IBPS RRB (PO + Clerk)
Single recruitment process for the country's Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) — 28 banks after the 2025 'One State One RRB' amalgamation — covering Officer Scale I (PO-equivalent), Office Assistant (clerk-equivalent) and senior Scale II/III posts.
Eligibility
A bachelor's degree in any discipline; proficiency in the local language of the state applied for is essential. Age 18-30 years for Officer Scale I and 18-28 for Office Assistant, with standard relaxations. Scale II/III posts need relevant experience and, for some streams, specific degrees.
Age limit: 18-30 years for Officer Scale I; 18-28 for Office Assistant
Exam pattern
Officer Scale I: prelims of 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes (Reasoning 40, Quantitative Aptitude 40 — no English at this stage); 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, with final merit from mains and interview. Office Assistant: identical prelims and a 200-mark mains but no interview — merit is on mains alone. Scale II/III have a single-level exam. Negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer throughout.
Syllabus at a glance
Prelims is only reasoning (puzzles, seating, series) and quantitative aptitude (arithmetic, data interpretation). Mains adds general awareness with a rural-banking and agriculture-economy flavour (NABARD, RBI, priority sector lending, government rural schemes), computer knowledge, and a choice of English or Hindi language.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification (CRP RRB-XV) | Sep 2026 | expected |
| Officer Scale I prelims | 21-22 Nov 2026 | confirmed |
| Office Assistant prelims | 6, 12-13 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| Officer Scale I mains & Scale II/III single exam | 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
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning — M.K. Pandey (BSC Publishing)
- Banking Awareness — Arihant Experts
- Objective Computer Awareness — Arihant Experts
How toppers play it
- Prelims is only 45 minutes for 80 questions of reasoning and maths — train for a 30-35 second per-question pace; there is no English section to hide behind.
- Pick your state wisely: vacancies, cut-offs and the compulsory local-language requirement are state-specific, and one candidate can apply for only one RRB state per post.
- In mains you may choose Hindi instead of English — pick whichever language you genuinely score better in during mocks.
- Skew general awareness preparation towards rural banking: NABARD, priority sector lending norms, kisan credit card, and rural development schemes recur every year.
- Office Assistant merit is mains-only, while Officer Scale I carries an interview — officers should also prepare rural-banking discussion points.