Banking

Every year, millions of candidates across India appear for bank exams, mostly chasing stable careers, decent pay, and the social status that comes with a bank job. These exams are mainly conducted by IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection), SBI (State Bank of India), RBI (Reserve Bank of India), and NABARD. Each of them runs separate recruitment for posts like PO (Probationary Officer), Clerk, Specialist Officer, and Grade A/B officers. Though exam pattern and syllabus has remained largely the same for years, IBPS has announced minor weightage changes from 2025 in the exam pattern.

Upcoming Bank Exams

Given below are the list of major upcoming bank exams which are conducted by different banks:

SBI Bank Exams in India

The State Bank of India is the largest public sector bank in the country. It recruits employees at two levels through the following SBI exams:

• SBI PO Exam: Also called the SBI Probationary Officers (PO) exam, this exam selects candidates for the management cadre of SBI. The employees selected are called Probationary Officers during their training and move on to management roles after finishing their training.
• The SBI PO Exam consists of three stages:
  • SBI PO Preliminary Exam: SBI PO Prelims filters the candidates for the next stage of the exam, retaining about 2.8% of the total number of applicants for the main examination.
  • SBI PO Main Exam: Performance of the candidates in the SBI PO Mains determines whether they cut through the next stage of the exam. The main exam consists of two parts:
  • Objective test: This test is focussed on knowledge in core areas required in the modern workplace. The SBI PO syllabus consists of Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General Knowledge, Economy, Banking Awareness and English.
  • Descriptive test: The descriptive test is used to assess the candidates’ usage of written English in a business setting.
  • SBI PO Group Discussion and SBI PO Interview: The group discussion and interview is the final stage before a merit list of selected candidates is drawn up.

• SBI SO Exam: The SBI SO exam aims to select Specialist Officers (SO) for the bank. The selection process consists of an interview based on the experience and specialisation of the candidates.
• SBI Clerk Exam: The SBI Clerk exam selects Junior Associates for the clerical cadre of the banking giant. It consists of two stages:
  • SBI Clerk Preliminary Exam: Known as SBI Clerk Prelims, this exam filters out candidates for the next stage.
  • SBI Clerk Mains Exam: Commonly called the SBI Clerk Mains, the marks secured in this exam determine the selection status of candidates as clerks in the State Bank.

Aspirants preparing for the upcoming SBI exams can refer to the links mentioned below and download the official bank exam notifications and know the important exam dates:

Click here to know more about SBI Recruitment.

IBPS Exams

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is an examination body that conducts the selection of employees for a large number of banks. The IBPS conducts several online bank exams for this purpose. The following are the exams conducted by the IBPS:

• IBPS PO Exam: The IBPS PO, officially known as the IBPS CWE (Common Written Examination) selects candidates for the post of Probationary Officers for various public sector banks (PSB) as well as some insurance companies which are its members. The IBPS PO exam pattern consists of three stages:
  • IBPS PO Preliminary Exam: This stage serves as a qualifying exam for the next phase. The IBPS PO Prelims exam consists of objective type questions.
  • IBPS PO Main Exam: The IBPS PO mains exam serves as the final written exam. Based on the IBPS PO result, the participating banks call candidates for the next stage.
  • IBPS Interview: The final phase where candidates have a face to face interactive session with high ranking bank employees in the panel.

To know more about the IBPS PO syllabus, click at the linked article.

• IBPS SO Exam: The IBPS Specialist Officers exam of the IBPS consists of three stages similar to the Probationary Officers exam. They are:
  • IBPS SO Preliminary Exam: This stage consists of an objective pattern paper. The bank exam syllabus for this paper varies based on the available specialisations. The paper tests General Awareness, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and English.
  • IBPS SO Main Exam: The main exam consists of one objective paper on professional knowledge for most specialists. The post of language advisors such as ‘Rajbhasha Adhikari’ consists of an objective and a descriptive paper on their respective subjects.

To know more about IBPS SO exam dates, click at the linked article.

• IBPS Clerk Exam: The IBPS CRP clerical cadre is used by PSBs to select clerks. It consists of two online bank examinations which are:
  • IBPS Clerk Preliminary Examination: An objective paper of one-hour duration tests the candidates’ abilities in English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning.
  • IBPS Clerk Main Examination: The bank exam syllabus for this one consists of Reasoning, Computer Aptitude, English, Quantitative Aptitude, General and Financial Awareness. The IBPS Clerk Mains result is used to determine the merit ranking of the candidate and their selection as clerks.

