Bank exams are one of the sought-after competitive exams in India. Aspirants trying to clear any bank exam must have a planned and well-structured preparation strategy. Though it is one of the most difficult exams, it can be cracked. Due to lakhs of aspirants writing the exam every year, many have a perspective that bank exams are too tough to be cracked. However, this is a myth. Similarly, there are many other myths around bank exams which have created a different image related to the exam in the minds of aspirants. In this article, we will bust the top 10 myths around bank exams and help you realise the truth and facts.

1. Working professionals cannot clear bank exams

Bank exams demand extensive study hours and regular practice to ace them with good scores and ranks. There is a common myth that only students who are completely dedicated to bank exam preparation without any other responsibilities can only crack the exam, and it is difficult for working professionals to crack the bank exam. But this is not true. Cracking any competitive exam demands dedication and focus. Even if working professionals are engaged in a full-time job, if they can spare 2 to 3 hours of time dedicatedly to bank exam preparation, they can ace it. It’s all about management and strategic planning. Working professionals have the advantage of cracking the exam with their experience and working knowledge. Therefore, it all depends on how you utilise the available resources and time efficiently.

2. You need to study for 12 hours daily

There is a big difference between just skimming through your books for a longer period and actually studying it for a brief time. A focused study fo 4 to 5 hours daily can help achieve better results than just mindlessly reading for 12 hours. It is all about how effectively you use the available time period. Studying with focus is crucial to crack important competitive exams like bank exams. Avoid any sort of distractions such as social media, phones or anything that can divert your mind from studies frequently. Aspirants can monitor their usage of phones and social media through different means. Aspirants must take a daily test to analyse their level of preparation and how effective they were during the time of their studies. 

3. Referring to too many study materials help you crack the exam.

Another myth about bank exams is reading from multiple sources can help you crack the exam with a better score. But this is not true.  Refer to only the best books that can help you in clarifying your basic concepts and that have explained the details in a conceptual manner and provided relevant solutions. Referring to too many books for one topic or subject can confuse you with multiple approaches to solving a question, and that can impact your preparation level to a great extent and can lead to a loss of marks ultimately. Therefore, it’s best to refer to only relevant, recommended and best books for bank exam preparation.

4. Only fluent-speaking candidates will be able to crack the bank exams

English is not the deciding factor in cracking the bank exams. If a candidate is good at speaking and writing English, it is advantageous for him to a certain extent, but cracking a bank exam with a good score requires exceptional performance in numerical ability skills, reasoning skills and general awareness knowledge along with the English section. Therefore, candidates should always have a balance of sections during their preparation for bank exams, as exceptional performance in one and poor performance in the rest cannot help you ace it.

5. Solving more questions is more important than accuracy

For competitive exams such as bank exams, there is a concept of negative marking. Therefore, aspirants who think answering a maximum number of questions can help them score better; that’s not true mostly. In such exams, accuracy matters more than the number of questions answered. Aspirants must not blindly guess answers to increase their number of answers, as this can affect their score due to the impact of negative markings. If a student has attempted 75 questions with no accuracy and another one has attempted 65 questions with good accuracy, then there are higher chances that the second candidate will get a good score.

6. You can attempt only one exam at a time

It is nowhere stated that you cannot prepare for various bank exams at the same time. Aspirants often think that they should focus on a single exam rather than applying for many. As you know, syllabus and exam pattern in the banking sector is more or less similar to each other. Appearing for a number of exams gives you confidence and helps you to know where you stand among competitors. You never know which exam can turn out in your favour.

7. You need a topper’s timetable

The preparation strategy is specific to every individual. It should be planned as per individual strengths and weaknesses. If you are looking to copy the strategy of last year’s topper, it might not work for you. The toppers might have their own strengths and weakness, which cannot be the same as yours. Also, there is no such certain foolproof strategy that will guarantee you success. Different strategies work for different candidates as per their strong and weak areas in different sections. So, instead of looking for a topper preparation strategy, you must work on making your own tried and tested strategy that can give you better results.

8. You can crack the bank exam only with coaching

It is the most common myth related to bank exams. Aspirants believe that only coaching classes can help them crack bank exams. But the fact is there are a number of students who have cleared the bank exams without coaching merely on the basis of self-study, time management and strategic planning. Bank exams can be cracked with discipline and regular practice Coaching classes can be a support in your preparation, but your success in the bank exam is entirely dependent on your preparation. Aspirants must focus, be consistent and manage time efficiently to succeed in the bank exam.

9. Only aspirants from a specific stream can crack the bank exam

Professionals working in banks comes from a variety of background, including art, science and engineering. Therefore, it is not mandatory to have only a commerce or business background to be able to pass bank exams or land a job in the banking sector. Usually, professionals get trained during the probation period and learn everything about the job. So, it is not true that aspirants from a specific stream can crack the bank exam.

10. You do not need to prepare for an interview if you score high in Prelims and Mains

Aspirants have a common notion that clearing Prelims and Mains exam can help them achieve their goal even if they do not prepare for the interview well. But this is not true. The interview stage requires an equal preparation level, although the exam is majorly verbal. Aspirants must brush up on their general knowledge, financial, economic and current affairs topics before the interview. The interview is generally verbal, but it can have questions that need well-structured and fact-loaded answers.

If you are a banking aspirant, focus on your preparation and not on the myths or opinions about the exams by different individuals. Have strategic preparation, and you will emerge victorious in the bank exam.

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