About this IBPS PO English practice test

English Language in IBPS PO Prelims is worth 30 marks and leans more on business and finance vocabulary than SSC-style exams, testing Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting/Correction, Fill in the Blanks, Para-Jumbles, Sentence Completion, Word Usage, Synonyms/Antonyms and One-Word Substitution. Reading Comprehension typically carries the most marks, so a habit of reading financial news does more for this section than grammar drilling alone — the same preparation transfers directly to SBI PO, IBPS Clerk and RRB Office Assistant.

IBPS PO English Language Practice Test sample questions

These starter questions help you launch a english mock test quickly. Swap them with your own worksheet, notebook, or textbook questions any time.

1. 1. Read the passage and answer the question that follows: 'The Reserve Bank of India recently revised its guidelines on digital lending platforms, mandating that all loan disbursals and repayments must pass directly through bank accounts of the borrower and the regulated lender, without routing through any third-party pass-through account. This move is aimed at curbing unregulated lending apps that often charge exorbitant interest rates and rely on coercive recovery practices. Industry experts believe the new norms will improve transparency, even as some fintech firms have expressed concern over the added compliance burden.' Why did the RBI revise its digital lending guidelines? (A) To increase the interest rates charged by lending apps (B) To prevent unregulated apps from using third-party accounts and coercive recovery (C) To reduce the number of fintech firms operating in India (D) To make loan disbursal slower and more expensive

2. 2. Based on the passage in Question 1, what concern have some fintech firms raised about the new RBI norms? (A) That the norms will increase loan defaults (B) That the norms add to their compliance burden (C) That the norms will reduce transparency (D) That the norms will legalise coercive recovery

3. 3. Read the passage and answer the question that follows: 'Retail inflation eased to a nine-month low last quarter, driven largely by a fall in vegetable prices and softer fuel costs. However, core inflation, which excludes food and fuel, remained sticky, suggesting that price pressures in services and manufactured goods have not fully eased. The central bank is therefore expected to hold interest rates steady at its next policy review rather than cut them immediately.' What does the passage suggest about core inflation? (A) It fell faster than overall retail inflation (B) It remained persistent despite the fall in headline inflation (C) It is no longer tracked by the central bank (D) It only measures vegetable and fuel prices

4. 4. Based on the passage in Question 3, what is the central bank likely to do at its next policy review? (A) Cut interest rates immediately (B) Raise interest rates sharply (C) Hold interest rates steady (D) Stop publishing inflation data

5. 5. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Despite reporting record profits, the bank remained ______ about extending unsecured loans, mindful of the previous quarter's rise in defaults. (A) reckless (B) cautious (C) indifferent (D) enthusiastic

6. 6. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The auditor's report ______ several irregularities in the branch's cash-handling procedures that had gone unnoticed for months. (A) concealed (B) flattered (C) unearthed (D) postponed

7. 7. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Once considered a niche product, mobile wallets have now become so ______ that even small roadside vendors accept digital payments. (A) obsolete (B) ubiquitous (C) exclusive (D) fragile

8. 8. Read the sentence divided into four parts. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'Each of the branch managers (A)/ are required to submit (B)/ their quarterly reports (C)/ before the fifth of every month. (D) No error'

9. 9. Read the sentence divided into four parts. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'The new policy will effect (A)/ all existing customers (B)/ who have taken loans (C)/ from the bank. (D) No error'

10. 10. Read the sentence divided into four parts. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'Neither the manager nor his assistants (A)/ was aware (B)/ of the discrepancy (C)/ in the ledger. (D) No error'

11. 11. Read the sentence divided into four parts. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'She is one of the employees who (A)/ has consistently exceeded (B)/ their targets (C)/ since joining the bank. (D) No error'

12. 12. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate preposition: The board of directors is expected to arrive ______ a decision on the merger by the end of this week. (A) on (B) at (C) in (D) with

