Bank Exam Syllabus 2026: Complete Subject-Wise Syllabus for IBPS, SBI, RRB & RBI

Most bank exams conducted in India — by IBPS, SBI, RBI, and Regional Rural Banks — share a common core syllabus of Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English Language, General/Banking Awareness, and Computer Aptitude. The difficulty level, number of sections, and marks distribution vary by exam and post. This page covers the complete common syllabus, the exam-wise pattern differences, and preparation tips for 2026 bank exams.

Bank Exam Syllabus 2026

Latest Update: Bank Exam Syllabus 2026 has been refreshed with the revised Prelims and Mains exam patterns for IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS RRB PO/Clerk, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, and IBPS SO, along with subject-wise topic breakdowns and exam-wise differences.

Bank Exam Syllabus: Overview
Conducting Bodies	IBPS, SBI, RBI, NABARD, Regional Rural Banks
Common Exams	IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS RRB PO & Clerk, IBPS SO, SBI PO, SBI Clerk
Selection Stages	Prelims → Mains → Interview/Language Proficiency Test (varies by exam and post)
Common Subjects	Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English Language, General/Banking Awareness, Computer Aptitude
Negative Marking	0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer (standard across most bank exams)
Sectional Timing	Yes, in most Prelims and Mains exams
Official Sites	www.ibps.in, www.sbi.co.in, www.rbi.org.in

Bank Exam Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude

The topics for the Quantitative Aptitude Bank Exam Syllabus are given below.

Simplification & Approximation
Profit and Loss
Mixtures and Allegations
Simple and Compound Interest
Surds and Indices
Time and Work
Time, Speed and Distance
Mensuration (Cylinder, Cone, Sphere, Cuboid)
Data Interpretation (Table, Bar, Line, Pie, Caselet)
Ratio and Proportion
Percentages
Number Series
Permutation and Combination
Measures of Central Tendency
Probability
Quadratic Equations

Bank Exam Syllabus for Reasoning Ability

It is best to know the tips and tricks to solve the concepts of reasoning ability. Practice more and more for better preparation and time management.

Logical Reasoning
Alphanumeric Series
Directions
Ranking
Alphabet Combination
Data Sufficiency Tests
Coded Inequalities
Seating Arrangements
Picture Series
Puzzles
Tabulation
Syllogism
Relationships
Input/output
Coding and Decoding
Assertion and Reason
Statement, Argument and Assumption
Word Formation

Bank Exam Syllabus for English

The majority of the bank exams follow the same English syllabus listed down.

Reading Comprehension
Paragraph Jumbles
(Fill in the blanks)/Cloze Test
Error Detection/Spotting
Sentence Improvement and Correction
Paragraph and passage completion
Vocabulary and Contextual Usage

Bank Exam Syllabus for General Awareness/Finance/Economy

General Awareness related to finance and the economy is an important subject for the bank exams. Make a list of notes on the given topic for your last-minute revisions.

Current Affairs (National & International, last 6 months)
Banking Terms and Abbreviations
History and Structure of the Indian Banking System
Monetary and Credit Policy
RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, FSDC and their Functions
International Bodies (IMF, World Bank, ADB, UN)
Government Schemes related to Capital & Money Markets
Static GK relevant to Banking
Recent Budget and Economic Survey Highlights

Bank Exam Syllabus for Computer Aptitude

Candidates' computer knowledge will be tested in this section. The Bank Exam Syllabus for Computer Aptitude is given below.

Basics of Hardware and Software
Windows operating system basics
Internet terms and services
Internet
Memory
Keyboard Shortcuts
Computer-Related Terms, Abbreviations and Computer Fundamentals
Microsoft Office and Related Word Processing and Spreadsheet Applications
Computer Hardware and Software
Operating Systems and GUI Basics
Basic Computer Networking
Basic Functionalities of MS-Office (MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint)
History of computers
Networking and communication
Database basics
Basics of Hacking, Security Tools and Viruses

We have also shared previous year question papers so that you can enhance your preparation and know what type of questions have been asked till now.

Descriptive Test (Officer-Level Mains)

Officer-level Mains exams such as IBPS PO and SBI PO include a Descriptive Test in English, generally comprising an essay and a letter-writing or comprehension-based task. This section is not part of Clerk-level exams.

Exam-Wise Syllabus & Pattern Differences

Exam	Prelims Sections	Mains Sections	Interview
IBPS PO	English, Quant, Reasoning	Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English, Descriptive Test	Yes
IBPS Clerk	English, Quant, Reasoning	Reasoning, English, Quant, General/Financial Awareness, Computer Aptitude	No
SBI PO	English, Quant, Reasoning	Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English, Descriptive Test	Yes
IBPS RRB PO (Officer Scale-I)	Reasoning, Quantitative/Numerical Ability	Reasoning, Quant, General Awareness, English/Hindi, Computer Knowledge	Yes
IBPS RRB Clerk (Office Assistant)	Reasoning, Numerical Ability	Reasoning, Quant, General Awareness, English/Hindi, Computer Knowledge	No
IBPS SO	English, Reasoning, Professional Knowledge (+ Quant for select posts)	Professional Knowledge (varies by post)	Yes

Also Check:

FAQs

A few of the topics are common but as the position is different, there are some variations in the difficulty level of the topics.

Yes. Prelims typically tests English, Quant, and Reasoning at a foundational level, while Mains adds General/Banking Awareness, Computer Aptitude, and tests the core subjects at a more analytical level.

No. Clerk-level exams such as IBPS Clerk and IBPS RRB Clerk generally conclude at the Mains stage, with no interview round.

IBPS RRB Prelims covers only Reasoning and Numerical Ability, unlike IBPS PO/Clerk and SBI exams, which include English at the Prelims stage as well.

The core subjects are largely similar, but the number of sections, sectional timing, and difficulty level vary by exam and post — refer to the exam-wise table above for specifics.