Benefits of mock tests in IBPS exams

IBPS PO exam is conducted every year by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit IBPS PO across the country. IBPS PO is one of the most popular banking jobs in India and every year lakhs of aspiring candidates appear for this exam. The number of candidates has been increasing over recent years. The reason behind this being the lucrative salaries and high-reputed job profile of an IBPS PO. The competition is also high and the syllabus is the same as for most of the other banking sector exams. Candidates can crack this exam by investing sufficient time and with constant practice. The syllabus is pretty exhaustive and might take relatively more time than other exams to complete. A proper strategy with dedicated goals can help you succeed in this exam.

The selection process is divided into three stages, preliminary exams, mains, and interview. The syllabus for preliminary and mains is somewhat similar except for some added topics for the mains exam. We have briefly mentioned the syllabus below to provide an overview of the topics included:

Prelims

• Reasoning ability

• Quantitative aptitude

• English 

Mains

• Data analysis and interpretation

• English

• Computer knowledge and reasoning

• general/ economy/ banking awareness

Make sure that you refer to the latest updated syllabus downloaded from the official website of the IBPS. If you go through the syllabus, you will find that there are many topics and subtopics to prepare. It might look tough, but the right strategy and planning can help you crack this exam. Mock tests are a crucial part of IBPS PO exam preparation. There are many mock tests available that will help you crack the IBPS PO test. The benefits of taking mock tests for the preparation of IBPS PO are as follows:

1. Helps you to understand the exam pattern: Mock tests are designed in a way to mimic the exam environment and pattern. You train your mind to adjust to the exam conditions, like the pressure, time management, and reading questions, etc. You will get to learn the type of questions asked from each type. The more mock tests you practice, the more variations of questions you will encounter which will boost your confidence. Cracking the IBPS PO exam does not only require knowledge but aptitude and skills to attempt the questions. This is a major skill to master and can cause a significant difference in your performance. Some candidates underperform due to exam pressure. Attempting mock tests prepares you for the big day. IBPS PO exam is a time-bound exam and you should have a strategy while attempting the questions. Mock tests help you with that. 

2. Helps in identifying your weak and strong areas: IBPS PO exam has an exhaustive syllabus. Candidates have limited time to prepare for this exam. It is very crucial to design your schedule and strategy in a way to maximise the output of your efforts. Some candidates make the mistake of going through the same topics over and over again. This happens because they are unaware of their strong areas. When you attempt mock tests, you can identify your strong areas. You need not put high emphasis on these topics, just keep revising from time to time. The other scenario is, some candidates skip some topics and then they get nervous when questions from those topics appear in the exam. Again, practising mock tests will help you to keep a check on all important topics that you might have missed. The most important benefit of a mock test is determining your weak areas. You can give extra time and effort to those topics which you found to be difficult while attempting the mock tests. This way, you can work in the right direction to get the best result. 

3. Improved speed: Along with accuracy, speed plays an equally important role in determining your success in the IBPS PO exam. Accuracy is very important as there are negative marks for wrong answers. The more you practice mock tests, the better you get at accuracy. Different candidates have different approaches and ways to solve a particular problem. Mock tests help you to find the approach best suited for you. The IBPS PO exam is time-bound and you are required to go through the questions in that limited time. There are chances that you might misinterpret the question in a hurry, and end up making a mistake. Also, if you do not have the required speed, you might miss going through some questions. Limited time also puts serious pressure on the candidates. Mock tests help you to deal with this pressure. The more you practice these mock tests, the more you adapt your mind to the time limit and improve performance under the time-bound scenario. You might not score well in the mock tests, but you must keep practising. You must believe that you are progressing with every attempt and it will reflect in your final exam. 

4. Familiarity with the twisted questions: The complexity of questions keeps varying for the IBPS PO exam every year. You cannot keep solving the same kind of questions and rely on them completely. You must solve questions from a varying level of toughness. This will boost your confidence and enhance your preparations. Mock tests are a great source of such questions. If you find that you are unable to solve these questions, you have a chance to go back and revise the topics and attempt again. 

5. Help in making strategies for the final exam: While attempting mock tests, you might come across topics that you skipped while studying. You can modify your schedule to adjust those topics. It is advisable to start the mock tests early and do not wait for your completion of the syllabus. There are full tests and part tests available too. This is very helpful to get a better depth of understanding of each topic. You must attempt the part tests after completing every topic. This way you can assess your preparation regarding a particular topic and work on it accordingly. Some questions require different strategies to solve. Mock tests give you an idea of those questions.