How can I prepare for a competitive exam without joining coaching classes like RICE & MIES? Is it even possible to crack exams without attending popular coaching classes? We frequently receive these questions from youths preparing for the competitive exams.

Of course, it is possible to crack any competitive examinations without any coaching help. Competitive exams like IBPS, SBI, RRB and other government exams can be cracked without any coaching if you follow a proper plan.

In our opinion coaching centers only give you the basic idea of how to study and what to study and the rest is dependent on you. The success mantra is “self-study is the best source of knowledge”. 

List of most popular examinations in India

1. IBPS (SO, PO, CLERK, RRB)

2. SBI (SO, PO, CLERK)

3. SSC (CGL, CHSL)

Here is the list of official websites to apply for those exams.

1. For IBPS –  https://www.ibps.in/  

2. For SBI   –  https://www.sbi.co.in/careers/ 

3. For SSC –  https://ssc.nic.in/ 

Know which skills are required for a banking career

Ok, let’s start the preparation,

First set your goals. Create a study list and make sure you have covered the following:

1. List of the books that you should read

2. How many hours would you invest in the study?

3. How many exams you are planning to appear for?

Following is the list of some of the best online study materials available in the market:

1. Arihant publications (https://arihantbooks.com/) 

2. Upkar Prakashan (https://www.upkar.in/) 

3. Disha Publication (https://www.dishapublication.com/) 

Know all the syllabus and paper pattern:

Before you start any preparation, it is important to know the syllabus and the paper pattern for every exam. In that way, you can focus on the main topics for study. Besides learning paper patterns and studying previous years’ papers will boost your confidence. 

1. Identify the subjects/topics you are not comfortable or not strong enough. Put extra effort to improve them. 

2. Always remember that most of the examinations have negative marking, hence try to avoid mistakes. 

3. Time management is one of the most important things you need to consider. 

4. Make a timetable so that you can give efforts to every subject (Reasoning, Numerical Ability, English, General Knowledge) equally or as required. 

5. Read as many books as you can and take important notes on different subjects, this will help you in your final revision before the exam.

6. Solve as many mock tests as you can and make sure you have the timer on. This will help you in your time management in the exam hall.

Books popular among the competitive exam applicants:  

1. For reasoning and math follow quantitative aptitude by RS Aggarwal and verbal and non-verbal reasoning by R S Aggarwal. 

2. For English just go through your old grammar book and follow some previous years’ question paper.

3. For General Knowledge follows the class 9-10 NCERT books of History, Geography, Science

4. For Current Affairs follow ‘The Hindu’ newspaper.

5. Click the following link to get the PDF of verbal and non-verbal reasoning by R S Aggarwal (https://bit.ly/2Uo8LnP)

6. Click the following link to get the PDF of quantitative aptitude by RS Aggarwal (https://bit.ly/2UKUhDn) 

7. Also don’t forget to read “Exam Warriors” written by our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is nationwide popular among the board exam and competitive exam appearing students. This is an inspiring book written in a fun and interactive style where Narendra Modi Ji shared his 25 Mantras to face exams and life. This book is available in both Hindi and English version.  

8. You can also follow some monthly magazines, easily available in the book store which are quite helpful.

Today we have more than enough resources to become exam ready without any help of coaching or tuition classes. If you have further queries just ask us. We have subject experts who will find a suitable answer for your every query. Click here to Know which career is right for you.