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Bank Exam Preparation: IBPS, SBI PO & Clerk Guide

Bank exams are time-pressure exams: the syllabus is moderate, but the papers are long. Speed and accuracy in English, quantitative aptitude and reasoning matter most.

Who can usually apply

  • Clerk or Junior Associate: usually any graduate
  • Probationary Officer (PO): usually any graduate
  • Specialist officers (IT, law, agriculture and others): a related degree
  • Age limits and the number of attempts differ by exam

How selection usually works

  1. Preliminary exam: English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning
  2. Main exam: adds General or Financial Awareness and Computer Aptitude; PO mains also has a descriptive paper
  3. Interview for officer posts, document verification, and for some banks a test of the local language

Subjects to cover

  • English Language
  • Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation
  • Reasoning Ability
  • General and Banking Awareness
  • Computer Aptitude

How to prepare

  1. Choose the exam (IBPS, SBI, RBI, Regional Rural Banks) and read its latest notification
  2. Build speed in arithmetic and data interpretation
  3. Practise puzzles and seating arrangements for reasoning
  4. Read a daily banking and business news summary and revise it monthly
  5. Attempt sectional tests first, then full mock tests, and track accuracy as well as score

Official websites

Exam patterns, age limits and dates change from year to year. Treat this page as a starting point and always read the official notification before you apply.

Preparing for this job? These are the kind of books and items aspirants look for.

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