General Competitive Exam
Category 1: The Foundation & Choosing the Right Exam
1. What is the difference between SSC and Banking exams?
Detailed Answer: The key difference lies in the job profile and the recruiting body.
Staff Selection Commission (SSC): Recruits for various government ministries and departments (e.g., CBI, Income Tax, Auditor, Clerk). Posts are mostly non-technical and across Group B and C. Major exams: CGL, CHSL, CPO, MTS, Stenographer.
Banking Exams: Recruits for public and private sector banks (e.g., SBI, PNB, Canara Bank). Posts are specifically within the banking sector (e.g., Probationary Officer, Clerk, SO). Major exams: IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS RRB, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, RBI Grade B.
Tip: Choose based on your interest in a general government desk job (SSC) vs. a financially-oriented, customer-facing banking career.
2. I am a beginner. Which exam should I target first?
Detailed Answer: Start with the IBPS Clerk or SSC CHSL exam. Here's why:
Lower Difficulty: The syllabus is slightly easier than PO or CGL.
Common Syllabus: They test the same core subjects (Quant, Reasoning, English, GA), giving you a strong foundation for tougher exams.
More Vacancies: Higher number of posts means a better chance of getting selected in your first attempt, which is a huge confidence booster.
Tip: Use your preparation for Clerk/CHSL as a stepping stone. Once you have the momentum, you can immediately start preparing for the more challenging PO/CGL exam.
3. What is the typical exam pattern and selection process?
Detailed Answer: Most exams follow a Tier-based selection process.
Tier-I: Preliminary Exam. It is an online screening test, usually with 100 objective questions. There is a sectional cutoff and an overall cutoff.
Tier-II: Mains Exam. For those who clear Tier-I. It is more difficult and subject-specific. For SSC CGL, it includes Quantitative Abilities, English, Statistics, etc. For Banking, it may include a Descriptive paper.
Tier-III: Descriptive Paper (in some exams) or Computer Skill Test (for SSC CHSL).
Final Stage: Interview/Personality Test (for certain posts like SSC CGL Assistant Section Officer, IBPS PO) OR Document Verification (for non-gazetted posts).
Tip: Your first goal is to clear the Tier-I cutoffs. Your final rank is determined by the combined score of all tiers.
4. Is there negative marking?
Detailed Answer: Yes, almost all SSC and Banking exams have negative marking. For every wrong answer, 0.25 or 0.50 marks are deducted. This is a critical factor.
Tip: Never guess blindly. Only attempt a question if you can eliminate at least 2 options or have a good idea of the answer. Accuracy is more important than attempting all questions.
5. What is the age limit and educational qualification?
Detailed Answer: This varies by exam.
Age: Generally between 18-27/30/32 years (with age relaxation for OBC/SC/ST/PwD as per government norms).
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university is the minimum requirement for most graduate-level posts (PO, Clerk, CGL). SSC CHSL requires 12th pass.
Tip: Always read the official notification for the specific exam you are applying for. It contains all the exact eligibility criteria.
Category 2: The Four Pillars of Preparation
6. What are the subjects I need to prepare for?
Detailed Answer: The core subjects are almost identical for Tier-I of all exams:
Quantitative Aptitude (Maths)
Reasoning Ability
English Language
General Awareness (GK/Current Affairs)
Tip: Your strength in Quant and Reasoning will be your key differentiator, as English and GA can be mastered with consistent reading.
7. How should I prepare for Quantitative Aptitude?
Detailed Answer: QA is about concept clarity and speed.
Topics to Master: Simplification, Number Series, Quadratic Equations, Data Interpretation (Tables, Pie Charts, Bar Graphs), Percentage, Ratio, Average, Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Speed & Distance, Simple & Compound Interest.
Strategy: Learn the concepts and formulas for each topic. Then, practice a massive number of questions to improve your calculation speed. Learn shortcut tricks and Vedic math techniques.
Resources: Practice from books by R.S. Aggarwal (Quantitative Aptitude) and Arihant/ Kiran's Publication books.
Tip: Focus on Data Interpretation (DI). It is a major marks section in both SSC and Banking exams.
