Bank Exams: 10 Best Bank Exams To Gear Up For In 2026
Bank Exam Calendar 2026: The public sector banks in India are expected to come up with large number of vacancies in 2026. Job seekers eyeing for getting a job in the banking sector must start their preparations. Here we have listed the top 10 bank exams that candidates can look for in 2026. Scroll down to read more details on bank exam calendar 2026.
10 Best Bank Exams in India
Banking Exams 2026: The banking industry attracts large number of youths every year. According to media reports, large number of vacancies are expected to be announced in 2026. Those who are planning to appear for the various bank exams in India must begin their preparations. The best bank exams that candidates can look for in 2026 are SBI PO, Clerk, IBPS PO, Clerk, IBPS RRB. Besides, candidates can also apply for RBI Grade B, Assistant, NABARD, SEBI Grade A. The eligiblility is different for different bank exams. The basic eligibility for various exams is Graduation.
The positions offered to candidates are of Probationary Officers, Specialist Officers, Clerical cadre, and many more. As these exams are highly competitive, candidates need to prepare well.They can prepare well by going through the bank exam syllabus. It is also necessary to attempt mock tests.
The selection process for bank exams vary as per the posts. Generally, the selection process includes prelims exam, mains exam and interview. Read below for more details on various banking exams 2026.
- Bank Exams: Latest News
- Bank Calendar 2026
- Upcoming Banking Exams 2026
- Best Bank Exams In India
- Banking Exams in India
- Banking Exam After Graduation
- How Can I Prepare for Bank Exams 2026?
- Top Bank Exams in India
- Best 10 bank exams in 2026
- Bank Exam Syllabus
Bank Exams: Latest News
As per the Finance Ministry's recent revision in the bank exams selection process, the recruitment for SBI will be done first, which will be followed by Nationalised Banks and RRBs. The officer-level results will be announced first.
Also Read: Finance Ministry Announces Necessary Guidelines for Bank Exam Recruitment
Bank Calendar 2026
Bank exam calendar is first published by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. IBPS RRB notification 2026 is expected to be released in August/September. IBPS Clerk notification is expected in July. IBPS PO notification is expected to be released in June. SBI Clerk and PO notifications will be released early.
Also Read:
Upcoming Banking Exams 2026
Candidates eyeing for the best bank exams 2026 should be thorough with the dates. To help them keep updated with all the events, we have provided below the upcoming bank exam calendar.
| Exam | Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| SBI Clerk |
Prelims-To be notified Mains-To be notified |
| IBPS RRB |
Officers Scale 1 prelims November 2026 Office Assistant Prelims December 2026 Single Online Exam: December 2026 Mains Exam Officers Scale 1 December 28 2026 Mains Exam Office Assistant February 2027 |
| IBPS Clerk |
Preliminary exam: October 2026 Mains exam: November 2026 |
| IBPS PO |
Prelims: August 2026 Mains: October 2026 |
| RBI Assistant |
Prelims: To be notified Mains: To be notified |
| RBI Grade B |
Preliminary exam: To be notified Mains exam: To be notified |
| SBI PO |
Preliminary exam: To be notified Mains exam: To be notified |
Best Bank Exams In India
Bank exams are one of the desired exams for graduates willing to make their career in the banking sector of the country. Every year, multiple banks release vacancies for the post of Bank PO, Bank Clerk, Bank SO, etc. Bank jobs comprise multiple stages of exam for the selection process. Bank jobs offer handsome salaries, job security, perks, and allowances (DA, HRA, Medical, Travelling, etc.). Due to all these benefits, a large number of candidates apply for bank jobs. To ace the best bank exams in India, candidates must prepare well with dedication and hard work.
Banking Exams in India
Every year lakhs of candidates appear for different banking exams, depending on the number of vacancies. Nowadays, candidates are aspiring for a career in the banking industry. Candidates need to prepare well to make it to the final list of shortlisted candidates. The banking industry offers very good career prospects to candidates who wish to make their career in this field. Through different banking exams in India, lakhs of candidates are recruited to various posts, such as Probationary Officer (PO), Clerk, and Specialist Officer (SO) in different regional and public sector banks. The difficulty level of various bank exams depends on the number of posts. Selection to the various banks in PO/SO posts is usually done based on prelims, mains, and interview. For clerical-level posts, the selection is done based on prelims and mains exams.
Banking Exam After Graduation
Aspirants can apply for banking exams after graduation. There are no bank exam after Class 10. Candidates need to complete Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university. Some banks also decide on qualifying percentages in graduation to select candidates for various roles.
How Can I Prepare for Bank Exams 2026?
Top Bank Exams in India
SBI, IBPS and RBI are the recruitment bodies that conduct various banking exams. Listed below are 10 bank exams that candidates can gear up for in 2026.
| SBI PO |
SBI SO |
| SBI Clerk |
IBPS Clerk |
| IBPS PO |
IBPS SO |
| IBPS RRB |
RBI Grade B |
| NABARD |
Best 10 bank exams in 2026
The best 10 banking exams in 2026 that aspirants can apply for are explained below in detail:
SBI PO
Vacancies for this recruitment are released every year. Candidates are recruited to the post of Probationary Officer (PO). The exam is conducted in three phases: Preliminary, Mains and Interview. The job profile is a general banking or banking administration role. The starting basic pay has been revised to INR 48,480 (Plus four advance increments). SBI PO payscale is INR48480-2000/7-62480-2340/2-67160-2680/7-85920 which is applicable to Junior Management Grade Scale-I. Besides, candidates are also entitled to DA, HRA, CCA, Medical, and Other allowances.
