The Institute of Banking and Personnel Selection [IBPS] Regional Rural Bank [RRB] Scale-1 & Office Assistant exams are one of the most respected banking recruitment examinations in India. The IBPS RRB 2021 recruits’ able candidates for the posts of Group A Officers [Scale I, II, and III] and Group B Office Assistant [Multipurpose].
IBPS RRB Prelims 2021 exam is scheduled for 01st, 07th, 08th, 14th and 21st August 2021 as the IBPS Calendar 2021-22. Owing to the Covid situation, applicants must make the most out of these extra few hours to refine their IBPS RRB 2021 preparation strategy. To assist you in your efforts, in this blog we will present some of the best IBPS RRB preparation tips 2021 which will help in shaping your IBPS RRB exam strategy.
Note: The IBPS RRB 2021 Scale 1 exams are also referred to as PO & IBPS RRB 2021 Office Assistant exams are also referred to as Clerk.
IBPS RRB 2021: Exam Pattern
The IBPS RRB 2021 exam, both PO and Clerk, have a similar exam pattern as tabulated below, with two major sections. Candidates will have 45 minutes to attempt 80 questions having a total of 80 marks. Each question carries 1 mark. There are separate cut-offs for both sections.
| Section | Marks | Questions |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 |
| Numerical/ Quantitative Ability | 40 | 40 |
| Total | 80 | 80 |
IBPS RRB Exam Strategy
Candidates must take into consideration that the Prelims examination is a qualifying test and clearing the cut-off is enough to secure your place in the Mains. Remember, only your Mains score [and Interview in case of Scale 1] is counted in preparing the final merit list. Therefore, in terms of marks, having an aim around the region of 45-55 correct answers is adequate to qualify the prelims. This is an important IBPS RRB Exam Strategy.
IBPS RRB Preparation Tips 2021: Reasoning Ability
- Topics:
| Fundamental Topics | Intermediate Level Topics | Advanced Topics |
| Dates & Calendars, Puzzles, Assumptions, Word Formation, Syllogism, Alphabet Test, Inequalities, | Directions, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Coding-Decoding | Cause & Effects, Orders & Rankings, Statements & Conclusion, Assertion & Reason |
- Going by the trend, around 20-25 of the 40 questions are generally asked from a few sections namely Blood Relations, Directions, Puzzles, Coding-Decoding Seating Arrangement, Inequality and Series and like.
- Reasoning questions in the IBPS RRB prelims questions paper are normally based on a passage-based pattern. This includes namely, ‘Problem Statement/Directions/Passage’, ‘Question/Task’ and ‘Choices’.
- One of the most important IBPS RRB preparation tips 2021 is to be on the look-out for words like ‘neither…nor’, ‘either…or’, ‘conversely’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘unless’, ‘only, ‘if’, etc. These are sometimes referred to as trigger words that can substantially change the direction of the statement. However, always read the complete sentence otherwise knowledge halfway can lead you astray.
- A crucial IBPS RRB 2021 preparation strategy is to use techniques like puzzles, quizzes, flow charts, diagrams, etc. This helps in making the learning process interesting as well as in boosting memory and recall skills. You can also refer to online tutorials of reasoning shortcuts and tricks.
- While attempting Puzzles, follow a very active approach. Go over each statement line-by-line. Highlight the important bits and sideline the unimportant ones. For Syllogism, always use Venn Diagrams. This is an important IBPS RRB 2021 preparation strategy.
- Recommended IBPS RRB Reasoning Ability Books:
- Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by Dr RS Aggarwal [S. Chand Publication;
- A New Approach to Reasoning By B.S. Sijwali & S. Sijwali [Arihant];
- Reasoning Book for Competitive Examinations by Pearson;
- Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
IBPS RRB Preparation Tips 2021: Numerical Ability
- Topics:
| Fundamental Topics | Intermediate Level Topics | Advanced Topics |
| Ratio & Proportion, Number System, Speed & Distance, Simplification, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Average, HCF & LCM | Linear Equations, Series, Introductory Probability, Simple & Compound Interest, Ages, Mensuration [Circles, Triangles, Rectangles, Polygons] | Quadratic Equations, Permutation & Combination, Probability, Graphs & Tables, Data Interpretation |
- The topics of approximation/simplification tend to contain around 13-15 questions in the easy bracket. Moreover, about 4-5 questions belong to number series & sequences of easy level as well. For Data Interpretation, you can expect a passage/table/chart/graph with a set of 4-5 questions. Scattered throughout, there are usually 15-18 questions from all the other topics which have a difficulty level of easy to easy-moderate.
- The fundamental arithmetic portions of Linear Equations, Percentages, Averages, Ages, Number System, Inequalities, Approximation/Simplification, etc. must be religiously practiced. These come into use not only in the Numerical Ability section but also in Reasoning.
- The Data Interpretation section on the Numerical Ability section may bring you easy marks. It tends to blend multiple concepts in the shape of a table or graph and present a few questions based on them. This can be ratios, for instance profit and loss ratios or any other measure. Remember, DO NOT ignore anything that is mentioned.
- Advanced topics like probability, quadratic equations, permutation & combination, at least cover the easy portions so that you are familiar with it. If this is not your forte, study enough to tackle the straightforward questions. This is an important IBPS RRB Exam Strategy.
- Recommended IBPS RRB Numerical Ability Books:
- NCERT Mathematics textbooks Class IX & X
- Quantitative Aptitude by R.S Aggarwal
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma
- Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha/ McGraw Hill Education
IBPS RRB 2021 Preparation Strategy: Key Tips
- Phased Mock Tests: In phase one, take 3-4 short topic-based tests every two days and 1-2 full-length mock tests every four days. Evaluate your improvement, assess your strong and weak areas and correct your slipups. In the second phase when you have covered all topics, move onto attempting 1 full-length mock test every day or two in a strictly timed manner. DO NOT dive into new topics in the last week.
- Time Management: As you have only 45 minutes, the 40 questions of each section must be completed in 22.5 minutes or less, excluding revision. This leaves you with only about 33.75 seconds per question.
- Revision: Try to leave out 2-2.5 minutes at the end of each section for revision at all costs. During revision, revisit the questions you may have skipped, if possible, redo long calculations and double-check markings on the OMR sheet or screen. It can save you the all-important 3-4 marks which may make the difference.
Best of Luck
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