Checked 6 October 2026. The only Central Bank circular we could read for this promotion is staff circular 1589 of 09.10.2024 (test tentatively 23.11.2024). A later cycle with applications on 17 to 20 October 2025 and a test on 23.11.2025 is reported by Adda247; we did not find that circular, so check the 2025 and later rules against the bank’s own notice.
Central Bank of India sets a 100-mark online test and a 25-mark interview for clerical promotion, with a separate bar for each and for the total. Staff circular 1589 of 09.10.2024 invited clerical staff to apply for promotion to Assistant Manager in Junior Management Grade Scale I (“Mainstream 2025-26”) under the bank’s Promotion Policy for Clerical and Sub-Ordinate Staff, circulated as Staff Circular 1428 of 20.11.2023. The online test was tentatively fixed for 23.11.2024. This guide sets out what the circular prints and what it leaves to the policy.
The circular is a Central Bank staff document. The bank’s public pages that we could find carry no promotion notices, so we read it in a copy hosted by BankersAdda and label it reported. It is a scan, so we read the pattern table from the page image. The circular is for the cycle that fed the 2025-26 vacancies, and it is now two years old: Adda247 reports a later cycle (applications 17 to 20 October 2025, tentative test 23 November 2025) but we found no circular for it. Where this guide says “the circular”, it means 1589 of 09.10.2024.
Staff circular 1589 of 09.10.2024, paragraph 6 (reported copy).
- 15 topic tests for Bank clerk-to-officer promotion, one topic at a time
- Every answer explained in full
- A full report on every attempt — what went wrong and what to revise
- Unlimited retakes — one payment, yours for good
Eligibility as printed
| Candidate | Minimum continuous service in the bank |
|---|---|
| Graduate with JAIIB or CAIIB of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance | 2 years, reckoned from the date of probation in the clerical cadre |
| Graduate without JAIIB or CAIIB | 3 years, reckoned from the date of probation in the clerical cadre |
| Not debarred under this channel | Under the debarment chapter of the policy (chapter 5, page 16, which we have not read) |
Candidates must be confirmed in the bank’s service and not debarred. The date for service and everything else except qualifications is 1 April of the financial year for which the process starts, 01.04.2025 in this circular. For educational and professional qualifications (JAIIB, CAIIB) the candidate must hold them “as on date of application”. The circular prints rows only for graduates; it does not print a row for non-graduates, and we have not read the policy, so we state no rule for them. Notice that JAIIB or CAIIB cuts a graduate’s service from 3 years to 2 in this bank, which is not true of every bank (see the eligibility guide).
Dates in the 2024 circular, and what is reported for 2025
| Step | Cycle of 09.10.2024 (the circular) | Cycle of October 2025 (Adda247, reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Circular issued | 09.10.2024 | Not seen |
| Online applications on HRMS | 09.10.2024 to 15.10.2024 | 17.10.2025 to 20.10.2025 |
| Approval by administrators at regional and zonal offices | By 18.10.2024 | By 22.10.2025 |
| Online examination | 23.11.2024 ("tentatively") | 23.11.2025 ("tentatively") |
| Vacancies | "If identified, shall be intimated separately" | Not given |
Our arithmetic on the 2024 circular: the application window was 7 days (both ends counted), the test came 39 days after it closed and 45 days after the circular. The 2024 circular does not state a vacancy number, and we found none for 2025. The Adda247 page also says that officers due to retire on or before 31 March 2026 were not eligible to apply and lists officer scales tested the same day; we have not seen a circular for either point.
The test and the interview
| Part | Maximum marks | Minimum to qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Written test: banking, deposits, loans and advances, foreign exchange, bank routine and procedures, matters relevant to the banking industry, staff loans, staff welfare schemes, service conditions, disciplinary procedures | 70 | In all the written parts put together: 50% (45% for SC/ST) |
| Written test: computer and CBS knowledge | 15 | As above |
| Written test: English | 15 | As above |
| Total written test | 100 | 50% (45% for SC/ST) |
| Interview | 25 | 30% for general candidates; 25% for SC/ST |
| Aggregate of written test and interview | 125 | 50% (45% for SC/ST), written test and interview together |
| Bar | General (our arithmetic) | SC/ST (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| Written test | 50 of 100 | 45 of 100 |
| Interview | 7.5 of 25 | 6.25 of 25 |
| Aggregate | 62.5 of 125 | 56.25 of 125 |
Staff circular 1589. The 70-mark banking portion may be answered in English or in Hindi, as the candidate chooses; the circular says nothing of the language of the other parts.
The test is online and objective (multiple choice). The circular prints no sectional minimum: the 50% (or 45%) applies to the whole 100-mark written test, so on the circular’s wording a weak English score can be made up in banking. It prints no duration, number of questions or negative marking, so we state none. How the list is built: candidates who reach the written-test minimum are ranked by merit and the top 150% of the number of vacancies are called for interview. The final merit list is made from candidates who reach the minimum in the written test and interview together, and promotions are made from that list up to the number of vacancies. Reservation for SC, ST and PwBD candidates follows Government of India guidelines. The circular prints no marks for service or qualification in the merit list; we have not read the policy and cannot say whether it adds any.
