The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is in charge of releasing the IBPS RRB syllabus along with the IBPS RRB notification. The IBPS RRB syllabus is huge and is divided between Prelims and Mains exams.
The IBPS RRB Mains syllabus comprises sections related to Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, English/ Hindi Language, and Computer Knowledge. However, in case of Specialist Cadre Officer posts, the syllabus consists of one additional section, Professional Knowledge. It mainly comprises questions based on financial awareness, a section important for the banking profession.
Candidates must note that the IBPS RRB notification does not mention the exact IBPS RRB syllabus. So, to assist candidates with a proper syllabus, Team Buddy4Study has mentioned a list of topics as per the previous examination trend.
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Sections
IBPS has not set any specific syllabus for the IBPS RRB entrance examination. So based on previous years’ question papers, it can be established that the IBPS RRB Mains question paper consists of 6 major sections.
- Reasoning Ability
- English/Hindi language
- Quantitative Aptitude or Numerical Ability
- Computer Knowledge
- General Awareness
- Financial Awareness (For Specialist Cadre)
Note: Apart from these 5 sections, an additional section, Professional Knowledge (Financial Awareness), is a part of IBPS RRB Mains exam for the candidates who have applied for the post of Officer Stage-I Specialist Cadre.
IBPS RRB Prelims comprise 2 sections:
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Section-wise Topics
IBPS RRB Mains exam assesses the technical knowledge of the candidates. The candidates are required to go through a subject knowledge test in IBPS RRB Mains. In other words, the syllabus is completely subject centric.
The standard of IBPS RRB question paper will be of graduation level. Candidates will be judged based on their professional knowledge in their respective fields. Candidates, who are gearing up for the upcoming Mains examination must see the section-wise topics and the expected number of questions.
1. IBPS RRB Syllabus for Reasoning Ability*
| Odd man out | Sitting Arrangements | Analogy |
| Syllogism | Decision Making | Blood Relation |
| Coding-Decoding | Figure Series | Series Test |
| Alphabet Test | Assertion and Reason | Direction Test |
| Blood Relation | Word Formation | Statement and Assumption |
| Ranking and Time | Statements and Action Courses | Statement and Conclusion |
| Causes and Effects | Puzzles | Inequalities |
*Applicable for both Prelims and Mains
Expected Number of Questions for IBPS RRB Mains Exam (Reasoning Ability)
| Data Sufficiency | Expected number of questions – 3 to 4
Data sufficiency contains 2 Statements, but sometimes 3 statement questions are also asked. |
| Alphanumeric Series | Expected number of questions – 5
Pattern-based Alphanumeric questions with 2 or 3 steps. |
| Verbal/Logical Reasoning | Expected number of questions – 5 to 7
Questions based on Assumptions, Cause & Effect, Inference, Course of Actions, etc. |
| Coding-Decoding | Expected number of questions – 5
Questions based on LSN type coding-decoding |
| Input-Output | Expected number of questions – 5 |
2. IBPS RRB Syllabus for English Language
| Cloze Test | Reading Comprehension | Para Jumbles | Antonyms |
| Fill in the Blanks | Phrase Replacement | Rearrangement of Sentences | Synonyms |
| Error Spotting | Sentence completion |
3. IBPS RRB Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude*
| Number System | Profit and Loss | HCF and LCM |
| Decimal Fractions | Compound Interest | Simple Interest |
| Time and Work | Average | Time and Distance |
| Age Problems | Partnership | Simplification |
| Percentage | Data Interpretation | Ratio and Proportion |
| Permutation and Combination | Quadratic Equations | Probability |
*Applicable for both Prelims and Mains
Expected Number of Questions for IBPS RRB Mains Exam (Quantitative Aptitude)
| Misspelt word/ Idiom-Phrase/ Odd one out | Expected number of questions – 5 |
| Para jumbles | Expected number of questions – 5 |
| Sentence Improvement | Expected number of questions – 5 to 10 |
| Spotting Errors | Expected number of questions – 5 to 10 |
| Cloze Test | Expected number of questions – 10 |
4. IBPS RRB Syllabus for Computer Knowledge
| Computer Fundamentals | Networking | Computer Abbreviations | Security Tools |
| History of Computer | MS Office | Shortcut Keys | Computer Languages |
| Software and Hardware Fundamentals | Number System and Conversions | Basic Knowledge of Internet | Input and Output Devices |
| Computer Fundamentals | Internet | Database |
5. IBPS RRB Syllabus for General Awareness
| National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries | India and International Current Affairs | Government policies |
| Finance | Banking Awareness | Banking Terms and Abbreviations |
| Books and Authors | Countries and Currencies | Banking History |
| Agriculture | Budget | RBI |
| Fiscal Policies | Government schemes | Sports |
| National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries | India and International Current Affairs |
6. IBPS RRB Syllabus for Financial Awareness
| Latest Topics in News in Financial World Monetary Policy | Bad Loans | Bank Accounts and Special Individuals |
| Overview of Banking and Banking Reforms in India | Organizations Deposits Credit | Loans |
| Advanced Non-Performing Assets | BASEL I | Asset Reconstruction Companies |
| NPAs | BASEL II | Restructuring of Loans |
| Latest Topics in News in Financial World Monetary Policy | BASEL II | Risk Management |
| Overview of Banking and Banking Reforms in India | Budget and Economic Survey | Accords |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Sectional Weightage
According to IBPS’s official announcement, there will be 2 sections in IBPS RRB Prelims examination. Each section will carry a different number of questions to test the skills of the candidates. The Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude section will carry a similar number of questions.
