IBPS Clerk
Recruits Customer Service Associates (clerical cadre) for the participating public sector banks; allotment is state-wise.
Eligibility
A graduate degree in any discipline by the registration closing date, plus computer literacy. Age 20–28 years with standard relaxations for reserved categories. Candidates apply for one state or Union Territory and must be proficient in its official language (read, write, speak).
Age limit: 20–28 years (relaxation as per Government of India norms)
Exam pattern
Two online objective stages with no interview. Prelims is 100 questions in 60 minutes: English (30), Numerical Ability (35) and Reasoning (35), each with a 20-minute timer; it is qualifying only. Mains is about 190 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes across General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, and Quantitative Aptitude, each separately timed. Negative marking is 0.25 of the marks per wrong answer. Final merit is on mains marks alone, followed by a qualifying Language Proficiency Test.
Syllabus at a glance
Reasoning (puzzles, seating arrangement, inequality, syllogism, coding-decoding, direction, blood relations), Numerical Ability (simplification, approximation, number series, arithmetic, basic Data Interpretation), and English (reading comprehension, cloze test, error detection, fillers). Mains adds Computer Aptitude and General/Financial Awareness covering banking and current affairs of the preceding 4–6 months.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CRP CSA-XVI Prelims result (2026 cycle; prelims held 10–11 Oct 2026) | Nov–early Dec 2026 (expected) | expected |
| CRP CSA-XVI Mains | 27 Dec 2026 (per IBPS tentative calendar) | expected |
| CRP CSA-XVI Provisional allotment | Apr 2027 (expected) | expected |
| CRP CSA-XVII notification (2027 cycle) | Jul–Aug 2027 (expected) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Magical Book on Quicker Maths – M. Tyra
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma (Arihant)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
- Banking Awareness – Arihant Experts
- Objective Computer Awareness – Arihant Experts
How toppers play it
- Speed decides clerk prelims: drill simplification/approximation and number series daily, as they form a large share of the 35 Numerical Ability questions.
- Respect sectional cut-offs; do not let a strong section tempt you to neglect English, which has only 30 questions and a 20-minute window.
- Cut-offs are state-wise, so study the previous year's cut-off for your chosen state before deciding your target score.
- In mains, General/Financial Awareness (50 marks in about 35 minutes) is the highest-return section; revise current affairs one-liners every week.
- Keep wrong attempts low; with 0.25 negative marking, 5 wrong guesses cost more than one correct answer gains.