Stage 1 · Starting out

Which bank exam can you actually write?

Nine exams, nine different age windows, and a pattern that changes almost every cycle. Put your age, your qualification and your category in below and the page will tell you which ones you are inside — and, where you are not, exactly which rule you missed. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is saved, and there is no account.

  • 9 exams
  • 7 read from the official notification
  • No sign-up
  • Nothing stored

The pattern and the eligibility rules change. Always check the latest notification.

Every figure on this page — overall pattern, section-wise weightage, marking scheme, timing, age limits, relaxations and qualifications — is taken from the official notification named beside each exam. These details are revised from time to time. IBPS Clerk's Mains changed in its last cycle and SBI PO's Prelims split changed in its last one.

So before you apply, and before you plan a strategy around any number here, open the latest official notification for that exam and treat it as final. If this page and the notification disagree, the notification is right.

Am I eligible?

Three answers, no sign-up. The result appears as you type, and the reason is printed beside every exam — including the ones you do not qualify for.

JavaScript is switched off in this browser, so the instant checker cannot run. Nothing is lost: every age window, relaxation and qualification rule it uses is printed in full in the exam-by-exam section below.

Age is reckoned on the cut-off date printed in each notification, not on today's date, so treat a borderline result as a prompt to check the exact date-of-birth window — it is printed for every exam below. PwBD here means PwBD in the General or EWS category; if you are also SC, ST or OBC, several exams allow a larger relaxation, shown in each exam's own table.

Fill in all three boxes to see your result.

  • Minimum 20 years, maximum 30 years as on 1 July 2026, and a graduation degree.

  • Minimum 20 years, maximum 28 years as on 1 August 2025, and a graduation degree.

  • Between 18 years and 28 years as on 1 September 2026, and a graduation degree.

  • Above 18 years and below 30 years as on 1 September 2026, and a graduation degree.

  • Not below 21 years and not above 30 years as on 1 April 2026, and a graduation degree.

  • Not below 20 years and not above 28 years as on 1 April 2026, and a graduation degree.

  • Between 21 and 30 years of age as on 1 November 2025, and a graduation degree.

  • Age limit and qualification not verified — we could not open the official notification.

  • Age limit and qualification not verified — we could not open the official notification.

This is a guide, not a ruling. It checks three things: your age against the notification's own window, the category relaxation printed in that same notification, and whether the exam accepts a final-year student. It does not check local-language proficiency, computer-literacy certificates, graduation percentage, attempts already used, or anything about reservation — and the exam body's decision is the only one that counts.

Start here: which one is realistically yours?

Being eligible for an exam and being a good fit for it are two different questions. One honest line about each, then the full detail below.

  • IBPS PO / MT

    IBPS, for the participating public-sector banks

    You want an officer post and you are willing to sit an interview. One exam, one form, a whole set of public-sector banks.

  • IBPS Clerk (CSA)

    IBPS, for the participating public-sector banks

    There is no interview at all — the Mains score alone decides it. If this is your first serious year, this is the most realistic target on the page.

  • IBPS RRB Office Assistant

    IBPS, for the Regional Rural Banks

    The shortest paper on this page: 80 questions, two sections, 45 minutes, and no interview. It is also the lowest age floor here — 18.

  • IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I

    IBPS, for the Regional Rural Banks

    The same 45-minute sprint as Office Assistant, but with an interview and an officer’s grade at the end. A degree in agriculture or a related subject is explicitly preferred.

  • SBI PO

    State Bank of India

    The most competitive paper here, and the only one that caps how many times you may sit it. Worth attempting if you are already comfortable with a full-length Mains.

  • SBI Clerk

    State Bank of India

    The widest Prelims net on this page: no sectional cut-off and no aggregate cut-off either. Pick the state whose language you genuinely speak — there is a language test at the end.

  • NABARD Grade A

    National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

    Read the paper before you decide: only General Awareness, Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development count towards the merit list. Quant, reasoning, English and computer are qualifying only.

  • RBI Grade B (DR)

    Reserve Bank of India

    Aimed at people who enjoy economics and writing, not at people who are fast at arithmetic: the written Mains has no quantitative or reasoning paper at all.

  • RBI Assistant

    Reserve Bank of India

    A clerical-grade paper with a broad Mains — five sections, including a full computer-knowledge test that most bank exams have now dropped.