13. 13. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The manager's ______ approach to risk management helped the branch avoid the losses that plagued its competitors during the downturn. (A) reckless (B) judicious (C) impulsive (D) lax

14. 14. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate verb form: By the time the auditors ______ their inspection, the branch had already rectified most of the discrepancies. (A) complete (B) completed (C) had completed (D) will complete

15. 15. Arrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) in a logical order to form a coherent paragraph: (A) This shift has forced traditional banks to invest heavily in mobile applications and online platforms. (B) Over the past decade, customer preference has moved sharply away from physical bank branches. (C) As a result, many banks now measure success not by the number of branches but by app downloads and digital transaction volumes. (D) Younger customers, in particular, expect to complete most banking tasks from their smartphones.

16. 16. Arrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) in a logical order to form a coherent paragraph: (A) However, this convenience comes at a cost, since fraudsters have found new ways to exploit unsuspecting users. (B) Contactless payment through smartphones has made queuing at checkout counters almost unnecessary. (C) Banks are therefore introducing multi-factor authentication and real-time fraud alerts to protect customers. (D) A single tap on a phone is now enough to complete a transaction that once required cash or a card.

17. 17. Arrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) in a logical order to form a coherent paragraph: (A) Consequently, several public sector banks have begun offering doorstep banking services for senior citizens and differently-abled customers. (B) Financial inclusion has long been a stated goal of India's banking policy. (C) Yet millions of rural residents still find it difficult to travel long distances to reach a branch. (D) This gap between policy intent and ground reality has pushed regulators to rethink last-mile delivery of banking services.

18. 18. Choose the option that best completes the sentence: ______ the central bank had repeatedly warned against excessive borrowing, several cooperative banks continued to extend loans without adequate collateral. (A) Because (B) Although (C) Unless (D) So that

19. 19. Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The merger between the two banks will go through only ______ both boards approve the revised valuation report. (A) if (B) unless (C) despite (D) whereas

20. 20. Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The new core banking software was ______ complex that even experienced staff required a week of training before going live. (A) too (B) so (C) such (D) very

21. 21. Choose the most appropriate word for the given context: Bank employees are trained to be ______ while discussing a customer's financial details, even in the presence of the customer's own family members. (A) discrete (B) discreet (C) discordant (D) discerning

22. 22. Choose the most appropriate word for the given context: The quarterly report contained ______ data on loan defaults, treating each branch as a separate unit rather than presenting a consolidated trend. (A) discreet (B) discrete (C) discordant (D) discernible

23. 23. Choose the most appropriate word for the given context: The bank introduced several ______ measures, such as replacing printed passbooks with e-passbooks, to cut down on operational expenses. (A) economic (B) economical (C) economics (D) economize

24. 24. Choose the word closest in meaning to the capitalised word: METICULOUS (A) careless (B) painstaking (C) hurried (D) indifferent

25. 25. Choose the word most opposite in meaning to the capitalised word as used in the sentence: 'The company remained SOLVENT despite the losses.' (A) profitable (B) insolvent (C) liquid (D) stable

26. 26. Choose the word closest in meaning to the capitalised word: LUCRATIVE (A) profitable (B) risky (C) meagre (D) tedious

27. 27. Choose the word most opposite in meaning to the capitalised word as used in the sentence: 'Investors were unsettled by the VOLATILE stock prices.' (A) erratic (B) stable (C) fluctuating (D) unpredictable

28. 28. Choose the one word that best substitutes the given phrase: 'A person who invests and manages large sums of money, often on behalf of institutions or governments.' (A) Trustee (B) Financier (C) Auditor (D) Cashier

29. 29. Choose the one word that best substitutes the given phrase: 'The failure to repay a loan or fulfil a financial obligation as agreed.' (A) Deficit (B) Default (C) Deposit (D) Discount

30. 30. Choose the one word that best substitutes the given phrase: 'A person who lends money to others at an unreasonably high rate of interest.' (A) Philanthropist (B) Usurer (C) Financier (D) Miser

Answer key & quick explanations

Short answers for the sample questions above. Use this to self-check before generating a fresh AI-built mock test.

