Fillers for Bank Exams: The Short Answer
Filler questions give a sentence with one, two or three blanks and ask which word (or pair of words) fits best. To solve them fast, work on the easier blank first, cut every option whose word for that blank is wrong, then check the other blank only in the options that survive. Grammar clues (part of speech, tense, preposition) remove most options; meaning clues (contrast and result words, tone) decide between the last two.
Key takeaway for bank exams: IBPS PO, SBI PO and RRB PO prelims often set 5 single, double or triple filler questions, and IBPS Clerk and SBI Clerk ask single and double fillers. The two-step elimination method on this page (easier blank first, then the other blank only for surviving options) halves your time on every double filler.
Fillers use the same skills as cloze passages, so read our cloze test tricks for bank exams and phrasal verbs for SSC CGL with this note.
Types of Fillers in Bank Exams
| Filler type | What you see | Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Single filler | One blank, 4–5 word options | IBPS Clerk, SBI Clerk, SSC CGL |
| Double filler | Two blanks, options are word pairs | IBPS PO, SBI PO, RRB PO |
| Triple filler | Three blanks, options are word triples | SBI PO, IBPS PO Mains |
| Column-based filler | Pick one word from column I and one from column II | IBPS PO, SBI PO (new pattern) |
| Multiple-correct filler | Choose every word that fits (e.g. "i and iii") | IBPS PO, RBI Assistant |
| Phrase filler | Blank takes a phrase or clause | IBPS PO Mains |
Double Fillers Tricks for SBI PO and IBPS PO (Elimination Method)
- Read the full sentence. Note connectors such as although, but, because, so.
- Choose the easier blank. Usually the one next to a preposition or fixed phrase.
- Cut options whose word for that blank breaks grammar or meaning.
- Test the other blank only in the surviving options.
- Read the sentence with both words before marking.
Example 1 (double filler): The government has ______ new rules to ______ the misuse of personal data.
(a) introduced, prevent (b) withdrawn, encourage (c) introduced, promote (d) ignored, prevent
- Blank 2 first: rules are made to stop misuse → prevent fits; encourage and promote do not. Options (a) and (d) remain.
- Blank 1: "has ignored new rules to prevent misuse" makes no sense. Answer: (a) introduced, prevent.
Single Filler Rules and Grammar Clues
| Clue | What it tells you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Article a/an/the before the blank | A noun or adjective + noun follows | "a ______ decision" → adjective |
| to before the blank | Base verb (or noun after preposition to) | "decided to ______" → verb |
| Preposition after the blank | Word that takes that preposition | "______ on the weather" → depends |
| Helping verb has/have/had | Past participle | "has ______" → risen, not rose |
| very, quite, extremely | Adjective or adverb | "very ______" → important |
| Connector although, but | Opposite idea | "Although it rained, the match ______" → continued |
| because, since, so | Matching cause and effect | "Prices rose, so demand ______" → fell |
Example 2: The bank's profits ______ sharply last quarter because of lower bad loans.
(a) rose (b) raised (c) risen (d) arose
Answer: (a) rose. Intransitive past tense with no object. Raised needs an object; risen needs has; arose means "came up".
Triple Fillers Tricks with Solved Example
Example 3: The ______ in fuel prices has ______ transport costs, and the effect is ______ felt by small traders.
(a) rise, increased, most (b) fall, increased, least (c) rise, reduced, more (d) drop, raised, most
- Blank 2 with blank 1 must agree: a rise in prices increases costs; a fall would not increase costs. This removes (b) and (c).
- (d) "drop … raised" contradicts itself.
- Answer: (a) rise, increased, most.
Trick: in triple fillers, find the pair of blanks that depend on each other and test them together.
Column-Based Fillers (New Pattern for IBPS PO)
Choose one word from each column to fill the two blanks.
The committee ______ the proposal by a large majority, although a few members ______ doubts about its cost.
| Column I | Column II |
|---|---|
| (A) approved | (D) raised |
| (B) adopted | (E) cleared |
| (C) rejected | (F) solved |
- Column I: although a few members had doubts about its cost only makes a contrast if the proposal was accepted. Approved and adopted both fit; rejected removes the contrast.
- Column II: members raised doubts (the collocation); cleared and solved do not fit "doubts about its cost" said by doubting members.
- Answer: A–D and B–D. Choose the option that lists both combinations.
