Syllabus

Indian Bank PO Exam Syllabus

Indian Bank PO Syllabus for exam designs so that a candidate’s overall caliber can be checked. Also, to ensure that the candidate will take responsibility and complete the required tasks. For example, a candidate should have good oral and written communication skills. Not only this, but the candidate should also be good at logical and analytical thinking. Along with this, an excellent probationary officer should be a good team worker, have some leadership skills, and have an excellent positive attitude.

Moreover, the Indian Bank PO Syllabus mainly consists of English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, Banking Awareness, and Data Interpretation to judge the candidate on these parameters. However, the prescribed syllabus for both stages is different.

For the initial stage, the topics include English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude. Meanwhile, for the main exam, the syllabus is Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis, and Interpretation. In addition, the candidate also has to write a letter and essay in English in the main examination. In short, this descriptive exam takes place to judge the written communication skills of the candidate. 

Indian Bank PO Exam Prelims Syllabus

The first stage of the Indian Bank PO exam is a preliminary exam. This initial exam has three significant sections, i.e., English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. In addition, the candidate can attempt Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability in 2 languages, i.e., English and Hindi. In total, there will be 100 objective-type questions.

On the contrary, the total time given for the prelim round will be 60 minutes. However, there will be 30 questions from the English Language, 35 questions from Quantitative Aptitude, and 35 questions from the Reasoning Ability. Also, the test will be a computer-based online detailed description of the syllabus of the preliminary exam is given below:-

Know More – Indian Bank PO Important Date & Notifications

Indian Bank PO Exam Mains Syllabus

The Mains exam covers a broader area of subjects. Therefore, there are some additional topics along with the prelims syllabus. Overall, there are four primary sections of the main syllabus, i.e., Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis, and Interpretation. So, the main exam consists of 155 objective-type questions, which will be 200 marks. Meanwhile, candidates get 3 hours to complete the exam.

Additionally, there will be a descriptive exam of 25 marks. In the descriptive exam, the candidate will have to write an essay and a letter. Thus, a Candidate gets 30 minutes to write a descriptive exam. 

The detailed description of the mains exam is as follows:-

Indian Bank PO Exam Pattern

The exam takes place in three stages, initial namely:-

1. Preliminary Exam
2. Main Exam
3. Interview Round

Each candidate must clear all three stages of the exam. The first candidate has to clear the preliminary exam, which will have 100 subjective type questions. Then, the candidate is given 1 hour to complete the main examination. After the prelims exam, a cut-off list gets rolled out by the Indian Bank. Candidates who clear the cut-off will then appear for the mains exam. The Indian Bank PO Mains exam will be of 200 marks and will have 155 objective-type questions. A descriptive exam will also be there after the main exam, in which the candidate will have to write an essay and a letter. The total duration of the mains exam will be 3 hours + 30 minutes for the descriptive exam.

Essential details of the exam are – 

Candidates can attempt either English or Hindi (except English Language and descriptive exams). The questions in the exam consist of objective types. There will also be a negative marking of .25 marks for every wrong answer in the prelims and mains exam. However, there will be no deductions in marks for not solving the question.

Prelims Pattern

Firstly, the pattern of the prelims exam is pretty simple and similar to any other government exam. There will be a total of 100 questions. Furthermore, the 100 questions get broken into three sections, i.e., English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. Candidates get leverage of  60 minutes to write this exam. The exam will be conducted online at the examination centers. There will be 30 questions from the English Language, 35 questions from the Quantitative Aptitude, and 35 questions from the Reasoning Ability. Moreover, there will also be a negative marking.

However, there will be no negative marking for not attempting to answer any questions. 

The detailed pattern of  prelims examination pattern is as follows:

Since the Indian Bank releases sectional cut-offs and general cut-offs, the candidates need to clear both the cut-offs to appear in the next stage. 

Mains Pattern

However, the Mains exam pattern is a little different from the prelims exam pattern. In total, there will be 155 objective-type questions. Additionally, there will also be a descriptive paper. Moreover, a candidate has to write an essay and a letter. Overall, the time duration of the mains exam will be 3 hours—thirty minutes for the descriptive exam.

