A significant number of candidates participate in annual exams conducted by reputable banks, aspiring to secure roles as bank clerks, bank probationary officers (PO), or bank specialist officers (SO).
Some of the popular banking exams conducted in India include
Bank Clerk
, Bank PO, and Bank SO.
IBPS PO
,
IBPS Clerk
,
IBPS RRB
,
SBI PO
,
SBI Clerk
,
RBI Grade B
,
RBI Assistant
, etc. The bank exam syllabus mostly consists of English language, mathematics, and logical reasoning. The bank exam syllabus is categorised into Bank PO syllabus, Bank Clerk syllabus, and Bank SO syllabus. Key subjects covered in the bank exam syllabus include English Language, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Although the syllabus for prelims and mains exams varies, they share the same subjects. The difficulty level of these exams also varies.
This article furnishes detailed information about the bank exam syllabus for various positions, offering comprehensive insights into the requirements of the banking sector.
Also Read: Upcoming Bank Exams 2026-25: List of Upcoming Govt. Bank Exams, Notifications
Bank Exam Syllabus 2026
Various online and offline exams are held to select candidates for positions within the banking industry. The banking exam syllabus has been designed based on the most recent exam patterns. For candidates preparing for these exams, understanding the banking syllabus is of utmost importance. Bank exams are conducted for different positions, and each exam has its unique syllabus and format.
In the banking industry, there are generally two types of roles for which competitive exams are conducted: Clerk and Scale I Officer (Probationary Officer/ Specialist Officer). The Scale I Officer exam follows a three-tier process (Pre + Main + Interview), while the Clerk exam follows a two-tier process (Pre + Main). Some of the well-known bank exams include IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS RRB Clerk, IBPS RRB Officer Scale I and Officer Scale II, RBI Grade B, RBI Assistant, SBI Clerk, SBI PO, and others.
Though every banking exam has its own syllabus, however some of the common subjects which are part of mostly all the bank exams are mentioned below:Level of Bank Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|
Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
|
Bank Exam 2026 Syllabus Weightage
Knowing the importance of each subject can help you prepare better for bank exams. The Bank Exam subject-wise syllabus weightage provides transparency for creating study schedules that are effective. The weighted bank syllabus for the preliminary and main exams is given in the table below:Preliminary Exam Weightage
The preliminary bank exam subject-wise weightage is mentioned below:
Subjects | Weightage |
|---|---|
English Language | 30% |
Reasoning Ability | 35% |
Quantitative Aptitude | 35% |
Mains Exam Weightage
The mains exam for various bank posts encompasses a total of four subjects with a subject-wise weightage as mentioned below:
Subjects | Weightage |
|---|---|
English Language | 20% |
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 30% |
Quantitative Aptitude | 30% |
General Awareness | 20% |
PO Bank Exam Syllabus 2026
The State Bank of India holds a bank examination for the position of probationary officer. For the Officers category, thousands of people have applied over the years. The topics on the Bank PO exam syllabus are what applicants should study for the test. Below is a list of the Bank PO exam curriculum.Bank PO Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
SBI PO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — | |
IBPS PO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — | |
IBPS RRB PO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — |
Topic-Wise Bank PO Exam Syllabus 2026
The following topics are included in the bank PO syllabus:
Banking Reasoning Syllabus: The Banking Reasoning syllabus includes the following topics - Sitting Arrangements, Tabulation, Logical Reasoning, Syllogism, Input-Output, Coding-Decoding, Alphanumeric Series, Blood Relations, Ranking, Data Sufficiency, Distance & Direction, Coded Inequalities, and Verbal Reasoning.
Banking English Syllabus: The Banking English syllabus includes the following topics - Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Double Fillers, Error Spotting, Sentence Correction, Para Jumbles, Paragraph Completion, Para Summary, Sentence Connector, and Vocabulary.
