Bank Exam Syllabus & Pattern: IBPS, SBI, RRB – PO & Clerk
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.
Major Bank Exams in India
| Exam | Conducting Body | Popular Posts |
|---|---|---|
| IBPS PO | IBPS | PO |
| IBPS Clerk | IBPS | Clerk |
| SBI PO | SBI | PO |
| SBI Clerk | SBI | Clerk |
| RBI Grade B | RBI | Grade B Officer |
| NABARD Grade A | NABARD | Assistant Manager (Grade A) |
| IBPS RRB | IBPS | Officer Scale I, II, III; Clerk |
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:
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
- General/Banking Awareness
- 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:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
IBPS PO Prelims Pattern:
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 min |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 min |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 min |
IBPS PO Mains Pattern:
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 min |
| General / Economy / Banking | 35 | 50 | 25 min |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 min |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 50 | 45 min |
| Descriptive (Essay + Letter) | 2 | 25 | 30 min |
| Total | 147 | 225 | ~3.5 hrs |
Interview Weightage: 100 marks (combined with Mains score for final selection)
B. SBI PO (Probationary Officer)
Selection Process:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Psychometric Test + Interview
SBI PO Prelims Pattern – Same as IBPS PO
SBI PO Mains Pattern:
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 50 min |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 50 | 45 min |
| General / Economy / Banking | 50 | 60 | 45 min |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 min |
| Descriptive Test | 2 | 50 | 30 min |
| Total | 157 | 250 | ~3.5 hrs |
- Psychometric Test (qualifying): Personality profiling (no scores counted)
- Interview + GD: Final stage (combined with Mains for merit)
C. IBPS Clerk
Selection Process:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
Prelims Pattern: Same as IBPS PO
Mains Pattern:
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 min |
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 35 min |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 min |
- No interview
- LPT for language verification (regional language of posting)
D. SBI Clerk
Selection Process:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Language Proficiency Test
Prelims Pattern: Same as others
Mains Pattern: Slight variation in number of questions compared to IBPS Clerk
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 min |
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 35 min |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 min |
E. RBI Grade B (General)
Selection Process:
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Interview
Phase 1 Pattern:
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 | 80 | |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | |
| Reasoning Ability | 60 | 60 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 min |
Phase 2 Pattern:
| Paper | Type | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic & Social Issues | Objective | 100 | 90 min |
| English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive | 100 | 90 min |
| Finance & Management | Objective | 100 | 90 min |
- Interview: 75 marks
- Final selection = Phase 2 + Interview marks
F. NABARD Grade A (Generalist)
Selection Process:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
Prelims Pattern:
- 8 sections including Quant, Reasoning, English, GA, Agri & Rural Dev, Eco & Soc. Issues
- Composite test: 120 minutes
Mains Pattern:
| Paper | Type | Subject | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Descriptive | English | 100 | 90 min |
| Paper II | Objective | ARD + ESI (Generalist) | 100 | 90 min |
Interview: 50 marks
Bank Exams: Pattern & Structure Comparison
| Exam | Prelims | Mains | Descriptive Test | Interview | Unique Sections / Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBPS PO | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (25 marks) | ✅ (100 marks) | Computer Aptitude in Mains |
| SBI PO | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (50 marks) | ✅ (incl. GD) | Psychometric Test (qualifying) |
| IBPS Clerk | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Language Proficiency Test (LPT) |
| SBI Clerk | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | LPT + Slightly higher difficulty in Mains |
| RBI Grade B | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (English Writing) | ✅ (75 marks) | Paper on Economics + Finance in Phase 2 |
| NABARD Grade A | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (English Writing) | ✅ (50 marks) | Agri & Rural Development + ESI in Mains |
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.
Explore important topics for bank exams to get started with your preparation. We have also marked most important topics for different exams (marked as “Y”).
Bank Exams: Syllabus Comparison
Quantitative Aptitude
| Sr No | Topics | SBI PO | SBI Clerk | IBPS PO | IBPS Clerk | RRB PO | RRB Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algebra | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2 | Averages and Mixture | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 3 | Data Interpretation | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 4 | Data Sufficiency | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 5 | Interest | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 6 | Mensuration | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 7 | Number Series | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 8 | Percentages | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 9 | Profit, Loss and Partnership | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 10 | Ratio & Proportion | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 11 | Simplification | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 12 | Speed, Time and Distance | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 13 | Time and Work | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Logical Reasoning
| Sr No | Topic wise Reasoning Questions | SBI PO | SBI Clerk | IBPS PO | IBPS Clerk | RRB PO | RRB Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrangement and Pattern | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2 | Blood Relations | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 3 | Coding Decoding | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 4 | Data Sufficiency | Y | Y | Y | |||
| 5 | Direction Sense | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 6 | Input Output | Y | Y | Y | |||
| 7 | Mathematical Inequality | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 8 | Order and Ranking | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 9 | Puzzles | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 10 | Seating Arrangements | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 11 | Syllogism | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 12 | Statement & Conclusion | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
English (Verbal Ability)
| Sr. No. | Topic wise Verbal Questions | SBI PO | SBI Clerk | IBPS PO | IBPS Clerk | RRB PO | RRB Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloze Test | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2 | Find Error | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 3 | Fill in the blanks | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 4 | Parajumbles | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 5 | Reading Comprehension | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 6 | Idiom Phrases | Y | Y | Y | Y |