1. 1. RC passage 1 - reason for RBI revision

   (B) To prevent unregulated apps from using third-party accounts and coercive recovery

   The passage states the norms mandate direct borrower-lender transactions specifically to curb unregulated apps' high interest rates and coercive recovery, which is exactly what option (B) restates.

2. 2. RC passage 1 - fintech concern

   (B) That the norms add to their compliance burden

   The last line explicitly says fintech firms 'expressed concern over the added compliance burden,' making this a directly stated-fact question rather than an inference.

3. 3. RC passage 2 - core inflation

   (B) It remained persistent despite the fall in headline inflation

   The passage contrasts falling headline inflation with 'sticky' core inflation, meaning price pressures outside food and fuel had not eased, which matches option (B) precisely.

4. 4. RC passage 2 - central bank action

   (C) Hold interest rates steady

   The passage's concluding sentence directly states the bank is 'expected to hold interest rates steady... rather than cut them immediately,' ruling out both a cut and a sharp hike.

5. 5. Cloze - cautious/reckless

   cautious

   The clause 'mindful of the previous quarter's rise in defaults' signals wariness, so 'cautious' fits; 'reckless' and 'enthusiastic' contradict this mindfulness, and 'indifferent' implies no reaction at all.

6. 6. Cloze - unearthed/concealed

   unearthed

   'Unearthed' means brought to light something previously hidden, matching 'irregularities... that had gone unnoticed'; 'concealed' would mean the opposite, hiding rather than revealing them.

7. 7. Cloze - ubiquitous/obsolete

   ubiquitous

   'Ubiquitous' means present or found everywhere, which fits 'even small roadside vendors accept digital payments'; 'obsolete' and 'fragile' contradict the sense of widespread adoption.

8. 8. Error spotting - Each of the managers

   (B) - 'are' should be 'is'

   'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun and always takes a singular verb, regardless of the plural noun 'branch managers' that follows the preposition 'of'.

9. 9. Error spotting - policy will effect

   (A) - 'effect' should be 'affect'

   'Affect' (verb) means to influence or have an impact on something, which is the intended sense here; 'effect' as a verb means to bring about or cause, which does not fit.

10. 10. Error spotting - neither manager nor assistants

    (B) - 'was' should be 'were'

    In a neither/nor construction, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it; since 'assistants' (plural) is closer to the verb, it must be 'were', not 'was'.

11. 11. Error spotting - one of the employees who

    (B) - 'has' should be 'have'

    The relative pronoun 'who' refers back to the plural noun 'employees', not to the singular 'she', so the verb in the relative clause must take the plural form 'have'.

12. 12. Fill in blank - arrive at a decision

    (B) at

    'Arrive at' is the fixed idiomatic preposition used with abstract nouns like 'decision' or 'conclusion'; 'arrive in' or 'arrive on' are reserved for physical places or dates.

13. 13. Fill in blank - judicious approach

    (B) judicious

    'Judicious' means showing good sense and sound judgment, matching the outcome of avoiding losses; the remaining options all suggest carelessness, which contradicts that outcome.

14. 14. Fill in blank - auditors completed inspection

    (B) completed

    Since 'had already rectified' uses the past perfect to show an action completed before another past action, the later action, the auditors finishing their inspection, must be in the simple past tense.

15. 15. Para-jumble - digital banking shift

    BDAC

    (B) introduces the trend of moving away from branches, (D) illustrates it with younger customers, (A) states the consequence for banks using 'this shift', and (C) gives the further result, so only BDAC preserves the cause-and-effect chain.

16. 16. Para-jumble - contactless payment fraud

    BDAC

    (B) introduces contactless payment's convenience, (D) elaborates on it, (A) pivots to the downside with 'however', and (C) concludes with the banks' response signalled by 'therefore', fixing BDAC as the only coherent order.

