A comprehensive 6-month strategy to crack IBPS PO 2026, covering preparation phases, time management, and section-wise tips.
Cracking IBPS PO requires a disciplined approach that combines smart preparation with consistent practice. The Prelims paper tests your aptitude across three core areas: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language, with additional sections in Mains. Selection happens in three stages: Prelims (a qualifying screen), Mains (the merit decider), and a final Interview. Lakhs of candidates appear every year, but the cutoffs reward consistency and accuracy far more than raw talent. A clear plan, honest analysis, and regular mock tests are what separate selected candidates from repeat aspirants.
Start your preparation at least 6 months before the exam and divide your study schedule into three phases:
With sectional timing of 20 minutes per section in Prelims, you cannot afford to spend more than 30 seconds deciding the approach for any single question. Attempt the easier questions first, mark the difficult ones for review, and return to them only if time remains. Never leave a question unattempted if you can eliminate at least two options; at that point the expected value calculation favours an educated guess, even with 0.25 negative marking.
Toppers do not just take mock tests, they analyze them. After every mock, spend at least 45 minutes reviewing three things: the questions you got wrong, the questions you skipped, and the questions that took too long. Track your percentile trend week over week instead of obsessing over a single score. A realistic CBT interface, exact sectional timing, and an all-India rank, like the ones Quiz4Exam mock tests provide, train your brain for the pressure of the real exam hall long before exam day arrives.
Around 6 months of consistent, well-structured preparation is enough for most aspirants. Split it into a foundation phase, an acceleration phase, and a refinement phase built on full-length mocks.
Yes. Each of the three sections has its own 20-minute window, so you cannot carry time between sections. Fix an attempt target for every section in advance.
It is decisive. Toppers spend at least 45 minutes after every mock reviewing wrong, skipped and slow questions, and track their percentile trend rather than a single score.
If you can eliminate at least two options, an educated guess is statistically worth it even with the 0.25 negative marking.
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