Bank Exams · Subject-wise preparation

Descriptive writing for bank exams: formats, structures and practice

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 9 min read

Bank PO mains now test descriptive writing in set formats, and the formats have changed. SBI PO's 2026 mains has a 30-mark "Communication Skills" test: an email, a situation analysis, and a report or précis, typed in 30 minutes. IBPS PO's mains has a 25-mark descriptive test of an essay and a comprehension, also in 30 minutes. The old SBI "Letter and Essay" test (50 marks) is gone. This page gives each task's structure, practice outlines we wrote (not predictions of what will be asked), a typing-speed table and a four-week routine.

What each exam asks

IBPS says its PO descriptive may be based on economic and social issues, emerging trends in banking and technology, current events and ethics, and may be evaluated by an automated scoring mechanism. The notifications give totals and time, not word limits or marks per task; those are in the handout and on-screen instructions, so this page quotes no word counts. See RBI Grade B and IBPS SO for their writing papers.

Time and typing: the arithmetic

SBI gives you about 10 minutes per task, IBPS about 15. A workable split is roughly 20% planning, 70% typing and 10% proofreading: 2, 7 and 1 minutes for an SBI task; 3, 10 and 2 for an IBPS task. Your typing speed sets your ceiling.

These are best cases with no pauses; composing slows you down. At 20 words a minute you will spend the whole task typing with no time to think. Aim for at least 30 words a minute at 95% accuracy as a personal target (our suggestion, not an exam requirement). Practise 15 minutes a day on any free typing tool, then in a plain text editor with spell-check off, so your spelling does not depend on red underlines.

SBI PO: the three tasks

1. Email

An exam email is a short formal message that does one job. Use this order:

1. Subject line that states the matter.
2. Salutation: "Dear Mr Kumar," or "Dear Ma'am,".
3. Opening line giving the purpose.
4. Body of one or two short paragraphs: facts first, then action.
5. Request or next step, with a time frame.
6. Close: "Yours sincerely," and your designation.

Practice scenario: you are a branch manager. A customer, Ms Meena Raman, reports a debit-card transaction of ₹8,500 that she did not make. Write to her.

Notice the pattern: acknowledge, act, ask, reassure.

2. Situation analysis

SBI names the task only as "Situation Analysis", so check the handout for the exact prompt style. This structure suits any scenario:

1. The problem and who is affected.
2. Likely causes, two or three.
3. Options, each with one advantage and one drawback.
4. Recommendation with the reason.
5. Risks and follow-up.

Practice scenario: your branch has a long queue every Monday morning, customers are complaining online, and two clerks are on leave.

• Problem: long waiting times damage customer trust and tire staff.
• Causes: a Monday rush of cash and cheque work, too few staff, and one slow counter.
• Options: push digital channels (cheap, but not everyone can use them); rearrange staff for the busiest 3 hours (quick, but stretches the team); add queue tokens and a help desk (organised, but needs space).
• Recommendation: staff rearrangement and tokens now, with digital guidance for willing customers over the next month.
• Follow-up: track Monday waiting times for four weeks and review.

3. Report or précis

You pick one. A report has a title, a line saying who prepared it for whom and when, a purpose, three or four numbered findings, recommendations and a closing line. Practice scenario: a financial literacy camp held at a village branch, with findings such as attendance, common questions and follow-up account openings.

A précis is the shortened form of a passage in your own words. The classical rule is about one-third of the original length, but follow the limit in the question. Rules: keep only the main ideas, drop examples and figures unless essential, write in the third person, add no opinion, and keep the original order of ideas.

Worked example. Passage (123 words):

Digital payments have changed how people in small towns handle money. A shopkeeper who once kept a cash box now accepts payments through a phone, and a customer no longer needs to carry notes to the market. Supporters say this reduces the risk of theft, speeds up transactions and leaves a record that helps small businesses apply for loans. Critics, however, point out that the benefits are uneven. People without a smartphone or a stable network connection are left out, and those who are new to online platforms may fall prey to fraud. They argue that unless banks and the government invest in awareness and basic infrastructure, digital payments will widen the gap between those who are connected and those who are not.

