Are you an aspiring candidate looking to enter the banking industry and wondering about the exam syllabus? Keep reading as you have come to the right place. Banking exams are competitive exams conducted by banks and recruitment organisations to select talented candidates for various roles in the banking sector.
This blog will provide an overview of the banking exam syllabus that you can refer to during your preparation. Since these exams are highly competitive, you must use a strategic approach while studying.
Bank Exams in India
In India, the bank exams are conducted mainly by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
In addition to them, lesser known banks such as India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF) also conduct their respective bank exams.
The banking sector offers a certain level of job security, competitive salaries and a number of perks to their employees. Because of these reasons, a career as a bank employee is an attractive option and millions of candidates aspire to be one.
The competition for bank exams is ever increasing due to the number of aspirants wanting to enter the banking industry. To crack the exams and secure a promising banking career, aspirants have to be well-versed with the bank exam syllabus and the selection process for various posts.
Bank Exam Subjects and Division
The bank test is held in three phases, namely, preliminary, main exam and the final interview round. It typically tests the candidates’ knowledge in subjects like Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, Computer Knowledge and General Awareness.
The syllabus for the top three bank exams is divided according to the organisation that is conducting the exams.
2. SBI Syllabus
3. RBI Syllabus
We will now understand in brief about the syllabus that should be studied to clear the bank exams from each organisation.
A) IBPS Syllabus
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection sets the syllabus for the IBPS exam. It is an autonomous body under the Government of India which recruits suitable personnel for different roles in the banking sector.
i) IBPS Bank Exam for Clerk
The IBPS Clerk exam is the qualifying exam for bank clerk that is conducted by IBPS. A clerk is an entry-level employee whose role is to help senior bank employees with their daily tasks. The recruitment process is to choose candidates for various public sector banks in the country. The test is divided into prelims and mains.
- IBPS Preliminary for Clerk: The prelims filters candidates for the next level of the bank exam, which is the mains. It is an objective question paper evaluating the candidates’ Numerical Ability, Reasoning and English Language.
- IBPS Mains for Clerk: The results of the mains decide the merit of the candidate and their eligibility for the role of clerk. The exam evaluates Computer Aptitude, General & Financial Awareness, English Language, Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude.
ii) IBPS Bank Exam for PO
The IBPS PO exam is conducted to recruit eligible candidates for the role of Probationary Officers (PO) in public sector banks and in a select few insurance companies. The exam is officially called the IBPS Common Written Examination, short for IBPS CWE. The exam format for IBPS PO is divided into three stages.
- IBPS Preliminary for PO: This stage comprises objective type questions and it is the qualifying exam to move to the main exam.
- IBPS Mains for PO: This is the final written exam which qualifies candidates to the interview round in participating banks.
- IBPS PO Interview: This is the final selection process for the post of PO where candidates have a face-to-face interview with a panel of senior bank employees.
iii) IBPS Bank Exam for SO
Clearing the IBPS SO exam qualifies aspirants to be recruited for the role of Specialist Officers (SO). The examination pattern is similar to that of the Probationary Officers exam.
- IBPS Preliminary for SO: This stage again comprises objective questions and it tests for English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and General Awareness. Passing this exam lets you move to SO mains.
- IBPS Mains for SO: This consists of an objective pattern paper that tests on the professional knowledge for specialists. It also has another format for language advisor roles like ‘Rajbhasha Adhikari’ consisting of one objective paper and one descriptive paper.
- IBPS SO Interview: After passing the mains, the candidates face an interview round to check their suitability for specialist roles.
In addition to the above, the IBPS also conducts bank exams to screen candidates for roles in Regional Rural Banks (RRB). The roles include that of Officer (RRB PO) and Office Assistants (RRB Clerk).
B) SBI Syllabus
The country’s largest bank in the public sector, the State Bank of India curates the syllabus for the SBI exam.
i) SBI Bank Exam for Clerk
The exam basically selects Junior Associates as part of the clerical cadre for SBI bank. It is also divided into two exams.
- SBI Preliminary Exam for Clerk: The SBI prelims is the qualifying test for moving to the next level of the SBI bank exam, which is the mains.
- SBI Mains for Clerk: This exam determines whether or not the candidates from prelims get selected as clerks in SBI.
ii) SBI Bank Exam for PO
The SBI PO exam determines the eligibility of candidates for the role of PO in the management cadre of the state bank. The selected candidates are called PO during the training period and then move on to management roles.
- SBI Preliminary Exam for PO: The prelims selects candidates who are eligible for the next level of the SBI bank exam, which is the mains. Around 2.8% of total applicants are allowed to move to the mains.
- SBI Mains for PO: This exam determines whether or not the candidates from prelims get selected as POs in SBI. It consists of an objective test and a descriptive paper.
- SBI PO Group Discussion and Interview: This is the final state where a group discussion and interview is used to select the candidates for SBI PO role.
iii) SBI Bank Exam for SO
The SBI SO test is used to screen candidates for the role of Specialist Officers in SBI bank. It includes a written exam and an interview round. The written exam tests candidates on Reasoning, English and Quantitative Aptitude.
The aspirants who pass the written exam become eligible for the interview round. The interview carries a weightage of 30% in the overall selection process.
C) RBI Syllabus
The Reserve Bank of India curates the syllabus for the RBI bank exam. It is the central bank of India which regulates the banking system of the country. Candidates aspiring for roles in the RBI have to clear their various exams for different roles..
i) RBI Exam for Grade B Officer
The RBI Grade B Officer exam is conducted to select candidates for mid-senior level in the bank. The chosen candidates are for filling the general and specialist cadres in addition to research openings for Ph.D holders.
The exam has prelims as well as mains. The syllabus for prelims include Reasoning, English, General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude. Likewise, the syllabus for mains include Finance and Management, Social and Economic issues, and written English.
ii) RBI Exam for Assistant
This exam for RBI Assistant is for recruitment for posts of Assistant in the several branches of RBI. Similar to the Grade B Officer exam, this exam also consists of prelims and mains. The syllabus for prelims is Reasoning, English and Quantitative Aptitude. Mains have the same syllabus as prelims along with Computer Aptitude and General Awareness subjects.
iii) RBI Exam for Junior Engineer
This exam is for selecting candidates for the role of Junior Engineer in RBI facilities. The qualification criterion for this examination is Civil Engineering or Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The age bracket for this exam is between 20 to 30 years.
Banking exam is one of the most competitive exams in the country that opens a door of opportunities for aspirants to pursue a career in the banking industry. Attractive pay, job security and many other perks are just waiting for you to grab.
Make use of this blog to understand the banking exam syllabus that is to be covered and begin your preparation confidently.
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