Tips to write an effective essay for Bank PO examination
Tips to write an effective essay for Bank PO examination
Banking sector is the one of the largest and expanding financial services sector in India. Huge recruitment of entry level executives known as Probationary Officers is carried out every year. The Probationary Officers are trained on the various activities in the bank right from general administration of the branch to handling individual accounts of the customers. They are then placed into regular activities with individual responsibility after the completion of the training period.
Good communication and presentation skills both in oral and written are a prerequisite for PO’s in a service oriented industry like Banking. The writing skills of an applicant are also assessed as their job responsibilities include documentation and reporting of various procedural activities of the bank.
About the written examination:
The selection process for the Probationary Officers is done in two phases. The first phase is written test for 250 marks with both objective and descriptive tests. The second phase after clearing the first is group discussion and personal interview.
The descriptive part of the written test is for 50 marks and evaluates the candidate’s command on the language and their writing skills. It comprises of reading comprehension, short précis, letter writing and essay writing. In general in all the bank PO examinations the time allotted for this descriptive test would be around 60 minutes to 90 minutes. Hence a good amount of planning and practice is required to clear this test.
The examiners evaluate the applicant’s ability to deliver logical write-up either for \ against the given topic by managing the time. The knowledge of the candidate on the current affairs and presenting the ideas on the paper helps understanding the aptitude and attitude of the candidate.
The Topics for essay Writing:
In general there will be choice given to the candidates to write an essay and the marks allotted would range from 10-20 marks. The topics would generally relate to current affairs and economics. Some of the examples of the topics that can be asked are,
• Role of youth in nation building
• What is the role of banks in stopping farmer suicides?
• Role of RBI in controlling inflation
• Power crisis in India- Development of non-renewable energy sources.
• Technology - boon or bane to the youth of the modern day.
Tips on writing the essay:
1. Decide on the topic among the options given and attempt on the one which you are confident and interested in.
2. There is no restriction on a particular format and hence frame up the flow of thoughts in a systematic manner.
3. Manage the time and do not exceed more than 500 words for one essay unless the minimum limit is mentioned.
4. Always break the essay into paragraphs as per the points of discussion you would like to present.
5. Ensure there is an introduction, body of the essay which emphasizes your view \ opinion about the topic with facts & figures and a good conclusion to summarize.
6. Present the essay in a simple language and good handwriting will always be an added advantage.
Good writing and reading skills are the key for success in the Bank PO examinations. All that one need is good practice and preparation along with proper time management to sustain the competition and prove their capabilities.