Common Collocations Asked in Filler Questions
| Word | Natural partners |
|---|---|
| Pose | a threat, a challenge, a risk |
| Bear | the cost, the brunt, fruit |
| Draw | attention, a conclusion, criticism |
| Strike | a balance, a deal |
| Curb | inflation, spending, pollution |
| Boost | growth, demand, morale |
| Raise | concerns, funds, awareness |
| Meet | targets, demand, deadlines |
Commonly Confused Words in Fillers
| Pair | Use |
|---|---|
| affect / effect | affect = verb (to influence); effect = usually a noun (result) |
| adapt / adopt | adapt = adjust; adopt = take up |
| principal / principle | principal = main / head; principle = rule or belief |
| loose / lose | loose = not tight; lose = fail to keep |
| complement / compliment | complement = complete; compliment = praise |
| economic / economical | economic = of the economy; economical = cheap to run |
| continual / continuous | continual = repeated; continuous = without a break |
Fillers with Prepositions (Most Asked Word + Preposition Pairs)
Many single fillers are decided by the preposition right after the blank. If the sentence says "______ with the rules", only a word that takes with can fit.
| Preposition after blank | Words that fit |
|---|---|
| on | depend, rely, insist, focus, comment |
| with | comply, cope, deal, agree (with a person), interfere |
| from | refrain, benefit, differ, abstain, suffer |
| of | aware, capable, fond, short, afraid |
| to | adapt, object, contribute, prefer (one thing to another), resort |
| for | apply, account, opt, qualify, compensate |
Example 4: All banks must ______ with the new KYC guidelines.
(a) comply (b) obey (c) follow (d) adhere
Answer: (a) comply. Obey and follow take a direct object (no with), and adhere takes to.
Fillers Tricks: Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Picking a word because it is difficult. Fillers reward fit, not fancy words.
- Testing every option on both blanks. Use the easier blank to cut options first.
- Ignoring the tense. "has ______" needs a past participle.
- Overlooking connectors. Although and but reverse the direction of meaning.
- Forgetting collocations. Pose a threat is right; make a threat changes the meaning.
Fillers for Bank Exams (Practice Questions with Answers)
- The minister ______ the importance of clean water in rural areas. (a) stressed (b) pressed (c) dressed (d) distressed Answer: (a) stressed. "Stress the importance" is the collocation.
- Despite the heavy rain, the match ______ as planned. (a) cancelled (b) went ahead (c) stopped (d) delayed Answer: (b) went ahead. Despite signals a contrast with the rain.
- Rising costs ______ a serious ______ to small businesses. (a) pose, threat (b) make, threat (c) pose, benefit (d) give, help Answer: (a) pose, threat. Fixed collocation; "rising costs" is negative.
- The RBI uses monetary policy to ______ inflation and ______ growth. (a) curb, support (b) boost, curb (c) raise, slow (d) increase, stop Answer: (a) curb, support. Control inflation, support growth.
- The new machine is very ______; it uses half the fuel of the old one. (a) economic (b) economical (c) economy (d) economist Answer: (b) economical. Means "cheap to run".
- The company had to ______ to new rules, so it ______ a fresh policy. (a) adopt, adapted (b) adapt, adopted (c) adopt, adopt (d) adapting, adopt Answer: (b) adapt, adopted. Adapt to means adjust to (adopt to is wrong); adopted a policy means took it up, and the past tense matches "had to".
- Although the plan was ______, it ______ to deliver results. (a) popular, failed (b) popular, managed (c) unpopular, failed (d) successful, succeeded Answer: (a) popular, failed. Although needs a contrast: popular but failed.
- The ______ of the school praised the students for their ______ work. (a) principle, excellent (b) principal, excellent (c) principal, poor (d) principle, poor Answer: (b) principal, excellent. Principal = head; praise suits excellent work.
- Prices have ______ steadily over the last six months. (a) rose (b) risen (c) raised (d) rise Answer: (b) risen. Present perfect needs the past participle.
- The report ______ attention to the ______ shortage of teachers in villages. (a) drew, severe (b) drew, mild (c) made, severe (d) took, severe Answer: (a) drew, severe. "Draw attention" is fixed; a report highlights a serious problem.
For timed practice, take the SSC CGL Fill in the Blanks Mock Test 01 and the IBPS Clerk Cloze Test Mock Test 01.
Fillers for Bank Exams FAQs
How do you solve double fillers quickly?
Start with the blank that has the clearest clue, cut every option whose word for that blank is wrong, and then test the second blank only in the options left.
What is the difference between single and double fillers?
A single filler has one blank and word options. A double filler has two blanks and pair options, so one wrong word in the pair makes the whole option wrong.
How many filler questions come in SBI PO and IBPS PO?
When fillers are set, prelims usually have 5 questions (single, double or triple fillers). Some years the slot is taken by cloze tests, word swaps or other sentence questions instead.
What are column-based fillers?
A new pattern where two blanks are given with one column of words for each. You choose the combination (or combinations) that make the sentence correct, such as A–D.
How can I improve vocabulary for fillers?
Read one editorial a day, note collocations like "pose a threat" and "curb inflation", revise confusing pairs like adapt/adopt, and practise 10 filler questions daily.
Are filler questions asked in SSC CGL?
Yes. SSC CGL and SSC CHSL Tier 1 ask fill-in-the-blank questions (usually single fillers) in the English section, along with cloze passages.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL Fill in the Blanks Mock Test 01, IBPS Clerk Cloze Test Mock Test 01, SSC CHSL English Mini Mock Test 01 and SSC CGL English Mini Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: cloze test tricks for bank exams, para jumbles tricks for bank exams, error spotting rules for bank exams and homophones for SSC CGL, plus sentence completion questions for bank exams.
- Exam details: SBI Clerk 2026 notification and SSC CGL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.