Bank syllabus is one of the most important aspects for a candidate to be aware of if preparing for bank exams. In India, the banking sector is one of the highest recruitment providing industries, and every year lakhs of candidates fill in applications to get recruited in the banking sector.
The three main bank exams conducted in the country are by State Bank of India, The Reserve Bank of India and the exams conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Given below are the links where candidates can find the detailed bank syllabus for the exams held:
In this article, candidates will get to know the detailed bank exam syllabus for the exams scheduled to be conducted in the year 2021.
The recruitment of candidates in the banking sector is done through different online and offline examinations. The latest exam pattern and exam syllabus are mentioned each year with the official notification for the recruitment of the bank exams.
These exams are also conducted for different posts, and the syllabus and exam pattern differs for each post.
The syllabus for a few Government exams is similar to the bank exam syllabus, and the preparation for all competitive exams is equally comprehensive and exhaustive.
Bank PO Syllabus
The Bank PO exam is conducted for the post of Probationary Officer in State Bank of India and other banks participating in the IBPS PO recruitment. Over the years, lakhs of candidates have got drawn towards this sector and especially the Officer’s category. The reason for this is that it is a permanent job and the salary given is high. Also, along with a high salary, the perks provided act as an added advantage.
The table given below mentions the exam pattern and bank PO syllabus in brief for the banks that conduct examination for this post:
| Bank Exam Syllabus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bank PO Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
| SBI PO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language General Awareness |
|
| Interview | ||
| IBPS PO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability/ Computer Knowledge Quantitative Aptitude English Language General Awareness |
|
| Interview | ||
| IBPS RRB PO | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English/Hindi Language Computer Knowledge General Awareness |
|
| Interview |
| Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | Computer Knowledge | English Language | General Awareness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coding & Decoding Puzzles Seating Arrangement Logical reasoning Ranking and Order Alphanumeric series Data sufficiency Syllogism Input and output statement, argument & assumption Reasoning Analogy Reasoning Inequality |
Simplification and Approximation Profit & loss Number Series Quadratic equations Problems on Ages Boat and Stream Data Interpretation speed, time & distance percentage ratio & proportion number system simple & compound interest probability mensuration mixture & allegations Time and Work Pipes and Cistern Boat and Stream Problems on Trains |
Memory input & output devices Computer Fundamentals internet shortcut keys computer-related terms computer abbreviations computer hardware and software operating system basic computer networking Microsoft Windows Microsoft Office Types of Computers Cloud Computing High Level Computer Languages OSI Model Database Management System (DBMS) TCP/IP Model |
Reading comprehension cloze test fill in the blanks tenses rules Sentence Rearrangement/ jumbled sentences Error Detection preposition rules paragraph completion idioms & phrases Essay & Letter Writing for Descriptive Exam |
Banking Awareness Financial knowledge status current events across the world financial institutions and their headquarters static general knowledge |
Bank Clerk Syllabus
The bank clerk exam is conducted for clerical posts and is a sought after job profile for candidates in India. The exam is conducted annually, and the exam pattern for the bank clerk exam is similar to the one for Bank PO exam. The bank clerk syllabus is also quite similar to the one followed in other bank exams.
The table below gives brief details about the bank clerk syllabus and exam pattern:
| Bank Clerk Exam | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bank Clerk Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
| SBI Clerk Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability & Computer Knowledge Quantitative Aptitude English Language General Awareness |
| IBPS Clerk Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability & Computer Knowledge Quantitative Aptitude English Language General Awareness English/Hindi Language |
|
| Interview | ||
| IBPS RRB Clerk | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude Financial Awareness Computer Knowledge |
Candidates must go through the official notification released by the conducting body for the exact exam pattern and syllabus as this is subject to change and the conducting body reserves the right to change the pattern at any point in time.
For candidates preparing for the upcoming exams, the bank syllabus given below for the clerical cadre will help them prepare for the exam.
| Bank Clerk Syllabus (Section-wise) | |
|---|---|
| English Language | Reading comprehension, cloze test, fill in the blanks, match the columns, phase replacement, error detection, jumbled sentences, rearrangement |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 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 | Reasoning Ability | Puzzles, seating arrangement, alphanumeric series, data sufficiency, coding and decoding, blood relations, logical reasoning, directions and displacement, order and ranking |
| Computer Knowledge | Internet, memory, software and hardware, input and output devices, computer fundamentals, computer abbreviations and terms, basic computer networking, shortcut keys |
| General Awareness | Static GK, current events across the world, International and National organisations and their headquarters |
| Financial Awareness | Financial knowledge, economic terms, financial institutions, financial news, economic growth and development |
Bank SO Syllabus
Bank SO Syllabus Apart from Probationary Officer and Clerk, there is a third post for which banks conduct an examination. This is the Specialist Officers post. The SO exam is conducted for candidates who have specialisations in law, IT, Rajbhasha, Chartered Accountant, Agriculture, Marketing and Human Resources.
