🏦 IBPS RRB 2026 - Regional Rural Banks
IBPS RRB Office Assistant and Officer Scale I 2026 Mock Tests, Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection - Regional Rural Bank Recruitment - the largest rural banking recruitment in India covering 43 RRBs across all states. Join as Office Assistant (Multipurpose) or Officer Scale I (Assistant Manager) in your home state's Regional Rural Bank. Prelims followed by Mains and interview for Officers. Free mock tests, chapter-wise practice, PYQs, and expert strategy - all in one place.
2 Posts - Assistant and Officer
10,000+ Vacancies
Graduation Eligible
Free Mock Tests
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2026
Notification Expected
10,000+
Expected Vacancies
Rs.15,000+
Office Assistant Basic Pay
18-28
Age Limit (Years)
📋 Table of Contents
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🎯 Practice Mock Tests - Chapter-wise and Subject-wise
Click any subject to see all chapters, or click directly on a chapter to start practicing
🔍 IBPS RRB 2026 - At a Glance
Key details for both Office Assistant and Officer Scale I side by side
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IBPS RRB - Banking in Your Home State with a Stable Government Career
IBPS RRB is unique among all banking exams - candidates apply for RRBs in their home state, the exam uses local language in many sections, and posting is within the state. With 43 Regional Rural Banks across India and 10,000+ vacancies annually, IBPS RRB is the most accessible banking exam for candidates from smaller towns and villages. RRB employees receive all standard PSU bank benefits - DA, HRA, medical, pension, and loan benefits - along with the comfort of serving close to home.
📊 Office Assistant - Prelims and Mains Pattern
Office Assistant has Prelims and Mains - no interview. Mains merit determines final selection.
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Office Assistant - Prelims (45 Minutes)
⚠️ Prelims has sectional time limits - 20 minutes for Reasoning and 25 minutes for Numerical Ability. You cannot move between sections freely. Prelims marks are not counted in final merit - only used for shortlisting to Mains. Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.
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Office Assistant - Mains (2 Hours - Merit Based)
✅ Office Assistant Mains has sectional time limits for all 5 sections. Reasoning and Numerical carry 50 marks each (highest). Computer Knowledge carries only 20 marks. Mains marks directly determine final selection - no interview. Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer in Mains.
⭐ Officer Scale I - Prelims, Mains and Interview Pattern
Officer Scale I has 3 stages - Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Final merit = Mains (80%) + Interview (20%).
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Officer Scale I - Prelims (45 Minutes)
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Officer Scale I - Mains (2 Hours)
⚠️ Officer Mains uses Financial Awareness instead of General Awareness. This covers banking and finance topics - RBI policies, monetary policy, banking regulations, financial markets, and government schemes related to rural banking and agriculture. This is harder and more specific than the General Awareness tested in Office Assistant Mains.
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Officer Scale I - Interview (20% of Final Merit)
The Officer Scale I interview is conducted by the respective RRB. It typically covers: banking and financial awareness, current economic events, personal background and motivation, knowledge of RRB and rural banking, and general awareness. Final merit = Mains score (80%) + Interview score (20%). The interview carries 100 marks. Candidates scoring below 40 marks (for General) or 35 marks (for SC/ST/OBC/PwD) in the interview are disqualified regardless of Mains score.
💼 Posts, Pay Scale and Career Growth
RRB salary follows IBA wage revision scales. Pay is slightly lower than nationalised banks but benefits and job stability are comparable.
🎁 Benefits and Perks
- DA, HRA, CCA as per IBA guidelines
- Medical insurance for self and family
- Pension under New Pension Scheme (NPS)
- Staff loans at concessional rates (home, vehicle, personal)
- Gratuity and leave encashment
- Leave Travel Concession (LTC)
- Group insurance and accident cover
📈 Career Growth Path
- Office Assistant can be promoted to Officer Scale I through internal exams
- Officer Scale I promoted to Scale II after 3-5 years
- Scale II to Scale III in 5-7 years
- Scale III to Scale IV (Chief Manager) through DPC
- Officers can also transfer to sponsor public sector banks
- Some RRBs sponsor employees for promoted officer roles in PSBs
📚 IBPS RRB Syllabus - Subject-wise Topics
Reasoning and Numerical Ability are the core subjects in both Prelims and Mains. Financial Awareness is unique to Officer Scale I Mains.
