Candidates preparing for the IBPS exams have to prepare with care and consistency to clear the sectional and overall cutoffs easily. Of the various sections, the numerical ability is an area that has to be suitably focused on.

While candidates differ in their method of preparation, such as taking the mock tests first and studying later or vice versa, for the numerical ability the best strategy is to take the mock tests first. This will help in familiarizing with the exam pattern which aids in better preparation.

Syllabus for Numerical Ability

This section has questions on topics such as simplification, data interpretation, simple interest and compound interest, time and work, partnership, approximation, Permutation/combination, and data sufficiency.

Study Tips to Score High Marks

• Logical thinking and mental alertness are important for solving numerical ability questions. You need basic knowledge in school math from grade VI to grade XII to solve the questions in this section. To hone your mental alertness and reasoning skills, taking online tests, practice questions, group discussions, and puzzles will help greatly.
• Management of time is a key factor that influences your preparation and during the actual exams. You need to practice answering the questions quickly to solve as many questions as possible in the short time period available. Make sure you devote adequate time for preparation of each topic and practice. Memorizing the formulas and the appropriate application will help solve most of the questions easily.
• Familiarizing with the concepts is vital to understand the questions and answer them.  You need to be clear on the fundamental rules of each chapter in the syllabus provided. Practicing with previous year’s question paper will help you understand the way the questions are framed. Appropriate study material and mock tests are ideal to score well in this section.
• Improving speed of solving the questions helps to focus on all sections and improve the overall score. To improve speed, the best way is to practice as much as possible. Previous year questions papers, as well as model questions, help to practice. Since numerical ability is based on calculation and the concept of approximation, a good practice is the only way to make the candidate identify the right choice from the options given, quickly and accurately.

Cut-offs and Questions

To prepare with precision, you should fix a minimum mark target you want to achieve and the syllabus portions you have to master for the marks.

The expected cut-off, which you have to score to clear the numerical ability, is set at 14 marks for candidates in general category and it is 5 marks for candidates belonging to reserved category.

Knowing about the questions you expect from this section will help in better preparation. The model questions and previous year questions will help you identify the expected questions from the different chapters allotted for numerical ability.

Fast calculation is an important criterion to answer numerical ability questions. When you have a thorough knowledge of the tricks and tips for the tables, formulas, and calculations, it will be easier to solve. Understanding the different number operations also helps a great deal. For an easy cut-off score, being proficient in the chapters of ratio and proportion, percentage application, and number operation is vital.