Apart from the IBPS RRB Syllabus, candidates must know about the details of the exam structure, how it will be conducted, post-wise and section-wise distribution of questions and marks, etc. This will help the candidates to prepare strategically for IBPS RRB Prelims and Mains exam.
Post-Wise & Section-Wise Distribution of Question and Marks – IBPS RRB Prelims
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Officer Scale-I
| Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 45 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 |
Note – Candidates applying for Officer Scale-II and III will need to appear for a single online examination. Successful candidates will be shortlisted to appear for Common Interview for final recruitment in various rural regional banks.
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Office Assistant (Multipurpose)
| Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 45 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 |
Post-Wise & Section-Wise Distribution of Question and Marks – IBPS RRB Mains
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Officer Scale-I
| Name | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 2 hours or 120 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | |
| English/ Hindi Language | 40 | 40 | |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Generalist Cadre for Officer Scale-II and III
| Name | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 2 hours or 120 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | |
| Financial Awareness | 40 | 40 | |
| English Language | 40 | 40 | |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Generalist Cadre for Officer Scale-II (Specialist)
| Name | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 2.30 hours or 150 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | |
| Financial Awareness | 40 | 40 | |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | |
| Professional Knowledge | 40 | 40 | |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | |
| Total | 240 | 200 |
IBPS RRB Syllabus –Recommended Books
IBPS RRB exam syllabus is vast since the questions asked in this examination are not limited to a fixed course or curriculum, especially in the case of Financial and General Awareness. Candidates need to prepare well from the topics highlighted above to score well in the upcoming IBPS RRB Mains exam.
To get a better grip on various IBPS RRB subjects, candidates can find several expert-recommended books and online study resources in the tables below.
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on Quantitative Ability (Prelims and Mains)
| Name of the Book | Author/Publication |
| Quantitative Aptitude of Competitive Examination | R.S Aggarwal – S.Chand Publication |
| Data Interpretation | Arun Sharma – TMH Publication |
| Magic Book on Quicker Mathematics | M Tyra – BSC Publication |
| Quantitative Aptitude for all Competitive Examination | Abhijit Guha – McGraw Hill education |
| Objective Mathematics for Competitive Examination | Tarun Goyal – Arihant Publication |
| Arithmetic for General Competition | Neetu Singh |
| Rapid Quantitative Aptitude with Shortcuts and Tricks | Disha Publications |
| Quantitative Aptitude Test for Bank PO | N K Singh – Upkar Publication |
| Quantum Cat | Sarvesh Kumar Verma |
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma |
| Objective Mathematics | Dhrmpat – Rai Publication |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on Reasoning Ability (Prelims and Mains)
| Name of Books | Author/Publication |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning | R.S Aggarwal |
| Analytical Reasoning | M.K Pandey |
| Lucent’s Reasoning | Lucent |
| Logical Reasoning | K Kundan |
| How to Crack Test of Reasoning | Arihant Publication |
| A New Approach to Reasoning | B.S Sijwali – Arihant Publication |
| Reasoning Books for Competitive Examinations | Pearson |
| Multi-Dimensional Reasoning | Mishra and Kumar Dr. Lal |
| SSC Reasoning Chapterwise | S.N. Prasad – Kiran Publication |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on General Awareness (Mains)
| Name of Books | Author/Publication |
| Banking Awareness | Arihant publication |
| Dhankar Current Affairs | Dhankar Publication |
| Manohar Pandey Books for General Studies | Arihant Publication |
| Lucent General Knowledge | Lucent Publication |
| Basic Banking & Financial Issue | Gautam Majumdar – Upkaar’s Publication |
| Banking Awareness Handbook of Banking Information | N.S.Toor |
| Competition Infocus | Arihant Publication |
| Year Book 2015 – Manorama Year Book | Current Affairs Handout of Vanik |
| Lucent General Knowledge (for static GK) | Lucent Publication |
| The Pearson GK Manual | Edgar Thorpe & Showick Thorpe – Pearson Publication |
| General Studies | Manohar Pandey – Arihant Publication |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on General Awareness (Mains)
| Name of the Book | Author/Publisher |
