If Bengali, Telugu or Tamil is your first language, the English habits that cost marks in a Bank PO interview are a short list, and most of them are not the ones coaching videos talk about. A board of senior bankers has no accent rubric. Per the SBI PO 2026-27 advertisement (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09), Phase III gives the Group Exercise 20 marks and the Interview 30, with the qualifying marks "as decided by the Bank". Per the IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI notification, the interview carries 100 marks, the qualifying minimum is 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates), and the Main to interview weightage is 80:20. In our judgement what a panel marks, without a rubric, is whether it understood you the first time and whether you sounded like an officer. So for each language this page gives the five habits most likely to cost either of those: two or three sounds that can hide a word, a grammar transfer that changes meaning, and a filler or word-order habit that makes you sound less certain than you are. Each comes with the reason, the fix, a 60-second drill and a before and after line written by TalkDrill. The register habits the three languages share with every other Indian candidate ("myself", "the same", "do the needful", yes/no answers to open questions) are in one shared section after the language sections. SBI Group Exercises and interviews start from 18 November 2026 per the SBI Phase III notice, which calls the date tentative; IBPS interviews run in November and December 2026 per the tentative schedule in the IBPS notification.
What the panel marks, and what it ignores
Two official documents describe the interview and neither describes a marking scheme. The SBI advertisement, on the page printed as 7 of 15, sets out Phase III as a Psychometric Test (its findings are "placed before the Interview panel" and the marks table gives it no marks), a Group Exercise of 20 and an Interview of 30, and says the Main Examination's 230 and Phase III's 50 are normalised to 75 and 25 for the final merit list. The IBPS notification, section J, says "The total marks allotted for Interview are 100", that the minimum "will not be less than 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates)" and that the weightage "will be 80:20". That is all. In our judgement the panel's score is an impression formed mostly in the first two minutes and confirmed or revised over the rest of the interview.
- A sentence the board had to decode: a tense that leaves an event unfinished, a merged consonant in a money word, a filler the member thought was a word.
- A sentence that did not answer the question: a "yes" to "why", a list when a view was asked for.
- Register that belongs on a form: "myself", "the same", "kindly", "needful".
- Audible nerves: "sir" after every clause, a question tone on statements, a filler every four words.
The fifteen habits at a glance
| Language | Sound habits | Grammar transfer | Filler or order habit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengali | s and sh merged ("shir", "shector"); v and b merged ("balue"); z as j ("jero", "Rejerve") | "Passed out", "completed my graduation in" for degree dates | "Only" placed after the word it stresses ("I only did it", "today only") |
| Telugu | Vowel added to final consonants ("bank-u", "and-u"); stress on the first syllable of every word ("DEvelopment") | Present tense for finished events ("I complete my degree in 2024") | "Sir" after every clause; "u" endings that make a statement sound unfinished |
| Tamil | Retroflex t, d and l so strong that "little" and "later" blur; voiceless and voiced stops swapped ("pank", "Gandhi" with a hard k) | Flat stress, so the key word of a sentence is lost | "la" and "aa" tags ("that time-la", "correct-aa?"); "and all", "simply", "itself" |
Bengali speakers: five habits
B1. s and sh
Why it costs. Bengali has three letters for sibilants but one dominant sound, close to English sh. So "sir" becomes "shir", "sector" becomes "shector", "assets" becomes "ashets" and "SBI" becomes "esh-bi-ai". The panel understands, but "shir" in the first second and "ashets" in a balance-sheet answer are the two places it notices. Fix. For s, the tongue tip is close behind the top teeth and the air is thin and sharp; for sh, the tongue is further back and the lips push forward. Feel the difference on "see" and "she". 60-second drill. "Sir, the sector's assets and savings are safe" five times slowly, then five at speed. Then "she sells shares" to keep sh where it belongs. Before: "Shir, the banking shector hash sheen a rishe in shtreshed ashets." After: "Sir, the banking sector has seen a rise in stressed assets."