Meanwhile, the exam consists of four sections, i.e., Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis, and Interpretation. However, the descriptive exam will have two questions. In addition to this, one will be on essay writing, and the other will be on letter writing. Apart from the English language section, candidates can attempt the exam in both English and Hindi.

Below is the pattern of the mains examination- 

Additionally, there will be both sectional cut-offs and general cut-offs released by the Indian Bank. Thus, the candidates need to clear both the cut-offs to appear in the Interview round.

 Therefore, after clearing the prelims and mains, the candidate will also have to clear the interview round. However, the weightage of the prelims and the main exam (counted together) and the interview round will be 80:20. After the interview round, the qualified candidate gets a  provisional offer to become a probationary officer in the branches of the Indian Bank. Before being posted as a probationary officer, each candidate must complete a 1-year PGDBF course at Indian Bank, Manipal School of Banking. 

Indian Bank PO Exam Syllabus Recommended Books

Eventually, a candidate has to prepare very well to clear all three stages of the exam. Therefore, it is essential to choose the right books for preparation. Above all resources, books should contain the latest information on the topics. Without a doubt, it is always better to prepare from separate books of different sections. Also, a good book should include sample papers and previous year’s question papers. Below is a hand-picked selection of books that candidates can refer to for their exam preparation.

For the English Language:

Subsequently, the English language section will be there for both the prelims and mains exam. Above all, in the English language, 30  section candidates have to answer 30 questions. 

A list of recommended books are below:-

1. Objective: General English by SP Bakshi
2. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
3. Corrective English by AK Singh
4. High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
5. Bank PO English Language: 17 Years (2000 – 2016) Chapterwise Solved Papers (English, Paperback, Arihant Experts)
6. New Pattern English Language for  SBI/IBPS Bank PO/SO/Clerk/RRB Exams (English, Paperback, Disha Experts)

For Quantitative Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation

Besides that, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Analysis & Interpretation are crucial topics in the Indian Bank PO Exam. In short, questions from this section will be there in both exams. As a result, it is vital to choose the right books with well-explained answers. In addition, some tricks can help us complete the questions within time. 

From the list below, aspirants can check the following books for reference – 

1. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by RS Agarwal
2. Quantitative Aptitude Chapter-wise solved papers by Kiran Publications
3. How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
4. Data Interpretation-Magical Book Series.
5. Bank PO Quantitative Aptitude Chapterwise Solved Papers (Old Edition) by Arihant Experts.
6. Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
7. How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
8. New Pattern Data Analysis & Interpretation for SBI/ IBPS Bank PO/ SO/ Clerk/ RRB/ SSC Exams (English, Paperback, Disha Experts)

Reasoning Ability

Likewise, reasoning ability will have 35 questions in the prelims exam. However, questions from reasoning ability can be tricky and sometimes take up a lot of time. Thus, candidates should refer to good books. In addition, practice from books that have some tricks of solving the reasoning questions in less time. 

Below is the list of recommended books that are – 

1. To begin with, how to crack the test of Reasoning: by Arihant Publications.
2. In addition, try solving Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning using RS Agarwal
3. Also, try to solve Analytical Reasoning with MK Pandey
4. Topic-wise Solved Papers for IBPS/ SBI Bank PO/ Clerk Prelim & Mains (2010-16) Reasoning (English, Paperback, Disha Experts)
5. Besides it, the candidate can try Kiran’s Tricky Approach To Competitive Reasoning Verbal & Non-Verbal (Fully Solved) 7000+objective Question Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability—English (Paperback, Kiran)

For General/ Economy/Banking Awareness

However, a candidate has to solve forty questions from the mains exam’s banking/ general/ Economy section. Hence, books from this category must include the latest news and General Awareness. As a result, questions will also come from significant finance, sports, science, banking policies and laws, and cover geography. 

The following is the list of recommended books are as follows:-

1. First and foremost, Lucent’s General Knowledge
2. Subsequently, follow the Manorama Yearbook
3. Banking Awareness by Arihant Publication
4. In addition, you can also read NCERT Textbooks for Economics
5. Last but not least, general/Banking/Financial Awareness with Current Affairs for Bank Exams by Disha Experts.