17. 17. Para-jumble - financial inclusion gap

    BCDA

    (B) states the policy goal, (C) contrasts it with rural reality via 'yet', (D) names this contrast as a 'gap', and (A) gives the resulting bank action via 'consequently', so BCDA is the only sequence that respects these connectives.

18. 18. Sentence completion - although warned

    (B) Although

    The sentence contrasts the central bank's repeated warnings with the banks' continued risky lending, which requires the concessive conjunction 'although'; 'because' would wrongly imply the warning caused the risky behaviour.

19. 19. Sentence completion - only if approved

    (A) if

    'Only if' is the correct idiomatic conditional pairing showing the merger strictly depends on board approval; 'unless' would reverse the meaning to 'except if', contradicting the intended sense.

20. 20. Sentence completion - so complex that

    (B) so

    The structure 'so + adjective + that-clause' expresses a result, matching this sentence; 'such' would require the form 'such a complex system that', which does not fit the given slot.

21. 21. Word usage - discreet/discrete confidentiality

    (B) discreet

    'Discreet' means careful and judicious about revealing sensitive information, fitting the context of protecting a customer's financial details; 'discrete' is a commonly confused homophone meaning separate or distinct.

22. 22. Word usage - discrete/discreet branch data

    (B) discrete

    'Discrete' means separate or individually distinct, matching branch-wise, non-consolidated data; 'discreet' refers to tactful behaviour and does not describe how data is structured.

23. 23. Word usage - economical measures

    (B) economical

    'Economical' means cost-saving or efficient in using resources, fitting the context of cutting expenses; 'economic' relates broadly to the economy in general and lacks the sense of thriftiness needed here.

24. 24. Synonym - METICULOUS

    (B) painstaking

    'Meticulous' means showing great attention to detail and extreme care; 'painstaking' conveys the same sense of careful, thorough effort, making it the closest synonym.

25. 25. Antonym - SOLVENT

    (B) insolvent

    'Solvent' means having enough assets to cover one's debts; 'insolvent' directly denotes the inability to pay debts, making it the precise antonym in this financial context.

26. 26. Synonym - LUCRATIVE

    (A) profitable

    'Lucrative' describes something that produces a great deal of profit or financial gain, which is exactly the sense conveyed by 'profitable'.

27. 27. Antonym - VOLATILE

    (B) stable

    'Volatile' describes something liable to change rapidly and unpredictably; 'stable' denotes steadiness and resistance to change, the clear opposite, while the other options are near-synonyms of 'volatile'.

28. 28. One-word substitution - Financier

    (B) Financier

    A 'financier' specifically refers to a person engaged in large-scale management or investment of money, distinct from a 'trustee', who manages assets for a beneficiary, or an 'auditor', who examines accounts.

29. 29. One-word substitution - Default

    (B) Default

    'Default' precisely denotes the failure to meet a financial or legal obligation, such as missing a loan repayment, whereas 'deficit' refers to a shortfall in funds rather than a failure to repay.

30. 30. One-word substitution - Usurer

    (B) Usurer

    A 'usurer' is specifically a person who lends money at exorbitant or illegally high interest rates, distinct from a 'miser', who hoards money, or a general 'financier'.

Curriculum Mapping & Learning Guide

Use this breakdown to identify which skills each question tests and guide post-test review.

IBPS PO English units covered

1. Chapter 1: Reading Comprehension
2. Chapter 2: Cloze Test
3. Chapter 3: Error Spotting and Correction
4. Chapter 4: Fill in the Blanks (Vocabulary and Grammar)
5. Chapter 5: Para-Jumbles (Sentence Rearrangement)
6. Chapter 6: Sentence Completion
7. Chapter 7: Word Usage (Contextual Vocabulary)
8. Chapter 8: Synonyms and Antonyms
9. Chapter 9: One-Word Substitution

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