In a year, around 8 to 10 lakh candidates appear for the PO exams, and the available vacancies range from 3000 to 6000, depending on the participating banks. With a low selection ratio, beginners often feel overwhelmed when preparing for bank PO exams, especially in the Quantitative Aptitude and Analytical Aptitude sections.
This blog gives simple and prioritized tips and tricks on Quant and Analytical Aptitude for beginners. These two sections are considered the most challenging, as they not only evaluate your mathematical skills but also your speed, accuracy, and time management. As a beginner, whether you struggle with analytical aptitude or arithmetic problems, you need a strategic preparation guide to excel in the exam.
Understanding the IBPS PO Quant and Analytical Aptitude syllabus
The first step in the IBPS PO Quant preparation guide and Analytical Aptitude tips is to map out the exam syllabus. Beginners often make the mistake of diving into preparation without first understanding the entire syllabus. It results in ineffective preparation and raises the risk of skipping important chapters of IBPS PO.
The IBPS PO preliminary exam consists of three distinct sections: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability (Analytical Aptitude), and English Language. The prelim exam consists of 100 questions to be completed within 60 minutes, which gives you 20 minutes per section. As you have limited time on the exam, your first strategy as a beginner should be to focus on high-scoring topics. The preliminary round is designed to test your ability to prioritize, work quickly, and recognize patterns. If you analyze the previous year’s question papers, you will realize that the majority of questions come from recurring concepts. It will give you an idea of how to prepare for Quant and Reasoning for IBPS PO during your initial study hours.
| Sections | Estimated Marks | High-weightage topics |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 marks | Number series Data Interpretation (DI) Quadratic Equation Simplification /Approximation |
| Reasoning (Analytical Aptitude) | 40 marks | Syllogism Puzzles Seating arrangements Blood relations Coding-decoding |
| English Language | 30 marks |
Best IBPS PO Quant preparation guide for beginners
The Quant section of the IBPS PO exam requires proper question selection, speed, and accuracy to meet the 20-minute sectional time limit. As a result, IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude preparation requires a systematic routine. Beginners can significantly improve their performance and confidence in the exam by following this structured routine.
Learning about the basics of Arithmetic
In the IBPS PO exam, about 8-10 questions come from arithmetic, focusing on chapters such as ratio and proportion, profit and loss, percentages, and time and work. At the initial stage, you will focus on averages, ratios, and percentages. The majority of the questions in the arithmetic section of the IBPS PO exam are based on these three concepts. Most importantly, these concepts are important for Data Interpretation (DI).
Beginners should focus on understanding the concepts and formulas, and practice daily. If you can make a strong foundation in arithmetic, you will see a noticeable improvement in question-solving speed and accuracy.
Learning speed math
One of the best IBPS PO Quant tricks for beginners is to increase calculation speed. When you have 40 seconds per question, learning quick calculation techniques becomes an absolute must for beginners.
- Mental math: At the initial stage, start learning tables up to 30, squares up to 40, and cubes up to 20. Also, mastering the fraction-to-percentage conversions is essential in this stage.
- Vedic math: You must learn the shortcut techniques for square roots and fast multiplication to skip mental calculations.
Beginners must learn to identify easier questions in Simplification and DI before moving on to Arithmetic. They should never get stuck on a single question.
Mastering Data Interpretation (DI)
Data Interpretation generally accounts for a significant mark, with 10-15 questions. To perform adequately in DI, you should have a strong foundation of arithmetic, which helps you to visualize the data in charts and graphs. Hence, another best strategy for the IBPS PO Quant section is to focus on the core concepts of arithmetic.
As a beginner, you must make a habit of practicing 2-3 sets each day on tables, pie charts, bar graphs, and caselets. One useful trick for the IBPS PO Quant section, especially for beginners, is to focus on scanning the data to understand what the question is actually asking. Then you should apply your speed math techniques to solve the problem quickly.
IBPS PO Analytical Aptitude tips for beginners
As a beginner, the Analytical Aptitude or the reasoning section can feel intimidating due to confusing logical conditions, lengthy puzzles, and tricky seating arrangements. One of the efficient ways to prepare reasoning for IBPS PO is to divide the syllabus into two categories: the gatekeepers and the score boosters.
The score boosters
As a beginner, you need to focus on topics such as direction sense, coding and decoding, inequalities, and syllogisms. These topics can be solved with 100% accuracy once you learn about king/soldier analogies for inequalities and Venn diagrams for syllogisms. Tips for beginners in IBPS PO Analytical Aptitude: Practice daily so you can easily solve 5-10 of these questions in 5 minutes.
The gatekeepers
Seating arrangement and puzzles take up more than 50% marks in the reasoning section of the IBPS PO exam. As a beginner, aim to solve at least 3-5 puzzles and seating arrangements regularly to build diagramming speed. The best tip of the Analytical Aptitude section of IBPS PO is to start with single-variable linear seating arrangements. Then move to floor puzzles, circular seating, scheduling-based reasoning sets, and box puzzles.
The mock test workflow
Following a definitive workflow for mock tests is a major strategy for IBPS PO beginners. You must follow a strict cycle of attempts, analysis, and revision to simulate real test conditions during mock tests.
- At the initial stage, you should start with a 10-minute mock focusing on speed and pattern recognition.
- After 4 weeks, you can shift to 20-minute mock tests. In this stage, you will train yourself to identify and skip complex and lengthy problems.
- You can begin with full-length mock tests after the 7th week. As a beginner, you need to analyze your answers to identify your mistakes and maintain an error log book to map out your weak areas and repetitive mistakes.
Recommended resources for IBPS PO preparation
Cracking the IBPS PO exam as a beginner requires standard reference books that can be highly effective for gaining clarity on basic concepts.
Quantitative Aptitude books for IBPS PO
- “Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations” by R.S. Aggarwal
- Magical Book on Quicker Maths by M Tyra
- Data Interpretation Decoded by Oliveboard
Analytical Aptitude or Reasoning books
- “A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning” by R.S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey
Online resources for IBPS PO
- You can download daily sectional PDFs to practice offline on your question selection and skipping skills.
- You can use platforms like SmartKeeda, Adda247, and Textbook for mock tests to simulate real exam conditions.
Common mistakes made by beginners in IBPS PO preparation
Making avoidable mistakes is one of the common reasons why beginners lose marks in IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude preparation. If you find some topics, like Permutations or Probability, a little difficult, do not skip the entire chapter. You must aim to improve these weak areas gradually. While practicing, beginners must follow a structured revision strategy and do mock tests with time limits. Casually solving questions won’t improve your speed or accuracy under stress. Analyze all mock tests, identify your mistakes, and revise the topics to reduce repetitive errors.
Mastering Quantitative and Analytical Aptitude for beginners requires discipline and a gradual, strategic approach to improvement. Follow the tips we outlined in the blog for IBPS PO beginners, and stay consistent with your approach. Subjects like puzzles, arithmetic, and DI require step-by-step consistency for speed and accuracy. Focus on steadily building confidence and speed through mock tests and revisions. The best strategy for the IBPS PO Quant section is to practice daily, which can significantly increase your chances of scoring higher.
