Try to mark all the answers where you are confident and reserve some time in the end to review the questions you might have skipped and for revision too.
- Practice is the key. No matter how weak you are in any topic, you can always be good at it if you give sufficient time for practicing those questions. The more you practice the more you get confidence. There are many free IBPS PO mock test available that will help you boost your preparation. Spend less time reading and invest more time in solving questions. While practicing questions, try to do so in a time-bound environment and keep a track of your progress made. Try to minimize the time spent on solving questions with practice.
- The most important factor is consistency. Even if you are confident about any topic, do not skip those questions. Keep practicing those questions too. They will be your strengths in the exam.
- Solve mock tests and analyze your weak and strong areas. Plan your schedule accordingly. Give more time to your weak areas but do not forget to revise timely and solve questions from your strong areas.