8. How should I prepare for Reasoning Ability?
Detailed Answer: Reasoning tests your logical and analytical thinking.
Topics to Master: Puzzles (Seating Arrangement - Linear/Circular, Floor-Based), Syllogism, Inequality, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order & Ranking, Alphanumeric Series.
Strategy: Reasoning is highly pattern-based. Practice different types of puzzles daily. The more you practice, the faster you recognize the logic.
Resources: R.S. Aggarwal (A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning) is the bible for this section.
Tip: Puzzles and Seating Arrangements are high-scoring but time-consuming. Learn to solve them quickly as they can make or break your paper.
9. How should I prepare for the English Language?
Detailed Answer: This section tests your grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
Topics to Master: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Detection, Phrase Replacement, Fill in the Blanks, Para Jumbles, Vocabulary (Synonyms/Antonyms).
Strategy:
Reading: Read a newspaper daily (The Hindu, Indian Express). This improves comprehension and vocabulary.
Grammar: Clear your basics from Wren & Martin or any objective grammar book.
Vocabulary: Learn 10 new words daily. Use apps like Vocab24 or WordWeb.
Resources: SP Bakshi (Objective General English) is a highly recommended book.
Tip: Reading Comprehension should be attempted first. Skim the questions before reading the passage to know what to look for.
10. How should I prepare for General Awareness?
Detailed Answer: GA is vast but scoring if prepared consistently.
What to Study:
Current Affairs: Last 6-8 months before the exam. Focus on awards, sports, summits, important appointments, new schemes, banking news.
Static GK: Indian History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Important Books & Authors, Science & Technology.
Strategy:
Read a monthly current affairs magazine (Pratiyogita Darpan, AffairsCloud, GKToday).
Follow a daily news app or website.
Take daily/weekly GA quizzes.
Tip: For Banking exams, focus specifically on Banking Awareness (terms like repo rate, reverse repo, types of accounts, functions of RBI).
Category 3: Study Plan, Books, and Resources
11. What is a good daily routine for preparation?
Detailed Answer: A sample routine for a serious aspirant:
Morning (3 hrs): Quantitative Aptitude (Learn concept + practice)
Late Morning (2 hrs): Reasoning Ability (Practice puzzles and sets)
Afternoon (1 hr): English (Reading newspaper + vocabulary)
Evening (2 hrs): General Awareness (Read monthly magazine + revise notes)
Night (1 hr): Take a Topic-wise/Subject-wise Quiz or revise formulas.
Tip: Adjust the hours based on your strength and weakness. Dedicate more time to your weaker sections.
12. What are the best books for SSC and Banking preparation?
Detailed Answer: For All Exams (Tier-I):
Quantitative Aptitude: R.S. Aggarwal / Quicker Maths by Tyra
Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal (Verbal & Non-Verbal)
English: SP Bakshi / Objective General English by Arihant
General Awareness: Lucent's General Knowledge / Monthly Current Affairs Magazines
Tip: Kiran's Publication books are excellent for subject-wise practice and previous year papers with solutions.
13. Are online resources and apps helpful?
Detailed Answer: Extremely helpful. They are game-changers.
YouTube Channels: Adda247, Oliveboard, BYJU'S Exam Prep, AffairsCloud (for free classes, tricks, and current affairs).
Test Series: Enroll in a good online test series. It is non-negotiable. It gives you exam simulation, competition analysis, and performance tracking.
Apps: Use apps from the above platforms for daily quizzes, current affairs, and video lessons.
Tip: Use online resources to supplement your book-based preparation, not replace it.
14. How important is practicing previous years' question papers?
Detailed Answer: It is the single most important activity. It helps you:
Understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and question trends.
Identify important and repeating topics.
Improve your time management and accuracy.
Tip: Solve at least the last 5-10 years' papers. Analyze your mistakes and weak areas after each paper.
15. Should I make notes?
Detailed Answer: Yes, but smart notes.
For Quant & Reasoning: Make a formula sheet and a list of rules/tricks for each topic.
For English: Maintain a vocabulary notebook.
For GA: Make short notes on current affairs, especially from the last 2 months before the exam. This is for quick revision.