Every exam in detail

Eligibility on the left, the paper itself on the right. Where a notification does not publish a number, this page says so rather than filling the gap.

IBPS PO / MT

From the official notification

Probationary Officer / Management Trainee, CRP PO/MT-XVI

IBPS detailed notification dated 30 June 2026

The job. An officer from day one — branch banking, credit, customer handling, and a promotion ladder that starts at Scale I.

Who it suits. You want an officer post and you are willing to sit an interview. One exam, one form, a whole set of public-sector banks.

Eligibility

Age
Minimum 20 years, maximum 30 years as on 1 July 2026 — born between 02.07.1996 and 01.07.2006, both dates inclusive.
Qualification
A degree (graduation) in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India.
Final-year students
The degree must already be in hand: you have to be a graduate on the day you register, and the result must have been declared on or before 21 July 2026.
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this notification.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
SC / ST 5 years
OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities 10 years
Ex-servicemen / ECO / SSCO (5 years served) 5 years

SC, ST and OBC relaxation stacks with exactly one of the remaining categories. The plain upper limit applies to General and EWS.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains (objective + descriptive) → Interview

Preliminary examination Each section separately timed · sectional cut-off applies

Section Qs Marks Time
English Language 30 30 20 min
Quantitative Aptitude 35 30 20 min
Reasoning Ability 35 40 20 min
Total 100 100 60 min

Read the marks column twice. A reasoning question is worth about 1.14 marks and a quant question about 0.857 — the paper is not scored evenly, and reasoning is where the prelims is won.

Main examination — objective Sections may appear in any order

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 60 45 min
General / Economy / Banking / Digital & Financial Awareness (includes RBI circulars) 50 60 35 min
English Language 40 20 35 min
Data Analysis & Interpretation 40 60 45 min
Total 170 200 160 min

Computer Aptitude is gone. The section is now just "Reasoning" — the word "computer" appears once in the whole 54-page notification, and it is in an unfair-means clause.

Main examination — descriptive

Section Qs Marks Time
Essay & Comprehension (typed) 2 25 30 min

The notification says the descriptive paper "may be evaluated by an automated scoring mechanism". Total time in the chair for Mains is 3 hours 10 minutes.

Personality Test and Interview

Section Qs Marks
Personality Test (self-report) Not scored

The Personality Test carries no marks but is mandatory — skip it and you are not eligible for the interview.

Negative marking. One fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to that question, in both Prelims and Mains. A blank answer costs nothing.

IBPS Clerk (CSA)

From the official notification

Customer Service Associate, CRP CSA-XV — the exam everyone still calls "IBPS Clerk"

IBPS detailed notification dated 12 September 2025

The job. Counter work, cash, account opening, day-to-day branch service. The job that keeps a branch running.

Who it suits. There is no interview at all — the Mains score alone decides it. If this is your first serious year, this is the most realistic target on the page.

Eligibility

Age
Minimum 20 years, maximum 28 years as on 1 August 2025 — born between 02.08.1997 and 01.08.2005, both dates inclusive.
Qualification
A degree (graduation) in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India.
Final-year students
You have to be a graduate on the day you register, with the result declared on or before 21 August 2025.
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this notification.
Also required
  • Computer literacy is compulsory: a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations, or Computer / Information Technology studied as a subject at school or college.
  • You must be able to read, write, speak and understand the local language of the state or UT you apply to.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
SC / ST 5 years
OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities 10 years
Ex-servicemen / disabled ex-servicemen service rendered + 3 years (8 for disabled ESM of SC/ST), capped at age 50
Widowed, divorced or legally separated women who have not remarried up to age 35 (General/EWS), 38 (OBC), 40 (SC/ST)

SC, ST and OBC relaxation stacks with exactly one of the remaining categories. The plain upper limit applies to General and EWS.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains. No interview.