Précis (44 words, about 36% of the original):

Digital payments make small-town trade safer, faster and better recorded, which helps businesses obtain loans. But people without smartphones, networks or awareness remain excluded or open to fraud, so unless banks and the government invest in awareness and infrastructure, the digital divide will widen.

Method: underline the main idea of each sentence, write one phrase for each, join them, then cut to the limit.

IBPS PO: essay and comprehension

Essay

The IBPS PO mains is an online exam, so expect to type; confirm in the handout. Structure for a 15-minute essay: an introduction that sets the context and states your position (2 to 3 sentences); two or three body paragraphs, each with a point and a concrete example; one paragraph that considers the other side or the way forward; a conclusion that ties back to the position. Don't write a memorised essay on a "similar" topic: relevance to the prompt is the first thing any scorer checks.

Practice prompts (ours, covering IBPS's stated themes; not predictions):

• Financial inclusion in rural India: is the gap access or awareness?
• Will AI make bank lending fairer or less transparent?
• Customer first or target first: an ethical dilemma in sales.
• Pick one policy announcement from the past month and write on its effect on households.

Sample outline for the second prompt:

Comprehension

The IBPS notification lists "Comprehension" without describing the task, so it may mean answering questions or writing a summary. Practise both: full sentences in your own words for questions, and the précis method above for a summary.

How scorers see your answer

Neither SBI nor IBPS publishes a marking rubric, so this is our reading of what a human or automated scorer can see in a typed answer:

• Relevance: does it answer the prompt as asked?
• Structure: clear paragraphs or numbered points, with an opening and an ending.
• Language: correct grammar, spelling and punctuation; sensible, not showy, vocabulary.
• Coherence: ideas in a logical order, joined by linking words.
• Completeness: finished within the time and the limit.

SBI sets a sectional qualifying score in the descriptive and counts its 30 marks inside the 230-mark mains, so a weak answer hurts more than it seems. Check the IBPS notification for how its 25 marks are used.

A four-week routine

After that, keep two or three sets a week. After each, check: did I answer what was asked, does the first sentence carry the main point, is the structure visible, is the tone right, is the language clean, and did I finish? Reading an editorial daily and noting five useful phrases will improve your writing more than memorising model answers. The English language guide covers the objective side of grammar and vocabulary, and the SBI PO preparation strategy shows where this practice fits in the plan.

What PrepMatic can and cannot do here

PrepMatic does not evaluate descriptive answers. Its practice is objective, so it helps with the skills underneath your writing: English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension questions, and the awareness you need for content. The study plan, built from your exam date, daily hours and study days, can keep writing days in your week. For feedback on your emails, essays and reports, ask a mentor or friend to check them against the list above.

Frequently asked questions

What is the descriptive test in SBI PO 2026?

It is called Communication Skills: an email, a situation analysis and a report or précis, with a choice within each, typed on the computer for 30 marks in 30 minutes. It replaces the older Letter and Essay test.

What is the descriptive test in IBPS PO?

The 2026 IBPS PO mains has two questions, an essay and a comprehension, for 25 marks in 30 minutes, in English. IBPS says the topics may relate to economic and social issues, banking and technology, current events and ethics.

Is letter writing still asked in bank exams?

Neither the 2026 SBI PO nor the IBPS PO notification names a letter. SBI's email follows the same formal conventions as a letter, so practise the tone and structure and use the email format.

How many words should I write?

The notifications do not give word counts. Follow the limit shown in the question or handout, and let your typing speed and the time per task set a realistic length. At 30 words a minute, a 10-minute SBI task has room for about 210 words if you do not pause.

Does PrepMatic check my descriptive answers?

No. PrepMatic's practice is objective and it does not evaluate descriptive answers, so practise these tasks yourself and have someone review them.

Official sources

• SBI careers: current openings: the SBI PO advertisement and handouts.
• SBI PO 2026-27 detailed advertisement: the Communication Skills test.
• IBPS PO/MT-XVI detailed notification: the essay and comprehension test.
• RBI Opportunities: RBI Grade B writing papers.

Check the latest notification and information handout, because formats, marks and timings can change between cycles.

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