It is difficult for many candidates from non-English background to crack IBPS Clerk English language section. And there are candidates who score majority of their total marks from the English section.
I have written this article from 2 perspectives. One for those who find English section easy and other who are from non-English background.
Firstly, take a look at English syllabus in IBPS Clerk Exam 2016:
Spotting errors
Fill in the blank Cloze Test
Idioms & Phrases
Synonyms and antonyms
Reconstruction of sentence & Passage
One word substitution
Phrase substitution
Jumbled up sentences
Double blanks in a sentence
Commonly misspelled words
Comprehension passages
Marks Distribution:
| Topic | Marks |
| Reading Comprehension | 10 |
| Cloze Test | 5 |
| Error Detection | 5 |
| Para Jumble | 5 |
| Sentence Correction | 5 |
| Other topics | 10 |
Marking Scheme:
There will be 40 questions carrying a total of 40 marks i.e. 1 mark for each question. You will be given 30 minutes to complete this section.
For every right answer, 1 mark will be allotted.
For every wrong answer, 1 marks will be deducted.
For not answering a question, no allotment-no deduction of marks.
General Suggestion:
These are some of the toughest & time-consuming topics in English section. Therefore, it is peremptory to know something about such topics.
Reading Comprehension:
In reading comprehension section there will be a passage and question based on the passage. As the paper is online so candidates before reading the passage should once go through the questions. Once you read questions then you will get some idea about the answers.
Error Detection:
This English section contains error detection topics. Question in which you have to find out the errors related to grammar or spelling.
Para Jumbles/Sentence Rearrangement:
Para Jumbles are the important questions asked in IBPS Clerk English section. In these questions, you have to rearrange the parts of sentences to form a meaningful sentence.
Cloze Test:
A cloze test is a type of comprehension exercise in which the reader is required to add words that have been omitted from the passage. This has to be done by:
Filling in the blanks in passages and comprehensions, and choosing words in a running passage to maintain the sequence of various sentences in the paragraphs.
For every blank, you will be given 5 choices and you have to select the closest one.
Suggestion for those who are from non-English background:
It is recommended that you should refer Norman Lewis for improving word vocabulary.
There are three major brands of English newspaper available in the market. First one is – The Times of India which is user-friendly & the second and third one is The Hindu & The Indian express which can change your English abilities.
Start from The Times of India & then move to next two gradually.
Read whatever you like. Increase your reading capacity.
In the exam, try to avoid Para Jumble sentences, which can also be tough for candidates having a strong English background.
It is also suggested to attempt Reading Comprehension in the last, as it is very time-consuming.
Attempting these two topics incorrectly can lead to negative marking by a huge margin. So, try to attempt these questions in the later stage of the exam.
And try to perform well in other sections such as in Reasoning, Computer Knowledge and General Awareness section to cover up!
Suggestion for those who consider English as their strong point:
No need to assist you guys. IBPS Clerk English section will be a smooth walk for you. Try to attempt all the questions. It is the easiest section in IBPS Clerk Pre as well as in Mains Exam.
Same suggestions can also be implemented in IBPS PO Exam 2016.
All the best for the exam. 🙂
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IBPS Entrance Exam 