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Reasoning Ability
40 Qs - Prelims | 40 Qs (50 marks) - Mains
Prelims Level (Speed-focused)
- Inequality - Direct and Coded
- Syllogism
- Series - Number and Alphanumeric
- Direction and Distance
- Blood Relations - Coded and Direct
- Coding-Decoding
- Order and Ranking
Mains Level (Higher difficulty)
- Puzzles - Linear, Circular, Floor, Box, Double Row
- Seating Arrangement - Complex multi-variable
- Data Sufficiency
- Input-Output
- Statement and Conclusions / Assumptions
- Critical Reasoning
💡 Pro Tip: Puzzles and Seating Arrangement together account for 20-25 marks in RRB Mains Reasoning. These are time-consuming - practise solving complex puzzles in under 8 minutes. Inequality and Syllogism are the fastest-scoring topics for Prelims.
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Numerical Ability / Quantitative Aptitude
40 Qs - Prelims | 40 Qs (50 marks) - Mains
Arithmetic (High Frequency)
- Simplification and Approximation
- Number Series - Missing and Wrong
- Percentage, Profit and Loss, Discount
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Ratio and Proportion, Partnership
- Time and Work, Pipes and Cisterns
- Speed, Distance and Time - Boats, Trains
- Average, Mixture and Alligation
Data Analysis (Mains Focus)
- Data Interpretation - Tables, Bar, Line, Pie, Mixed charts
- Quadratic Equations
- Data Sufficiency
- Quantity Comparison (Quantity I vs Quantity II)
💡 Pro Tip: DI (Data Interpretation) sets typically carry 15-20 marks in RRB Mains. Each DI set has 5 questions - solving DI efficiently is the key to Mains Quant score. Practise 3-4 DI sets daily under timed conditions. Simplification and Approximation are the fastest Prelims topics.
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General Awareness and Financial Awareness
40 Qs (40 marks) - Mains only
General Awareness (Office Assistant Mains)
- Current Affairs - Last 6 months (National and International)
- Banking Awareness - RBI, NABARD, types of accounts, schemes
- Static GK - Countries, Capitals, Awards, Sports
- Government Schemes - especially rural and agricultural schemes
- Indian Economy basics
Financial Awareness (Officer Scale I Mains)
- Banking and Financial System in India
- RBI - monetary policy, repo rate, CRR, SLR, MSF
- NABARD - role in rural credit, refinance, schemes
- Priority Sector Lending - targets, categories
- Financial Inclusion - PM Jan Dhan, Mudra, Kisan Credit Card
- Union Budget - key allocations for agriculture and rural
- Capital Markets, Insurance, Mutual Funds basics
- International Financial Organisations - IMF, World Bank, ADB
💡 Pro Tip: NABARD, Priority Sector Lending, and rural banking schemes (Kisan Credit Card, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Kisan) are unique to IBPS RRB Financial Awareness and not heavily covered in IBPS PO or SBI PO preparation. Build a dedicated rural banking GK module.
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English Language
40 Qs (40 marks) - Mains only (OR Hindi)
- Reading Comprehension - Banking and economy themed passages
- Error Detection and Sentence Correction
- Fill in the Blanks - Single and Double fillers
- Para Jumbles and Sentence Rearrangement
- Cloze Test
- Word Usage and Vocabulary
- Phrase Replacement
- Column-based sentence completion
💡 Pro Tip: RRB English in Mains is at IBPS Clerk level - slightly easier than IBPS PO English. Reading Comprehension is the highest-weightage topic. If you are comfortable in Hindi, appearing in Hindi medium for this section can be strategically beneficial as Hindi grammar questions tend to be more predictable.
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Computer Knowledge
40 Qs (20 marks) - Mains only - Lowest marks per question
- Computer Fundamentals - Hardware, Software, Input/Output devices
- Operating Systems - Windows basics, shortcuts
- MS Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint features
- Internet and Email - browsers, email protocols, search engines
- Networking - LAN, WAN, MAN, protocols, IP address
- Database basics - types, DBMS concepts
- Number Systems - Binary, Decimal, Hexadecimal conversions
- Cybersecurity - viruses, malware, firewall, encryption basics
- Banking Technology - CBS, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI, digital banking
💡 Pro Tip: Computer Knowledge gives only 20 marks for 40 questions (0.5 marks per question) - the lowest mark-per-question of any section. Do not over-invest preparation time here. 2-3 weeks of focused Computer basics revision is sufficient to score 14-16 out of 20. Banking technology (CBS, UPI, NEFT, IMPS, RTGS) questions are unique to banking exams.
🗺️ Regional Rural Banks Across India
43 RRBs operate across all states. Candidates apply for RRBs in their home state. Each RRB releases vacancies as per its requirement.