Preliminary examination Each section separately timed · sectional cut-off applies

Section Qs Marks Time
English Language 30 30 20 min
Numerical Ability 35 35 20 min
Reasoning Ability 35 35 20 min
Total 100 100 60 min

Main examination This structure changed in the 2025 cycle

Section Qs Marks Time
General / Financial Awareness 40 50 20 min
General English 40 40 35 min
Reasoning Ability 40 60 35 min
Quantitative Aptitude 35 50 30 min
Total 155 200 120 min

If you were told "190 questions in 160 minutes", that figure is from an older cycle. General / Financial Awareness is now 50 marks in 20 minutes — 2.5 marks a minute, the tightest stretch in the paper.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in both Prelims and Mains.

IBPS RRB Office Assistant

From the official notification

Office Assistant (Multipurpose), CRP RRBs-XV

IBPS detailed notification dated 1 September 2026 (a corrigendum dated 15 September 2026 changes vacancies only)

The job. Clerical work in a Regional Rural Bank branch — usually rural or semi-urban, usually close to home if you choose your state well.

Who it suits. The shortest paper on this page: 80 questions, two sections, 45 minutes, and no interview. It is also the lowest age floor here — 18.

Eligibility

Age
Between 18 years and 28 years as on 1 September 2026 — born between 02.09.1998 and 01.09.2008, both dates inclusive.
Qualification
Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or its equivalent.
Final-year students
The qualification is reckoned as on the last date of online registration, 21 September 2026.
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this notification.
Also required
  • Proficiency in the local language prescribed by the RRB you apply to.
  • Working knowledge of a computer is listed as desirable, not compulsory.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
SC / ST 5 years
OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities 10 years
Ex-servicemen / disabled ex-servicemen service rendered + 3 years (8 for disabled ESM of SC/ST), capped at age 50
Widowed, divorced or legally separated women who have not remarried (Office Assistant only) up to age 35 (General/EWS), 38 (OBC), 40 (SC/ST)

SC, ST and OBC relaxation stacks with exactly one of the remaining categories. The plain upper limit applies to General and EWS.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains. No interview.

Preliminary examination You have to qualify in both tests

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 40 25 min
Numerical Ability 40 40 20 min
Total 80 80 45 min

37.5 seconds a reasoning question and 30 seconds a numerical one. Nothing else on this page moves that fast.

Main examination

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 50 30 min
Computer Knowledge 40 20 15 min
General Awareness 40 40 15 min
English Language or Hindi Language 40 40 30 min
Numerical Ability 40 50 30 min
Total 200 200 120 min

IBPS RRB is now the only IBPS exam that still tests Computer Knowledge — 40 questions in 15 minutes, 22.5 seconds each. And a reasoning question is worth 1.25 marks against a computer question’s 0.5, a 2.5× spread inside one paper.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in the Preliminary, the Main and the single-level exams alike.

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I

From the official notification

Officer Scale-I (Assistant Manager), CRP RRBs-XV

IBPS detailed notification dated 1 September 2026 (a corrigendum dated 15 September 2026 changes vacancies only)

The job. Assistant Manager in a Regional Rural Bank — branch and field officer work, heavy on agricultural credit.

Who it suits. The same 45-minute sprint as Office Assistant, but with an interview and an officer’s grade at the end. A degree in agriculture or a related subject is explicitly preferred.

Eligibility

Age
Above 18 years and below 30 years as on 1 September 2026 — born between 02.09.1996 and 01.09.2008, both dates inclusive.
Qualification
Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Preference is given to degrees in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture, Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation, Information Technology, Management, Law, Economics or Accountancy.
Final-year students
The qualification is reckoned as on the last date of online registration, 21 September 2026.
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this notification.
Also required
  • Proficiency in the local language prescribed by the RRB you apply to.
  • Working knowledge of a computer is listed as desirable, not compulsory.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
SC / ST 5 years
OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities 10 years
Ex-servicemen / disabled ex-servicemen (officer posts) 5 years

SC, ST and OBC relaxation stacks with exactly one of the remaining categories. The plain upper limit applies to General and EWS.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains → Interview

Preliminary examination You have to qualify in both tests

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 40 25 min
Quantitative Aptitude 40 40 20 min
Total 80 80 45 min

Main examination

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 50 30 min
Computer Knowledge 40 20 15 min
General Awareness 40 40 15 min
English Language or Hindi Language 40 40 30 min
Quantitative Aptitude 40 50 30 min
Total 200 200 120 min

Officer Scale-II and Scale-III have no Preliminary at all — a single 200-mark paper, and 240 questions in 150 minutes for the Scale-II Specialist posts.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in the Preliminary, the Main and the single-level exams alike.

