How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude for Various Competitive Exams like – Banking IBPS, SBI Clerk and PO, SSC, Railway, Police etc

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Complete details about Quantitative aptitude preparation – topic wise strategy to prepare, books to refer, scoring parts to prepare like simplifications etc.

How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude

for Various Banking Exams?

How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude for Various Banking Exams?

This is the question that most of the students struggle with and as the year is still into its very first quarter and the students are left with so many of banking exams to take place in 2018, we thought why not to make it easy for you to prepare well and get selection within the ongoing year.

We will be coming up with a series of “How to Prepare” various subjects and topics for banking exams. In this series, we will be covering all the subjects with all the required and important topics and will also help you plan your very own strategy for the exam.

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The very first article of this series is this one in which we are going to cover the very time consuming and equally scoring the Quantitative Aptitude. Quantitative Aptitude is a compulsory section in each and every banking exam. No matter the exam is for what post or for which department, Quantitative Aptitude has to be its part for sure.

Most of the candidates for the various govt. sector exams do have a common problem and that is Quantitative Aptitude. So here we are trying to let that fear of quantitative aptitude go far away from all you people and hope it will help you all in passing your exam with flying colors.

Our strategy for letting you understand the quantitative aptitude is really simple. Firstly we are going to discuss about the strategy for the most important or the sure shot topics, and then followed by the easily scoring topics, next by a bit tricky topics and in the end we will discuss about the not so important topics.

So let’s start.

Most Important Chapters to Prepare

The chapters or topics that we are going to cover in this section are the ones which have maximum weight age in any banking examination. No matter what the exam is and how much marks does the quantitative aptitude section contains, it will surely going to have questions from these topics. These chapters usually contain around 40% to 50% of the marks allocated to the total quantitative aptitude section.

The most important topics to prepare for quantitative aptitude are –

  • Number Series
  • Simplification
  • Data Interpretation
  • Quadratic Equations

Now let’s talk about the strategy that you need to follow for these topics.

Simplification

The one and the only way to master this topic is practice. This is really a very important topic from exam’s point of view as the number of questions from this topic can range somewhere in between 5 to 10 questions. We usually see 5 questions from this chapter in PO exams and 10 questions approx in clerical exams.

If you don’t want to lose these sure shot numbers, than do practice as many questions as you can and before trying out your hands in practice, don’t forget to learn the basic formulas, the tricks for fast calculation, and should also try mental calculation while solving the questions.

This is a topic which can save some time for you and can assure you some marks as well in the examination. Just try to solve as quickly as you can by using tricks and fast calculation methods. Mainly practice questions related to BODMAS, square, cubes, approximation, and decimals.

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Number Series

Number series is a topic that is really easy to solve and requires very less time. All you need to know here to the pattern that fits the given number series problem. Some of you may have found it really easy to find the patterns and some may have found it really very difficult.

The only way to deal with this chapter is to practice number series problems of different patterns. Once you become comfortable with finding patterns, you are good enough to crack it in the examination. Now the number of practice questions will depend person to person.

In any banking exam, you will get around 5 questions from this chapter. Also don’t forget, creating a new and  difficult pattern is not at all tough for the examiner, so in case if you are not able to crack the pattern in the first 10 to 30 seconds after looking at the question, then just let the question be and move forward to another question.

Quadratic Equations

You will find an approximate of 5 questions from this chapter in any banking examination. This is like a must topic for the banking preliminary examinations. It is one of the easiest and scoring topics. You can very comfortably score full marks in half of the time.

You can go and solve the questions by the conventional method or can use the shortcut methods and tricks. There are multiple ways of solving the questions from this chapter and saving some time for you in the examination. If you good with mental calculation, then these 5 questions will hardly take 2 minutes for you to get them solved.

Practice quadratic equations of different level of difficulty. From practicing the normal quadratic equations to the equations having under root terms, all are important and easy to solve.

Data Interpretation

This is one of the most important topics as per the exam’s point of view. You can easily find 1 to 3 DI sets in the various banking examinations. SBI mainly focuses on DI questions in their PO and clerical exams.

