Mastering Calculation Speed for Bank Exams: Tips and Techniques
Boosting your calculation speed is a critical aspect for success in bank or insurance exams, particularly for the Quantitative Aptitude section. This section is a significant part of almost all banking PO, Clerk, and Specialist Officer (SO) examinations. A quick and accurate calculation can make a substantial difference in your performance, both in terms of time efficiency and the accuracy of your responses. This article offers a comprehensive guide to help you improve your calculation speed and achieve your desired bank exam success.
How to Increase Calculation Speed for Bank Exams
The following strategies, drawn from techniques such as Vedic Mathematics and practical practice, can help you enhance your calculation speed:
Start with the Basics
Vedic Mathematics is an excellent method to enhance your calculation speed, but mastering it requires dedicated time and effort. However, you can still make substantial progress by focusing on fundamental concepts. Start by learning your multiplication tables up to 30. This foundational knowledge will serve as a strong base for your calculations in the exams.
Practice with Squares and Cubes
In addition to tables, practice squares and cubes up to 30 and 20 respectively. Often, the calculations in competitive exams involve 2-3 digit numbers, which you can master using these simple techniques. A practical exercise to enhance your recall would be to create a table in an Excel sheet and use printed copies for practice.
Move to Data Interpretation and Time Management
After mastering the basics, focus on Data Interpretation (DI) questions, ensuring that you maintain both speed and accuracy. Remember, while maintaining speed is crucial, accuracy is equally important due to the negative marking system. Attempt at least one and a half hours of quantitative aptitude questions regularly to practice timing and accuracy under exam conditions.
A useful tool for this is a stopwatch. Whenever you practice quantitative aptitude, use a stopwatch to mimic the exam environment. Take sectional tests with defined time limits, such as 45 minutes for overall sections and 20 minutes for individual segments. The more you practice, the better you'll get at estimating your response time and accuracy.
Engage in Mental Calculations
As much as possible, attempt calculations mentally before writing them down. This mental exercise can significantly improve your speed and accuracy. Write down calculations only when necessary. Using this method consistently for 20-25 days will yield noticeable improvements in your performance.
Learn Fractions and Percentages
Another crucial element for quick calculations is to learn all fractions and their corresponding percentages up to 15. Fractions are widely used in various topics such as percentages, profit and loss, and averages. Being familiar with these fractions and their percentages will help you solve data interpretation and other quantitative aptitude questions more efficiently. For instance, know that 50% is equivalent to 1/2, 25% to 1/4, 12.5% to 1/8, and so forth.
Regularly revisiting the ratios and percentages chapters and memorizing these fractions will enhance your problem-solving speed in the exams. Data interpretation questions, which can be quite time-consuming, will be much easier to handle if you are proficient in these basic calculations.
Conclusion
Improving your calculation speed for bank exams requires a blend of memorization, practice, and smart techniques. By following these tips and consistently applying them, you can significantly enhance your performance in the Quantitative Aptitude section. With dedication and the right approach, you can achieve a better score and improve your chances of success in your banking or insurance examinations.