There is no alternative to hard work and regular practice, says IBPS Qualifier Abhishek Chowdhury

“It took me 1 ½ years to clear IBPS RRB exam. There is no alternative to hard work and regular practice,” says IBPS RRB qualifier Abhishek Chowdhury. Read his complete interview where has shared some tips & tricks on how to prepare for IBPS RRB exam.

Who says a Mass Communication graduate cannot crack Banking exams? Abhishek Chowdhury is the best example of it. Breaking all stereotypes, Abhishek chose Banking over Media & Journalism. He cracked IBPS RRB PO exam in 2016 with 92 marks out of 200 marks.

The 28-year old avid writer and photographer who is currently working as an Assistant Manager in Tripura Gramin Bank believes that there is no alternative to hard work and regular practice.

“It took me 1 ½ years to clear IBPS RRB exam. I failed many times but never gave up. I was very strong with my determination and goal,” said Abhishek Chowdhury.

 “I have completed my graduation with English Honours. Thereon, I went to pursue Mass Communication and Journalism. Hailing from Humanities background, I was not good in Mathematics. In Banking exams, you need to be good in Mathematics. But I made my weakness, my strength,” he added.

In conversation with Shiksha, Abhishek Chowdhury shared some interesting strategies for cracking IBPS RRB exam for future aspirants.

Thank you. The feeling was obviously great. I was ecstatic. I put in a lot of effort for the past couple of years. I got a job in an IT company in my university placement, which I did not join. Therefore, there was an added pressure of cracking the exam. By god's grace, I was able to get through the finally.

I did my graduation (BA) from GC College, Silchar with English Honours. After that owing to my interests in writing, photography and sports journalism, I did my masters in Mass Communication and journalism from Assam University, Silchar.

I appeared in IBPS RRB PO CWE V mains in December 2016. I scored 28 in Reasoning and computer aptitude, 25 in Quantitative Aptitude, 19 in English and 20 in general awareness. The total score was 92. Currently I am working as an Assistant Manager in Tripura Gramin Bank.

Banking sector has always attracted me. The first reason being my uncle who is working with SBI. He is a person whom I idealise. He made me understand that how a banker can contribute to the development of the country. Moreover, it is a respectable job with good salary package.

While I was preparing for the competitive exams, I applied for each and every banking and insurance exams. I had also cleared LIC ADO exam and IBPS Clerk CWE VI and got the offer of joining in Central Bank of India. But, I finally decided to join the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) keeping in mind the post and place of posting.

I started preparing for the banking exams right after completing my postgraduation. It took me 1 ½ years to clear the exam.

Yes, I took coaching from a local institute named ‘CDINE’ in Dharmanagar, Tripura. I went there for 8 months to get the flow of things and after that, I prepared on my own for the exam.

Yes, I think coaching is important because it helps to build the base. You will get to learn many shortcuts tricks for solving questions, which is important for competitive exams where there are time constraints.  Nowadays, there are many online study platforms and learning apps to  prepare for competitive exams.

As, an Assistant manager, my key job responsibility is to manage the loans and advances sections. Besides, I also take care of recovery and monitoring department. We are also given operational job as and when required.

The exam strategy differs from person to person. One needs to identify his strong area, and try to score as much as possible in that section. At the same time, candidates should equally work upon improving their weak areas. There is no alternative to hard work and regular practice. Attempting mock tests gives you a real time exam feeling and helps you handling the exam pressure.

My strategy was to focus on my weak areas more. I used to make notes of everything that I studied especially in General Awareness section. This helped me in memorising well. In addition, I used to practice many questions related to Data Interpretation and puzzles. These topics carries maximum weightage in the exam.

I devoted time to each and every section of the exam. My prime focus was on Maths and Reasoning. I gave equal time to English. Most importantly, do not run away from your weak areas rather give most of the time to that section.

According to me, the ideal time to start preparing for banking exams is six months prior the exam. Usually, the exams for IBPS RRB, PO, Clerk is conducted in August, October and December. By the time the season begins, candidates will be well equipped to face the exam.

I used to spend around eight hours daily for preparation.

Mathematics:

• As far as my strategy is concerned, I was not that good in Maths. Therefore, to hone my Mathematical skills, I started from the basics.
• Revised each and every topics prescribed in the IBPS RRB syllabus.
• After completing the syllabus, started learning the shortcut techniques of solving questions.
• Prepared a copy of chapter-wise shortcut tricks and revised them regularly.
• Practiced a lot of three digit multiplications.
• Word problems are bit consuming to solve, therefore, there is no point in attempting such questions.

English & Reasoning:

• The same logic applies for English and reasoning sections.
• Attempted the questions which were short and easy to decipher.
• Focused mainly in accuracy rather than the number of attempts.

General Awareness:

Students at times pays less attention to General Awareness section. This should not be the case. I paid lot of attention to General Awareness section. If prepared smartly, this section can help you score lot of marks.

My interview went really well. The interview panel consisted of banking professionals. The panel comprised four members, three males and one female. They were very friendly. The interview panel basically judge your communication skills. Firstly, they asked me to introduce myself. Next, they asked me few questions from my educational background. Questions that were asked in Interview are:

• Why you are interested in banking sector?
• Why we should hire you for the post?
• Tell us about your hobbies and areas of interest?

Candidates can refer to the following books for IBPS RRB or any other banking exams.

For Quantitative Aptitude, I would suggest ‘Fast track objective arithmetic’ by Rajesh Verma.

For General Awareness section, candidates can refer to the monthly publications like BSC and Pratiyogita Darpan. Hindu editorials can be best read for English section.

The toughest section for me was Quantitative Aptitude. The easiest section for me was English.

As I said earlier, my weak area was Maths. I started brushing up the basics. Revised formulas and practice lengthy calculations on daily basis. I focused on accuracy. Since English was my strong area, I attempted sectional mock tests and tried to rectify the mistakes. I used to study Hindu editorials on a regular basis.

Yes, I attempted full length and sectional mock tests. They proved were really beneficial. Mock tests gives you a real feel of exam. It helps to analyse where you stand in the competition.

Perseverance, passion, and hard work are the most important factors for success in competitive exams. It is also important to learn from the failure.

My message to the future banking aspirants is to make a study plan for preparation and follow it strictly. Mock tests are the best way to check your preparation level. One should identify his strong and weak areas and work on them accordingly. It should be remembered that every section is equally important. Lastly, I would like to wish the future banking aspirants best of luck for their upcoming endeavours.