Bank Exams · Subject-wise preparation

English for bank exams, topic by topic

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

English for bank exams is scored in the prelims of IBPS PO, IBPS CSA, SBI PO, SBI JA, RBI Assistant and RBI Grade B, and in the mains of every major bank exam. The one exception is IBPS RRB, whose prelims has no English section; its mains lets you pick English or Hindi. The section rewards accuracy more than volume, because it is a mix of rule-based questions you can answer quickly and passages that take time. This page gives the pattern, the commonly tested question types, ten grammar rules with examples, and a time plan for a 20-minute prelims section.

Where English appears in each bank exam

Figures are from the 2026 IBPS and SBI notifications and the RBI Assistant 2025 handout; the RBI Assistant prelims split is from secondary sources. RBI Grade B has an English test in Phase I (one of four tests, split not given in the advertisement) and a separate Phase II English writing paper, typed and descriptive, 100 marks in 90 minutes (see RBI Grade B).

Two points matter for planning. IBPS PO mains English is 40 questions for 20 marks, but IBPS PO mains has a sectional minimum, and SBI PO mains has a sectional qualifying score in each test, so you cannot ignore it for a low weightage. And SBI PO prelims packs 40 questions into 20 minutes, 30 seconds each, so speed on grammar questions pays directly.

Commonly tested question types

IBPS and SBI name only the section, so there is no official topic list. These question types recur. The shares are approximate, unofficial and change each year.

Mains adds longer passages, para completion and inference sets, and, in IBPS PO and SBI PO, a descriptive paper. Our descriptive writing guide covers that part.

Ten grammar rules that cover most error-spotting

In error spotting, read the whole sentence first, then check each marked part against these rules. Choose "no error" only after you have checked every part.

Para jumbles, cloze and reading comprehension

Para jumbles. Find the opening sentence first. It introduces the topic and does not refer back to anything. Then link pairs: pronouns ("this", "they"), connectors ("however", "therefore") and sentences that continue an example. Try this set:

• A. However, such convenience also brings the risk of fraud.
• B. Mobile payments changed that by letting anyone send money with a phone.
• C. Users should therefore never share their PIN or OTP with anyone.
• D. Cash was once the only practical way to pay for small purchases.
• E. A tea seller can now accept payment by displaying a single QR code.

The answer is DBEAC. D opens the topic. B starts with "that", which points back to D. E gives an example of mobile payments. A begins with "However, such convenience", so it follows E. C begins with "therefore" and closes the paragraph.

Cloze test. Read the whole passage once before choosing anything. Decide whether each blank is a grammar blank (tense, preposition, article) or a meaning blank. Use the sentences before and after the blank, eliminate on grammar first, and check that the chosen word forms a natural pair with its neighbours.

Reading comprehension. Read for the main idea and the author's tone in a first quick pass, not every detail. Answer theme, tone and vocabulary-in-context questions first, then the detail questions, going back to the lines they point to. Wrong options are usually too extreme, too narrow or unsupported by the passage.

A time plan for a 20-minute prelims section

This is a starting point, not an official recommendation. Adjust it after two or three timed sectionals. Wrong answers lose a fraction of the marks (the CSA, SBI PO, SBI JA and RBI Assistant documents deduct one-fourth of the marks assigned; check the IBPS PO notification for its rule), so skip a question you cannot narrow to two options.

Building vocabulary and reading speed

Read one English editorial daily and note unfamiliar words with the sentence they appeared in, not just a meaning. Learn words in groups of synonyms and antonyms, and revise on day 1, day 3, day 7 and day 21. Reading speed matters as much as vocabulary, so time yourself on each passage. If you studied in Tamil medium, start with reading and grammar rules in English rather than translating from Tamil; the rule list above is short and learnable. For the exam plan around English, see the IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern and SBI PO syllabus and exam pattern, and for RRB the IBPS RRB guide. The bank exam guide links every section page.

Practising English with PrepMatic

PrepMatic's free assessment covers English along with Quant and Reasoning, and shows your subject-wise correct answers and weakest subjects. You can build a custom mock by choosing subject, number of questions, duration and difficulty, for example a 30-question, 20-minute English sectional, or take mocks focused on your weak subjects. All practice is multiple-choice and the questions are AI-generated, so it does not cover descriptive papers, email writing or essays.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a sectional cut-off in English?

In IBPS PO and IBPS CSA prelims, yes: the notifications specify sectional cut-offs in each test. SBI PO and SBI JA prelims have none, but SBI PO mains has a sectional qualifying score in each test. Check the latest notification for exact rules.

Is there English in IBPS RRB prelims?

No. RRB prelims has reasoning and numerical ability only. The mains lets you choose English or Hindi Language, 40 questions for 40 marks.

How is bank-exam English different in the mains?

Mains uses longer passages, para completion and inference-based questions, and IBPS PO and SBI PO add a descriptive paper. IBPS PO mains English also carries fewer marks per question on average (20 marks for 40 questions) than its prelims section.

Which grammar rules should I learn first?

Subject-verb agreement, tenses, prepositions and the nearer-subject rule appear in many error-spotting questions. Learn the ten rules above, then expand from your error log.

How do I improve English if I studied in Tamil medium?

Read English every day and learn grammar rules directly in English. Practise sectionals so that accuracy under time pressure becomes a habit. The tricky part is speed, and speed comes from reading volume, not from memorising word lists.

Official sources

• IBPS: detailed notifications and information handouts with sample question types.
• SBI careers: PO and Junior Associate advertisements.
• RBI opportunities: Grade B and Assistant notices and handouts.

Neither IBPS nor SBI publishes past question papers, so any "previous year paper" is memory-based. Confirm the pattern in the latest notification.

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