Step by step guide for checking your CIBIL score

Whenever you need to take a loan of any kind; be it a home loan, a vehicle loan or a personal loan, lenders generally ask you to submit several documents so as to access your repayment capacity. One of these documents is your CIBIL or credit scores. This is a document that gives the lender an insight into your credit repayment behaviour. It helps them see whether or not you have been paying your loan EMIs without defaulting, your credit card expenses and whether you are repaying your credit card bills on time. Based on your credit scores, lenders decide if your loan application should be approved or rejected and, if it is approved, how much loan amount should be sanctioned to you. Before we find out how to check CIBIL score, let’s understand what CIBIL scores are.

What is CIBIL score?

The Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited, often referred to by its abbreviation, CIBIL, is a credit information company licensed by India’s central banking body, the Reserve Bank of India. It is the most popular of the 4 credit information companies licenced by the RBI, from which one can get a free annual credit report.

CIBIL score, also referred to as credit score is basically a three-digit numeric summary of one’s credit history. The credit score can range between 300 to 900 points. Before you apply for a loan, you need to check your CIBIL score and provide the same to your lender. If your credit score exceeds 750 points, your loan may be granted easily. If your CIBIL score is lower than 750 points the lender may reject your loan application. In some cases, lenders do provide loans despite low credit scores. However, they may charge you a high interest rate on the loan.

How to check CIBIL score online

Now that we know what CIBIL score is, let’s find out how to check your CIBIL score online. Just follow this easy step-by-step guide.

Step 1: To get one free CIBIL score check per year, you need to visit the CIBIL website - https://myscore.cibil.com/. You can click on the ‘get your free CIBIL score and report’ link present on the home page of the website.

Step 2: You will need to create your user account and password. You also need to input details such as your first and last name, date of birth in DD/MM/YY format, and your gender.

Step 3: To check your cibil score, you need to choose from a drop down menu and select your Identity proof type. You can choose from your Income Tax ID number or PAN Card, Passport Number, Voter ID number, driving licence number or ration card number. If you choose your PAN card for identity proof, you need to input your PAN card in the corresponding identity proof number tab.

Step 4: Now you need to input you full address as per the tabs mentioned (city, state, Pin code, etc.), telephone number and E-mail address.

Step 5: After entering these details, you need to click on the ‘I accept and continue to Step 2’ tab. When you click on this tab you will be prompted to verify your details. You will also receive a one-time password or OTP on the mobile number you input in the account set-up form. You must enter the OTP to proceed to the next step.

Step 6: Once you enter the OTP and click on submit, you will be redirected to a page where you can see your CIBIL or credit score report.

While you can get your CIBIL score for free once a year, you can also opt for paid subscriptions for CIBIL reports each month, for six months and for one year. You can also check your loan eligibility, offers for credit cards, personal or business loans, home loans etc. All this information is present on your CIBIL score dashboard.

As you can see, it is very easy to check your CIBIL score online. So, if you are applying for a loan of any kind, ensure you conduct a CIBIL score check before applying for the loan. You do not want to risk loan rejections owing to low CIBIL scores. A high CIBIL score can also help you negotiate the terms of the loan.