How to Master Time Management in IBPS Exams – Section-wise Strategy
📌 Why Time Management Matters in IBPS Exams
“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” – Miles Davis
IBPS exams are not just about knowledge. They test your speed, accuracy, and decision-making under pressure — all within a limited time.
Aspirants often fail not because they lack knowledge, but because they run out of time.
Total Time: 60 minutes | 100 questions | 3 sections
Here’s the ideal section-wise time split:
| Section | Suggested Time |
|---|---|
| English Language | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 minutes |
🔵 English Language – 15 Minutes
✅ Start with:
- Cloze Test
- Fill in the blanks
- Error Spotting
⛔ Avoid long RCs initially. Tackle them at the end only if time permits.
🎯 Target: 25+ questions with 90% accuracy
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
🟢 Reasoning Ability – 20 Minutes
✅ Attempt first:
- Inequality
- Syllogism
- Blood Relations
- Direction Sense
⛔ Don’t spend more than 5 minutes on a single puzzle. Skip tough ones.
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali
🔴 Quantitative Aptitude – 25 Minutes
✅ Begin with:
- Simplification/Approximation
- Number Series
- Easy DI
⛔ Avoid lengthy word problems in the first pass.
“It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.” – Seneca
❌ Common Time-Wasting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spending 10+ minutes on one puzzle
- Re-reading reading comprehension multiple times
- Trying to solve all questions in a section
- Panicking in the last 10 minutes
✅ Instead, follow this:
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn
✔️ Set a soft time limit for every 5–7 questions
✔️ Skip and return to difficult questions
✔️ Focus on speed + accuracy — not question count
🔥 Golden Time Management Mantras
- Practice with stopwatch/mocks daily
- Mark & skip time-consuming questions
- Always prioritize easy and strong topics first
- Avoid blind guessing
- Keep a mental timer running every 5–10 mins
- Create a custom exam-day sequence that works for you
“You may delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Lost time is never found again.”
🎯 Final Thoughts – Make Time Your Best Friend
Time management isn’t a skill. It’s a superpower in competitive exams.
IBPS doesn’t just test your knowledge. It tests your ability to think clearly under pressure and make the best use of every second.
📌 Start early. Track every minute. Practice like it’s the real exam.
“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” – Robert Kiyosaki
📥 Share Your Thoughts!
Have your own time-saving hacks? Drop them in the comments below.
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📅 Updated on: July 18, 2025
✍️ By: Mock to Officer Team
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