HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE GENERAL AWARENESS SECTION IN BANKING EXAMS IN DETAIL

GENERAL AWARENESS/CURRENT AFFAIRS

Overview of the General Awareness Section

The General Awareness (GA) section tests your knowledge of current events, banking awareness, economic developments, and static general knowledge. It is one of the highest scoring sections if prepared strategically.

Key Subsections:

1. Current Affairs (Last 6 months primarily)
2. Banking & Financial Awareness
3. Static General Knowledge
4. Government Schemes & Policies
5. Budget, Economic Survey & Reports

Strategy to Prepare for General Awareness

1. Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Different banking exams may have slightly different weightages for GA. Usually:

• 40 marks in IBPS & SBI Mains exams.
• 80 marks in RBI Grade B Phase 1.
• No sectional time limit; speed and accuracy matter.

2. Divide Preparation into Three Key Areas

A. Current Affairs (60–70% weightage)

• Focus on the last 6 months from the exam date.
• Read about:
  1. National & international events
  2. Appointments & resignations
  3. Obituaries
  4. Awards &honours
  5. Summits & conferences
  6. Sports news
  7. Books & authors
  8. Important days & themes
  9. Defence& space missions
  10. MoUs& agreements

Sources:

• Daily current affairs 
• Monthly PDFs from Magme Medal
• PIB (Press Information Bureau) and The Hindu/Indian Express

Method:

• Read daily for 30–45 minutes.
• Make short notes or use apps that allow highlighting and bookmarking.
• Revise weekly and monthly.

B. Banking and Financial Awareness (20–25% weightage)

Important for understanding banking-related questions, especially in SBI, IBPS, and RBI exams.

Key Topics:

• History of banking in India
• RBI and its functions
• Monetary policy, CRR, SLR, Repo/Reverse Repo
• Financial institutions (NABARD, SEBI, IRDAI)
• Latest banking and insurance terms
• Digital banking: UPI, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS
• Basel Norms
• Financial inclusion: Jan DhanYojana, PMMY

Sources:

• RBI website (Magme Medal)
• Banking Awareness books (Magme Medal Banking Awareness)
• YouTube banking awareness sessions (Magme Medal)

C. Static GK (10–15% weightage)

This is less dynamic but helps with certain factual questions.

Topics to Cover:

• Countries and capitals
• Currency
• National parks, sanctuaries
• Dams, rivers, airports
• Important organizations and HQs (UN, IMF, WTO)
• Indian states and their facts (CMs, governors, festivals)

Sources:

• Magme Medal General Knowledge (for base)
• Magme Medal GK 
• Magme Medal provide state-wise and topic-wise PDFs

 Revision Strategy

1. Weekly Revision: Set aside 1 day/week to review what you learned.
2. Monthly Revision: Go through monthly compilations in one sitting.
3. Mock Tests: Regularly attempt GA quizzes and full mocks.
4. Short Notes: Maintain a small notebook or digital notes (Notion, Evernote).

Sample Weekly Plan (for GA Only)

 Final 15-Day Plan Before Exam

• Focus only on current affairs of last 3–4 months
• Revise static GK cheat sheets
• Practice GA MCQs daily (at least 50–75 questions)
• Avoid learning new content – revise what you already know

Pro Tips

• Consistency is key: Read and revise daily.
• Make personalized notes for last-minute revision.
• Use mnemonic devices for Static GK.
• Don’t ignore banking awareness – it often makes the difference in mains.