Most people see retirement as the end of a long journey.
For Hemant Kumar Budagala, it was the beginning of an entirely new one.
After serving in the Indian Air Force for 20 years, Hemant retired in September 2024. While many would choose to slow down after two decades of service, he chose to chase another dream, a career in banking.
Just months later, he achieved what thousands of aspirants dream of every year. In his very first attempt, he cleared IBPS CSA (Customer Service Associate) 2025 and SBI Junior Associate (JA) 2025.
His journey isn’t just about clearing a banking exam. It’s about proving that discipline, consistency, and the courage to start again can change the course of your life.
Starting Again Was the Hardest Battle
Returning to studies after twenty years wasn’t easy.
Hemant admits that getting back to academics after such a long gap was challenging. While studying concepts again required effort, adapting to the level of competitive banking exams was an even bigger hurdle.
The syllabus was vast, the competition intense, and balancing preparation alongside service responsibilities wasn’t simple.
But one lesson from the Air Force stayed with him.
Consistency.
Whether it was before work, after work, or even late at night, he made sure he studied every single day.
That daily commitment became the foundation of his success.
Watch His Exclusive Interview only on Oliveboard:
Preparing for IBPS CSA While Serving in the Air Force
Most aspirants wait for the “perfect time” to begin preparing.
Hemant never had that luxury.
He started preparing for IBPS CSA and SBI Junior Associate while he was still serving in the Air Force, where schedules were unpredictable and duty always came first.
Then came Operation Sindoor.
With responsibilities increasing significantly during that period, preparation became even more demanding. Yet, instead of putting his dream on hold, he adjusted his routine.
Every day, he dedicated one hour to General Awareness and another two to three hours to Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and English. On some days, that meant studying well past midnight.
His success wasn’t built on marathon study sessions.
It was built on showing up every single day.
Preparing Alongside a Full-Time Job?
If you’re balancing work and banking exam preparation, following a structured plan is far more effective than studying randomly. Oliveboard’s IBPS CSA Super Elite Course is designed to help working professionals prepare efficiently with live classes, recorded sessions, practice questions, mock tests, and revision resources.
One Decision That Changed His Preparation
Like many beginners, Hemant initially thought he would prepare for Prelims first and focus on Mains later.
Fortunately, his seniors advised him differently.
They suggested preparing for Prelims and Mains together, building concepts from day one instead of treating them as separate exams.
That advice transformed his preparation.
By the time he cleared the Preliminary exam, he wasn’t starting Mains preparation from scratch. His concepts were already strong enough to confidently tackle the next stage.
Accuracy Won Him the Exam, Not Attempts
Many banking aspirants believe success depends on attempting the highest number of questions.
Hemant’s result proves otherwise.
In the SBI Junior Associate examination, he attempted 77 questions, scored 63 marks, and comfortably cleared the Telangana Ex-Servicemen cutoff of 60 marks.
His strategy was simple.
If a question took more than 30 seconds without progress, he skipped it and moved ahead.
Instead of chasing attempts, he focused on maintaining nearly 90% accuracy.
That mindset helped him clear both IBPS CSA and SBI Junior Associate in his very first attempt.
Practice Smart, Not Just More
Regular mock tests help you identify which questions to attempt, which ones to skip, and how to improve your accuracy under exam pressure, exactly the skill that helped Hemant succeed.
Hemant never tried to become perfect in every topic.
Instead, he built his preparation around his strengths.
For Quantitative Aptitude, he focused mainly on Data Interpretation and Simplification, attempting Arithmetic selectively.
In Reasoning, he spent most of his time practising Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, and Direction Sense.
English remained his toughest section. The lengthy reading comprehension passages in the SBI Junior Associate exam tested his patience, but his strong grammar helped him recover valuable marks.
For General Awareness, consistency again became his biggest weapon.
Rather than depending on last-minute revision, he studied current affairs every day and revised them every month.
The Oliveboard Resources That Made a Difference
Preparing consistently is important.
Preparing in the right direction is even more important.
Hemant credits Oliveboard’s mock tests for helping him improve question selection, time management, and exam temperament.
Every mock test taught him something new, whether it was managing sectional timing, avoiding unnecessary risks, or improving accuracy.
For General Awareness, he especially thanks Sheetal Ma’am’s monthly current affairs classes. The revision sessions and memory tricks helped him retain important topics much more effectively than simply memorising facts.
These resources didn’t just help him complete the syllabus.
They helped him prepare with confidence.
Build the Same Exam Temperament
Whether you’re just starting your preparation or getting ready for the next notification, Oliveboard gives you everything in one place.
- Full-length Mock Tests
- Previous Year Papers
- Live Banking Classes
- Monthly Current Affairs Sessions
- Detailed Performance Analysis
Retirement Wasn’t the Finish Line
After retiring from the Air Force, Hemant treated preparation like a full-time mission.
From early October until the Mains examination, he studied nearly eight hours every day.
Behind that journey stood his biggest support system.
His wife managed the household so he could stay focused on his preparation without distractions.
Every success story has silent contributors.
Hemant’s was no different.
Ready to Write Your Own Success Story?
Hemant Kumar Budala’s journey reminds us that competitive exams don’t care about your age or your previous profession.
They reward preparation, discipline, and consistency.
Whether you’re an ex-serviceman, a working professional, or someone returning to studies after years, your background doesn’t define your future.
Your daily efforts do.
Thousands of banking aspirants have transformed their preparation with the right strategy, consistent practice, and quality guidance. You could be next.
Start Your Banking Preparation Today
Take the first step towards your own success story with Oliveboard’s complete banking preparation resources.
The next success story featured here could be yours.
I started my journey with storytelling and journalism, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I truly love writing. Words have always been my way of connecting with people.
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