| English Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin |
| Objective English | R.S Aggarwal – S. Chand Publication |
| New Pattern English Language for SBI/IBPS Bank PO | Disha Experts |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| Descriptive General English | S P Bakshi and Richa Sharma – Arihant Publication |
| DGP English | R.S. Dhillon & S. Zareen – Dhillon Group of Publication |
| Objective English | Hari Mohan Prasad & U.R. Sinha – Tata McGraw Hill |
| General English | S. Gupta – Arihant Publication |
| High School English Grammar and Composition | Wren & Martin |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on Hindi Language (Mains)
| Name of the Book | Author/Publisher |
| IBPS RRBs Objective General Hindi | Kiran Editorial |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Books on Computer Awareness (Mains)
| Name of the Book | Author/Publication |
| Computer Awareness | Dhankar Publications for PO |
| Computer Awareness | Lucent Publications for Clerk |
| Objective Computer Knowledge | S.N. Prasad – Kiran Publication |
| Objective Computer Awareness | R. Pillai – Arihant Publication |
| Computer Knowledge for SBI/ IBPS Clerk/ PO/ RRB/ RBI/ SSC/ Insurance Exams | Sikha Aggarwal |
IBPS RRB Exam Pattern
Candidates who have registered and applied for the IBPS RRB exam 2021 should go through the exam pattern thoroughly and practice well with the help of online mock tests before attempting the exam. Here are a few key points that they should definitely keep in mind:
IBPS RRB Exam Pattern
| Name of Examination | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) Officers (Scale-I, II & III) and Office Assistant (Multipurpose) in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) – CRP RRBs IX 2021-22) |
| Exam Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| IBPS RRB Recruitment Official Website | http://www.ibps.in/ |
| IBPS RRB Total Vacancies | 9698 (tentative) |
| IBPS RRB Exam Date – Prelims | 1st August, 7th August, 8th August, 14th August and 21st August 2021 |
| IBPS RRB Exam Date – Mains | Officer Scale I – 25th September 2021
Office Assistant – 3rd October 2021 |
| Mode of Exam | Online (computer-based test) |
| Credentials required to download IBPS RRB Admit Card | Registration Number
Date of Birth or Password |
| Compulsory documents to carry on exam day | Admit Card
Valid Photo ID Proof Photocopy of Photo ID Proof |
| Duration of IBPS RRB Exam – Prelims | 45 minutes |
| Duration of IBPS RRB Exam – Mains | 2 hours (120 minutes)
2.30 hours or 150 minutes for Generalist Cadre for Officer Scale-II (Specialist) |
| Duration of IBPS RRB Exam – Single level | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – Previous Years’ Question Papers
Buddy4Study has compiled previous years’ question papers in the below table. Candidates can download these to understand the IBPS RRB exam pattern thoroughly and prepare for the examination accordingly.
IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2018
| IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2018 Papers (English) | IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2018 Papers (Hindi) | IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2018 Answer Key |
IBPS RRB Officer Scale I Mains 2017
| IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2017 Papers (English) | IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2017 Papers (Hindi) | IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains 2017 Answer Key |
IBPS RRB Syllabus – FAQs
How many questions will be asked in the IBPS RRB exam 2021?
A total of 80 questions will be asked in the IBPS RRB Prelims exam, while 200 questions will be asked in the Mains. However, candidates appearing for Office 2 (Stage II – Specialist Cadre) will be asked 240 questions in the Mains exam. These questions will be asked in MCQ format.
What are the different sections in IBPS RRB syllabus?
As per the IBPS RRB syllabus, Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude are the basic two sections that form part of Prelims exam. For the Mains exam, the topics are Quantitative Aptitude or Numerical Ability, Reasoning Ability, General Awareness, English/ Hindi language, Computer Knowledge, with Professional Knowledge (Financial Awareness) and additional sectional for the post of IBPS RRB Officer Stage-I Specialist Cadre.
What is the standard of questions asked in the IBPS RRB Exam?
The basic standard of questions asked in the IBPS RRB exam is up to the level of graduation.
What is the negative marking scheme in the IBPS RRB exam?
1/4th mark is deducted for every incorrect answer in the IBPS RRB exam, which means -1 mark for every 4 wrong answers. It is applicable for both IBPS RRB Prelims and Mains examinations.
Will Non-MCQ type questions be asked in the IBPS RRB Mains exam?
No. Only MCQ-type or multiple-choice questions are asked in both IBPS RRB Prelims and Mains examination.