For Computer Aptitude

In Computer Aptitude, questions come from topics like input-output devices, shortcuts, and last but not least, MS-Excel, etc. Therefore, to make your hunt easy, the list of recommended books are as follows:-

1. Computer Literacy and Knowledge of Bank PO and Bank Clerk Exam by Kiran Prakashan
2. As well as try to cover Lucent’s Computer by Rani Ahilya
3. Likewise, you can also study the Computer Aptitude & Awareness (Competition Series) by Manju  Arora.

Exam Preparation Tips

However, it should be noted that preparing for any government exam requires a lot of dedication and patience. Therefore, candidates need to follow a strict timetable and allocate time accordingly to cover all the topics within time. Not only this, candidates need to identify the issues of each section and then prepare according to the sub-topics. Hence, below are some preparation tips for candidates who are segregated section-wise for clear understanding:-

Tips for the English Language

• Most importantly, focus on basic English grammar rules such as Parts of Speech, Voice, Narration, Phrases, Idioms, Tenses, Singular and Plural Nouns.
• Furthermore, read newspapers, books, and exam-related magazines.
• Learn new words to improve your vocabulary.
• Also, practice questions from previous years.
• Last but not least, try writing essays and letters by setting up an alarm clock so that you can complete the descriptive test in the given time.

Tips for Quantitative Aptitude

• Moreover, try to study from school-level Mathematics books like NCERT.
• Also, understand the theory behind every concept to apply that theory to every similar question.
• Besides that, learn the formulas by writing on paper. Writing down something makes it easy to remember.
• Best of all, practice previous years’ question papers at regular intervals and try to complete the questions in a given time.
• Equally important: Try to attempt mock tests to improve accuracy and speed.
• Apart from that, try to learn tricks to complete time-taking questions in less time.

Indian Bank PO Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification

Tips for Logical Reasoning

• Additionally, candidates should learn and clarify their concepts.
• Especially practice questions from sample papers, previous years’ question papers, and question banks.
• Moreover, solve mock tests by setting up the alarm clock according to the time limit.
• At the same time, try to learn tricks to complete time-taking questions in less time.

Tips for Computer Aptitude

• Especially, learning all the things related to basic computer hardware and software.
• Most importantly, candidates should know the basics of how to use a computer.
• Likewise, try to learn computer shortcuts to save time.
• On the other hand, practice typing on the computer.

Tips for General/ Economy/Banking Awareness

• Read newspapers regularly. Additionally, candidates can set a daily time to read newspapers and note points.
• Besides that, make notes of essential points from books, newspapers, and magazines.
• Also, you can read the Manorama yearbook

Check Out Other Banking Exams :

IBPS PO Exam Date, Fees, Eligibility & Notification

SBI PO Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification

South Indian Bank PO Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification

RBI Grade B Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Q. 1 How many stages of the Indian Bank PO exam are there?

A. Overall there are three stages of the exam, i.e., Preliminary exam, mains exam, and interview round.

Q. 2 What is the time duration for each round?

A. Meanwhile, for the prelims exam, candidates get a time of 60 minutes. Following the main exam, there is a time duration of 3 hours. So, in total, candidates get an additional thirteen minutes to solve a descriptive paper.

Q.3 What type of questions will there be?

A. Specifically, all the questions will be of objective type. In addition, there will be a descriptive exam after the main exam in which candidates have to write an essay and a letter in 30 minutes.

Q.4 Where to apply for the Indian Bank PO exam?

A. In particular, candidates with minimum eligibility can apply for the Indian Bank Po exam on the official website of the Indian Bank.

Q.5 How many questions will there be?

A. A total of 100 questions with 100 marks in the prelims exam. On the contrary, 155 questions out of 200 marks in the mains exam.

Q.6 Will there be any negative marking for wrong answers?

A. Yes, consequently, there will be a negative mark of .25 marks for every wrong answer. However, there will also be no negative marking for not attempting to answer any questions.