B2. v and b
Why it costs. Bengali has no v; the letter ব covers b, and ভ covers bh. "Value" becomes "balue", "verify" becomes "berify", "invest" becomes "inbest", "savings" becomes "sabings". These are money words, which is why this habit ranks above s and sh for a bank interview. Fix. v is made with the top teeth resting on the lower lip and a buzz; b is made with both lips closed. Put a finger on your lower lip: for v the finger feels the teeth, for b it feels the other lip. 60-second drill. "Verify the value of every investment before the bank invests" ten times with the finger test. Before: "We must berify the balue of the inbestment." After: "We must verify the value of the investment."
B3. z as j
Why it costs. Bengali has no z, so "zero" becomes "jero", "Reserve" becomes "Rejerve" and "zone" becomes "jone". "Reserve Bank" is said in nearly every answer, and "zero balance account" is a question in itself. Fix. z is s with the voice switched on; make an s, keep the tongue still, and hum. 60-second drill. "The Reserve Bank's zero-balance zone" ten times; then "sue, zoo; sip, zip; price, prize" as pairs. Before: "The Rejerve Bank allows a jero-balance account under Jan Dhan." After: "The Reserve Bank allows a zero-balance account under Jan Dhan."
B4. "Passed out" and "completed my graduation in"
Why it costs. "I passed out in 2023" means fainted to a listener outside India, and senior bankers know it. "I completed my graduation in commerce" is understood but is a long way round. Fix. "I graduated in 2023 with a B.Com from Calcutta University." One verb, one year, one degree. 60-second drill. Say your school, graduation and any job as three sentences, each with "finished", "graduated" or "worked" and a year, and none with "passed out" or "completed my graduation"; repeat five times. Before: "I have completed my graduation from Burdwan University and passed out in 2024." After: "I graduated from Burdwan University in 2024."
B5. "Only" after the word it stresses
Why it costs. Bengali, like Hindi, uses a particle ("i") after the word it emphasises, and the English "only" takes its place: "I only handled the cash", "today only I came", "in Siliguri only". To a listener, "I only handled the cash" means you did nothing else, which may not be what you meant, and "today only" sounds like a complaint. Fix. Put the stress in your voice, not in "only". "I handled the cash myself." "I arrived today." "In Siliguri itself" is also a transfer; say "in Siliguri". 60-second drill. Say five sentences about your last week with no "only" and no "itself"; stress the key word by saying it slightly louder and slower. Before: "Yesterday only I reached Kolkata, and I only prepared the banking part." After: "I reached Kolkata yesterday, and I prepared the banking part first."
Telugu speakers: five habits
T1. A vowel on the end of every consonant
Why it costs. Telugu words end in vowels, so English words that end in a consonant pick up a short "u": "bank-u", "and-u", "report-u", "Rahul-u". The board understands, but a run of them makes every sentence sound unfinished, and in the Group Exercise it makes it hard for others to hear where your point ends, which matters for the 20 marks SBI gives that exercise. Fix. Close the mouth on the final consonant and stop. Say "bank" and keep the lips and tongue where they land. 60-second drill. "The bank sent the report and the draft at eight" ten times, ending each word cleanly. Record, and listen for any "u". Before: "The bank-u sent-u the report-u on Friday-u." After: "The bank sent the report on Friday."
T2. Stress on the first syllable of every word
Why it costs. Telugu stresses the first syllable, so English words that stress later ("deVELopment", "eCONomy", "inFLAtion", "interNAtional") come out as "DEvelopment", "Economy", "INflation". These are the words of a bank interview, and a misplaced stress is what makes a listener ask "sorry?" even when every sound was right. Fix. Learn the stress of twenty banking words and tap the table on the stressed syllable while you say them. 60-second drill. deVELopment, eCONomy, eCONomic, inFLAtion, inVESTment, deMONetisation, agriCULture, priORity, commERcial, coOPerative, finANcial, inCLUsion, inSURance, DIgital, reCOVery, perFORmance, proDUCtive, reTURN, aCCOUNT, deFAULT. Our word stress guide has the rules behind the list. Before: "INflation affects the Economy and DEvelopment of AGriculture." After: "inFLAtion affects the eCONomy and deVELopment of agriCULture."
