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The general awareness section is present in most of the competitive exams of India. This is because the focus is on the country’s growth in terms of economy and infrastructure. And for this, it is important to know and understand the contemporary society that we live in.
Knowing the surrounding helps in making well-thought decisions for a better future. The banking sector must consider the current situation of the country and the world before making a financial decision. This is why the exam focuses heavily on the general awareness section of the paper.
The responsibility of a Bank PO Exam is to grow the future banking system of India. And the examiners want to make sure that they are capable of this. The general awareness is only present in the mains exam and focuses on banking and general awareness both.
There is no particular syllabus for this section as the questions vary every year. The exam analysis of the previous year suggests following the daily news in order to score well. The aspirants can read about the important topics for Banking PO general awareness section below –
Bank PO Exam Pattern
| Exam Name | Sections | Number of Questions | Marks | Time Duration |
| Preliminary Exam | English Language | 30 | 30 | 60 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | ||
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | ||
| Mains Exam | English Language | 35 | 40 | 3.5 Hours |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 60 | ||
| Reasoning Ability | 45 | 60 | ||
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | ||
| Descriptive Paper | 2 | 24 |
Bank PO General Awareness Weightage
- It is the mains examination for 40 marks.
- There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks per incorrect option.
- The average time to solve this section is 50 minutes.
- There is one mark for the correct answer.
- There are a total of 40 questions in this section.
Bank PO Important General Awareness Topics
- Banking awareness
- RBI Functions and Power
- Monetary Policy
- Politics
- Awards and Honors
- Major organizations and headquarters
- Important dates and events
- Prime Ministries
- Indian History
- Agriculture
- Cricket World Cup Winners
- Indian Constitution
- List of Neighbouring Countries of India
- Finance and Insurance
- List of Banking Abbreviations
- Budget and Taxes
- Government Schemes
- Books and Writers
- Current Affairs and Economy
- Capitals and Countries
- Currencies
- Sports and recreation
- Some topics of Static GK
The expected number of questions from the General Awareness Section in Bank PO Exams are –
- Current Affairs – 21
- Static GK – 1
- Current Banking Awareness – 15
- Static Banking Awareness – 3
Bank PO Mains General Awareness Analysis
Most of the questions in the previous year were from general awareness and current affairs. Then the weightage is on banking awareness and in the end, the static GK. this is the list of important topics that were present in the exam –
2019 – Difficult
- World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2019 Theme
- Chief Justice of India
- Central government healthcare center with robotic surgery facility
- COP25 Summit
- Vikram Solar
- International Solar Alliance Framework
- Questions related to the Asian Development Bank
- ICC World Cup Men & Women’s Trophies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Hyderabad award as the “Creative City” by UNESCO
- ABADIA Scheme
- Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Headquarters
- Operation Dhanush
- Government Schemes
- Important Dates and Events
- RBI and its order
- Important Bank and their recent activities
2018 – Difficult
- Kharchi Puja
- India’s first government-run e-waste recycling plant
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Nation’s economy
- Train 18
- Wings by BSNL
- Defense Expo
- Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport
- Busiest Airport 2017
- GDP
- Top 5 states comprising 70% of exports
- MOPAD by SBI
- “I Am Not Afraid Of English” Campaign
- MicroDot technology
- Cheapest drinking water
- Government Schemes
- Important Dates and Events
- Indian Polity
- UN and its decisions
- RBI and its order
- Important Bank and their recent activities
General Awareness Weightage in Different Examinations
| Bank & Insurance Exams | Prelims | Mains |
| IBPS Exams – PO, Clerk, SO, and RRB Scale I/Asst. | – | 40 |
| SBI Exams – PO, Clerk and SO | – | 40-50 |
| RBI Exams – Asst. and Grade B | – | 40 |
| NICL, NIACL, BOB, NABARD, Indian bank, Nainital Bank, IPPB, etc. | 30-50 | |
Tips to Prepare for Bank PO General Awareness Section
1. Watch the Prime Time News
Well, we understand that the syllabus is already too hard to cover, and following each and every news is not possible. This is why the best idea is to watch the prime time news. This set of news will give you a head start on all the important events going on in the world.
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This will help you keep track and not lose focus. There are many channels that will have a segment covering the top news of the day.
2. Subscribe to a Daily Newspaper
The newspapers are very important as there, you will get news for all the topics of the section. The front page is important but so is the economy and business selection. There you will find the latest banking awareness news and financial news of the country.
Then you move towards the global page to read about the inventions, UN decisions, and world economy. And lastly, the sports page to learn about major events and players.
3. Download a Mobile App
If you are missing out on tv and newspapers on a particular day, you can go to mobile apps to read about them in short. They are a good option in case of less time as you can read about the news in just 4-5 lines.
They will help you know the entire story in minutes. And there you can find archives as well to read about previous important news.
4. List Down the Important News
You may forget the news after a few days. To avoid this, maintain a journal with all the important news headlines at least so that you can revise all of them in one go before the examinations.
And remember that the papers are set months before the exam and thus track the news for a year at least if not more. This will save you from last-minute anxiety.
5. Choose a Reliable Source
Reading from a reliable textbook, newspapers, magazines, etc is very important. Fake news is the new trend in the media industry and following them is even a bigger mistake. Avoid tracking news on social media handles and books without an official publisher.
This is to save you from negative marking in the exam which can really impact your final score.
List of Material for Bank PO General Awareness Section
- Banking Awareness by Arihant Publications
- Banking Awareness for SBI/IBPS/SO/RRB & RBI exams by Disha Experts
- National Newspapers and National and International Magazines
- Banking Awareness by Ramesh Publishing House
- You can read about the best newspapers and magazines for competitive exams for better preparation.
Conclusion
The article was to guide aspirants for the general awareness section of the Bank PO examinations. Many applicants fail to answer all the questions in the exam due to poor preparation.
This is why it is important to know the structure of the paper, important topic, previous year exam analysis, and the weightage. These elements will prepare you for all the hidden hurdles that you may face during the preparation and the exam.
We have also added some tips for the applicants to follow for better preparation and results. Make sure you read the article thoroughly before appearing for the examination.