Tip: Your notes should be concise and only for revision. Don't waste time making elaborate notes.
(FAQs 16-50 continue in the next message, covering mock tests, time management, exam strategy, and post-exam processes)
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Of course. Here are the next 25 FAQs, covering mock tests, exam strategy, and the final selection process for SSC and Banking exams.
The Ultimate SSC & Banking Exams FAQ: Questions 16-35
Category 4: Mock Tests & Revision Strategy
16. How important are mock tests?
Detailed Answer: Mock tests are the most critical part of your preparation. They are the bridge between your preparation and the actual exam. They:
Simulate Exam Pressure: Get you accustomed to the time constraints and pressure of the real exam.
Identify Weaknesses: Provide a detailed analysis of your strong and weak areas and topics.
Improve Speed & Accuracy: Help you develop and refine your exam-taking strategy.
Provide Competition Analysis: Show you your rank among thousands of aspirants, giving a realistic picture of your preparation.
Tip: Taking 1-2 full-length mocks per week is non-negotiable for serious aspirants.
17. How do I analyze my mock test performance?
Detailed Answer: Simply taking a mock is useless without analysis. After each mock, spend at least 2-3 hours analyzing:
Section-wise Score: Did you meet the sectional cutoff?
Accuracy: What was your accuracy in each section? (Number of correct attempts / Total attempts). Aim for over 90%.
Time Spent: How much time did you spend on each section? Was it optimal?
Wrong Questions: Why did you get a question wrong? Was it a silly mistake, conceptual gap, or time pressure?
Skipped Questions: Could you have attempted any skipped questions with a little more time?
Tip: Maintain an error log to record the types of mistakes you make repeatedly and work on them.
18. What should be my strategy during the mock test?
Detailed Answer: Your mock test is where you experiment with strategy.
Order of Attempt: Find your optimal order. A common strategy is to start with your strongest section to build confidence and secure sure-shot marks. Many start with Reasoning or English.
Time Allocation: Allocate time to each section based on your strength. For example: Reasoning (25 min), English (20 min), Quant (25 min), GA (10 min).
Smart Skipping: Don't get stuck on a single difficult question. Mark it for review and move on.
Tip: Your final strategy should be to maximize attempts in your strong sections with high accuracy, while ensuring you just clear the cutoff in your weaker ones.
19. I am scoring low in mocks. What should I do?
Detailed Answer: Don't be disheartened. Low scores initially are normal.
Identify the Cause: Is it due to lack of knowledge, low speed, or poor accuracy?
If knowledge is low: Go back to the basics of that topic. Refer to your book and practice more questions.
If speed is low: Practice more and learn shortcut tricks.
If accuracy is low: Focus on reducing silly mistakes. Don't guess blindly; attempt only what you know.
Tip: Treat low scores as learning opportunities, not failures.
20. How should I revise the entire syllabus?
Detailed Answer: Revision is not a one-time activity.
Weekly Revision: Dedicate one day of the week to revising all the formulas, rules, and vocabulary you learned that week.
Monthly Revision: At the end of the month, revise your short notes and important current affairs.
Final Revision: In the last month before the exam, focus only on revision: go through your formula sheets, vocabulary notebook, and current affairs notes. Stop learning new topics.
Tip: You remember what you revise repeatedly. Make a revision timetable.
Category 5: Exam Hall Strategy & Time Management
21. What is the best way to attempt the paper in the exam hall?
Detailed Answer: Follow a proven two-round strategy:
Round 1 (Quick Scorer): Go through the entire section quickly. Answer all the questions you are 100% sure about. This builds a base of sure-shot correct answers.
Round 2 (Time-Consuming): Go back to the questions you skipped. Now spend time on calculative Quant problems or tricky Reasoning puzzles.
Final Check: If time permits, review marked answers. Avoid changing answers unless you are certain.
Tip: Never start with a difficult and time-consuming section like Quant if it is not your strength. It will kill your time and confidence.
22. How much time should I spend on each section?
Detailed Answer: This is subjective and must be decided through mock tests. A generic, safe allocation for a 60-minute Tier-I exam is:
Reasoning Ability: 20-25 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude: 20-25 minutes
English Language: 15-20 minutes
General Awareness: 8-10 minutes (GA should be done quickly, based on recall)
Tip: Wear a watch and keep a strict tab on time. Practice this time allocation in every mock.