🟢 Major States - High Vacancy RRBs
- Uttar Pradesh: Aryavart Bank, Baroda UP Bank, Prathama UP Gramin Bank
- Rajasthan: Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank, Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank
- Madhya Pradesh: Central Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Madhyanchal Gramin Bank
- Maharashtra: Maharashtra Gramin Bank, Vidarbha Konkan Gramin Bank
- Karnataka: Karnataka Gramin Bank, Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
- West Bengal: Bangiya Gramin Vikas Bank, Paschim Banga Gramin Bank
🟢 Other States - Key RRBs
- Bihar: Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank, Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank
- Gujarat: Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank, Saurashtra Gramin Bank
- Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Grama Bank, Pallavan Grama Bank
- Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank, Saptagiri Grameena Bank
- Punjab: Punjab Gramin Bank
- Haryana: Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank
- Odisha: Odisha Gramya Bank, Utkal Grameen Bank
🟢 North East and Other States
- Assam: Assam Gramin Vikash Bank
- Telangana: Telangana Grameena Bank
- Kerala: Kerala Gramin Bank
- Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank
- J and K: J and K Grameen Bank, Ellaquai Dehati Bank
- Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Gramin Bank
- Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank
💡 Candidates can apply for RRBs in up to 4 states in a single IBPS RRB notification. However, the language proficiency requirement means applying only for states where you are comfortable with the local language. Always prioritise your home state RRB as the first preference.
⚖️ IBPS RRB vs IBPS PO vs SBI PO - Key Differences
All three are major banking officer exams - but they differ significantly in scope, difficulty, and career profile.
🎯 Our Recommendation: Always apply for IBPS RRB alongside IBPS PO and SBI PO - the Prelims preparation (Reasoning and Quant) overlaps 90%. IBPS RRB has the highest vacancy count of any banking exam (10,000+), no English in Prelims (advantage for non-English background candidates), and home state posting which many candidates prefer. While the pay is lower than IBPS PO, the RRB career path is solid with promotion to Scale II, III, and beyond within the same organisation. Never skip IBPS RRB while targeting IBPS PO.
📈 IBPS RRB Previous Year Cut-off Marks
Indicative Prelims and Mains cut-offs for Office Assistant and Officer Scale I (General category)
ℹ️ Cut-offs vary significantly by state and RRB - some states have consistently higher cut-offs (UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka) while others are lower (NE states, J and K). Data above is indicative national average for General category. Always check state-specific cut-offs from official IBPS score cards. Target 68+ in Prelims and 110+ in Mains for a comfortable margin in competitive states.
💡 Expert Tips - Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
From our faculty who have trained thousands of IBPS RRB successful candidates
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No English in Prelims - a decisive advantage for non-English background candidates - IBPS RRB Prelims tests only Reasoning and Numerical Ability - there is no English section unlike IBPS PO and SBI PO which include English in Prelims. This makes IBPS RRB Prelims the most accessible banking Prelims for candidates from Hindi-medium or regional language backgrounds. Candidates who struggle with English in IBPS PO Prelims often clear IBPS RRB Prelims comfortably with the same Reasoning and Quant preparation. If you are strong in Reasoning and Quant but weak in English, IBPS RRB should be your primary banking target - prepare English for Mains separately while leveraging your Reasoning and Quant strength in Prelims.
2
Prelims has sectional time limits - practise within the 20 and 25 minute constraints - Unlike IBPS PO Prelims which has a single 60-minute timer, IBPS RRB Prelims has separate time limits - 20 minutes for Reasoning and 25 minutes for Numerical Ability. You cannot borrow time from one section to the other. Candidates who practise without time constraints and then face the sectional clock in the actual exam consistently underperform. From your first day of mock test practice, set separate timers - 20 minutes for 40 Reasoning questions and 25 minutes for 40 Quant questions. Build the habit of completing each section independently within its time budget.
3
NABARD and rural banking GK is unique to IBPS RRB - standard banking GK covers only 60% of it - IBPS RRB Financial Awareness (Officer Mains) and General Awareness (Office Assistant Mains) have a uniquely strong rural banking bias. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), Priority Sector Lending targets (40% of total credit for agriculture and allied activities), Kisan Credit Card scheme, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, and rural credit statistics appear in almost every RRB Mains GK section. Standard IBPS PO banking GK preparation does not cover these topics adequately. Build a dedicated rural banking and NABARD GK module for IBPS RRB Mains.