The table given below gives the bank SO syllabus and exam pattern in brief:
| Bank SO Exam | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bank SO Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
| SBI SO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
| Mains Exam | Professional Knowledge | |
| Interview | ||
| IBPS SO Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | English Language Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude or General Awareness |
| Mains Exam | Professional Knowledge | |
| Interview |
The bank syllabus for Specialist posts is different from the bank syllabus for PO and clerk. The professional knowledge section comprises questions from the specialisations that the applicant has filled the form for and are his/her strengths. The educational qualifications are different for this post than for the position of Probationary Officer and Bank Clerk.
The bank syllabus for Reasoning ability, quantitative aptitude and English language is the same as PO and clerk and for bank SO, candidates must be well prepared in the field of their specialisation.
Other Bank Exam Syllabus
The State Bank of India and the participating banks in IBPS conduct the bank PO, SO and Clerk exams.
One of the most sought after exams in the banking sector is the Reserve Bank of India recruitment. RBI conducts recruitment for two different posts, and since it is the central bank of India, the number of applicants for the RBI exams is very high.
The bank exam syllabus and exam pattern for the RBI exams are given below in brief:
| RBI Syllabus | Level of Exam | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| RBI Grade B Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | General Awareness
Quantitative Aptitude Reasoning Ability English Language |
| Mains Exam | Economic and Social Issues English (Writing Skills) Finance and Management |
|
| Interview | ||
| RBI Assistant Syllabus | Preliminary Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language |
| Mains Exam | Reasoning Ability Quantitative Aptitude English Language Computer Knowledge General Awareness |
|
| Language Proficiency Test |
The bank syllabus for RBI is slightly different from the other banks. The syllabus for English language, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude is the same as the one for PO and Clerk. Given below is the bank syllabus for RBI grade B Officer Phase II examination:
| Bank Exam Syllabus – RBI | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| Economic and Social Issues | Growth and development, economic reforms in India, Rise in inequality, human resource development, the social structure in India, Sustainable Development, employment generation, insurance and capital marketing, globalisation, government debt |
| Finance and Management | Union Budget, Risk management, inflation, monetary policy, the role of information technology, career planning, the role of incentives nature and scope management, corporate governance |
Preparation for Bank Exams
Candidates preparing for the bank exams must note that each year lakhs of candidates get drawn towards this sector of employment. With the increase in the number of candidates, the competition is also increasing.
Since the number of vacancies released for each post in different banks is different, candidates must prepare themselves well enough to crack the exam in the very first attempt. Candidates further in this article will find preparation tips for different posts in the banking sector.
Bank PO Preparation
The post of PO is one of the most aspired and sought after posts and candidates across the country try their best to get an appointment in any bank as a Probationary Officer. Since the job profile allows great salary and various perks, recruitment to this post is also a very tough job.
Candidates preparing for the Bank Officer cadre exam must regularly solve mock tests and question papers to score better marks in the final examination
Apart from this, previous year papers will also be of great help to aspirants preparing for the exam. Solving IBPS PO question paper and SBI PO question papers will help candidates get an idea about the exam pattern and the level of examination.
Bank Clerk Preparation
The level of the bank clerk exam is more lenient than the bank PO exam. The number of vacancies released for the Clerical department is also higher than that released for PO. The exam requires candidates to be able to manage time and then solve the paper within the stipulated time period. For this, candidates must regularly solve previous year papers and practise papers to get better results.
Candidates must carefully go through the bank syllabus before starting the preparation for the exam. This will help them structure a study plan and cover all the topics in detail.
Bank SO Preparation
The SO category of exam conducted requires the candidate to be well aware of the topics included in the specialisation for which he has applied. The best way to prepare for this post is to practise regularly and have mastered the subject of specialisation.
Apart from this, being equally prepared for the other three sections is also very important, and candidates must devote equal time for the preparation of each chapter. Solving IBPS SO previous year question papers are recommended to the candidates. For better results solving mock tests shall also enhance the knowledge of the candidate.
The vacancies released in this section are not very high, so candidates have to face some fierce competition to qualify the bank exam. Go through the bank syllabus carefully and try attempting IBPS SO mock tests. This shall improve the candidate’s speed and efficiency.
RBI Exam Preparation
The RBI exam for the post of Grade B Officer and Assistant, both are considered to be the toughest exams conducted in the banking sector. Qualifying these exams require the candidates to be well prepared and updated.
For this, candidates must spend quality time preparing for each subject equally. Time management is another crucial aspect that needs to be kept in mind while preparing for the RBI exams. It is recommended that candidates must solve RBI Grade B Mock tests regularly to know the exam pattern and the type of questions asked in the exam.
More the mock tests a candidate solves, more are the chances of him qualifying the exam. This is because the candidate manages his speed and time to attempt questions accordingly, which will be helpful during the final examination. So, the RBI Assistant mock tests series can be of great help to candidates.
Since all the bank exams have almost the same bank syllabus and exam pattern, one of the most important and scoring subjects is the general awareness section. Candidates preparing for any bank exam must regularly read newspapers and be aware of all the events and happenings around the world. This acts as an advantage to the candidates preparing for the exam.