Four rules for the final month
- No new big topics. If you have never done caselet DI or input-output, a week on it now costs more than it pays. Finish what is half done.
- Mocks become the main study. Topic practice now supports the mocks, not the other way round.
- Revise from your own notes: error notebook, formula sheet, vocabulary list, GA notes.
- Protect sleep and timing. Train at the time of day your shift is likely to be, and sleep 7 hours.
30-day plan for Prelims
| Days | Daily work | Mocks |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 21 | Close weak topics in the high-priority list (puzzles, simplification, arithmetic, RC, error detection). 30 minutes of speed drills daily | 1 full mock every day, with analysis |
| 20 to 11 | Sectional tests for the weakest section; revise formulas, squares, cubes and the percentage-fraction table | 1 full mock daily, 2 on Sundays |
| 10 to 4 | Only revision and error notebook; fix your attempt order per section | 1 full mock daily; repeat your best order every time |
| 3 to 1 | Light revision, check call letter, documents, route to centre | One mock 2 days before, nothing heavy on the last day |
30-day plan for Mains
In the last two cycles Mains was scheduled about two months after Prelims, so the final 30 days usually begin a few weeks after Prelims. Because Mains marks alone decide selection, this month is the most valuable in the whole process.
| Days | GA and Computer | English, Quant, Reasoning | Mocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 to 21 | Current affairs of the last 6 months, month by month; static banking (RBI tools, banking terms, regulators); Computer fundamentals | Mains-level DI and arithmetic; puzzles at Mains difficulty; RC and Mains English types | 1 Mains mock every 2 days |
| 20 to 11 | Revise current affairs; banking news of the last 3 months; MS Office, networking, security | Sectional tests for your weakest section; logical reasoning | 1 Mains mock daily, analysis next morning |
| 10 to 4 | Daily GA quizzes; final revision of notes; last month's news | Revision only; fix attempt order | 1 Mains mock daily |
| 3 to 1 | Quick revision of current affairs one-liners | Light practice to stay sharp | No full mock on the last day |
Daily mock analysis in 40 minutes
- 10 minutes: list every wrong answer. Mark the cause: concept, calculation, misread, guess.
- 15 minutes: re-solve the questions you skipped but should have solved.
- 10 minutes: add new errors and new GA facts to your notebook.
- 5 minutes: write one rule for tomorrow, for example "skip any puzzle that takes more than 6 minutes to set up".
Keep a simple tracker: date, score, attempts and accuracy per section. If accuracy falls while attempts rise, slow down.
What your revision sheets should contain
- Quant: squares 1 to 30, cubes 1 to 20, fractions as percentages (1/6 = 16.67%, 1/7 = 14.29%, 1/8 = 12.5%, 1/9 = 11.11%), SI and CI formulas, speed and work shortcuts.
- Reasoning: syllogism possibility rules, inequality rules, your standard puzzle diagrams.
- English: grammar rules you keep breaking, a list of 200 to 300 words you learned, common phrasal verbs.
- GA: one page per month of current affairs; one page of RBI and banking terms; one page of static facts.
- Computer: shortcut keys, memory units, protocols and port numbers, full forms.
The final week
- Download the call letter and read the Acquaint Yourself booklet as soon as they are released (tentatively about 10 days before the exam).
- Paste the same photo you uploaded on the call letter, and keep two extra copies, an original photo ID and a self-attested photocopy ready.
- For Mains, keep the stamped Prelims call letter and the ID copy too. You must bring them.
- Visit or map the centre. Plan to reach well before the reporting time printed on the call letter. Late comers are not allowed.
Keeping your head steady
Almost everyone has a bad mock in the final month. Expect it. Read your tracker, not your mood. Sleep, eat at regular times, and stop studying 2 hours before bed on the last two nights.
On the day, if the first section feels tough, remember the separate timer: every section is a fresh start.
A sample day in the final month
This is a day for someone studying full time. If you work, keep the mock and analysis and shrink the rest.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Morning, at your likely shift time | Full mock in one sitting with sectional timing |
| After a short break | Analysis: wrong answers, skipped-but-solvable questions, new facts into notes |
| Afternoon, 90 minutes | Targeted practice on the two weakest topics from the morning mock |
| Evening, 45 minutes | GA and current affairs revision (Mains), or English reading (Prelims) |
| Night, 20 minutes | Error notebook and formula sheet; plan tomorrow in three lines |
Keep one half-day a week free of mocks. Use it to revise notes and rest, so you do not burn out in the final stretch. Fatigue shows up first as careless errors in simplification and misread English questions, so watch for those in your tracker.
Questions about this
Should I start a new topic in the last month?
Usually no. Finish half-done topics and revise. A completely new, low-weight topic rarely pays back the time in the final 30 days.
How many mocks should I take in the last 30 days?
About one full mock a day is a good target for Prelims, with analysis. For Mains, aim for one every one or two days, because analysis takes longer.
What should I do the day before the exam?
Light revision of notes, no full mock, check the call letter, photos, ID proof and route, and sleep early.