SBI PO

From the official notification

Probationary Officer, advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09

SBI detailed advertisement dated 18 June 2026

The job. Probationary Officer at SBI — the largest bank in the country, and the widest posting map.

Who it suits. The most competitive paper here, and the only one that caps how many times you may sit it. Worth attempting if you are already comfortable with a full-length Mains.

Eligibility

Age
Not below 21 years and not above 30 years as on 1 April 2026 — born between 02.04.1996 and 01.04.2005, both days inclusive.
Qualification
Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university. Medical, engineering, CA and Cost Accountant qualifications count too.
Final-year students
Final-year and final-semester students may apply provisionally, but must produce proof of having passed on or before 30 September 2026.
Attempts
Capped. General/EWS 6 chances; General(PwBD), EWS(PwBD), OBC and OBC(PwBD) 9; SC and ST unrestricted. Appearing in Mains counts as a chance — appearing in Prelims does not.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years
SC / ST 5 years
PwBD (General / EWS) 10 years
PwBD (OBC) 13 years
PwBD (SC / ST) 15 years
Ex-servicemen / ECO / SSCO (5 years served) 5 years

Cumulative relaxation is NOT available at SBI — you get one relaxation, not two added together.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains (objective + descriptive) → Psychometric test, group exercise and interview

Preliminary examination No sectional cut-off · shortlisting is on the aggregate

Section Qs Marks Time
English Language 40 not published 20 min
Quantitative Aptitude 30 not published 20 min
Reasoning Ability 30 not published 20 min
Total 100 100 1 hour

The section split changed this cycle — English is now 40 questions, not 30. SBI publishes the 100-mark total but not the per-section marks, so we do not print them either. In the advertisement’s own words: "There will be no sectional cut-off in preliminary examination."

Main examination — objective Sectional cut-offs apply to each test

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude 40 60 50 min
Data Analysis & Interpretation 30 60 45 min
General / Economy / Banking Awareness 60 60 45 min
English Language 40 20 40 min
Total 170 200 3 hours

SBI kept "& Computer Aptitude" in the reasoning section name while IBPS PO dropped it. Data Analysis & Interpretation is worth 2 marks a question here — the richest questions on this page.

Main examination — descriptive

Section Qs Marks Time
Communication Skills: one email of two, one situation analysis of two, and a report or a précis 3 30 30 min

Grand total 230 marks across 3 hours 30 minutes.

Phase III

Section Qs Marks
Psychometric test, group exercise and personal interview

Your Preliminary marks are not carried into the final merit list.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in both Prelims and Mains.

SBI Clerk

From the official notification

Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales), advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17

SBI detailed advertisement, Junior Associate 2026

The job. Junior Associate — customer support and sales at an SBI branch.

Who it suits. The widest Prelims net on this page: no sectional cut-off and no aggregate cut-off either. Pick the state whose language you genuinely speak — there is a language test at the end.

Eligibility

Age
Not below 20 years and not above 28 years as on 1 April 2026 — born between 02.04.1998 and 01.04.2006, both days inclusive.
Qualification
Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university.
Final-year students
Final-year and final-semester students may apply provisionally, but must produce proof of having passed on or before 31 December 2026.
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this advertisement.
Also required
  • A qualifying Local Language Proficiency Test at the end. You are exempt if you studied that language in class 10 or class 12.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
OBC 3 years
SC / ST 5 years
PwBD (General / EWS) 10 years
PwBD (OBC) 13 years
PwBD (SC / ST) 15 years
Ex-servicemen / disabled ex-servicemen service rendered + 3 years (8 for disabled ESM of SC/ST), capped at age 50
Widowed, divorced or legally separated women who have not remarried 7 years, capped at age 35 (General/EWS), 38 (OBC), 40 (SC/ST)
Trained apprentices of SBI 1 year (General/EWS), 4 (OBC), 6 (SC/ST), 11 / 14 / 16 with PwBD

Cumulative relaxation is NOT available at SBI — you get one relaxation, not two added together.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains → Local Language Proficiency Test (qualifying)

Preliminary examination No qualifying marks at all · shortlisting is on the aggregate

Section Qs Marks Time
English Language 30 30 20 min
Numerical Ability 35 35 20 min
Reasoning Ability 35 35 20 min
Total 100 100 1 hour

The advertisement’s own words: "No minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for individual test or for aggregate score. Section wise marks will not be maintained."