Banking Math Syllabus: The Banking Math syllabus includes the following topics - Simplification & Approximation, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Number Series, Ratio & Proportion, Quadratic Equations, Averages, Boats & Streams, Simple Interest & Compound Interest, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Mixtures & Alligation, Permutation & Combination, Time & Distance, Probability, Partnership, Pipes & Cistern.
Bank GA Syllabus: This section comprises 3 different sub-sections which are current affairs, banking & financial affairs, and static awareness. The Bank PO exam syllabus for current affairs, static awareness, and banking/ financial awareness are mentioned below:
Banking & Financial Awareness Syllabus: This topic encompasses financial news, Banking Abbreviations, the Banking Regulation Act 1949, About & Functions of RBI Policy Rates, Types of Accounts, Negotiable instruments act 1881, Money market instruments, priority sector lending, financial inclusion, Money market instruments, Banking Ombudsman scheme 2006 & more.
Static Awareness Syllabus: This section includes topics like International Organisations, Important Days, Capital & Currency, Agreements & Deals, Books & Authors, Honors & Awards, National & International Appointments, Famous Obituaries, etc.
Clerk Bank Exam Syllabus 2026
In order to be hired as a member of the Clerical cadre in one of India's public sector banks or Regional Rural Banks, applicants must prepare in accordance with the bank clerk syllabus 2026. Candidates must complete the previous years' question papers after studying according to the bank clerk exam syllabus. Below is the syllabus for the bank clerk exam:Bank Clerk Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
Preliminary Exam |
| |
Mains Exam |
| |
Preliminary Exam |
| |
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — | |
Preliminary Exam |
| |
Mains Exam |
|
Topic-Wise Clerk Bank Exam Syllabus 2026
The topic-wise clerk bank exam syllabus is mentioned in the table below:
Clerk Bank Exam Subjects | Clerk Bank Exam Topics |
|---|---|
General Awareness | Static GK, current events across the world, International and National organizations, and their headquarters |
Banking English Syllabus | Reading comprehension, cloze test, fill in the blanks, match the columns, phase replacement, error detection, jumbled sentences, rearrangement |
Banking Reasoning Syllabus | Puzzles, seating arrangement, alphanumeric series, data sufficiency, coding and decoding, Blood Relation, logical reasoning, Directions and displacement, order and ranking |
Banking Math Syllabus | Profit and loss, permutation and combination, percentage, mixtures and allegations, probability, mensuration, data interpretation, upstream and downstream, quadratic equations, approximation, simplification, age problems, number system, speed, distance and time |
Computer Knowledge | Internet, memory, software and hardware, input and output devices, computer fundamentals, computer abbreviations and terms, basic computer networking, shortcut keys |
Financial Awareness | Financial knowledge, economic terms, financial institutions, financial news, economic growth and development |
Bank SO Exam Syllabus 2026
For the positions of Specialist Officers-law, IT, Rajbhasha, Chartered Accountant, Agriculture, Marketing, and Human Resources, a bank SO exam is held. The SO bank exam syllabus differs from the PO and Clerk banking exams. Questions from the applicant's chosen specialisation and strengths are included in the bank SO syllabus's section on professional knowledge. Candidates must be well-prepared in their area of specialisation because the bank's syllabus for reasoning skills, quantitative ability, and English language is the same as for PO, clerk, and SO.
Bank SO Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
SBI SO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — | |
IBPS SO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — |
Subject-Wise Bank SO Exam Syllabus 2026
Following is a breakdown of each subject's specific bank SO syllabus:
Banking Reasoning Syllabus: The topics included in this section are Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Inequality, Data Sufficiency, Input-Output, Syllogism, Order and Ranking, Distance and Direction, Blood Relations, Alpha Numeric Series, Verbal Reasoning, etc
Banking English Syllabus: This section includes topics like Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Sentence correction/ improvement, Fill in the blanks, Spotting Errors, Para jumbles, Sentence completion/ Para completion
Banking Math Syllabus: The topics included in this section are Approximation/ Simplification, Number Series, Mensuration, Quadratic Equation, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Ratio and Proportion, Average, Time and Distance, Partnership, Simple and Compound Interest, Problem on Age, Probability, etc.