4
Apply for both Office Assistant and Officer Scale I - Prelims preparation is identical - IBPS RRB Prelims for Office Assistant and Officer Scale I are identical - same 80-question, 45-minute format with Reasoning (40 questions, 20 min) and Numerical Ability (40 questions, 25 min). You take separate Prelims exams for each post but the preparation is 100% common. Never apply for only one post when the Prelims preparation is shared. Officer Scale I offers significantly higher pay (Rs.36,000+ vs Rs.15,000-19,000 for Office Assistant) and requires an interview - but the written exam preparation is common. Even if you are primarily targeting Office Assistant, also appear for Officer Scale I to maximise your chances of selection.
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Computer Knowledge gives 0.5 marks per question - do not over-invest preparation time here - In IBPS RRB Mains, the Computer Knowledge section has 40 questions but carries only 20 marks (0.5 marks per question) - the lowest mark-per-question ratio of any banking exam section. A candidate who scores 35 out of 40 in Computer Knowledge gains 17.5 marks, while the same effort invested in Reasoning (which gives 50 marks for 40 questions) could add 20-25 marks. Allocate maximum 2-3 weeks to Computer Knowledge revision using a standard banking computer knowledge book. Do not attempt to master networking or programming concepts - focus on basic computer fundamentals, MS Office, banking technology, and cybersecurity basics.
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RRB cut-offs vary dramatically by state - check state-specific data before gauging your target score - IBPS RRB cut-offs are not uniform across India. States with large candidate pools (Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal) consistently have higher cut-offs by 8-15 marks compared to states with smaller candidate pools (Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar). The national average cut-off shared in preparation materials is often misleading for candidates in high-competition states. Always look up the state-specific Mains cut-off for the RRB you are applying to from the most recent IBPS score card. A score of 100/200 in Mains may be safe in one state but insufficient in another.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions - IBPS RRB 2026
Most searched questions about IBPS RRB answered by our experts
IBPS RRB Office Assistant (Multipurpose) salary varies by RRB but the basic pay is typically Rs.15,000 - Rs.19,500 per month as per the IBA wage revision scale applicable to RRBs. Gross salary including DA, HRA, and CCA is approximately Rs.22,000 - Rs.28,000 per month depending on the posting city. IBPS RRB Officer Scale I (Assistant Manager) has a basic pay of approximately Rs.36,000 - Rs.40,000 per month with gross salary of Rs.52,000 - Rs.60,000+ per month including DA, HRA, CCA, and perquisites. Both posts receive staff loan benefits (home loan, vehicle loan, personal loan at concessional interest rates), medical insurance, NPS pension, gratuity, LTC, and group insurance. RRB pay is governed by periodic IBA wage settlements and has seen significant increases over recent years.
Yes - you can apply for RRBs in states other than your home state in IBPS RRB. The notification allows candidates to apply for vacancies in multiple states. However, there is a critical requirement - candidates must have proficiency in the local/regional language of the state they apply for. For example, applying for a Karnataka RRB requires proficiency in Kannada. This requirement is assessed during the recruitment process and at the time of joining. Practically, most candidates apply for their home state RRB first and may apply for neighbouring states where they have language proficiency. The IBPS RRB notification specifies the maximum number of states you can apply for in a single cycle - typically up to 4 states. Always prioritise states where you are genuinely comfortable with the local language.
Both IBPS RRB Officer Scale I and IBPS PO lead to officer careers in banking, but with different scope and pay. IBPS PO candidates join nationalised PSU banks (Bank of Baroda, PNB, Canara Bank, etc.) at a starting basic pay of approximately Rs.36,000 (Scale I as per 11th bipartite settlement) and can be posted anywhere in India. IBPS RRB Officer Scale I joins Regional Rural Banks at a starting basic pay of approximately Rs.36,000 and is posted within the state. While starting pay is similar, PSU banks generally offer higher pay at senior levels (Scale IV, V, VI) and greater geographic career opportunities. RRBs offer the advantage of home state posting, a less competitive exam, and a defined rural banking career. A notable pathway: some RRBs facilitate transfer of experienced officers to their sponsor public sector banks, giving RRB officers a route into PSU banking as well.
Yes - IBPS RRB is generally considered moderately easier than IBPS PO for most candidates. The key reasons: IBPS RRB Prelims has no English section (only Reasoning and Quant) while IBPS PO Prelims includes English; IBPS RRB Mains Reasoning and Quant are at a slightly lower difficulty level than IBPS PO Mains; IBPS RRB has significantly more vacancies (10,000+) compared to IBPS PO (4,000-5,000), making cut-offs marginally lower in many states. However, the Financial Awareness section in Officer Scale I Mains requires specific rural banking and NABARD knowledge that is not needed for IBPS PO. Candidates from Hindi-medium or regional language backgrounds find IBPS RRB significantly more accessible than IBPS PO because of the absence of English in Prelims. Overall, IBPS RRB is the recommended starting point for banking aspirants who are building confidence before tackling IBPS PO and SBI PO.