To know more about the IBPS Clerk exam analysis, click at the linked article.

• IBPS RRB Exam: The IBPS RRB CRP is for Regional Rural Banks which selects candidates for smaller banks serving rural areas across the country. These include cooperative and public sector banks.

Bank exam conducted to appoint candidates in Regional Rural Banks across the country are held for both Officer and Office Assistant Posts. These posts are categorised as:

• Officer Scale I (IBPS RRB PO)
• Officer Scale II & III
• Officer Assistant (IBPS RRB Clerk)

The examination for these posts consists of two stages which are as follows:

• RRB Preliminary Exam: This exam is used as a qualifying exam for the next round. There are separate papers for Scale I officers and Office Assistants, which are conducted separately.
• RRB Mains Exam: This paper decides the merit position of candidates and is held separately for officers and office assistants. The allotment of banks is based on the RRB exam result.

However, only a single phase of Bank exam is conducted for Officer Scale II and III posts. To know in detail about the IBPS RRB Notification, click at the linked article.

Refer to the links mentioned below to know in detail about the various IBPS bank exams conducted in the country:

The main feature that distinguishes IBPS from other bank exams is the large number of banks who recruit based on its results. The institute also provides the facility of IBPS mock tests and training for candidates desirous of using these facilities.

RBI Exams

RBI is the Central Bank for the country and candidates willing to join the banking sector aspire to enter the Industry by qualifying the Officer or Clerical cadre exams in the Reserve Bank of India.

The Reserve Bank of India conducts its own exams for recruitment to various vacancies in the organisation. The following are the major exams conducted by the Reserve Bank of India:

• RBI Officer Grade B Exam: The apex bank conducts the RBI Officer Grade B exam for the selection of mid-senior level officers of the bank. It consists of recruitment to the General as well as specialist cadres of the RBI. It also includes research positions open for PhD holders in the notified disciplines.
• RBI Assistant Exam: The RBI Assistant exam is conducted to recruit candidates for the post of Assistant in various branches and sub-Officer of RBI. The post is equivalent to the clerical cadre in the banking sector.
• RBI Junior Engineer Exam: RBI Junior Engineer recruitment takes place through this exam. The selected candidates are employed as engineers handling RBI facilities. The specialisation required for this exam is Civil Engineering.

Bank Exam Pattern

Bank exams in India follow a multi-stage selection process:

• Preliminary Exam (Prelims) – Screening round
• Main Exam (Mains) – Core evaluation stage
• Interview / Final Stage – For officer-level posts only

1. Prelims (for PO & Clerk exams)

• Objective-type test
• Acts as a qualifying round (scores not counted in final merit)
• Sections usually include:
  • English Language
  • Reasoning Ability
  • Quantitative Aptitude
• Duration: ~60 minutes (20 mins per section)
• Negative marking: Yes (0.25 marks deducted for wrong answers)

2. Mains

• More detailed and weighted in the final selection
• Includes additional sections like:
  • General/Banking Awareness
  • Computer Aptitude (clubbed with Reasoning in many exams)
  • Descriptive Test (in PO-level exams like SBI/IBPS PO)
• Sectional timing is enforced
• Negative marking continues

3. Interview / Language Proficiency Test (LPT)

• Interview: Only for PO/Officer-level exams (IBPS PO, SBI PO, RBI Grade B)
  • Typically 20–30 minutes
  • Focus on current affairs, banking awareness, and personality-based questions
• LPT: For Clerk-level exams (SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk)
  • Candidates must prove proficiency in the local language

📝 Points to Note:

• Clerk exams do not have interviews. Final selection is based on Mains score + LPT.
• Descriptive Tests are introduced only in PO/Officer-level exams (Essay + Letter Writing).
• Computer Aptitude is often merged with Reasoning in Mains.

