All SBI PO aspirants think that the marks that they get depend solely upon the amount of preparation that they have done. True, yet the marks are won and lost through the various decisions made during the exam of 100 questions in 60 minutes.
The mock tests help the aspirants to practice these decision making skills. They do more than just measure knowledge; they help to hone the judgment which converts all this preparation into marks.
Here are some tips and tricks for taking SBI PO Mock Test to maximize marks.
Marks Are Won by Decisions, Not Just Knowledge
Two aspirants could know the exact same things and get entirely different scores.
Why?
Because of the decisions they make – order of attempts, order of question solving, time management and the analysis of each mock test after the completion.
Because of the 0.25 negative marking in SBI PO prelims for wrong answers and 20 minutes time limit per section, everything counts.
Knowing how to take good decisions in such a case is going to fetch you maximum marks.
Do a Diagnostic Mock
You can never improve a score which you have never measured accurately.
Therefore, start with one full mock test of 100 questions and 60 minutes duration. The time limit per section is 20 minutes.
Read the test report very carefully.
Notice how many marks you scored, how many attempts you have made and what was your time spent in each section.
This is your starting point, which would tell you what decisions are affecting you and where you can gain easily.
Order of Attempts
The order in which the sections are attempted is perhaps the most important decision of all.
You should begin with the section in which you are the strongest and fastest.
By attempting that section first, you ensure that you secure marks from the beginning itself and this helps you to develop the necessary momentum for solving the remaining questions.
If your strength and speed lie in the Reasoning section, attempt it first.
If it lies in English Language section, attempt it first.
You are free to attempt any section first in SBI PO Prelims.
Two Passes Within Each Section
When attempting the questions in a particular section, avoid trying to solve them in order.
Do it through two passes.
- First pass: Try to solve all the questions which you can do easily.
- Second pass: Solve the other questions within the time left for you.
This technique ensures that you do not lose any easy marks because of spending time in solving a difficult question earlier in the section.
The timing of paper is extremely important in this case.
Protecting Yourself from Negative Marking
Because there is a deduction of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer, accuracy is more important than attempting many questions.
The answer which you have guessed is usually not worth the risk.
Only attempt a question if you can eliminate at least two options; otherwise, leave it.
A blank doesn’t cost anything, but a wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks along with the time which you wasted on it.
Aspirants who try to guess many questions end up losing many marks, which is contrary to their intention.
Build a Time Budget Per Section
There is very little time left per section, therefore it is important to make proper use of it.
Within each section, give yourself the limits – how much time should be devoted to the easy questions, how much to the difficult ones and maybe a little bit of time for reviewing the difficult questions if time permits.
There are Data Interpretation sets and puzzles, which could take quite a bit of your time.
Scan them before and attempt the easy ones first.
The Stop-and-Return Rule
Just one question could spoil your attempt in an entire section.
Fix a limit for how much time you should spend in a single question.
When you have reached that limit, flag the question and leave it immediately.
This is not an act of cowardice, it is protection of the marks which you can earn somewhere else.
Spending more time in a question just because you had spent some time already in that question is one of the biggest mistakes which aspirants make, causing them losses in marks.
Converting the Mock Test Analysis into Marks
The biggest source of increasing marks is not the next mock test, it is the analysis of the last one.
After every mock test, go through the questions that you have answered incorrectly.
Classify them according to the mistake that you have made:
- Concept gap
- Misreading the question
- Carelessness
- Spending too much time on a particular question
Maintain a brief log of all these, and revise it before your next attempt.
This is where the benefits of your timed practice pay off; the exact same principle which increases your board exams performance converts every SBI PO mock test into the marks which you could recover next time.
Check your improvement on the basis of a three-mock test average, not the single test score.
One test result could be misleading.
Validation with Previous Year Papers
New mocks will train your decision-making abilities, real papers will show if these decisions hold true.
Every couple of weeks, follow the same order of attempts, two passes and the stop and return rule for SBI PO Previous Year Question Paper and memory based sets.
If your strategy works against the actual exam difficulty and phrasing, it is becoming reliable rather than tailored only for one type of mock test format.
Practical Example
Take the example of Arjun, who gets 44 in his first diagnostic.
His report says that he attempted Quant first, which is his weakest section.
This cost him the valuable time and he started losing both of them, and later rushed the Reasoning section, his strength.
In addition to that, he had guessed many questions and had deducted some marks due to negative marking.
Before his next mock test, he changes his strategy in three ways:
- He opens with Reasoning.
- Uses the two pass method.
- Stops guessing without elimination.
The level of his knowledge hasn’t changed at all, but his score increases to 55.
These additional marks came from his better decisions.
Common Mistakes which Cost Marks
Attempting the Hardest Section First
By attempting the hardest section from the beginning itself, you waste both your time and confidence.
Therefore, attempt first that section in which you are strongest.
Guessing Without Eliminating the Options
Guessing blindly provides material for negative marking.
Don’t attempt a question unless you can eliminate at least two options.
Overlooking the Time Budget
By overspending on one section, you will end up finishing the other section.
Always have a proper plan for spending your time.
Reviewing Only the Score of Test
It doesn’t teach you much if you look at the final score only.
Review your attempts, accuracy and time loss.
Taking Mock Tests Without Analysis
An unanalyzed mock test repeats the same mistake again.
The marks are in the analysis.
Marks Maximizing Cycle
Apply this four step process for each and every mock test that you take.
- Plan: Decide your order of section attempts and time budget roughly.
- Attempt: Apply two-pass approach and stop-and-return rule.
- Audit: Go through your score, attempts, time spent and analyze your mistakes.
- Adjust: Make changes to one or two decisions before the next test.
Always change one thing at a time.
A small and tested adjustment is always better than an overhaul.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I maximize marks in SBI PO Prelims?
By making good decisions in the mock tests – order of attempts, order of question solving, time management and proper analysis of mock tests.
What order should I attempt the sections in?
Attempt first the section in which you are strongest and fastest.
How does negative marking affect my strategy?
Each wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks, so only attempt when you can eliminate options.
Should I take more mocks or analyze them more?
Analyze them more.
A few properly analyzed mock tests fetch more marks than many unanalyzed ones.
When should I use previous year papers?
Every couple of weeks, to test whether your strategy holds for real papers.
Final Words
Maximizing marks in SBI PO is not just a matter of knowing more, but also about deciding better.
And it is the mock test in which all these decisions are practiced – which section to attempt first, which questions to leave and how to spend each minute, and what to fix afterwards.
Plan your paper, solve it in passes, protect your net score and receive your marks to recover from every mock test analysis.
And once you do that consistently, your mock test scores won’t just rise, they will rise for the right reason.