You can find any of the following type of DI in the examination – Tables, Pie Charts, Line Graph, Bar graph, Missing DI. Missing DI is a topic that you can most likely to find in the Mains examination of any bank.

You need to practice all the above mentioned forms of DI and that too also on a daily basis. Practice at least one set of each type of DI daily. You can easily score 5 to 15 marks from this chapter. The questions in the DI set will be related to Averages, Ratios and Percentages.

Scoring Chapters to Prepare

If you are done preparing the most important chapters, the next level to go for is to prepare for the topics or chapters that are scoring from the exam’s point of view. Scoring here does not only means that you can solve the questions and can score marks, but actually it means that you can solve these questions in relatively lesser time and with good accuracy. There is a chance that you can find approximately 6 to 8 questions from the following chapters –

  • Averages
  • Percentages
  • Profit & Loss
  • Simple Interest
  • Compound Interest
  • Ratio & Proportion

The strategy for the above mentioned topics are –

Averages

One of the easiest topics to go for. All you need is some knowledge of the basics and some standard formulas. You can easily find 1 to 2 questions from this topic in any banking examination. The questions are relatively less time consuming and are easy to solve as well. Just go through the basics and practice some questions.

Having good command on averages will also help you in answering questions from DI.

Percentages

Percentage is also a very scoring chapter. But the first thing you have to do is to learn the fraction forms of the percentages. This will going to help you a lot while solving the questions from this topic. By knowing the tips and tricks, and using the shortcut methods, one can easily solve the questions of percentage within very less time.

There will be sure shot 2 to 3 questions from this chapter in every banking examination. This chapter will also be helpful while solving the DI set in the examination.

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Just practice the basics and memorize the formulas. Try to practice as many questions as you can on a daily basis.

Profit & Loss

Many students find it difficult to solve the questions from this topic. But trust me; they are not at all difficult. Just learn the tricks and shortcuts, learn the basic standard formulas and you are good to go.

One can easily solve the 1 to 2 questions in any banking examination within 1 to 2 minutes. The level of the questions, asked in the examinations, is of easy to moderate level. Just practice about 5 to 10 questions of different forms daily.

Simple Interest

The easiest of all topics is the simple interest. Just learn that one standard formula and you can solve any question of the topic. In somewhat manner all the questions can be solved by that one and only formula.

You just need to practice some questions couple of times in a weak. You can expect 1 to 2 question from this chapter in the examination.

Compound Interest

In this chapter, you can score good marks by learning the standard formulas and by learning the shortcut methods. One very common question from this chapter, which you can find in any banking related examination, is the one where either the compound interest or the simple interest is given and you need to find the other one.

Having good practice on the compound interest questions will result in a sure shot 1 – 2 marks in the examination.

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Ratio & Proportion

This chapter is the base for DI as well. You will find the questions related to this topic very often in the DI set questions. Other than DI, you will also find around 1- 2 questions of this chapter in the word problems in almost every banking examination.

There are hell lot of tricks to solve the questions of ratio and proportion, and you not need to learn and practice them all. Just grab the concept first, and learn a few tricks and practice them really well, so that there is no doubt of that being wrong.

Tricky Topics to Prepare

Tricky topics are the topics that most of the students find a bit difficult to solve. These are the topics which can help you in scoring some extra marks, which can help you clear the overall cut off. If just want to clear the sectional cut off of the quantitative aptitude section and you are done with all the above mentioned topics than yes, you can skip this as well.

But if you are the one who need to score as much as you can, the practicing these topics will make it easy for you to understand and can help you score around 6 to 7 marks more in the banking examination. These tricky topics are –

  • Permutation & Combination
  • Probability
  • Speed, Time & Distance
  • Boat & Stream
  • Time & Work
  • Pipes & Cisterns
  • Mensuration & Geometry
  • Mixtures & Allegations

Let’s begin with the strategy for the above mentioned topics.

Permutation & Combination

This is a topic which is actually very easy but sometimes confuses the students. It would really be a good option if you prepare this topic and be ready to score some extra marks.

