SBI Clerk examination is coming and all of you must have started your preparation for the examination in full swing. The examination will be divided into prelims and mains exam followed by the language proficiency test for local language.
The prelims will be a 100-marks affair with English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability whereas the Mains examination will also have general awareness section.
SBI Clerk 2018: Pattern of Preliminary Exam
The preliminary examination will be an online objective test would consist of three sections as follows:
| Name of Test |
No. of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Duration |
| English Language |
30 |
30 |
20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability |
35 |
35 |
20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability |
35 |
35 |
20 minutes |
| Total |
100 |
100 |
60 minutes |
SBI Clerk 2018: Pattern of Mains Exam
The structure of main examination (online objective test) would be as follows:
| Name of Test |
No. of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Duration |
| General/Financial Awareness |
50 |
50 |
35 minutes |
| General English |
40 |
40 |
35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
50 |
45 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude |
50 |
60 |
45 minutes |
| Total |
190 |
200 |
2 hours 40 minutes |
In this article, we shall look into the details of the English section along with the general tips to score well in this section.
SBI Clerk 2018: A Chance to make a dream career
What are all there in English Section of SBI Clerk 2018?
Broadly, the syllabus of SBI Clerk English section can be divided into the following parts:
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Verbal Ability
- Reading Comprehension
It is noticed in the previous years that maximum number of questions asked from the topic Reading comprehension in SBI Clerk Prelims exam 2016. Here we are providing the breakup of the English Language questions asked in SBI Clerk Prelims and mains exam 2016.
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2016: Question Break-up English Language
English Language: The difficulty level of English section was Easy to moderate in SBI Clerk Prelims exam 2016.
| Topic |
No. of Questions (30) |
Level |
| Reading Comprehension(Story Based) |
10 |
Easy |
| Cloze Test (Story Based) |
5 |
Easy |
| Parajumbles (Story Based) |
5 |
Easy |
| Spotting error |
5 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Spelling Mistakes |
5 |
Easy to Moderate |
SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2016: Question Break-up English Language
English Language: The level of difficulty for English section was moderate in SBI clerk mains examination 2016.
| Topic |
No. of Questions (40) |
Level |
| Reading Comprehension(Lengthy) |
10 |
Moderate |
| Reading Comprehension |
5 |
Easy |
| Parajumble |
5 |
Easy |
| Sentence Improvement |
5 |
Easy |
| Cloze Test |
10 |
East to Moderate |
| Fill in the Blanks (Double Fillers with one word which will suit both the blanks) |
5 |
Moderate |
You need to prepare strategy for each topic differently so that you can score well in all the section.
How to crack the Reading Comprehension Puzzle?
Well, you will definitely get 10-15 questions from reading comprehension in both the prelims and the mains examination. The questions are mostly direct in case of the clerk examination and that is why it is very important for you to go through the passage and understand the crux of it. You can also practice making mind maps regarding the contents of various paragraphs in the given passage. This comes with practice only. So, keep on practicing at least one passage everyday so that you never feel out of touch while attempting this part in the examination.
How should I go about Grammar?
In order to prepare for Grammar, you need to first know the types of questions asked in this examination:
- Error spotting
- Phrase replacement
- Fill in the blanks (Double blanks as well as single blank)
Now, in order to master all these questions, you first should go through the previous year papers so that you get a fair idea of the pattern and trend of questions followed by your analysis of the importance given to various chapters. For example, in case of error spotting, you should focus on areas such as subject-verb agreement, tense, conjunction and preposition, articles, clauses and phrases etc. You need to keep in mind that the question paper will mainly try to understand your understanding of the basic rules of grammar.
What should be my approach to Vocabulary?
Vocabulary questions are about synonyms and antonyms, cloze tests, error spotting etc. The main thing about vocabulary is that you will never be able to finish this part of English language. What you can do is to keep on increasing your stock of words along with their application in various contexts. Apart from that, try to understand the meanings of words from the given passages so that you do not need to know the direct meanings of each and every word. Continuous practice will also hold you in good stead in this regard.
How to go about the Verbal Ability Section?
The most prominent questions from this section are the Para Jumble questions. The main idea to solve these questions is to understand the flow of a paragraph with a definite beginning and the conclusion. You need to keep in mind that there is always logic behind the passage and understanding it holds the key to your success in this section. Any other question on verbal ability will also test your ability to weave a paragraph together such as finding the odd sentence out, summary writing questions etc.
The English Section in SBI Clerk can be scoring of you keep in mind the following things:
- Go on revising the basic rules of grammar before the examination. Please focus on the cases where there is an exception to the common rule.
- Keep on taking sectional tests of English as many as possible within a time limit.
- Vocabulary learning is an on-going process and that is why keep on reading English texts or watching English movies so that you can learn new words and understands their application as well.
- Practice always makes a man perfect. Hence, never ever leave practicing one paper of English every day without fail.
The SBI Clerk has a lot of vacancies across the country and this job will offer you the stepping stone of success in your career. The need of the hour is to prepare a strategy and follow it as rigorously as possible till the examination. In the long run, it will be helpful for you also. So, keep learning and keep rocking.
All the best!!