T3. Present tense for finished events
Why it costs. Telugu marks tense clearly, but under pressure many speakers reach for the English base verb: "I complete my B.Tech in 2024", "last year I work in a private company", "my father retire in 2020". The listener waits for the sentence to finish and then is unsure whether it has. It is the one habit in this list that changes meaning, so fix it first. Fix. Every finished event takes the past: completed, worked, retired, joined, left. Say the "-ed" and say it audibly; "completed" has three syllables. 60-second drill. Tell your education and work history in six sentences, all past tense, and record it. Before: "I complete my degree in 2024 and then I prepare for banking." After: "I completed my degree in 2024 and have prepared for banking since then."
T4. "Sir" after every clause
Why it costs. "Sir, I am from Guntur, sir, and my father, sir, is a farmer, sir." The habit is taught as respect and lands as nerves. If one member is a woman, each reflexive "sir" is also slightly wrong. Fix. One "sir" or "ma'am" in the greeting, one in the thanks. In between, address people by looking at them. 60-second drill. Answer "tell me about your family" for sixty seconds with zero "sir". If you fail, start again. Before: "Sir, my father, sir, is a farmer, sir, and my mother, sir, is a teacher, sir." After: "My father is a farmer and my mother teaches at the village primary school."
T5. Statements that rise at the end
Why it costs. Partly the "u" ending, partly Telugu intonation, many statements end on a rising tone, which in English is a question. "I want to join SBI?" invites the panel to doubt you. Fix. Drop the voice on the last word of every statement. Practise by saying the last word as if it were the end of a paragraph. 60-second drill. Five one-line opinions ("Public banks should lend more to small firms."), each ending low and firm. The South Indian speakers' guide covers the intonation point in depth.
Tamil speakers: five habits
M1. Retroflex t, d and l
Why it costs. All Indian languages have retroflex sounds, but Tamil uses them hardest and also has a retroflex l (ழ and ள). In English this makes "little", "later", "total", "loan" and "deposit" heavy enough that a board from another region sometimes loses the word. Fix. For English t and d the tongue tip touches the ridge just behind the top teeth, not the roof of the mouth; for l it touches the same ridge and the sides of the tongue stay down. Lighter, further forward. 60-second drill. "A little later the total loan and deposit data" ten times with the tongue forward. Before: "The total loan was a little late" (heavy). After: same words, tongue forward, half the force.
M2. Voiced and voiceless stops swapped
Why it costs. Tamil script has one letter for each pair (k/g, t/d, p/b), and which sound you make depends on position in the word. Carried into English this gives "pank" for "bank", "gustomer" for "customer", "Gandhi" with a hard k, and "pay" and "bay" merged. "Bank" is the word of the interview. Fix. b, d and g vibrate in the throat; put a hand on your throat and feel it on "bank" but not on "park". 60-second drill. "The bank paid the customer back in cash" ten times with a hand on the throat; "pay, bay; cap, cab; pack, back" as pairs.
M3. Flat stress
Why it costs. Tamil gives roughly equal weight to syllables, so English sentences come out level and the board cannot hear which word carries the point. "I want to work in a RURAL branch" and "I want to WORK in a rural branch" are different answers; said flat they are the same. Fix. Choose one word per sentence and make it slightly longer and louder. 60-second drill. Say "I chose banking because of my father's experience" five times, moving the stress each time (chose, banking, father's, experience) and listen to how the meaning moves. Before: "I want to work in a rural branch" said level, so the board does not know whether "rural" or "work" is the point. After: "I want to work in a RURAL branch", with "rural" longer and louder, which tells the board what to ask next.
