SBI PO key terms

A word that carries essentially the same meaning as another word in a given context, such as 'abundant' and 'plentiful'. Synonym items test whether you can match meaning quickly under time pressure.

A word whose meaning is opposite to that of another word, such as 'scarce' for 'abundant'. Antonym items check whether you can spot contrast rather than similarity.

A fixed group of words whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words, for example 'to bite the bullet', meaning to face something painful bravely.

A passage in which one word is removed from each sentence and you choose the option that fits both grammar and meaning. It tests vocabulary, collocation and contextual logic together.

A set of shuffled sentences that must be rearranged into a coherent paragraph, usually by spotting the opening sentence, pronouns and linking words that fix the order.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, as in 'The list of items is long'. Errors hidden by an intervening phrase are a frequent test point.

A conclusion drawn from stated facts rather than stated outright. It must be logically forced by the passage, not merely plausible or a general opinion you happen to hold.

A reasoning item with two or more given statements and some conclusions; you decide which conclusions necessarily follow, using only the stated premises and ignoring real-world knowledge.

A set of statements in which symbols such as >, ≥, = and < replace words, followed by a conclusion to verify. You decode the relations and check if the conclusion is definitely true.

A puzzle that expresses family ties through sentences or symbols and asks how two people are related. A quick family tree with gender marks solves most items.

A question followed by two or more statements; you decide whether the data supplied is enough to answer it, without actually computing the final value.

A machine-style set in which a rule rearranges a line of numbers or words step by step; you identify the pattern and predict a later step or the final arrangement.

An item where a statement is followed by candidate assumptions; you judge which one the author must have taken for granted for the statement to make sense.

A puzzle placing people in a row, circle or square with clues about facing direction and neighbours; you build one fixed arrangement that satisfies every condition.

Interest calculated only on the original principal for the whole period, using principal × rate × time ÷ 100. It does not compound, so each year adds the same amount.

Interest charged on both the principal and the interest already accrued, so the amount grows faster than under simple interest, especially across several years.

The comparison of cost price with selling price: profit when the selling price exceeds the cost price, loss when the cost price is higher, usually expressed as a percentage of cost price.

Problems about how long individuals or groups take to finish a job, solved by treating total work as a common multiple or unit and adding the rates at which each works.

An arrangement of items in which order matters, such as seating order; the count is n! ÷ (n − r)! when only r items are picked from n.

The chance of an event, computed as favourable outcomes divided by total equally likely outcomes; values run from 0 for an impossible event to 1 for a certain one.

A circle split into sectors whose angles or areas show shares of a whole. You usually convert the stated degrees into percentages and apply them to a given total.

An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0 where a is not zero. In bank exams you often compare the roots of two such equations to establish a relationship.

The rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities. Raising it makes borrowing costlier and helps bring down inflation.

The rate at which the RBI absorbs surplus cash from banks by borrowing from them. It is set below the repo rate and is used to drain liquidity from the system.

The share of a bank's net demand and time liabilities that must be held as cash with the RBI, earning no interest. It directly controls how much a bank can lend.

The minimum share of a bank's deposits that must be kept in safe, liquid assets such as government securities, gold or cash, over and above the cash reserve requirement.

An RBI window that lets banks borrow overnight against government securities at a rate above the repo rate, typically used when interbank liquidity is tight.

A loan on which principal or interest has remained overdue for more than 90 days. Such accounts stop earning income and force the bank to make provisions.

Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate: the floor rate below which a bank may not lend, calculated from its cost of funds, a tenure premium and operating costs.

A rule requiring banks to direct a set portion of credit to sectors such as agriculture, small enterprises, education and weaker sections, measured against adjusted net bank credit.

A global set of capital, leverage and liquidity standards for banks framed after the 2008 crisis, requiring more and better-quality capital against risk-weighted assets.

An NPCI-run system that lets users send money instantly between bank accounts through a virtual handle on a mobile app, without entering account details each time.

A measure of retail inflation that tracks price changes in a fixed basket of goods and services bought by households; the RBI uses it as its main inflation-targeting measure.

A letter to an official, editor or organisation in a set layout: sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject line, salutation, body, complimentary close and signature.

One or two sentences near the start of an essay that state the central claim you will defend; it guides the structure and keeps the writing focused.

The linking of sentences through pronouns, conjunctions and repeated key words so that a paragraph reads as one flow rather than a set of disconnected points.

A shortened, faithful restatement of a passage that keeps only its main ideas, written in your own words at roughly one-third of the original length.

The level of formality suited to a given reader, such as formal for an official letter and neutral for an essay; a mismatch weakens otherwise correct writing.