Common Abbreviations and Full Forms for General Awareness
A grouped list of the abbreviations most often asked in competitive exams, from organisations and banking to science and international bodies.
Abbreviation questions are quick marks if you know the full forms. Group them by theme to learn faster.
Indian institutions
| Abbreviation | Full form |
|---|---|
| RBI | Reserve Bank of India |
| SEBI | Securities and Exchange Board of India |
| NABARD | National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development |
| NITI Aayog | National Institution for Transforming India |
| UPSC | Union Public Service Commission |
| SSC | Staff Selection Commission |
| IBPS | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection |
| CBI | Central Bureau of Investigation |
| ISRO | Indian Space Research Organisation |
| DRDO | Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| IIT | Indian Institute of Technology |
| IIM | Indian Institute of Management |
Banking and finance
| Abbreviation | Full form |
|---|---|
| ATM | Automated Teller Machine |
| NEFT | National Electronic Funds Transfer |
| RTGS | Real Time Gross Settlement |
| UPI | Unified Payments Interface |
| KYC | Know Your Customer |
| GST | Goods and Services Tax |
| PAN | Permanent Account Number |
| IFSC | Indian Financial System Code |
| EMI | Equated Monthly Instalment |
| NPA | Non-Performing Asset |
International bodies
| Abbreviation | Full form |
|---|---|
| UN | United Nations |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund |
| ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
| SAARC | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
| NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| OPEC | Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries |
| BRICS | Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa |
Science and technology
| Abbreviation | Full form |
|---|---|
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid |
| LASER | Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
How to learn them
- Group by theme, as above.
- Learn ten a day.
- Make flashcards or a phone list.
- Revise every few days.
- Use them in news reading: notice which appear.
Tips
- Pay attention to spelling of full forms.
- Know which body does what, not only the name.
- Watch for new bodies in current affairs.
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