M4. "la" and "aa" tags
Why it costs. Tamil adds "-la" for location or time and "-aa" to make a question, and both leak into English: "that time-la", "in college-la", "correct-aa?", "you want me to explain-aa?". A board outside Tamil Nadu hears a sound it cannot place; a board inside Tamil Nadu hears a candidate who has not separated the two languages. Fix. Replace "-la" with the English preposition ("at that time", "in college") and replace "-aa" with English question order or a rising tone on a real question ("Is that correct?"). 60-second drill. Describe your college for a minute; a partner taps on every "la" and "aa". Repeat until zero. Before: "College-la I was the placement coordinator. That time-la we got twelve companies. Good number, correct-aa?" After: "In college I was the placement coordinator. That year we brought twelve companies to campus, which was the most the college had seen."
M5. "And all", "simply", "itself"
Why it costs. "I did NCC and all", "I simply applied", "in Madurai itself". "And all" sounds vague, "simply" sounds careless (in Tamil English it means "just", in standard English it means "merely" or "in a simple way"), and "itself" is the Tamil "-ye" doing emphasis English does not need. Fix. Name the items ("I did NCC and the college quiz team"), drop "simply", and drop "itself" after place and time words. 60-second drill. List everything you did in college in sixty seconds without "and all", "simply" or "itself": each activity gets its own noun. Before: "I simply did B.Com and all in Trichy itself." After: "I did my B.Com in Trichy, with a minor in cooperative banking." Our Tamil speakers' English guide has the longer list.
Register fixes all three languages share
These are not Bengali, Telugu or Tamil habits; they are Indian school and office English, and a board hears them from every region. They are listed here because they cost more than any sound above, and because, in our judgement, a candidate who fixes the five below has done more for their interview score than a month of accent work. The Hindi speakers' page treats each one at length with a drill.
| Habit | Say instead | Why the board minds |
|---|---|---|
| "Myself Priya" / "Myself Karthik" | "I am Priya." / "My name is Karthik." | A reflexive pronoun as a subject; the first thing many boards note |
| "Yes sir" to "why", "how" or "what" questions | Start with the reason, the steps or the thing | It says you did not listen to the question word |
| "The same": "I will look into the same" | "I will look into it" | Memo language; the panel reads it all day |
| "Do the needful", "kindly", "revert back" | Name the action: "I would check, call and release the payment"; "please"; "reply" | Hides what you would actually do |
| "I am having two sisters", "I am knowing" | "I have two sisters", "I know" | State verbs take the simple present; this one is a grammar error, not a style choice |
| "Basically", "actually", "see" as the first word | The noun of the answer | Three stalls in a row before any content |
One more that cuts across all three languages: the "we Indians" or "our people" generalisation when a board asks about your district. Say what you have seen yourself, with one concrete detail in it. "The nearest branch to my village is nine kilometres away, so the farmers I know still borrow from the trader between harvests" (a TalkDrill example of the shape; use your own figure) is a sentence a board remembers; "our people are not aware of banking" is not. The question bank has model answers that do this for each common question.
Three answers, before and after
All six versions below were written by TalkDrill as worked examples. None is a real candidate's answer and every name is invented. The question in each case is the standard opener: "Tell us about yourself."
Bengali speaker
After
"Good morning, sir, good morning, ma'am. I am Sourav Das from Howrah. I graduated in economics from Calcutta University in 2024. My father is an accounts clerk in a jute firm, my mother runs the house, and my elder sister teaches at a government primary school in Uluberia. I want to join a public sector bank because of something I saw at my sister's school: the mid-day meal funds arrive through a bank account, and when the branch is slow the meals are late. An officer who understands that chain can fix it from the bank's side. That is the kind of work I want."
What changed: "myself" to "I am"; "passed out ... only" to "graduated in 2024"; two progressives for states to simple present; s and sh separated in "sir", "sister", "sector", "service", "society" (the sh in "she" and "show" stays); a vague "serve the society" replaced with one specific thing seen and a number-free but concrete reason.
