Practising for the Descriptive Paper: Weekly Plan, Typing and Worked Outlines

Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked on 28 October 2026; not yet read line by line by a human editor. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Editorial standards & corrections

Why it needs its own practice

The descriptive paper is part of a long Main examination. In the SBI PO 2026-27 notification, the 30-mark, 30-minute descriptive test is held immediately after the 180-minute objective test, and a minimum qualifying score is needed in it separately; the Main marks out of 230 (objective plus descriptive) are then normalised to 75 for the final merit. In the IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI notification, the 25-mark, 30-minute descriptive paper is part of a Main Examination of 3 hours 10 minutes, and the notice does not say how its marks are combined with the 200 objective marks. Either way, a tired candidate who has never typed an answer against the clock loses easy marks, so practise it every week from the start, not after the Preliminary result.

A weekly plan

About 30 to 45 minutes a day are enough. Monday: read two editorials and note one argument, one example and five useful phrases. Tuesday: a timed essay or situation analysis. Wednesday: a letter or an email. Thursday: a précis or a report. Friday: a comprehension, or the task you scored worst on. Saturday: a full mock in the exact pattern of your target exam, typed and timed. Sunday: review, rewrite one answer and update an error log of the mistakes you keep making. Over the weeks, build a notebook of examples under five themes (banking and finance, technology, social issues, environment, ethics) so that you never begin an answer empty-handed.

Typing on screen

The answers are typed on the computer, so practise typing, not handwriting. Use a plain text editor with spell-check and autocorrect switched off, since you cannot count on either in the exam. Measure your speed: at 20 words a minute a 200-word answer needs 10 minutes of typing; at 30 words a minute, about 7. Type with both hands, use the Shift key rather than Caps Lock for capitals, and leave a blank line between paragraphs. Read the on-screen instructions at the start to see how the answer box works and whether a word counter is shown.

Editing within the time

Split the time before you begin. With three questions in 30 minutes, as in the SBI PO 2026-27 test, each gets about 10 minutes; with two, as in the IBPS PO/MT-XVI paper, the essay can take a little more than half. Inside each answer, spend a short time planning, most of it typing and the last minute or two reading. Read once for meaning and once for errors: the subject line, the match between salutation and close, verb agreement, articles, the spelling of key words and any number you quoted. Do not leave one answer unfinished to polish another; a complete, plain answer usually scores more than a brilliant half.

How evaluators read

Imagine an evaluator, human or machine, going through many answers quickly and asking in turn: does this answer the question asked; is the structure clear, with an opening, visible paragraphs and a close; are the points backed by reasons and examples; is the English correct; and, for a letter or email, is the format right? A memorised essay pasted onto a different question scores poorly however polished it is, so adapt prepared material to the exact wording.

A worked essay outline

Topic, 'Digital payments in India: progress and challenges'. Introduction: UPI, launched in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India, has made instant small payments normal; thesis, the gains in convenience and inclusion are real, but fraud and the digital divide must be tackled. Body 1: convenience and records; a vegetable seller with a QR code builds a payment history a bank can use. Body 2: inclusion; Jan Dhan accounts (2014), Aadhaar and mobile phones together let government benefits reach bank accounts directly. Body 3: challenges; phishing and OTP fraud, and older or rural users who are less confident online. Body 4: the way forward; financial literacy camps, prompt grievance redressal by banks and safe-use habits. Conclusion: digital payments should grow with trust and safety, so that no customer is left behind.

A worked letter outline

A complaint to a branch manager about a failed ATM withdrawal. Sender's address: 'ABC Nagar, Patna'. Date: '15 July 20XX'. Receiver: 'The Branch Manager, XYZ Bank, Main Road, Patna'. Subject: 'Complaint regarding amount debited in a failed ATM transaction'. Salutation: 'Sir/Madam,'. Paragraph 1: the purpose. Paragraph 2: the facts, that is the date, the ATM's location, the amount, 'account ending 4321', and that no cash came out. Paragraph 3: a request to credit the amount back, with thanks. Close: 'Yours faithfully,' and 'ABC'. As an email for the SBI PO 2026-27 pattern, drop the postal addresses and the date, add a To line, keep the subject line and close with 'Regards,' and the name.

Key facts

SBI PO 2026-27: a 30-mark, 30-minute descriptive test held right after the 180-minute objective test; it needs its own minimum qualifying score.
SBI PO 2026-27 final merit: Main marks out of 230 (objective plus descriptive) are normalised to 75, and group exercise plus interview marks (out of 50) to 25.
IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI: a 25-mark, 30-minute descriptive paper within a Main Examination of 3 hours 10 minutes; the notice does not say how its marks combine with the 200 objective marks.
Weekly plan: editorial notes, an essay, a letter or email, a précis or report, a comprehension, a full timed mock, then a review day with an error log.
Practise typing with spell-check and autocorrect off; at 20 words a minute a 200-word answer takes 10 minutes of typing.
Three questions in 30 minutes means about 10 minutes each; within each, plan briefly, type, and keep the last minute or two for reading.
Final-read checklist: subject line, salutation matched with close, verb agreement, articles, spelling of key words, any numbers quoted.
Essay outline: UPI (2016, NPCI) and Jan Dhan (2014) for progress; phishing, OTP fraud and the digital divide for challenges; literacy camps and grievance redressal for the way forward.
Letter outline: ABC Nagar address, date, The Branch Manager, XYZ Bank, a subject on the failed ATM debit, Sir/Madam, purpose-facts-request, Yours faithfully, ABC.

Quick revision

Practise weekly from the start; SBI PO 2026-27: 30 marks, 30 min, right after the 180-min objective test, separate minimum score, Main out of 230 normalised to 75; IBPS PO/MT-XVI: 25 marks, 30 min within a 3 h 10 min Main; type with spell-check off and know your words per minute; split the time before starting; check relevance, structure, content, language, format; adapt prepared examples to the question.

All 11 lessons on Beyond the Written Exam: Descriptive Paper, Interview and Other Stages