Although it is really tough to find any questions, from this topic, in various bank’s preliminary examination. Usually the questions from this chapter are introduced in the mains examination and can score 1 to 2 marks easily.

The level of the questions, from permutation and combination are from moderate to difficult, which makes it tough for the students to understand and solve the question within a few minutes only.

This chapter needs very good understanding of the basic concepts and also needs a very good practice to be done by the student.

Probability

Probability is a chapter which requires time. Most of the students think that they know the concept well but while solving the questions, they can get really confused. So this is hardly recommended that you spend some time solving the questions to make the concept really clear and cements in your mind.

You can find around 0 to 1 questions from this chapter in the preliminary examination of any bank and can find approximately 2 questions in the mains examination. Try to solve around 40 to 50 questions from this chapter.

Speed, Time & Distance

This chapter is not at all difficult, all it requires is memorizing some basic and standard formulas. If you are done with formulas, then just practice different types of questions from the chapter.

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If we talk about the preliminary exams of banking, then you can easily find 1 to 2 questions and that too also of moderate level of difficulty. But when it comes to mains examination, the complexity of such questions increases and eventually makes it difficult for the student to solve.

Thus, very good practice of the question is highly recommended.

Boat & Stream

This chapter is very much alike or related to the Speed, Time & Distance. So once you are clear with the concepts of that chapter, it will automatically make it easy to understand this chapter.

The level of difficulty is easy to moderate in the examination and you can easily find 1 to 2 questions from this topic in the various banking exam. Just practice around 30 questions and that will be enough.

Time & Work

It is one of the important and tricky topics. The questions can easily go from easy level to difficult one and students may find it really lengthy to solve the question within the given time limit.

Practice is the only key to master any topic and so the case is here. There could be different types of questions from this topic and you need to practice around of 50 questions of each type.

There can be 1 to 2 questions from this topic in the preliminary exam and 2 to 3 questions in the mains examination.

Pipes & Cisterns

This topic is similar to Time & work and the questions can easily be solved using some fixed tricks and formulas. One needs to practice approximately 30 questions to make it easy for them to solve quickly in the examination.

There will be 1 question, from this chapter, in the preliminary examination and will have 1 to 2 questions in the mains examination.

Mensuration & Geometry

There are a huge number of topics that you need to cover within Mensuration & Geometry. Some such topics can be – Circles, Cubes, Square, Rectangle, Cylinder, Sphere, Cone, etc.

Firstly memorize all the formulas. The main and the most important tip here is to memorize the formulas. If you know the formula, you can solve the questions easily and quickly in the examination.

Second thing that you need to do is to practice at least 40 questions from each of the above mentioned topics. This helps you in remembering the formula and will also make it easy for you to solve questions quickly in the examination.

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There will be 0 to 1 questions, from this chapter, in the preliminary exam and there will be around 2 questions in the mains examination.

Mixtures & Allegations

There will 1 question in the preliminary exam and around 2 questions in the mains examination for sure. The number of questions may obviously vary but this is what the standard pattern is.

Just a few tricks and formulas and that’s all that you need to solve the questions in the exam. Solve around 30 questions before going for the exam.

Less Important Chapters to Prepare

There is a chapter which is not that much important to the students going for the banking examination and that chapter is Data Sufficiency.

Data Sufficiency

There is no surety for the questions from this chapter to appear in the examination or not. It has very less chances to be there in the preliminary examination. And has a bit more chances to be there in the mains examination in comparison from the preliminary examination.

It is better to be prepared. In case if you find some questions in the examination than it will be easy for you to solve them. These questions require a lot of time so, it’s better to practice some of the questions.

Best Books For Quantitative Aptitude

Here is a list of few books that can help you in preparing the quantitative aptitude for any banking examination. We are also providing you the links of these books, in case if you find them helpful and want to buy them.

  1. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams, by Dr. R. S. Aggarwal.

R.S. Aggarwal

You can buy it from Amazon by clicking here

2. Bank PO Quantitative Aptitude Chapterwise, by Kiran Publication

You can buy it from Amazon by clicking here

We Wish You All The Very Best for your preparations.

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