RRB Clerk exam is one of the most important banking exams. This year, they have released 7972 vacancies. The competition is quite tough as it requires a lot of speed and along with accuracy. Talking about the exam preparation, there are only two sections to master one is numerical ability and the other one is reasoning. While preparing, candidates make certain mistakes in the numerical ability section that cost a lot in the exam. In this blog, we are going to discuss the common mistakes to avoid in RRB Clerk Quant section preparation. But before that, let’s take a look at the high-weightage topics.
RRB Clerk Quant High-weightage topics
In the table given below, we have given RRB Clerk Quant High-weightage topics. The reason we have given these tables is to prepare according to the weightage instead of picking up random topics and practising them for days.
IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims – Numerical Ability Topic Distribution
| Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boats & Stream | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Partnership | 1 | 1 | NA | 1 |
| Time & Work | 1 | NA | 1 | 1 |
| Average | 1 | 1 | NA | NA |
| Time & Distance | 1 | NA | 1 | 1 |
| Mixture & Alligation | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Profit & Loss | NA | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ages | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Mensuration 2D | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Simplification & Approximation | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
| Data Interpretations | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Number Series | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Percentage | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
| Income & Expenditure | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
| Simple Interest | NA | 1 | 1 | NA |
| Compound Interest | NA | NA | NA | 1 |
| Number System | NA | NA | 1 | 1 |
| Pipes & Cistern | NA | NA | NA | 1 |
| Ratio & Proportion | NA | NA | NA | 1 |
“NA” indicates that the topic was not asked in that particular year.
Common mistakes to avoid while RRB Clerk Quant Section Preparation
There are certain mistakes that students generally commit while preparing for the RRB Clerk exam. If you work on them while preparing or try to avoid them, then the chances of your selection will become more prominent. The mistakes are listed below.
Solving questions without mastering the basics of calculation
The Quants section is usually divided into three parts such as speed maths(approximation, simplification, number series), Data Interpretation, and arithmetic problems. To master all three parts, you need to have a strong hold over certain topics because, more or less, these are the concepts that are going to be used for calculation in almost all three parts. The topics are percentages, cubes, squares, ratios, average and number systems. One more thing to note down is that you should not just apply the shortcuts and tricks to a particular question, as sometimes there are chances that questions are asked in a bit twisted manner, which might cost you in the examination.
Doing Calculations in written format instead of mental math practice
Try to do mental calculations for squares, cubes, fractions, and BODMAS rules. If you write the calculations and then solve the questions, it will take time, and as already mentioned, the RRB Clerk is an exam that requires you to have enormous speed in calculations.
Not able to manage time effectively while solving the questions
Usually, while preparing for the exam, students tend to ignore time management. If they get stuck on a question, they often spend 15-20 minutes trying to solve it. This habit, developed during the preparation phase, can carry over into the actual exam. Since the RRB Clerk exam has sectional timing, poor time management can cost you an entire attempt. What you practice becomes your habit, so train yourself to move on from the questions when needed and manage your time wisely.
Avoiding Data Interpretation(DI) and other high-weightage topics
What has generally been assumed as one of the hardest miles to achieve is one of the scoring topics. It is an unwritten rule that DI will be asked, and it is of 15-20 marks. What students do is they practice all the other topics and neglect data interpretation, as only 2-3 sets can be solved in a day, and it is quite time-consuming. Other high-weightage topics, such as number series, simplification, also require daily practice. Speed maths topics contain approximately 10-12 marks in the exam.
Not able to maintain speed and accuracy
Speed and accuracy should go hand in hand, but most aspirants tend to focus entirely on either one. This approach can be risky in the actual exam. If you concentrate only on speed and lack accuracy, then what’s the point of solving questions quickly if they’re incorrect? On the other hand, if you focus solely on accuracy but can’t attempt a sufficient number of questions, that also defeats the purpose. In a competitive exam like RRB Clerk, balancing both speed and accuracy is crucial to maximising your score.
Solving topics that are not very scoring
Students generally start solving those topics while practising that are not very important based on the frequency with which they have been asked in previous years’ examinations. We have given the list of high-weightage topics. Analyse that list and prepare accordingly.
Solving mocks without analysing them
Analyse where you’ve been wrong while solving the questions and in which questions you get stuck, and where you lack the concept, or have you misread the question. Note down your mistakes and revisit them before giving the next mock test. When you analyse and note down your mistakes
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed mistakes that students generally commit in the quant section while preparing for the exam. If you want to practice more such questions and want to learn concepts, you can buy our RRB PO/Clerk PDF course or subscribe to our test series.
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FAQs
The most common mistake is directly jumping to difficult Data Interpretation without having a strong base in arithmetic, percentages, ratios, and simplification. Weak fundamentals lead to errors and wasted time in the exam. Also, not regularly practising data interpretation because of its time-consuming process.
Yes. Many aspirants solve hundreds of questions but never review their mistakes. Without analysing errors, you keep repeating them. Always note down mistakes and learn the correct approach.
Yes. While shortcuts save time, depending solely on them without knowing the basics can backfire in tricky or new question types. Always balance concepts with shortcuts.
Absolutely. Many aspirants delay giving mocks until the last moment. Without mocks, you won’t develop exam temperament or learn time management. At least attempt 1-2 sectional mocks weekly and full-length mocks regularly.
Both are important, but accuracy should come first. A common mistake is rushing through questions to improve speed, which leads to silly errors. First master accuracy, then gradually build speed through timed practice.
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