Bank Exam List- Eligibility, Selection Process, Course, Pay Structure

Banking examinations in India are some of the most demanded government sector jobs that offer job safety, development opportunities and competitive salary. Every year, various recruitment bodies such as IBPS, SBI, RBI, Nabard, and individual banks are conducted by various recruitment bodies to fill positions in clerical, officer and expert categories. In this guide, we provide a complete list of the upcoming bank exam 2025, as well as their eligibility criteria, selection process, courses and salary structure.

Bank examination

Each bank differs slightly in terms of examination patterns, difficulty levels and nature of the presented posts. While examinations like SBI PO and RBI Grade B are known for their difficult selection process and higher competition, other IBPS Clerk and RRB office assistants are more accessible to other entry level candidates. Candidates should align their preparation strategy with the specific examination they are targeting, focusing on areas such as logic, quantitative ability, English and current affairs. Understanding the examination-specific structure and previous year’s trends can significantly improve the possibilities of qualifying and securing a stable career in the banking sector.

List of top bank exams 2025

With millions of aspirations and limited seats, banking exams require focus preparations and a smart strategy. Whether you aim to be informed about eligibility, selection stages, courses and salary, as a clerk, probation -under officer, or a grade B officer, is the first step towards a successful banking career in 2025. Here is a list of major bank exams to see in 2025:

IBPS PO (Probation Officer)

The IBPS PO exam is conducted every year for recruitment for the post of probationary officers in public sector banks. It is one of the most competitive exams and opens the doors for an officer level career in banking. The examination includes three phases, prelims, mains and interviews, and candidates must qualify at each stage to be selected.

IBPS clerk

The IBPS Clerk Exam recruits candidates for clerical positions in various nationalized banks. This exam is ideal for candidates who start their banking career at the entry level. This includes prelims and men’s exams, and there is no interview round for clerical positions.

IBPS RRB (Office Assistant and Officer Scale I, II, III)

The IBPS RRB exam is conducted for regional rural banks. It recruits office assistants (equivalent to clerks) and officer Scale I (PO), II, and III (expert and experienced roles). This is a great opportunity for those who want to work in rural and semi-urban areas.

SBI Po

SBI PO is one of the most prestigious banking examinations in India, which offers attractive salary packages and career development. The selection process includes prelims, mens, a descriptive test, psychometric testing and group exercise and interview, which makes it slightly more intensive than other exams.

SBI clerk

SBI Clerk recruits Junior Associates to handle customer aid and banking works. This includes a two-step process, prelims and mains, and provides good salary, job stability and progress of career in India’s largest public sector bank.

SBI CBO

SBI CBO recruited circle -based officers, offering a beautiful salary package and promising career development. For this post, candidates should have a minimum of 02 years experience in the banking institute.

SBI so

SBI Specialist Officer Examination is conducted to recruit professionals for roles like IT officer, HR, marketing and law officer. The selection process includes online examination and interview based on the post. It is ideal for candidates with domain-specific qualifications.

RBI Grade B

The RBI Grade B officer examination is one of the most respected government examinations in the finance sector. It offers a high early salary, posting in metro cities and an aristocratic career path at the Reserve Bank of India. The exam is conducted in three phases: Phase I, Phase II and Interview.

RBI assistant

This exam is conducted for the recruitment of candidates for clerical roles in RBI offices across India. The selection process includes prelims, main and language proficiency tests. It is less competitive than RBI Grade B, but provides central government-level benefits.

NABARD Grade A&B

NABARD conducts the examination for Grade A (Assistant Manager) and Grade B (Manager) posts in Rural Development Banking. The exam includes prelims, main (with descriptive writing), and an interview. It is ideal for candidates with agriculture, economics or rural development background.

Private and Cooperative Bank Examination

Banks such as HDFC, IDBI, AP Mahesh Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and Karnataka Bank operate their recruitment drives for clerk, officer and supporting roles. These usually include a single-phase online test, followed by an interview.

Eligibility Criteria for Bank Examination

To appear in most bank examinations in India, candidates should graduate from a recognized university under any discipline. Some specialist positions may require specific qualifications such as B.Tech, MBA, CA, or Law Degrees. The minimum age is usually 20 years, while the maximum age varies between 28 and 30 years for general candidates, with age relaxation for SC/ST, OBC, PWBD and pre-service categories. Additionally, candidates should be Indian citizens or come under the eligible eligibility criteria specified for Nepal, Bhutan, or Tibetan refugees subjects. The eligibility position varies depending on the exam and post, but some common criteria are as follows:

Bank examination selection process

The selection process for bank examinations usually follows a multi-step format. Most examinations begin with an initial examination, which is qualifying in nature, followed by a main examination that is highly weighted. PO either for officer-level positions, a personal interview or group discussion round is also conducted. Some examinations may include a descriptive paper, language proficiency test or psychometric evaluation based on the role and bank basis. The final selection is done on the basis of safe cumulative scars in the main and interview round (if applied).

Salary of bankers

Bank jobs are known for their attractive salary packages, allowances and job protection. For entry-level posts like clerk, monthly in-hand salary based on bank and location ranges from ₹ 36,000 to ₹ 40,000. PO and therefore for officer-level positions, the initial salary can ranges from about ₹ 73,000 to ₹ 76,000. High positions such as RBI Grade B or NABARD Grade A offer are more attractive salary, often more than 80,000 per month. Apart from basic salary, employees get dearness allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), medical benefits, pension and travel concessions.

Bank jobs provide attractive salary along with allowances and benefits. Here is a common breakdown:

Bank examination syllabus

Although the course may vary slightly on exams and posts, there is a general observation here:

1. Preliminary Examination Course (for Clerk and PO)

• English language: Reading Comprehension, Close Test, Sentence Re -Origin, Error Spotting, Fill Spaces, Synonyms and Antoms, Para Completion, etc.
• Quantitative Aptitude: Simplification and adjacent, number chain, data interpretation (tables, pie charts, line graphs, etc.), arithmetic (profit and loss, time and function, ratio and ratio, average, C and CI), quadratic equation, data adequate, etc.
• Capacity of logic: Puzzles and seating arrangements, syllogism, blood ties, coding-decoding, inequality, direction sense, input-output, statement and beliefs, etc.

2. Main examination course

• general awareness: Current Affairs (last 4-6 months), banking and financial awareness, static GK (important dates, geography, economy), government schemes, RBI, SEBI and other regulatory bodies.
• Computer knowledge: Computer basics, MS office and shortcuts, internet and networking, operating systems, computer vocabulary, cyber security and malware, etc.
• Descriptive (if applied): Precis, email, report, letter and essay writing.

3. Expert officer (SO) course

This includes relevant professional knowledge for specific roles, such as IT, marketing, HR, law, etc.