Do you think you can start Current Affairs Preparation after clearing Prelims? Thousands of banking aspirants think the same every year. But when Mains arrives, they realize one surprising truth that often decides selection or rejection. What is it? Let’s find out.

How many months of Current Affairs should I cover for banking exams?

• SBI PO, IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, RRB PO/Clerk: Last 6 months
• RBI Grade B, NABARD Grade A: Last 12 months
• IBPS Clerk Mains: Last 5-6 months

Most questions come from the 3-4 months just before exam day. Don’t skip those even if you’re short on time.

I read current affairs daily but forget everything in a week. What should I do?

Reading without testing = forgetting. Fix it with this simple cycle.

• Read – Attempt a 10-question quiz the same day
• Revisit the same month’s content after 7 days
• Revision again 2-3 days before the exam

Revision 3x beats reading 10x – every time.

Attempt Current Affair free mock test paper now

Is reading The Hindu or Economic Times really necessary?

Not mandatory. Full newspaper takes 1-1.5 hours daily – most aspirants can’t sustain that.

• A monthly current affairs capsule PDF covers all exam-relevant news in less than 30 minutes.
• If you do read newspapers, focus only on national, banking, and economy pages – skip opinion and editorial columns.

Should I follow one source or multiple sources for current affairs?

One good source + quizzes beats three sources with no revision. Jumping between sources wastes time and creates confusion.

The biggest mistake toppers report: Switching sources every month. Use only one resource, stick to it, and revise it multiple times.

Which topics from current affairs are most asked in banking exams?

Priority order (highest to lowest)

• RBI decisions – Repo rate, CRR, new circulars, monetary policy
• Government schemes – PM schemes, finance, & agriculture ministry announcements.
• Appointments – Bank governors, CEOs, heads of IMF/World Bank/RBI
• India’s economic data – GDP, inflation, unemployment figures.
• Rankings & indexes – Global Hunger Index, HDI, Ease of doing business.
• Banking mergers, new bank licences, digital banking launches
• Sports awards & summits – national events, G20/BRICKS, bilateral meetings.

Download free banking notes now

Current affairs have 4000+ facts in 6 months. How do I manage so much content?

You don’t memorise everything – you memorize what gets asked.

• Banking, economy, and government schemes = 60-70% of GA questions- prioritize these.
• Sports and awards = 3-4 question max – don’t over-invest time here
• Solve previous year GA papers to see exactly which type of facts repeat

Should I make notes for current affairs or just read PDFs?

Making full notes wastes time. Instead:

• Highlight key facts directly inside the PDF
• Maintain one short list for appointments, RBI rates, and scheme names – these are quick wins
• Revise that short list 2-3 days before the exam

Do current affairs matter in Prelims?

No, prelims exam has not included any GA section for SBI PO, IBPS PO, and RRB. GA only appears in Mains. But don’t stop reading during Prelims prep – a 3- month gap in GA is very hard to recover later.

Toppers Say: “Not starting GA during Prelims prep was my biggest mistake”

Click to pass the bank exam in first attempt

What is the difference between Current Affairs and Banking Awareness?

Banking Awareness: Static concepts – NPA, NABARD, types of accounts, functions of RBI, SEBI, IRDAI.

Current Affairs: Recent events – new RBI policy, repo rate changes, scheme launches, and appointments.

Both appear under GA, Ignore either one and your score drops.

Which Banking exam has the toughest current affairs section?

RBI Grade B – 80 GA marks in Phase I alone. Questions test understanding of policy reasoning, not just facts. Second toughest: NABARD Grade A. Third: SBI PO Mains.

Weak in Current Affairs? Fix it with Practice.

Bhagya Achiever’s banking test series includes Current affairs Mocks built for SBI PO, IBPS PO, & RBI Grade B.

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FAQs

Ques: Can I clear banking exams without preparing current affairs?

Ans: No, GA is a compulsory section in every banking Mains exam. Skipping it means attempting 0 out of 40-80 marks – clearing the cut-off becomes nearly impossible.

Ques: How much time should I give to current affairs daily?

Ans: 15-20 minutes daily is enough if done consistently. Spending 1 hour once a week is far less effective than 15 minutes every day.

Ques: When should I start current affairs preparation?

Ans: From Day 1 – even during Prelims prep. Waiting for Prelims results means losing 2-3 months of GA you can never recover.

Ques: Which is the most reliable source of Current Affairs for Banking Exams?

Ans: Monthly current Affairs PDFs, daily quizzes and banking awareness notes.

Ques: Are Current Affairs and Banking awareness the same thing?

Ans: No, current affairs means new latest topics and events whereas Banking awareness is basic information about banking.

Ques: Can I clear my Banking exam cut-offs only by preparing current affairs?

Ans: Yes, A strong score in Current Affairs often becomes the deciding factor between selection and rejection. 

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• General Awareness & Current Affairs Notes for SBI PO Mains