General Awareness Syllabus: This section includes topics like Banking awareness, Current affairs, Prime minister Schemes, Books & Authors, Headquarters, Important days, Currencies, Static General Knowledge (Countries, capitals, Countries visited by Prime minister, Countries involved in new treaties)
Professional Knowledge Syllabus: Professional Knowledge syllabus is divided into different sections as per the posts such as IT Officer, HR Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Marketing Officer, Finance Officer, Law Officer, Agriculture Officer, etc.
IBPS RRB Syllabus 2026
IBPS RRB, also known as the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Regional Rural Bank Exam, is an annual national-level banking exam that is held by IBPS for applicants who wish to work for RRBs. The following Group A and B job positions are filled through the IBPS RRB recruitment process.
Candidates are chosen for officer-level positions based on their performance in the preliminary exam, mains/single-level exam, and interview stage. Candidates are chosen for the position of Office Assistant (Multipurpose)/ Clerk based on performance in the preliminary and main exams. Shortlisted candidates are assigned to one of the participating RRBs based on the number of openings and the merit-cum-preference system.
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) will hold the IBPS RRB 2026 examination to hire Officers (scale-I, II, and III) and Office Assistants (Multipurpose) in participating Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). Through the IBPS's official website, interested applicants can apply for the IBPS RRB exam. The recruiting procedure involves a large number of RRBs scattered throughout many states. After being chosen, candidates will be assigned to one of the RRBs in the state for which they applied. To be selected as an officer in RRBs, candidates must pass all three examination phases. In order to study for the important topics on the exam, candidates must be familiar with the IBPS RRB Exam syllabus . The purported syllabus for the IBPS RRB 2026 is as follows:
General Knowledge: Topics in this section include Agriculture, Current Affairs, Awards & Honors, Indian Economics, International Economics, Budget, Sports, Shares, Finance, etc.Quantitative Aptitude: It incorporates topics like Mensuration, Profit & Loss, Ratio & Proportion, Percentage, Permutation & Combination, Simple Interest, Probability, and so on.
Logical Reasoning: This section includes topics like Analogy, blood relations, coding-decoding, direction sense, figure series, the odd man out, puzzles, syllogism, sitting arrangement, and so on are examples of reasoning sections.
English Language: The topics from this section include Comprehensions, Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks, Idioms and Phrases, Synonyms and Antonyms, and so on.
Computer Science: Topics that this section encompasses are: Computer History, MS Office, Number Systems, Operating Systems, Software and Hardware, and so on.
RBI Bank Exam Syllabus 2026
Both RBI Assistant and RBI Grade B positions are recruited for by RBI. The following is the syllabus of the RBI bank exam for both the above mentioned positions:RBI Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
RBI Grade B Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Interview | — | |
RBI Assistant Syllabus | Preliminary Exam |
|
Mains Exam |
| |
Language Proficiency Test | — |
The following table includes the complete RBI test syllabus for two key subjects.
Subjects | Syllabus |
|---|---|
Finance and Management | Inflation, Union Budget, Risk management, monetary policy, the role of information technology, career planning, corporate governance, the role of incentives nature and scope management |
Economic and Social Issues | Economic reforms in India, Rise in inequality, Growth and development, human resource development, the social structure in India, Government Debt, Sustainable Development, Employment Generation, Insurance and capital marketing, Globalization |
Also Read:
Bank Exam Preparation: Simple Tips & Tricks
Bank Exam Selection Process 2026
In order to tailor their preparations for each stage, candidates must be aware of the Bank exam selection procedure. Candidates can review the selection process for banks below:Clerk/ Office Assistant | The selection process includes the following three stages as mentioned below:
|
|---|---|
Probationary Officer (PO) | Typically, candidates for the Probationary Officer position are chosen based on three key stages of the selection process:
|
Specialist Officer (SO) | This category encompasses two stages of the selection process as mentioned below:
The allocation is based on the marks attained in both the interview and the online objective test, and applicants must score well enough to get shortlisted for the selection. |
Bank Exam Preparation Strategy 2026
One of the economy's fastest-growing sectors is presumably the banking industry. For various positions in the government sector, more than one million applicants are sought out annually. Every year, IBPS publishes an IBPS calendar for exams to be held in order to hire students for numerous banks in various professions. You will undoubtedly succeed in the SBI, RBI, RRB, and other bank exams if you incorporate the proper preparation advice from the experts, as mentioned below in your preparation plan:
- Get to know the bank exam syllabus before strategising your study plan.
