Introduction
In-Depth Analysis of RBI Assistant: Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
RBI assistant exam is knocking around the corner. It is time you start preparing for the RBI assistant examination, as it is duped to be one of the toughest examinations for the recruitment into the Reserve Bank of India. The trends for the number of applicants have shown a steep rise number with as high as 5 lakh candidates applying for the RBI assistant examination, in the year 2016, for 600 posts. With the increased number of seats to around 900, the number of applicants for the RBI Assistant exam is projected to increase by 5% this year. The trend for the RBI exam shows that even after clearing the written exams, a lot of students get eliminated in the language proficiency test of RBI.
Pattern
The pattern of the RBI Assistant Recruitment Exam
The pattern of the RBI Assistant exam is to check not only your skills of arithmetic or reasoning but to check how good are you with handling the pressure of time. With the stipulated time for every section, the exam is aimed to focus on the speed of the candidate along with the accuracy of the candidate. The sub-sections of the exam are discussed below:
The preliminary phase of the examination is aimed to eliminate the students who have not been in the race in a serious manner. Often, it has been observed that a large chunk of the students gets eliminated in the preliminary stage of the RBI Assistant exam. Below mentioned are the different subjects being tested in the RBI Prelims:
From the above table, three salient points can be inferred about the RBI prelims exam:
To gain the best marks in the mains section, it is suggested to follow the mantras below:
| Subject | Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
- The prelims stage stresses more on the speed of the candidate hence focus on the short-cut tricks will be highly important.
- Allocation of time is not a problem anymore as the time is allocated, hence you only need to focus on the accuracy.
- Making yourself efficient in any 2 of the three sections will be more of an easy way to score better in the prelims.
| Subject | Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
- For the Quantitative Section, make sure that you are well versed with the calculation, as it will be helpful in the DI section of the paper.
- Ensure that you attempt only those questions in General Awareness, which you are very sure of.
- Computer Knowledge can be the most scoring and deciding section, try to maximize your score in this section.
If we observe carefully, the RBI Grade B exam doesn’t have a Language Proficiency Test. If we understand in depth about the reason, we must look into the job responsibilities of the RBI Assistant. Since the RBI Assistant will deal with the local people (Not public dealings), the recruitment of the assistants generally takes place from the local areas and the candidates who have a writing and speaking knowledge of the regional language gives them an upper-hand in the job.
On the other hand, if we look into the position and responsibilities of the RBI Grade B officials, we don’t see them be stagnant at one location, rather they get transferred all over India. It is not the same with the assistants as they get to stay at one location throughout their life. For this nature of the job, the RBI Assistants need to have a proficiency in the regional language, thus making it one of the most important selection criteria.
Over the years, a large chunk of candidates has taken this section very lightly. As a result, even after clearing the main examination, the candidates could not get through the RBI Assistant LPT, thus ending up getting disqualified in the RBI Assistant LPT. Special care and attention need to be given to this section, and a dedicated preparation must be done for this section which can help you to ace the LPT.
The LPT of the RBI Assistant exam, unlike for other banking exams, needs to be given by each and every candidate irrespective of whether you belong from the educational background of that regional language or not. This is done to ensure that there is no partiality that is made on the basis of the regional test, thus a fair competition can be ensured.
The LPT test is conducted in the following fashion:
Reading test: The skills of the reading are tested for the candidates. The students who have knowledge about the alphabets of the regional language can be easily deciphered along with their familiarity with the language can be assessed easily. A piece of the regional newspaper is handed over to the students. The candidates are asked to read through the handout of the regional newspaper, which, if satisfactorily done, is then moved to the next phase of the LPT.
Writing Skills: To check the writing skills of the LPT, the candidates are instructed to write a small paragraph. It can be either done in the form of an essay or the hearing test can also be clubbed in this section. A section from a regional language is dictated which needs to be noted down. The correction criteria for the writing skills include:
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Grammatical sense: Proper knowledge about the grammar while writing is necessary and is taken note of.
Spelling: Spelling of the words used in the regional language is of prime importance, which ensures that you have clarity about the language.
One of the striking features of the RBI exam is that the LPT exam varied from one place to another. If you are someone who is appearing for the exam from RBI Mumbai, his LPT will be different from the person who is appearing the exam from Bhubaneswar.
From the previous experiences, the LPT exam from Mumbai is seen to be a comparatively tough than the other regions. The LPT exam from Mumbai had the following sections as per previous years:
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Unseen Passage: An unseen passage with a set of related questions are being asked to the students, that need to be answered in your own words.
Match the columns: Specific set of words along with their meanings and related forms are given in two different columns, that need to be matched accordingly.
Forms of nouns: You are asked to write about the singular and the plural forms of the various words, which are very simple if you have prepared carefully.
Essay writing: An essay is asked to be written within a small word limit. The originality, grammatical errors and the formation of the idea is checked in this essay.
Speaking test: Few oral questions might be asked in the RBI LPT exam, which needs to answer in the vernacular language.
Unlike the other examinations, wherein you can re-attempt the LPT again, RBI has no such policy of re-appearing the LPT again. If you somehow fail to clear the RBI LPT, unfortunately, you need to start again from the scratch in the next year. It is often regarded as one of the most heart-breaking things, hence the best way to not fail in the LPT exam is to ensure that you prepare for the LPT exam since the day you start preparing for the RBI prelims exam.
Points to Ponder
If you are looking forward to being a part of RBI through the Assistant exam, it is suggested to not ignore the RBI LPT. If you are ignoring this section, you might have to bite the dust. Some tips for the RBI LPT, which might be helpful are listed below:
- Language Proficiency Test is entitled to check your knowledge about the regional language. Preference will be given to the regional candidates, hence appear from the specific region from where you have graduated.
- Since the exam is a basic one, it is suggested to not ignore the exam, as it could cost you too much in the longer run.
- Practice the writing of the essay and the unseen passages in the regional languages. It will help you to answer the questions related to the unseen passage, thus ensuring that your answers are free from errors.
- LPT is a qualifying exam in nature. Hence, you need not try to score the maximum marks in the LPT rather your aim should be qualifying the exam.
- The LPT exam is for 30 minutes, hence you also need to ensure that you maintain a good speed while answering the questions related to LPT.
The only tip to prepare for the RBI LPT exam is to read a particular newspaper of your regional language. While you prepare through the newspaper, make a note of all the important points which you come across in the newspaper. Once you have done reading through the articles, in your own words, frame an essay about the summary of the article, such that it can help you to improve your writing skills. Listening to audios of your regional language is often helpful to improve hearing skills.
Once you are done with the reading and writing section of the LPT, you must switch to the grammatical sections of the LPT. In order to prepare for the grammatical section, make sure you are well versed with the synonyms and antonyms which have been asked in the LPT section, recently. The LPT section focuses on whether you are well versed in your regional language and checks your understanding of the same. Referring to any standard book for the LPT exam is very essential.
We would also suggest you watch documentaries and movies in your regional language, such that you remain well-versed with the hearing skills. Let us not forget that you will be dictated the essay, and you might need to listen to it and answer note down accordingly. Hence, a proper jurisdiction about understanding the pronunciation of the words is highly important.