There are 43 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) in India as of 2024, down from 196 in 2005 due to a series of government-mandated amalgamations to improve efficiency. Each RRB is sponsored by a public sector bank - for example, Baroda UP Bank is sponsored by Bank of Baroda, Punjab Gramin Bank is sponsored by Punjab National Bank, and Canara Bank sponsored the Karnataka Gramin Bank (now Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank). The sponsor bank contributes 35% of the RRB's share capital (the central government contributes 50% and the state government 15%). This ownership structure means RRBs follow the guidelines of both the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and their sponsor PSU bank. RRBs are mandated to primarily serve rural and semi-urban areas and focus on agricultural and priority sector lending - distinguishing them from the urban-focused PSU banks.
The Officer Scale I interview is conducted by the individual RRB after candidates clear Mains. It is typically a 15-20 minute personal interview conducted by a panel of 3-5 officials including the RRB's senior officers and an external expert. Common topics covered include: personal background and reasons for choosing banking; banking and financial awareness - especially rural banking, RBI policies, NABARD's role; current economic events and government schemes for agriculture and rural development; knowledge of the specific RRB being applied to (its sponsor bank, operational area, recent performance); language proficiency in the regional language of the state; and general awareness. The interview is in English or the regional language based on the RRB's preference. Final merit = Mains (80%) + Interview (20%). Minimum qualifying marks in interview: 40 out of 100 for General category and 35 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD. Prepare specifically on NABARD, RBI's latest monetary policy decisions, and the specific RRB's operational area.
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Written and Reviewed by Our Banking Exam Expert Faculty
IBPS RRB and Rural Banking Exam Specialist | 12+ Years Banking Exam Coaching Experience
This page has been prepared by our senior banking exam faculty with over a decade of experience coaching IBPS RRB aspirants. Our faculty has guided thousands of students who have cleared IBPS RRB to serve as Office Assistants and Officers across Regional Rural Banks in India. All exam pattern tables, syllabus breakdowns, state-wise RRB details, and study strategies are verified against official IBPS notifications and updated for the 2026 cycle.
✅ IBPS RRB Specialist ✅ Rural Banking and NABARD Expert ✅ 15,000+ Students Trained
IBPS RRB 2026 - Complete Guide: Office Assistant and Officer Scale I Exam Pattern, Syllabus, RRB List and Free Mock Tests
The IBPS RRB (Regional Rural Bank) exam 2026 is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection annually to recruit Office Assistants (Multipurpose) and Officers (Scale I, II, and III) across 43 Regional Rural Banks in India. With 10,000+ vacancies making it the highest vacancy banking exam in India, IBPS RRB is the most accessible banking recruitment for graduates from rural and semi-urban backgrounds. Office Assistant (basic pay Rs.15,000-19,500) requires graduation and clears through Prelims and Mains (no interview). Officer Scale I - Assistant Manager (basic pay Rs.36,000-40,000) requires graduation and clears through Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
The IBPS RRB Prelims for both posts is identical - 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes with sectional time limits (Reasoning Ability 40 questions in 20 minutes, Numerical Ability 40 questions in 25 minutes) and 0.25 negative marking. No English section in Prelims - the most significant advantage of IBPS RRB over IBPS PO and SBI PO for non-English background candidates. The Mains has 5 sections (200 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours with sectional time limits) - Reasoning Ability (50 marks), Computer Knowledge (20 marks), General Awareness / Financial Awareness (40 marks), English or Hindi Language (40 marks), and Numerical Ability (50 marks). Officer Scale I additionally has an Interview worth 100 marks (20% of final merit).
Our free IBPS RRB mock tests cover all 6 subject areas - General Intelligence and Reasoning (Inequality, Syllogism, Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding), Numerical and Mathematical Ability (Simplification, DI, Arithmetic, Quadratic Equations, Number Series), General Knowledge and Awareness (Banking Awareness, NABARD, Current Affairs, Rural Schemes), General Studies (History, Geography, Polity, Economics chapter-wise), English Language (RC, Error Detection, Para Jumbles, Cloze Test), and Computer Aptitude (Computer Fundamentals, MS Office, Networking, Banking Technology) - with chapter-wise tests, Prelims timed mocks with sectional timers, and full-length Mains mock tests - at zero cost, with no login required.