Main examination

Section Qs Marks Time
General / Financial Awareness 50 50 35 min
General English 40 40 35 min
Quantitative Aptitude 50 50 45 min
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude 50 60 45 min
Total 190 200 2 hours 40 min

A minimum aggregate percentage is required, decided by the Bank, with a 5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, PwBD, ex-servicemen and disabled ex-servicemen.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in both phases.

NABARD Grade A

From the official notification

Assistant Manager in Grade A (RDBS) — Rural Development Banking Service, 2025 cycle

NABARD advertisement for Grade A (RDBS, Legal, P&SS) 2025

The job. Assistant Manager at a development bank, not a commercial one — rural credit, refinance, and development projects rather than a branch counter.

Who it suits. Read the paper before you decide: only General Awareness, Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development count towards the merit list. Quant, reasoning, English and computer are qualifying only.

Eligibility

Age
Between 21 and 30 years of age as on 1 November 2025 — born between 02 November 1995 and 01 November 2004.
Qualification
Bachelor's degree in any subject with at least 60% in aggregate (55% for SC, ST and PwBD applicants), OR a post-graduate degree / MBA / PGDM with at least 55% (50%), OR CA / CS / CMA / ICWA, OR a PhD.
Final-year students
Explicitly excluded: "candidates whose final year/semester results have been declared after 01.11.2025 are not eligible to apply".
Attempts
No limit on attempts in this advertisement.

Relaxation on the upper age limit

Category Relaxation
OBC 3 years
SC / ST (where posts are reserved) 5 years
PwBD (General) 10 years
PwBD (OBC) 13 years
PwBD (SC / ST) 15 years
Ex-servicemen / ECO / SSCO 5 years

In the advertisement’s own capitals: no cumulative age relaxation is available to any applicant. There is no age relaxation at all for the Protocol & Security Service post.

Exam pattern

Preliminary → Mains → Psychometric test (mandatory) → Interview

Preliminary examination (RDBS and Legal) Composite 120 minutes for all eight tests together

Section Qs Marks
Test of Reasoning — qualifying only 20 20
English Language — qualifying only 30 30
Computer Knowledge — qualifying only 20 20
Quantitative Aptitude — qualifying only 20 20
Decision Making — qualifying only 10 10
General Awareness — counts for merit 20 20
Economic & Social Issues (focus on rural India) — counts for merit 40 40
Agriculture & Rural Development (emphasis on rural India) — counts for merit 40 40
Total 200 200

Shortlisting for Mains is on the merit section only — 100 of the 200 marks. Scoring well in quant and reasoning gets you past the gate and earns you nothing beyond it.

Main examination (Generalist)

Section Qs Marks Time
Paper I — General English, online descriptive 3 100 90 min
Paper II — Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development, objective 30 50 30 min
Paper II — the same subjects, descriptive: attempt 4 of 6 questions (two of 15 marks, two of 10) 4 50 90 min

Both descriptive papers are typed. The calling ratio is a maximum of 1:25 for the Mains and 1:3 for the interview.

Phases III and IV

Section Qs Marks
Psychometric test (mandatory), then interview

The interview may be taken in Hindi or English. The Protocol & Security Service stream has a different Preliminary paper with no quantitative section, and no written Mains at all.

Negative marking. One fourth of the marks assigned to that question, in both Phase I and Phase II.

RBI Grade B (DR)

Not verified — check the notification

Officer in Grade B (Direct Recruit) — General

Not verified. We could not open RBI’s official notification.

We could not read RBI's official notification: both opportunities.rbi.org.in and rbidocs.rbi.org.in answer an automated request with a JavaScript challenge instead of the document. So this entry prints no age limit and no qualification — we will not put a number here that we cannot cite. The structure below is what is widely reported, kept because it is useful for planning, but it is not confirmed by us. Open the current RBI notification before you rely on any of it.

The job. An officer at the central bank — regulation, supervision and policy work rather than retail banking.

