
18th January, 2025
Competitive Exams
How to Effectively Prepare for IBPS Prelims English Section?
Table of Contents
How to get a good score in the English section is the major concern for students who are appearing in the prelims exam. Getting good scores in the IBPS prelims section can boost your chances of success in the IBPS exam. It is important to note that prelims exam pattern and syllabus for both IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk are the same. Many aspirants aim to score 25+ marks in English to achieve the cut-off score.
There are a total of 30 questions in the Prelims exam, with one mark each in the IBPS Prelims exam and negative marking of 0.25 for every incorrect answer. The main reason for failure in the IBPS Prelims exam is that students do not do well in the English section due to which they are unable to achieve their goal successfully.
By reading this blog, students will not only understand how to get maximum marks in this section but also secure their position in the final merit list in the IBPS exam.
Important topics for the IBPS Prelims English section:
It is important to note that in IBPS exams, English is divided into four broad groups.
Reading comprehension: One of the most important topics in the English section is reading comprehension. It is advisable to develop a habit of reading newspapers in order to improve speed and comprehension skills.
To answer the reading question, read the passage carefully and summarize the passage. To improve your reading skills, read newspapers, magazines, and articles on a daily basis because if you have good reading skills, then you can solve reading comprehension in a short time.
Tips to score more in Reading Comprehension
- Focus on the main points, not the example.
- Don’t try to memorize the passage.
- Always read the passage first and then the passage
- Try to understand the gist of the passage.
- Do not rely on “trigger words”
- Use pencil and pointer to highlight the important information in the passage.
- Always read the options carefully.
Grammar: Give more attention to the grammar rules. Practice questions related to various topics like Tenses, Prepositions, Articles, Active/Passive voice, Direct/Indirect Speech, Subject-verb agreement.
Tips to improve grammar:
- Understand the grammar rules
- Practice regularly
- Use grammar books and resources
- Learn from mistakes
- Vocabulary: Vocabulary is an essential part of the English section. To improve your vocabulary part it is advisable to take vocabulary quizzes to test your present vocabulary. For better results, always track your progress.
How to improve the Vocabulary part in IBPS Prelims English?
- Daily learn new words, including their meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and usage.
- For better retention, use flashcards or apps.
- Read newspapers and magazines on a daily basis
- Read books and novels
- On a regular basis, watch English news, movies, and debates.
- Use a dictionary on a regular basis
- Install english dictionary on your mobile and use it in your free time
Popular Dictionary apps:
- Word web
- Quick Dictionary
- Vocabulary Dictionary
Verbal ability:
Some Important Topics of Verbal Ability are:
Work on Para Jumbles: Give more attention to the connectors while solving para jumble questions. It is advisable to solve multiple para jumble questions to improve your speed and to identify patterns.
To solve para jumble questions accurately find introductory sentences and connectors such as However, Moreover, and Therefore. Once you understand this type of questions well then try to solve those questions under time limit.
Practice cloze test and filling in the blanks:
Understanding the context of the passage is necessary for filling in the blanks and cloze test. It is advisable to practice by reading passages with blanks. Both sections require strong knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
Solve error spotting questions:
To solve error spotting questions with ease, it is necessary to have a good understanding of grammar rules. It is advisable to understand the various topics well like articles, tenses, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and so on. This topic is considered one of the high scoring and time saving parts in English. In this, most of the sentence contains subject-verb agreement. Before answering the question, it is necessary to read the entire statement carefully.
How to attempt the English section in the IBPS exam?
For this section it is very important to manage time. Students have only 15-20 minutes to answer 25-30 questions, that means you have less than a minute for each question.
Given below are some tips to use your time effectively.
- Start with the easy questions first: it is advisable to start the English section by attempting easy questions first in which you are fully sure and can solve quickly. This will help you to boost your confidence. Skip difficult questions and come back later.
- Allocate time according to the weightage: There are various types of questions in the English section, including reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, cloze tests and so on. You should allocate your time according to the weightage. For example, reading comprehension, that has more marks and can be solved quickly.
- Eliminate the wrong options: You can use the elimination method to rule out the options which are clearly wrong and irrelevant. This will increase your chances of getting the right answer.
- Review your answers: If you have some time left, then you can use it by reviewing your answers, or you can try to solve those questions that you skipped.
Descriptive English for the IBPS Mains exam:
To get a good score in the English descriptive section, practice as much as writing the answer. Candidates have only 30 minutes to complete both tasks. Make sure that you spend 15-18 minutes on the essay and 10-12 minutes on the letter. It is advisable to write a topic under a time frame to improve speed.
For descriptive writing, it is necessary to have a good command of grammar and vocabulary. Minor mistakes like spelling or sentence structure can reduce the quality of the work. If time is left after writing both the topics, then it is advisable to use that time to review the work. A quick revision helps to prevent small errors which might impact your overall score.
Best Books for IBPS Prelims English
Books |
Author |
English Grammar & Composition |
Wren and Martin |
Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
Descriptive General English |
SP Bakshi and Richa Sharma |
Objective English for Competitive Examinations |
Hari Mohan Prasad, Uma Rani Sinha |
Objective General English |
R.S Aggarwal, Vikas Aggarwal |
Practice Papers |
Kiran Prakashan |
Conclusion:
By Following the above mentioned steps and practicing regularly, students can build a solid foundation for the IBPS Prelims English section, which will increase their chances of success.
Are Bhagya Achievers mock test papers for the IBPS exam really helpful?
Yes, the Bhagya Achievers mock test paper helps students clear the IBPS exam with ease. Check out the below reasons why Bhagya Achievers mock test papers are the best.
- Bhagya Achievers provides a test series for banks that are similar to the actual exam.
- Bhagya Achievers provides a test series for both prelims and main exams.
- We provide solutions with proper explanations to help students to clear their doubts.
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