BOI Officer Exam Preparation Strategy – Section-wise Steps

Bank of India(BOI) has released the notification for the recruitment of officers for various scales up to Grade-IV. There is a summation of 214 vacancies further divided under 17 categories. These categories include credit officers, risk managers, data analysts, and economists, etc. The application process will begin on 16th September 2020. We will discuss the complete BOI Officer Preparation strategy to crack the exam.

Here is a glimpse of the exam pattern as per the BOI officer exam notification before we move further towards the BOI Officer Preparation strategy:

S.No.	Subject	Maximum marks
1.	English language	50
2.	Professional knowledge	75
3.	General awareness (special reference to industry)	50

 

A composite time of 150 minutes will be provided to the candidate. There is no sectional timing and the mode of conduct will be bilingual i.e. both in Hindi and English. English language test is of qualifying nature i.e. marks obtained will not be considered for the merit list.

BOI Officer Preparation strategy -: Blueprint

Understanding the topics to be covered thoroughly is the most important bow in your quiver while you are preparing for the BOI Officer Exam. 

Given below is a list of topics per subject:

     1] English:

Articles	Fill in the blanks
Adverbs	Grammar
Verb Agreement	Comprehensions
Idioms and Phrases	Vocabulary
Tenses	Error Correction
Synonyms	Unseen Passages

     2] General Awareness:

Budget facts and five-year plans	Economy, Banking and Finance	History and culture
Economy	Capital & Money Market Instrument	General politics
Regulatory bodies in India- NABARD, SEBI	International banking	Geography
Latest notifications of RBI and SEBI	Financial and banking terms	Countries and Capitals
Knowledge about India and its neighborhood	RBI Monetary policies	Science and innovations
International reports and indices	Priority sector lending	List of Obituaries
List of cabinet ministers with departments	Merger and acquisitions	Important committees
Indian financial system	Banking reforms	Mutual Funds and Basel norms
Financial market instruments	Foreign investment and trade	Awards and Honours
Growth numbers by various organization	Latest mergers and MOUs of banks and financial institutions	Heads of various financial organizations
List of Summits and Conferences	Regulatory organizations:   SEBI/NABARD/RBI	Joint Military Exercises of India
India’s Rankings in Different Indices	List of Important Days With Themes	List of MoUs signed by India

     3] Professional knowledge (Credit officer):

Working Capital Management	Time value of money	Capital budgeting
Ratio analysis	The present and future value of a series of cash flows	Discounted Payback Period
Liquidity ratio	The present and future value of a single cash flow	Payback Period
Internal Rate of Return (IRR)	Average Accounting Rate of Return (ARR)	Net Present Value
Profitability Index (PI)	Investment Decision Criteria	Risk Management
RBI and the Foreign Exchange Market	Latest notifications from RBI	Concept of Risk
Risk Management Process	Identification of Risks	Measurement of Risk
Types of risks and derivatives	Short-term Financing	Working Capital Concepts
Aggressive and Conservative Approach	Sources of Short-Term Financing	Long-Term Financing
Considerations of Issuers and Investors	Sources of Long-term Finance	Money Market
Merits and Demerits of Retained Earnings	Equity Capital	Preference Capital
Debenture Capital	Term Loans	Coupon Bearing Instruments
Discount Instruments	Capital Markets	Process, types of securities, and parties involved
Types of bonds	Bond valuations	Debt and Equity
Portfolio Management	Capital Allocation	Yield Curve Analysis
Yield to Maturity concept	Types of Interest Rates and their Computation	Concept of Duration and Modified Duration
Relationship between duration, yield, coupon, and maturity	Convexity	Interest Rate Options
Impact of the price change on convexity	Over-the-Counter Options, Calls and Puts on LIBOR Caps, Floors, and Collars	Interest Rate Swaps
Price Quoting Conventions	Pricing & Valuing Interest Rate Swaps	Swaption

The syllabus given for professional knowledge is for the post of credit officers as per our research. Any further information will be updated as and after the official notice from authorities.

BOI Officer Preparation strategy: Study Plan

Let’s focus on each subject with the tips from our experts specifically for the officer scale:

  1] English language:

With the increase in aspirants to secure a career in the banking sector, the competition is getting tougher and tougher. Therefore, to achieve your dream position it has become a necessity to thrive to be a master in all the sections. Though the English language section is of qualifying nature, it can be a booster in the morale of the candidate leading towards their selection.

It covers three main sections including Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension:

      i) Grammar:

It is the most technical part of the language. However, for getting a grip on it,  start with the basics, and concentrate on understanding the concept.

For improvement, try daily mocks as well as topic tests: https://www.ibpsguide.com/english/english-grammar/

      ii) Vocabulary:

Though it is a source of jitters for most of the candidates. But learning the words and their usage on a daily basis in chunks can lead to a good score. Every time you come across a new word through movies, books, or articles, make a habit of noting it down in your notebook. In this notebook along with the words penned down the antonyms and synonyms as well.

Get help from the ibps guide daily uploaded Hindu vocabulary

      iii) Reading comprehension:

It covers most parts of the exam accounting for 10-20 questions. The key to solving a reading comprehension in minimum time is to read the paragraph at a glance and make bullet points. This will provide a better perspective to attempt the given questions.

Get English Practice Questions here

  2] General Awareness: 

Study General Awareness with a unique spotlight on banking. Focus on the terminologies, concepts, and latest notifications of banking. To understand the concepts and test your knowledge refer to:

• General Awareness Practice Questions
• General Awareness Practice Quiz 

3] Professional knowledge:

Comprehend the idea of Financial administration. Get languages and broadly utilized terms in Financial administration that will be utilized habitually. Plan subjects like money related administration, financing, capitalization, working capital, working capital administration, and monetary framework.

Tools for BOI officer preparation strategy:

    English

  1] Online Mock Tests & Online courses

  2] Basic rules of Grammar from the book Wren & Martin.

  3] Read The Hindu newspaper on a daily basis

  4] English Grammar (Wren and Martin)

   General awareness 

 1] Banking Awareness by Arihant Publication

 2] Static General Knowledge by Arihant Publication

 3] General Knowledge by Lucent

 4] Banking Awareness handbook of banking information by N.S. Toor

    Professional Knowledge

 1] Financial Management by IM Pandey

 2] Indian Financial System by Bharti Pathak

 3] Principles of Management by LN Prasad

 4] Organisational Behaviour by SP Robins

  Preparation Tips:

The difficulty level of the BOI officer scale recruitment exam is comparable to a PO (Probationary officer) level i.e. moderate to difficult.
To achieve success in its following tips should be kept in mind:  Practice makes the preparation perfect. So practice a lot of questions. Along with practice, analyze your performance with mock tests. Practice mock tests regularly. Touch all the topics for clarity and understand the basics thoroughly. Visit Guidely Website for mocks, content, and lectures.