IBPS RRB (PO + Clerk)
A combined recruitment for the 28 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) — reduced from 43 under the 'One State, One RRB' amalgamation effective 1 May 2025: Officer Scale-I (the RRB equivalent of a Probationary Officer) and Office Assistant (Multipurpose) (the clerical role), plus senior Scale-II/III officer posts. Postings are within the chosen state's rural and semi-urban branches.
Eligibility
A Bachelor's degree in any discipline; for Officer Scale-I, degrees in agriculture, rural economics and allied subjects are preferred in some banks. Age: 18–28 years for Office Assistant and 18–30 years for Officer Scale-I, with standard relaxations. Proficiency in the local language of the state applied for is essential, and candidates may apply for one state only.
Age limit: 18–28 years (Office Assistant); 18–30 years (Officer Scale-I)
Exam pattern
Officer Scale-I: Prelims of 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes (Reasoning 40, Quantitative Aptitude 40); Mains of 200 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours across Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, English or Hindi (candidate's choice) and Computer Knowledge; then an interview. Office Assistant: the same prelims and mains structure but with no interview — mains marks alone decide merit. Wrong answers cost 0.25 marks throughout, and question papers are available in regional languages in addition to Hindi and English.
Syllabus at a glance
Prelims is confined to reasoning and quantitative aptitude — no English — making it a pure speed test. Mains adds general awareness with a rural and banking slant (RRB structure, NABARD, government rural schemes), a language paper (English or Hindi), and computer knowledge. Difficulty is a notch below IBPS PO/Clerk, but cut-offs are proportionately higher.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Jul–Aug 2026 | expected |
| Officer Scale-I prelims | 21–22 Nov 2026 | confirmed |
| Office Assistant prelims | 6, 12–13 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| Officer Scale-I mains | 20 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| Office Assistant mains | 30 Jan 2027 | confirmed |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations — R.S. Aggarwal
- Magical Book on Quicker Maths — M. Tyra
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English — S.P. Bakshi
- Objective Computer Awareness — Arihant Experts
- Banking Awareness — Arihant Experts
How toppers play it
- Prelims is an 80-question, 45-minute speed race with cut-offs often above 65–75 out of 80 in competitive states — drill timed reasoning and quant sprints daily.
- You apply for one state and its local language matters — pick where you are linguistically comfortable and check that state's vacancy history.
- In mains, choose English or Hindi based on your genuinely higher-scoring language, not habit — it is 40 easy or hard marks.
- General Awareness in RRB mains leans rural: cover NABARD schemes, RRB/banking structure and agriculture-linked current affairs, not just mainstream news.
- Office Assistant has no interview, so mains marks alone decide selection; Officer Scale-I candidates should also prepare rural-banking interview themes.