Are you one of those people who search on YouTube for the ‘Best Shortcut tricks for Quant & Reasoning?’ Sameer did the same in this year’s RBI Grade B Phase 1 preparation. He went on YouTube, searched for a few shortcuts here and there, practiced a few questions and went for the exam. The exam which has seen rising difficulty levels since the last couple of years was no different this time. He struggled to decide which trick to apply for what question in the first place, let alone solving the questions with those shortcuts. Unfortunately he couldn’t clear the sectional cut-off of Quant section.
Remember, the shortcut tricks only work if you have a fair bit of idea about the concept it involves. If you are conceptually clear about the topic, then only you can use the tricks to expedite your speed in such questions.
So what is this Conceptual Clarity are we talking about? Why is it so important to clear the competitive exams? And how can we work upon it? Let’s see.
What is Conceptual Clarity?
Simply, it is the understanding of the basics of any topic, the foundation upon which the topic is based on. Let’s say you’re preparing for the RBI Grade B exam. If you do not know what Repo Rate is and why RBI changes it, then you wouldn’t understand what effect it has on inflation. Then,
Why do we need Conceptual Clarity for Government Exams
The government exams have been changing their patterns lately. Exams like RBI Grade B, SEBI Grade A, NABARD Grade A have introduced a descriptive section in phase 2. The difficulty level of the questions has been rising every year. It is clear that these recruiting bodies are expecting more than just rote learning from the candidates. Having an analytical mindset & applying the information learned is necessary to attempt these questions. Hence, it becomes important to know why do we need to have conceptual clarity.
Following reasons justify why exactly we need to be conceptually strong.
1. Shortcuts & tricks NOT enough.
As discussed earlier, tricks will only work if we are aware about the concepts involved in it. Especially in Quant, we tend to learn a lot of formulas and thus there’s a chance of making silly mistakes in signs or in numerator-denominator. In some of the topics like Syllogism, students tend to follow tricks or statements blindly without understanding the concept. This may not help you solve questions with speed & accuracy, which is exactly what is required for today’s exams.
2. It beats rote learning.
The vast syllabus of government exams makes rote learning a difficult prospect. We cannot possibly learn all those things. Let’s take an example here. India utilizes a lot of urea as fertilizer. This is because a sizable portion of the soil in India is alluvial soil, which lacks nitrogen and must be supplemented with urea. So, you don’t have to memorize the reasons why urea is widely utilized in Indian agriculture if you are aware of these basic things.
3. Integration of questions.
Most of the exams today check the application of knowledge. The questions asked are not under single syllabus topic of the syllabus. Like for e.g., in this year’s RBI Grade B Phase 2 exam, there was a question asking if blockchain technology would disrupt banking. Thus, they are integrating both contemporary & static topics. Now, if you’re unaware about the blockchain concept & its applications, you may find it difficult to answer such questions.
4. Concepts useful for Mains & Interview stages.
Everyone wants to pass the entire exam, not just the first stage. Without adequate preparation, you may still pass phase 1, but for mains or phase 2, application of knowledge is tested. Even after that, at the interview stage, you will be asked questions about concepts or current events to gauge your conceptual clarity. Therefore, it becomes crucial to be well-prepared in terms of having a fundamental understanding of any subject.
How to improve Conceptual Clarity?
You can start from the basics of every topic mentioned in the syllabus. For that you may need a mentor who could guide you. Tedious, isn’t it? That’s why we’ve come across a campaign to cover all the important concepts necessary to clear any government exam.
Concepts पढाएँगे, Sabko सिखाएँगे
“Concepts पढाएँगे, Sabko सिखाएँगे “is our flagship campaign aimed at teaching basic concepts to all our students for FREE! Yes, you read that right. It is a free of cost initiative for all our budding aspirants to cover the most important concepts related to the exams. All you need to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit it at 11 am everyday & learn a new concept each day. We’ll be covering 100s of such concepts from subjects like Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English, ESI & FM, Agriculture. There would also be videos on Legal, Rajbhasa, streams related concepts.
Get Access to all our Concept Videos HERE
What to expect in “Concepts पढाएँगे, Sabko सिखाएँगे“:
· Expert faculties
· Learn at least 2 concepts daily
· Crisp videos
· FREE on YouTube
Till now you must have understood the importance of conceptual clarity in acing any government exam. Now, it is up to you to start working upon it. Our Campaign “Concepts पढाएँगे, Sabko सिखाएँगे “gives you that opportunity to learn all the important concepts. You should make the most of it. See you tomorrow at 11 am on our YouTube channel!
All the best!
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