The IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection) holds the PO exam to recruit Probationary Officers for various prestigious banks under the government. The PO exam is very popular and competitive since it renders numerous benefits such as job security, a good salary package, and many other perks. The examination is conducted in two phases: Prelims and Mains. To ace the Mains exam, you must adopt a few preparation tips and follow the best IBPS PO mains books that will help you stand out from the lakhs of candidates.
Devise a study plan
Before beginning your preparation, you must be aware of the complete syllabus for the IBPS Mains exam. Do your research and find out all the concepts that comprise the exam syllabus. Then, you must design a suitable, well-organized study plan. Make sure you include all the topics of the syllabus in your plan and allow ample time for their preparation. Most importantly, ensure that your plan is practical and that you stick to it. This will help you cover your entire syllabus on time, and you will not leave out any topic.
Section-wise preparation
The subject-wise weightage can be found at BYJU’s Exam Prep for the IBPS PO Mains exam. The subjects for the PO Mains exam are Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Computer Knowledge, English Language, and General/ Banking/Financial Awareness. Ensure that allot preparation time as per their weightage and not leave any subject untouched. Have a look at the previous years’ cut-offs so that you can develop an idea of the exam pattern. Also, do not study topics from the different subjects simultaneously. Focus on one section at a time, and try to complete the whole section-syllabus before moving on to the next subject.
Attempt as many mock tests
Mock exams must be a major emphasis in exam preparation. You can find IBPS PO mains mock test at BYJU’s Exam Prep that are similar in their pattern to the PO Mains examination. Try to attempt as many mock tests as you can, and finish them by the stipulated time duration allowed. As you finish solving every mock exam, record your scores. This will help you keep track of your preparation status and improve your time management skills. It is advisable to start attempting mock tests only after you complete the entire syllabus at least once and limit it to a maximum of 3 mock tests per day.
Solve previous years’ question papers
Try to get hold of the IBPS PO Mains question papers of up to at least ten previous years. Solve them one at a time and keep track of your results. Try to complete the exam within the time limit. This habit will help you understand the difficulty level and pattern of the actual examination and improve your speed. Moreover, some of the questions may be repeated over the years. Hence, if you practice solving the previous years’ papers, you can get acquainted with the questions asked. This strategy will help you in answering similar questions in the examination more quickly.
Best books for Banking Awareness preparation
Banking Awareness is a vital subject in all competitive bank exams. However, since it is a vast section, people are unaware of the most helpful books to prepare for this section. Here’s a list of some of the most popular and useful books on Banking Awareness for IBPS PO Mains:
| Book Name | Publisher/Author |
| Banking Awareness | B.K Raut & S.R Behera |
| Guide to Banking General Awareness | R Gupta |
| Banking and Economic Awareness | Rakesh Kumar |
| Banking Awareness | Disha Publication |
| Banking Awareness | Arihant publication |
| Banking Awareness | Lucent publication |
| Banking Awareness | Javed Siddiqui |
It is recommended you refer to only one or two of the above-mentioned books since they all comprise pretty much the same information. Using too many similar books can confuse you and affect your preparation strategy.
