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How to prepare for bank exams from scratch: a six-month plan

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

To prepare for bank exams from zero, spend month 1 on basics (tables, percentages, grammar, simple reasoning), months 2 and 3 on topic-by-topic learning, month 4 on timed sectional practice and the mains subjects, and months 5 and 6 on full mocks and error analysis. Plan for about four to five hours a day if you are a student, or two and a half hours on weekdays plus a long weekend block if you work. The prelims is the first gate, so train for its tight timing from the start.

Step 1: Know the paper you are training for

In the 2026 notifications, the prelims for IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Junior Associate are all 100 questions in 60 minutes, split into English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. Each section has its own 20-minute limit, so you cannot borrow time from a section you finished early.

Marks are not equal per section in IBPS PO prelims: English is 30 marks, Quant 30 and Reasoning 40. A Reasoning question there is worth more than a Quant question. SBI PO's prelims is English-heavy at 40 questions. Read the detailed pattern for your target on the IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk or SBI PO page, and use the bank exams list if you have not picked an exam yet.

Work backwards from the date. IBPS publishes a tentative calendar in advance, and the 2026-27 one lists PO prelims in August and Clerk prelims in October, though IBPS can change dates. Six months before your target exam is a sensible start.

Step 2: The six-month roadmap

The topic names here are the commonly tested areas across bank exams. IBPS and SBI notifications give section names, not topic lists, so treat this as standard coverage, not an official syllabus.

Step 3: A daily routine that fits your life

These are suggested splits to adapt, not rules.

If you work, make the weekend the exam-simulation day. Take one timed sectional set or mock, then spend as long analysing it as you spent taking it. Weekday blocks stay short and topic-focused. A fixed time every day matters more than long irregular sessions, and one day a week off keeps you from burning out.

Step 4: Where to start in each section

Quantitative aptitude. Start with calculation speed, not formulas. Know squares to 30, cubes to 15, tables to 20 and fraction-to-percentage equivalents (1/7 is about 14.3%) so that approximation questions take seconds. Then work through arithmetic chapters. Details are in the quantitative aptitude guide.

Reasoning. Do the short topics first (coding-decoding, blood relations, syllogism, inequality) to build confidence, then puzzles and seating arrangements, which take the most time. Learn to choose which puzzle set to attempt and which to leave. See reasoning ability.

English. Read one editorial a day with the goal of understanding it, not just finishing it. Add grammar and vocabulary in small daily doses. The English section is a different skill from Quant and improves slowly, which is why it should start in month 1. See English language.

Mains subjects. From month 3, add banking awareness and current affairs. IBPS PO mains explicitly includes digital and financial awareness, including RBI circulars. Start descriptive writing practice by month 4 if you target PO: IBPS PO has an essay and comprehension paper, and SBI PO has email, situation analysis and report or precis, typed on a computer. The descriptive writing guide covers both.

Step 5: Move to mocks at the right time

Take your first full prelims mock around the end of month 4, after you have covered most topics once. Before then, mocks mostly measure what you have not learned yet. After it, mocks are the main way you improve, and analysis matters more than the number taken. The mock test strategy guide has the schedule and the analysis method. Be careful with older mocks, because some online sets still follow earlier patterns.

Common beginner mistakes

• Collecting resources instead of finishing them. One book or course per subject, finished, beats five half-read.
• Learning shortcuts before concepts. A tricks video is useful only after you understand why the method works.
• Ignoring English until the last month. It cannot be crammed.
• Practising without a clock. The exam is 20 minutes a section. Untimed practice trains the wrong skill.
• Leaving out current affairs. The awareness section in mains is scoring, and it needs months of reading.
• Not keeping an error log. Repeating the same mistakes in every mock is the clearest sign of it.
• Practising old patterns. Check any test against the current notification before trusting its marks.

Planning with PrepMatic

PrepMatic's free assessment is about 15 multiple-choice questions with no timer. It shows your weakest subjects among Quant, Reasoning and English so month 1 starts where you need it. You can then enter your exam date, daily study hours and study days, and PrepMatic builds a Today view and a month-by-month Roadmap. Log study time, take topic tests of about 15 questions on what you have finished, and take full-length mocks or shorter custom mocks focused on your weak subjects.

Frequently asked questions

How many months are needed to prepare for bank exams?

A beginner can follow a six-month plan like the one above. Someone who already has the basics may need three or four months of sectional practice and mocks. What matters is hours of consistent practice, not the number of months alone.

How many hours a day should I study for bank exams?

About four to five hours a day works for a full-time student, and two and a half to three hours on weekdays plus longer weekend sessions for a working aspirant. Pick a number you can sustain daily.

Can I prepare for bank exams without coaching?

Nothing in the notifications requires coaching. IBPS and SBI publish information handouts, and the pattern is on the official sites. Self-study needs a fixed plan, timed practice and honest analysis. See the bank exams guide to start.

Which bank exam should a beginner start with?

Start with the prelims, because all four of the main PO and clerk exams share the same three subjects. After that, choose by age, degree timing and role. The PO vs clerk guide helps you decide.

I am weak in maths. Can I still clear a bank exam?

Quant is only one of three prelims sections, but in mains it grows and data interpretation is a large part of the PO mains. Weakness in maths is mostly a speed and practice problem. Start with calculation basics in month 1, and use sectional tests to find the topics holding you back.

Official sources

• IBPS: detailed notifications, tentative calendar and information handouts.
• SBI careers: PO and Junior Associate advertisements.

Patterns change between cycles. Check the section counts, marks and timing in the latest notification before you build your mocks.

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