To get updates on SBI PO exam, check the links below:
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SBI Clerk
SBI Clerk recruitment is conducted to select candidates for to post of Junior Associates (Customer Support of Sales). The exam is conducted in two phases: Prelims and Mains. The job profile involves direct data entry and direct interaction with the customers.
Click the links below for related articles of SBI Clerk
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IBPS PO
The Institute of Banking Personal Selection conducts IBPS PO exam for recruitment to Probationary Officer/Management Trainee. The selection process includes prelims, mains and interview. The IBPS PO job profile is general banking, bank administration, supervision of the clerical works, and working for increasing the bank business level.
Read different articles related to the exam by clicking the below links:
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IBPS RRB
IBPS RRB is conducted to select candidates for various Group A and B posts such as Officers Scale I, II, III, and Office Assistant (Multipurpose). Candidates for the post of Office Assistant are conducted based on prelims and mains exam. For Officers Scale I, candidates are selected based on prelims, mains, and interview. Candidates to the post of Officers Scale II and III are selected based on single online exam and interview.
Read more about IBPS RRB recruitment by clicking the links below:
| IBPS RRB application form | - |
| - |
IBPS Clerk
Recruitment to IBPS Clerk is done to clerical cadre posts. Candidates are selected based on the prelims exam and interview. The job profile includes a direct data entry job and direct interaction with the bank customers. The basic pay of Clerks is INR 11,765.
Click the links below for more updates:
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IBPS SO
IBPS SO is conducted for selection to the post of Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer, Law Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari. The starting basic IBPS SO salary is INR 23,700.
Click the links below for more updates:
NABARD
NABARD conducts recruitment to Grade A, B and Group C. Grade A is conducted for Group A post is conducted for Rural Development Banking Service (RDBS), Protocol & Security Service (P&SS), Rajbhasha and Legal. Grade B is done for a Development Assistant. Group C recruitment is done for Office Attendant.
Click the links below to read more on NABARD recruitment.
RBI Grade B
RBI Grade B exam is conducted for the direct recruitment of Grade B Officers in Combined Seniority Group (CSG) streams. Recruitment is done for Officers in Grade B (General), Officers in Grade B (Department of Economic and Policy Research), and Officers in Grade B (Department of Statistics and Information Management). The basic RBI Grade B salary is INR 55,200 per month. Click the links below to read more on RBI Grade B exam:
Bank Exam Syllabus
The subjects included in the bank exam syllabus are almost the same across all banking exams. However, the difficulty level of the banking exam varies as per the posts. Candidates can check below bank exam syllabus.
English Language: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Fillers, Spotting Errors, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, etc.
Numerical Ability: Number Series, Simplification/ Approximation, Quadratic Equations, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, etc.
Reasoning Ability: Puzzle and Arrangements, Inequality, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction sense and Order and Ranking, etc.
Computer Aptitude: History and Generation of Computers, Introduction to Computer Organisation, Computer Hardware and I/O Devices, Computer Languages, Basics of DBMS, Operating System, Internet, Computer Network & Security, Computer Memory, Computer Software, etc.
To crack IBPS Clerk in two months prepare proper study strategy for two months plan every day of it Keep yourself updated with the current affairs, Focus on section-wise study too because candidates need to clear sectional cut-offs as well, Time your mock tests as it will help during the examination, Work upon improving the speed and accuracy, Stay in positive mind frame
Candidates are required to score a minimum percentage marks on aggregate (For SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS candidates, 5% relaxation available thereon). Minimum qualifying marks on aggregate will be as decided by the bank. No minimum qualifying marks for individual subject are prescribed. Section wise marks will not be maintained.
General Knowledge: Banking and Insurance Awareness, Financial Awareness, Current Affairs, Govt. Schemes and Policies, Static Awareness, etc.
Read More:
Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates
15 Jan '26 - 17 Jan '26
18 Jan '26 - 19 Jan '26
23 Jan '26
28 Jan '26 - 29 Jan '26
SSC CHSL
1 Feb '26
8 Feb '26
8 Feb '26
8 Jan '26 - 10 Feb '26
6 Oct '26 - 5 Nov '26
To stay updated with current events, read newspapers and magazines. Important topics for General Awareness are Current Affairs Monetary Plans, Indian Financial System, Introduction to National Institutions, Indian Banking System, Banking Terms, etc.
Candidates must clear the concepts of the topics given in the IBPS Clerk syllabus. They should solve previous years question papers. Candidates must revise all the topics. With practice, they can crack the exam.
The standard of RBI Assistant syllabus is of graduation level. The level of questions asked in the exam is moderate. The prelims exam carries 100 marks. The mains exam comprises 200 marks. Candidates need to prepare well for the exam.
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RBI Assistant exam is one of the most competitive banking exams in the country. Candidates can crack the exam without coaching also if they prepare it seriously. However, taking coaching will help candidates to understand the pattern and syllabus properly. Besides, candidates can clear their doubts in coaching by taking help of the experts.