- Become familiar with the weightage of each subject of the bank exam you opted for.
- Consult the top recommended books to learn various crucial topics included in the bank exams.
- Regularly take practice mock tests and sample papers to increase your speed and accuracy.
- Consistently solve exam questions from previous years.
Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for more updates on bank exams in 2026!
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FAQs
In the banking domain, IBPS Clerk bank exam is the easiest to crack out of all the bank exams conducted in India. The exam is conducted at a clerical level and is easy to crack in a single sitting if you have done enough preparation and have covered the entire syllabus along with revisions. Prelims, mains, and a test of language proficiency make up this exam. There are 190 questions on the 2 hours 40 minute exam, for 200 marks. The exam consists of four major subjects, namely: English Language, Reasoning Ability, General Awareness/ Finance, and Quantitative Aptitude.
To apply for the bank clerk exam, you must be at least 21 years of age or above. The upper age limit is lowered for individuals who fall under certain categories.
All significant bank exams follow the same syllabus, albeit the level of difficulty varies slightly. The selection procedure and exam format/ pattern, however, are different. The RBI exam has a distinct syllabus than the other exams.
Yes, there is a provision of negative marking in the various banking exams. For each wrongly attempted question, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
A few of the best recommended books for bank exam preparation in 2026 are Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Agarwal, Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma, Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma, Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey, A New Approach to Reasoning (Verbal and Non-Verbal) by BS Sijwali, Indu Sijwali, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, Objective General English by SP Bakshi, Lucents Computer by Rani Ahilya, Computer Awareness for General Competitive Exams by Arihant Publications, Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma, Manorama Yearbook, etc.
A few of the best preparation tips and tricks for bank exams in 2026 are to familiarise yourself with the bank exam pattern and syllabus, can manage your time for the necessary topics, choose the ideal books to prepare for the exam, prepare short notes, etc.
The bank PO syllabus is divided into 5 subjects, namely: Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Computer Knowledge, English Language, and General Awareness. The subject-wise syllabus include Statement, Argument & Assumption, Coding & Decoding, Reasoning Analogy, Reasoning Inequality, Mensuration, Mixture & allegations, Time and Work, Pipes and Cistern, Boat and Stream, Problems on Trains, Data Interpretation, Speed, time & distance, Percentage, Ratio & proportion, Microsoft Office, Types of Computers, Cloud Computing, Database Management System (DBMS), TCP/ IP Model, Memory, Input & output devices, Error Detection, Preposition rules, Paragraph completion, Idioms & phrases, Essay & Letter Writing for Descriptive Exam, etc.
The majority of bank exams follow the identical bank syllabus. Quantitative aptitude, Reasoning ability, English language, Computer knowledge, and General awareness are the common topics covered in most bank exams. In addition, there is a topic for professional knowledge for the category of Specialist Officers.
The State Bank of India Probationary Officer is the formal name for this position. To choose Probationary Officers for SBI's various branches, SBI PO recruitment is performed. The SBI PO Exam is an entirely objective format and is held at numerous locations throughout the nation. Online testing is offered. Preliminary exam, main exam, psychometric test, interview, and group activities make up the SBI PO selection procedure.
A few of the best banking exams to prepare for in 2026 are IBPS PO, IBPS SO, IBPS RRB, RBI GRADE B, RBI Assistant, SBI PO, SBI SO, SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk and NABARD.
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