23. How many questions should I attempt to clear the exam?
Detailed Answer: Focus on number of correct attempts, not total attempts. Your goal is to maximize your score, not the number of questions you touch.
A good attempt with high accuracy (90%+) is always better than a great attempt with low accuracy.
For example, 65 questions with 90% accuracy (58.5 score) is better than 85 questions with 70% accuracy (59.5 score - 85 correct, 20 wrong -> 85 - 5 = 80).
Tip: The exact number varies with the difficulty of the paper. Let your mock test practice guide you.
24. How do I handle exam stress and anxiety?
Detailed Answer:
Preparation is the Best Confidence Booster: Being well-prepared reduces anxiety significantly.
Positive Self-Talk: Tell yourself "I am prepared" and "I will do my best."
Deep Breathing: Before the exam starts, take 5-6 deep breaths to calm your nerves.
Focus on Your Paper: Don't look at what others are doing. Everyone has a different strategy.
Tip: In the exam hall, if you feel panicked, close your eyes for 10 seconds, take a sip of water, and restart.
25. What are the most common silly mistakes to avoid?
Detailed Answer:
Misreading the Question: Especially in Reasoning ("find the one which is NOT similar").
Calculation Errors: Wrong multiplication, addition, or misreading numbers.
Marking the Wrong Option: Filling the wrong bubble on the OMR sheet or clicking the wrong option online.
Ignoring Units: Not paying attention to units in Quant problems (km vs m, years vs months).
Tip: In the last few minutes, double-check your answers for these specific errors.
Category 6: After the Exam & Final Selection
26. What is the final selection criteria?
Detailed Answer: The final merit list is prepared based on the normalized aggregate marks of all tiers.
For exams with an interview (e.g., IBPS PO, SSC CGL for some posts): Tier-I + Tier-II + Tier-III (Descriptive) + Interview.
For exams without an interview (e.g., IBPS Clerk, SSC CHSL): Tier-I + Tier-II + Tier-III (Skill Test).
Tip: Each stage is elimination-based. You must clear the cut-off of each stage to proceed to the next.
27. What is a normalized score?
Detailed Answer: Since these exams are conducted in multiple shifts over several days, the difficulty level of each shift's paper can vary slightly. Normalization is a statistical process used to adjust for these difficulty variations and ensure fairness. It ensures that candidates are judged on a level playing field regardless of which shift they got.
Tip: You don't need to calculate it. The final result is declared based on normalized marks.
28. What is the Computer Proficiency Test/Skill Test?
Detailed Answer: For posts like SSC CHSL and IBPS Clerk, there is a Skill Test instead of an interview.
SSC CHSL: Requires a typing test in English or Hindi with a minimum speed (35 WPM for English, 30 WPM for Hindi).
IBPS Clerk: Requires a computer test to check basic proficiency in MS Office.
Tip: This is a qualifying test. Marks are not added to the final merit. But failing it leads to disqualification. Practice typing software in advance.
29. How should I prepare for the Interview/Personality Test?
Detailed Answer: (For exams that have one)
Know Your DAF: If you fill a Detailed Application Form (DAF), know every word of it. Be prepared to answer questions on your hobbies, education, and hometown.
Current Affairs: Be thorough with major national and international events of the past year.
Communication Skills: Practice speaking clearly, confidently, and concisely.
Mock Interviews: Give mock interviews to get feedback on your body language and answers.
Tip: The interview is to assess your suitability for a government job, not just your knowledge. Be honest, polite, and calm.
30. What if I don't clear in my first attempt?
Detailed Answer: Do not get discouraged. The competition is extremely high. Most successful candidates clear it in their 2nd or 3rd attempt.
Analyze: Analyze your scorecard. See how close you were to the cutoff and which section pulled you down.
Back to Basics: Work on your weak areas with renewed focus.
Stay Motivated: Remember your goal. One failed attempt is just a stepping stone, not the end of the road.
Tip: Use the gap between two exams to gain experience by giving other similar exams.