Who it suits. Aimed at people who enjoy economics and writing, not at people who are fast at arithmetic: the written Mains has no quantitative or reasoning paper at all.

Eligibility

Age
Not verified. See the note above.
Qualification
Not verified — see the note above.
Final-year students
Not verified.
Attempts
Not verified.

Exam pattern

Phase I (objective, qualifying) → Phase II (three papers) → Interview

Phase I — reported structure, not verified Composite 120 minutes · qualifying only

Section Qs Marks
General Awareness 80 80
English Language 30 30
Quantitative Aptitude 30 30
Reasoning 60 60
Total 200 200

Phase II — reported structure, not verified

Section Qs Marks Time
Paper I — Economic & Social Issues (half objective, half descriptive) 100 90 min
Paper II — English, Writing Skills (fully descriptive) 100 90 min
Paper III — Finance & Management (half objective, half descriptive) 100 90 min

There is no quantitative or reasoning paper in Phase II — Phase I is the last time those are tested.

Negative marking. Reported as one fourth of the marks assigned to that question. Not verified.

RBI Assistant

Not verified — check the notification

Assistant at the Reserve Bank of India

Not verified. We could not open RBI’s official notification.

We could not read RBI's official notification: both opportunities.rbi.org.in and rbidocs.rbi.org.in answer an automated request with a JavaScript challenge instead of the document. So this entry prints no age limit and no qualification — we will not put a number here that we cannot cite. The structure below is what is widely reported, kept because it is useful for planning, but it is not confirmed by us. Open the current RBI notification before you rely on any of it.

The job. Clerical-grade staff at the central bank.

Who it suits. A clerical-grade paper with a broad Mains — five sections, including a full computer-knowledge test that most bank exams have now dropped.

Eligibility

Age
Not verified. See the note above.
Qualification
Not verified — see the note above.
Final-year students
Not verified.
Attempts
Not verified.

Exam pattern

Prelims → Mains → Language Proficiency Test

Preliminary examination — reported structure, not verified

Section Qs Marks Time
English Language 30 30 20 min
Numerical Ability 35 35 20 min
Reasoning Ability 35 35 20 min
Total 100 100 60 min

Main examination — reported structure, not verified

Section Qs Marks Time
Reasoning 40 40 30 min
English Language 40 40 30 min
Numerical Ability 40 40 30 min
General Awareness 40 40 25 min
Computer Knowledge 40 40 20 min
Total 200 200 135 min

A Language Proficiency Test follows the Mains.

Negative marking. Reported as one fourth of the marks assigned to that question. Not verified.

Three things worth noticing before you pick

  1. There are three different clocks, not one. IBPS and SBI run a sectionally timed paper — 20 minutes for English and it is taken away whether you finished or not. RBI Grade B Phase I and NABARD Phase I are composite: 120 minutes for the whole paper, spend it where you like. And IBPS RRB Prelims is its own thing: 80 questions in 45 minutes across two sections. Preparation for a composite paper and preparation for a sectional one are not the same preparation.
  2. Marks per question are not uniform, even inside one paper. In IBPS PO Prelims a reasoning question is worth about 1.14 marks and a quant question about 0.857. In IBPS RRB Mains a reasoning question is worth 1.25 and a computer question 0.5 — a 2.5× spread. Attempting in mark order, not in question order, is worth real marks.
  3. Computer Aptitude has quietly disappeared from most of these. It is gone from IBPS PO Mains and from IBPS Clerk Mains, where it survives only as an eligibility requirement. IBPS RRB is now the only IBPS exam that still tests it. SBI still names it inside the reasoning section. Old material that drills it as a separate subject is drilling something two of these exams no longer ask.

Where these numbers come from

7 of the 9 entries were read directly out of the official notification named under the exam — the age window, the relaxation table, the qualification clause and the section-wise pattern, all quoted from the document rather than recalled. Those carry a “From the official notification” mark.

The two RBI entries carry a “Not verified” mark instead. RBI's recruitment site serves an automated request a JavaScript challenge rather than the document, so we could not read it. Rather than guess, those entries print no age limit at all, and their pattern is labelled as reported rather than confirmed.

Patterns, weightage and eligibility are revised from notification to notification. Always treat the latest official notification as final. We post each one as it drops on our notifications page, and the wider explainers live in articles & guides.

46 places to look