IBPS Clerk 2016 Preparation is going in in full swing. Candidates appearing for IBPS Clerk 2016 or the IBPS Clerical Cadre (Clerks-VI) Recruitment are studying for the exam. A structured approach towards preparing for Bank Jobs exams and specifically IBPS Clerk is important if you wish to clear the cut offs and get selected among the lakhs of candidates who are appearing for the recruitment exam.
To do this, we will guide you in understanding the IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern, know the best books to prepare for IBPS Clerk, and use tips for IBPS Clerk Preparation prelims, main and interview.
This article covers the four key aspects of IBPS Clerk Preparation
- Which are the best books to prepare for IBPS Clerical Cadre Recruitment exam?
- What is the exam pattern and selection scheme of IBPS Clerk?
- What is the syllabus for IBPS Clerk Exam?
- Tips for effective IBPS Clerk preparation.
Best Books for IBPS Clerk Preparation
The key to good preparation for IBPS Clerical Cadre 2016 examination is to understand the exam pattern and study from the right resources. To crack the preliminary exam, one must study for English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Some of the best books for IBPS Clerk Preparation are as follows.
| Book | Subject | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Flipkart |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal | This book is ideal for cracking the Reasoning section of IBPS Clerk exam |  Buy on Amazon |
 Buy on Flipkart |
| General Intelligence/Test of Reasoning by S. Thorpe | Practicing questions from this book will help you ace the Reasoning section | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| Reasoning & Quantitative Aptitude by P.K. Mittal | Extra practice for Reasoning abilities test in IBPS Clerical Cadre exam | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective English for Competitive Examinations by Hari Prasad & Uma Sinha | Studying English and practicing questions from this book will help you solve many questions in IBPS Clerk English section | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective General English by RS Agarwal | This book is most recommended for Bank Jobs exam preparation | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective English by Thorpe | Once you are done with RS Agarwal book, solve questions from this book also for IBPS Clerk exam | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| New IBPS-CWE Bank Clerk Guide for Prelim & Main Exams 5th English Edition | This book contains theory and illustrations, as well as questions and is recommended for both prelims and mains exam. | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| 30 Model Papers IBPS Bank Clerk Preliminary Examination by Arihant Experts | Solving IBPS Clerk mock test papers will boost your preparation, help analyse present performance and guide you to work on your strengths and weaknesses. | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| IBPS-V Bank Clerk Preliminary Examination Success Master by Experts Compilation | Specifically designed for IBPS Clerk V, this book will help you learn short tricks to solve questions of numerical ability, reasoning ability and english language. | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
| Target IBPS Bank Clerk Preliminary & Mains – 20 Practice Sets Workbook with CD | There are 20 practise sets in this book including 5 for preliminary exam and 15 for main exam. The questions are tailored for IBPS Clerk Preparation. | Buy on Amazon |
Buy on Flipkart |
IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern
You must understand the scheme of examination of IBPS Clerk. IBPS Clerical Cadre exam pattern covers the name of tests, number of questions asked in each test, maximum marks attainable in each test and overall, exam duration, language of questions, marking scheme. Note that the test subjects and duration are different for IBPS Clerk Preliminary Exam and IBPS Clerk Main Exam.
IBPS Clerk Preliminary Examination Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
| English language | 30 | 30 |
| Numerical ability | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning ability | 35 | 35 |
Duration of exam is 1 hour.
Maximum marks that can be obtained in IBPS Clerical Cadre Prelims is 100.
IBPS Clerk Main Examination Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 |
| English language | 40 | 40 |
| Quantitative aptitude | 40 | 50 |
| General awareness (with special reference to banking industry) | 40 | 40 |
| Computer knowledge | 40 | 20 |
Duration of exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Maximum marks that can be obtained in IBPS Clerical Cadre Mains is 200.
Negative marking – There will be penalty for wrong answers marked in the Prelims and Mains Objective Tests. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty to arrive at corrected score.
Pro Tip: To avoid losing marks to negative marking, keep in mind the following points.
- Do neat calculations in rough work to avoid silly mistakes. Many students lose marks just because they do illegible rough work and make mistakes in their calculations.
- If you are not very sure of an answer, either by arriving at an answer, or by process of elimination, do not make wild guesses.
IBPS Clerk Syllabus
IBPS Clerk Syllabus – There is no pre-defined syllabus for the IBPS Clerical Cadre Recruitment examination. However, by studying the past year papers and general examination pattern of bank clerk exams, you are advised to study the following topics as part of the IBPS Clerk Syllabus.
Reasoning
- Coding and decoding,
- Comprehension reasoning,
- Non verbal reasoning,
- Number series,
- Problem solving,
- Seating arrangement,
- Statement and conclusion,
- Venn diagram.
English language
- Cloze passage,
- Comprehension passage,
- Fill in the blanks,
- Idioms and phrases,
- One word for many words,
- Spellings,
- Spot the error.
Numerical ability / Quantitative aptitude
- Averages,
- Bar diagram,
- Compound interest,
- Decimals and fractions,
- Frequency polygon,
- Percentages,
- Pie chart
- Problems on sharing,
- Profit and loss,
- Ratio and proportion,
- Simple interest,
- Simplification,
- Time and distance.
General awareness
- Current affairs related to banking and finance sector,
- Current affairs of national and international importance,
- Important dates,
- Science and technology,
- Sports,
- Culture,
- Banking and marketing.
Computer knowledge
- Basics of computers,
- Computer organization,
- Computer generations,
- Computer abbreviations,
- Input and output devices,
- MS Word basic knowledge and shortcuts,
- MS Excel basic knowledge and shortcuts,
- MS Powerpoint basic knowledge and shortcuts,
- Memory orientation,
- Internet,
- LAN,
- WAN,
- Modem,
- Modern day technology.
IBPS Clerk Preparation Expert Tips
The focus is on solving many questions correctly in time. To do so, you need to work on your problem solving skills. Hence, the foremost task is extensive problem solving; to practice as many questions as you can come across.
There are more than one ways to solve a question. You need to identify the shortest problem-solving route. For example if one approach involves 10 steps taking 3 minutes, and another approach needs 7 steps taking 2.5 minutes, go for the latter.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you are good in English, but poor in Math, give more hours a day to Math. Alongside, work on the tricky areas of your strengths where your competitors may lose marks and you may gain.
Solve mock tests to build your speed and accuracy. Also you will know the difficulty level of exam and work on a better approach for exam day.
If you have any queries regarding IBPS Clerk Preparation, please ask in comments below.
