It has been reported by our students, that the online IBPS PO/MT CWE 2018 Main examination held on 18th Nov 2018 was tedious, time-consuming and difficult vis-a-vis with the one held in 2017.

The Reasoning section was difficult while the English section ranged between moderate to difficult. The Quant section was both time-consuming and challenging, whereas the one on GA was less intense.

The following changes / new question types were observed in the exam this year:

1. 5 statement questions on data sufficiency in Reasoning;
2. A new format of Puzzle questions (Triangle + Distribution, Circular+Symbols+QBR);
3. The presentation of Cloze test paragraph in the English section was entirely offbeat – a paragraph with 10 to 12 questions was given on - fill in the blanks, replacing a phrase, replacing the whole sentence etc..
4. Individual questions combined with Data Sufficiency
5. Data Comparisons involving three quantities
6. Para Jumbled Sentences with the fifth sentence fixed. Questions asked were, way different from the commonly asked ones, loke - ‘Which of the following connects Sentence ‘a’ and Sentence ‘b’? Which of the following sentence can come between in ‘c’ and ‘d’?

The snapshot of the exam is given below:

The analysis of the above mentioned session, as reported by our students, is given below.

Quantitative Aptitude:

According to feedback received from our students who appeared for this exam, this section can be rated as very difficult and was quite time-consuming.

Questions on DI were long drawn-out and required arduous effort to solve; questions on caselets were tough, while those on number series were reportedly a mix of moderate and difficult. Individual questions in this section were based on topics like Age, Profit and Loss, Time & Work, Time & Distance, etc.. Though they are not direct questions, they have been described as tricky, and only an in-depth knowledge of concepts could have helped a candidate solve them out accurately. Questions on Data Sufficiency (3 statements) too ranged from moderate to difficult. The 5 questions on Data comparisons involving three quantities were also reportedly within reasonable levels.

Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude:

This section has been labelled as 'difficult'.

The emphasis here was on puzzles, which were a twister. There are three new types of puzzles – Triangular arrangement and floors+flats+QBR, Circular+Symbols+QBR. There were 4 questions on Input-Output, 3 questions on sequence and 1 question each on Coding-Decoding and Direction sense. The Data Sufficiency questions followed by 5 statements posed difficult questions. About 9 - 10 questions were asked on Critical Reasoning.

There were no questions on Computer Aptitude in this section.

English Language:

This section varied between moderate to tough. There were 7 to 8 RC passages with approximately 20 to 22 questions. There were 5 Para jumbled questions with the 5th sentence fixed. Questions posed from this jumble were a far cry from the commonly asked ones. A few of them were like – Which of the following connects statement ‘a’ with statement ‘b’? Which of the following sentences can be placed between sentences ‘c’ and ‘d’?

The Cloze test paragraph was very inconventional in its presentation, with its 10 to 12 questions. Questions were not consistent with those characteristic of a cloze test, and included a multitude of question types namely, fill in the blanks, phrase in bold replacement, Error identification, Para Completion Question.

On a whole, this section can be rated as ranging between 'Moderate to Difficult'.

General Awareness:

While half of the questions asked here were based on Banking Awareness and Indian Economy, the other half were drawn from Current Affairs. Current Affairs presented questions from the events that took place in April , May and June. Students have reported this as a moderate and doable section.

(B) Descriptive Test:

This section was conducted for 25 marks, with a time limit of 30 minutes, and comprised Letter and Essay Writing. There were 5 topics for writing essays and 5 for letters, and the test-taker had to pick one topic from each of these to write on. Both the letter and essay were to be written in about 150 words each.

Essay topics:

1. Dizitization of Magazines and Journals
2. Fake news and steps to prevent it
3. Does India need Universal health care?
4. Advantages of learning a foreign language
5. NOTA

Letter Writing:

1. Letter to the Editor about pollution during festivals
2. Letter to your neighbours thanking them for their timely help in admitting one of  your family members to hospital
3. Letter to the Muncipal officer about encroachment from street hawkers
4. Letter to the author of a newly released book and commending his work
5. Letter to the branch manager requesting him to have a separate queue for senior citizens