Telugu speaker
After
"Good morning, sir, good morning, ma'am. I am Lakshmi Prasanna from Guntur. I completed my B.Tech in 2023 and then worked for a year as a support engineer at a software company in Hyderabad. My father grows chilli on about five acres near Prattipadu, and the price he gets depends on which trader he has borrowed from that season. I left the software job because I wanted work where I meet the people the work is for. A Probationary Officer in a district like mine spends every harvest on exactly the question my father faces, whether a formal loan can replace the trader. I would like to be on the bank's side of that conversation."
What changed: ten "sir"s became one "sir" and one "ma'am"; final "u"s removed; "complete" and "work" became "completed" and "worked"; the final sentence ends low instead of rising; "government job and secure" became a specific reason the board can question further.
Tamil speaker
After
"Good morning, sir, good morning, ma'am. I am Karthik Raja from Madurai. I graduated in commerce from the American College in 2024. My father runs a provision store near Simmakkal; he took a Mudra loan under the Kishore category for stock two years ago, and I handled the paperwork and the repayments with him. That year taught me what a small trader needs from a bank officer, which is mostly a clear answer and a quick one. I am applying to SBI because its branches reach the small towns around Madurai, so the posting I am most likely to get is the kind of branch my father walks into."
What changed: "myself" and "itself" gone; "simply", "and all" and "-la" gone; "passed out" to "graduated"; "am knowing", "is taking" to simple and past forms; "pank" to "bank" with the throat test; the "correct-aa?" tag replaced by a statement that ends low. More full transcripts show how the rest of the interview goes after an opening like this.
A ten-day routine to the interview
Ten minutes a day. SBI candidates should start by 8 November 2026 so that the routine ends before the 18 November start the SBI notice gives; IBPS candidates should start the day the Main result is declared, which the IBPS tentative schedule puts in November 2026, with interviews in November and December.
| Day | Ten minutes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record "tell me about yourself". Listen with your language's five habits and the shared table open. Tick. Choose three: the grammar one, one sound, one register. | AI bank panel round |
| 2 | Rewrite the introduction without the three. Say it aloud ten times. Record once. | Self-introduction page |
| 3 | Sound drill, one minute (B1 or B2, T1 or T2, M1 or M2). Then five bank questions aloud, first word a content word. | Question bank |
| 4 | Education and work history in six past-tense sentences, recorded. Then the hometown answer with one number in it. | Phone recorder |
| 5 | Three situational questions answered with three verbs each. No "needful", no "the same". | AI mock interview |
| 6 | Read one paragraph of an RBI press release aloud, stress on one word per sentence, final consonants closed, statements ending low. | Read aloud practice |
| 7 | Full fifteen-minute mock without stopping. Listen back for your three habits only. | AI bank panel round |
| 8 | SBI only: one Group Exercise run with an entry line and a summary line ready; the 20 marks are for how you speak with others, not over them. | Group discussion practice |
| 9 | Second full mock. Compare with day 7. | AI mock interview |
| 10 | Introduction and "why banking" once in the morning, then rest. Carry the documents checklist. | The three-week plan for the wider schedule |
If Hindi is also a language you speak at home, the Hindi speakers' page has the twelve-habit version with drills for every register habit. Marathi and Odia speakers share the Hindi page's grammar and register list and most of the Telugu and Tamil sound points (v and w, retroflex, vowel endings for Odia); a separate page for each is planned. The Bank PO interview hub holds the dates block, the marks table and every other page in this set, and the language page covers what is and is not known about answering in a regional language.
Sources: SBI advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09, "Recruitment of Probationary Officers 2026-27" (PDF, the page printed as 7 of 15: Phase III structure, Group Exercise 20, Interview 30, normalisation to 75:25); SBI notice "Tentative dates for Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Interviews" (PDF: psychometric test 31.10.2026, GE and interviews from 18.11.2026); IBPS "Detailed Notification CRP PO/MT-XVI" (PDF, section J: interview 100 marks, 40% and 35% qualifying, 80:20; tentative schedule: personality test November 2026, interview November and December 2026). All three were opened and read on 19 October 2026; updates are published at sbi.bank.in and ibps.in. The habit lists, drills and example answers are TalkDrill's own judgement and writing; the names are invented.