Bank Exam Syllabus: Section-wise

The core syllabus across most bank exams revolves around five major subjects:

1. English Language
2. Quantitative Aptitude
3. Reasoning Ability
4. General/Banking Awareness
5. Computer Aptitude (mainly in mains, merged with reasoning in many exams)

1. English Language

Common in both Prelims and Mains

• Reading Comprehension (RC)
• Cloze Test
• Error Spotting / Sentence Correction
• Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement
• Fill in the Blanks
• Vocabulary (Synonyms/Antonyms)
• Phrase Replacement
• Match the Column (advanced)

🔍 Focus: Speed reading, grammar, and elimination skills

2. Quantitative Aptitude

Common in Prelims and Mains (more advanced in Mains)

• Simplification/Approximation
• Number Series
• Data Interpretation (Bar, Pie, Line, Caselet)
• Quadratic Equations
• Arithmetic Word Problems:
  • Profit & Loss
  • Time, Speed & Distance
  • Time & Work
  • Simple & Compound Interest
  • Ratio, Proportion, and Averages
  • Partnership
  • Mixtures & Allegations
  • Mensuration
  • Probability & Permutation

🔍 Focus: Calculation, speed, accuracy, and DI

3. Reasoning Ability

Logical and analytical thinking tested heavily

• Puzzles (Box, Floor, Day/Month-Based)
• Seating Arrangement (Linear, Circular, Square)
• Syllogisms
• Coding-Decoding
• Blood Relations
• Inequality (Direct & Coded)
• Input-Output
• Direction Sense
• Order & Ranking
• Statement-Conclusion / Statement-Assumption
• Data Sufficiency (mostly in mains)

🔍 Focus: Logic patterns, multi-layer reasoning, time management

4. General Awareness / Banking Awareness

Appears only in Mains for most exams

• Current Affairs (past 4–6 months)
• Banking & Financial Awareness:
  • RBI Functions
  • Monetary Policy tools
  • Financial terms (NPA, CRR, SLR, etc.)
  • Payment systems (UPI, NEFT, RTGS)
  • Important Banking Acts
• Static GK:
  • Country capitals/currencies
  • National parks, important days, etc.

🔍 Focus: Daily news reading + monthly compilations

5. Computer Aptitude

Mostly merged with Reasoning in Mains (IBPS, SBI)

• Basics of Computers & Hardware
• Internet & Networking
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Operating Systems
• Email basics
• Cyber Security Awareness

🔍 Focus: Concepts, not coding, just enough to be workplace-ready

Note: The difficulty level of these topics can vary depending on:

• Whether it’s Prelims or Mains
• Whether it’s a Clerk or PO level exam

Exam-wise Syllabus & Pattern Breakdown

A. IBPS PO (Probationary Officer)

Selection Process:

1. Prelims
2. Mains
3. Interview

IBPS PO Prelims Pattern:

IBPS PO Mains Pattern:

Interview Weightage: 100 marks (combined with Mains score for final selection)

B. SBI PO (Probationary Officer)

Selection Process:

1. Prelims
2. Mains
3. Psychometric Test + Interview

SBI PO Prelims Pattern – Same as IBPS PO

SBI PO Mains Pattern:

• Psychometric Test (qualifying): Personality profiling (no scores counted)
• Interview + GD: Final stage (combined with Mains for merit)

C. IBPS Clerk

Selection Process:

1. Prelims
2. Mains
3. Language Proficiency Test (LPT)

Prelims Pattern: Same as IBPS PO

Mains Pattern:

• No interview
• LPT for language verification (regional language of posting)

D. SBI Clerk

Selection Process:

1. Prelims
2. Mains
3. Language Proficiency Test

Prelims Pattern: Same as others

Mains Pattern: Slight variation in number of questions compared to IBPS Clerk

E. RBI Grade B (General)

Selection Process:

1. Phase 1
2. Phase 2
3. Interview

Phase 1 Pattern:

Phase 2 Pattern:

• Interview: 75 marks
• Final selection = Phase 2 + Interview marks

F. NABARD Grade A (Generalist)

Selection Process:

1. Prelims
2. Mains
3. Interview

Prelims Pattern:

• 8 sections including Quant, Reasoning, English, GA, Agri & Rural Dev, Eco & Soc. Issues
• Composite test: 120 minutes

Mains Pattern:

Interview: 50 marks

Bank Exams: Pattern & Structure Comparison

Points to Note:

• Clerk-level exams (IBPS/SBI Clerk) don’t have interviews.
• Descriptive English is included only in Officer-level exams.
• RBI and NABARD have more academic-oriented papers (eco, finance, agriculture).
• Computer Aptitude is tested in PO & Clerk exams, mostly clubbed with Reasoning.