Check a score against the three bars
| Worked example (our arithmetic) | Written | Aggregate | Written bar | Interview bar | Aggregate bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banking 38, CBS 8, English 8 (written 54), interview 14 | 54 | 68 | Met | Met | Met |
| Banking 36, CBS 7, English 6 (written 49), interview 20 (hypothetical: fails the written bar, so no interview call in practice) | 49 | 69 | Not met | Met | Met |
| Banking 40, CBS 9, English 8 (written 57), interview 5 | 57 | 62 | Met | Not met | Not met |
| SC/ST: banking 33, CBS 7, English 5 (written 45), interview 12 | 45 | 57 | Met | Met | Met |
| Banking 30, CBS 6, English 5 (written 41), interview 25 (hypothetical: fails the written bar, so no interview call in practice) | 41 | 66 | Not met | Met | Met |
Applying, posting and the conditions around the list
| Topic | What the circular prints |
|---|---|
| Where and how | Online on HRMS only; no hard copy accepted. Details are drawn from HRMS, so staff are to keep their record complete and report any discrepancy in date of birth, category, disability, qualification, date of joining or spouse details to the administrator. |
| Approval | Administrators and approvers at regional and zonal offices verify applications against official records by the approval date; zonal offices coordinate. |
| Posting preference | Applicants may give a preference of up to 10 Regions, subject to vacancies. All promotees are liable to be posted anywhere in the country. |
| Priority in posting (subject to vacancies and administrative constraints) | In this order: employees with benchmark disability and caregivers of a dependent with a specified disability; promotees with 3 years or less left to retirement; lady promotees joining a spouse or family; employees who joined as ex-servicemen; then everyone else by inter-se seniority. |
| False information | Submitting an application does not entitle anyone to promotion; if details are found incorrect or false, the promotion is annulled and action may follow. |
| If the policy changes | Any clause added or changed in the policy for 2025-26, including eligibility, applies to this process. |
What we could not find
- The Promotion Policy for Clerical and Sub-Ordinate Staff (Staff Circular 1428 of 20.11.2023), which holds the debarment chapter and any seniority rules.
- A circular for the October 2025 cycle, and any vacancy number.
- A result, cut-off, merit list or interview schedule for either cycle, and whether the tests were held on the tentative dates.
- A row for non-graduate clerks.
Central Bank’s HRMS notice board and your regional office hold the current rules.
Practise it, don't just read it
Seventy of Central Bank’s 125 marks come from banking theory and practice, including deposits and loans. Five of our practice quizzes cover those areas, with an explanation for every answer.
Fifteen practice quizzes of ten questions each are live. Five cover banking law and practice: Banker-Customer Relationship and Deposits, Negotiable Instruments Act, KYC and Anti-Money Laundering, Priority Sector Lending, and Loans, Securities and NPAs. Ten cover bank accounting and branch work: reconciliation, final accounts, bills of exchange, deposit interest, journal entries and ledgers, trial balance, CBS posting, NEFT and RTGS, IT security, and business English. Every answer carries an explanation.
Other banks in this series: Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Union Bank of India and Central Bank of India. Rules that run across banks are in the eligibility guide, the pattern and syllabus guide, the selection guide and the officer pay guide.
More in this series
- Eligibility by bank: years, JAIIB/CAIIB, age
- Exam pattern and syllabus by bank
- Selection: merit, seniority, vacancies and posting
- Officer pay after promotion: Scale I, DA and allowances
- Preparation: banking law, KYC, PSL and NPAs
- PNB: Selectivity channel, marks and test
- Bank of Baroda: All India and Seniority channels
- Bank of India: three notices compared
- Union Bank: State Services and All India channels
- SBI clerk to officer promotion (Trainee Officer / JMGS-I): what is public
- Bank promotion Scale I to Scale II: cycles we could source
- Bank promotion Scale II to Scale III: cycles we could source
- JAIIB and CAIIB increments and PQP: pay calculator
- JAIIB and CAIIB syllabus: every paper and module on one map
- Alerts and updates for JAIIB / CAIIB (IIBF)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Central Bank of India clerk to officer promotion exam pattern?
An online objective test of 100 marks: banking and related matters 70, computer and CBS knowledge 15 and English 15, followed by a 25-mark interview. The pattern is printed in staff circular 1589 of 09.10.2024; the circular does not state a duration or negative marking.
How many years of service are needed for Central Bank promotion to JMGS-I?
In circular 1589, graduates with JAIIB or CAIIB need 2 years of continuous service from the date of probation in the clerical cadre, and graduates without them need 3 years, counted on 1 April of the financial year of the process (01.04.2025).
What are the qualifying marks in the Central Bank promotion exam?
50% of the 100-mark written test for general candidates and 45% for SC/ST, taken over all written parts together; 30% (25% for SC/ST) in the interview; and 50% (45% for SC/ST) in the 125-mark aggregate. That is 50, 7.5 and 62.5 for general candidates by our arithmetic.
How many candidates are called for the Central Bank promotion interview?
The number called is 150% of the number of vacancies, in order of merit, from candidates who reach the written-test minimum.
When was the Central Bank of India promotion exam held?
Circular 1589 fixed it tentatively for 23.11.2024. Adda247 reports a later cycle with a tentative test on 23.11.2025. We have not seen a result for either.
Is there a sectional cut-off in the Central Bank promotion exam?
The circular prints none. The written-test minimum applies to banking, computer and CBS and English put together.
Is JAIIB or CAIIB compulsory for Central Bank promotion?
No. A graduate without JAIIB or CAIIB can apply with 3 years of service; holding one shortens the requirement to 2 years.
Sources
- reported — Central Bank of India Staff Circular 1589 of 09.10.2024: promotion to the post of Assistant Manager in JMG Scale I (Mainstream 2025-26) from the clerical cadre (full text of the bank’s own circular; copy hosted by BankersAdda)
- reported — Adda247, "Central Bank of India promotion exam date 2025" (the 2025 cycle: HRMS applications 17 to 20 October 2025, tentative test 23 November 2025; no circular is linked, so this is a news summary and is used only to say that a later cycle exists)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
