IBPS RRB (PO + Clerk)
Recruits Officers (Scale I – often called RRB PO, plus Scale II and III) and Office Assistants (Multipurpose, often called RRB Clerk) for Regional Rural Banks across India.
Eligibility
A graduate degree in any discipline; for Officer Scale I and Office Assistant, proficiency in the local language of the chosen state is required. Office Assistant age is 18–28 years and Officer Scale I age is 18–30 years; Scale II requires 2 years' banking experience (21–32 years) and Scale III 5 years (21–40 years). Degrees in agriculture, cooperation, management, law or IT are preferred for some posts.
Age limit: Office Assistant 18–28; Officer Scale I 18–30; Scale II 21–32; Scale III 21–40
Exam pattern
Officer Scale I: prelims of 80 questions (Reasoning 40, Quantitative Aptitude 40) in 45 minutes; mains of 200 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours (Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, English or Hindi, Computer Knowledge); then an interview, with mains and interview in an 80:20 ratio. Office Assistant: prelims of 80 questions (Reasoning 40, Numerical Ability 40) in 45 minutes and a 200-question mains, with no interview. Scale II and III have a single exam plus interview. Negative marking is 0.25 of the marks per wrong answer. Questions are available in English, Hindi and several regional languages.
Syllabus at a glance
Reasoning (puzzles, seating arrangement, inequality, syllogism, coding), Quantitative/Numerical Ability (simplification, series, arithmetic, Data Interpretation), General Awareness with a rural and agricultural banking slant, English or Hindi language, and Computer Knowledge. Note that prelims has no English section.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Scale I Prelims (CRP RRBs-XV; registration closed 21 Sep 2026) | 21–22 Nov 2026 | expected |
| Office Assistant Prelims | 6, 12 and 13 Dec 2026 | expected |
| Officer Scale I Mains and Scale II/III single exam | 20 Dec 2026 | expected |
| Office Assistant Mains | 30 Jan 2027 | expected |
| Officer interviews and provisional allotment | Feb–Apr 2027 (expected) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma (Arihant)
- Magical Book on Quicker Maths – M. Tyra
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning – M.K. Pandey
- Banking Awareness – Arihant Experts
- Objective Computer Awareness – Arihant Experts
How toppers play it
- Prelims is only Reasoning and Quant in 45 minutes with no separate timers; start with your stronger section and move on to the other by about the 22-minute mark.
- Since prelims has no English, candidates weak in English can gain ground here; in mains, choose Hindi or English language by whichever gives you higher accuracy.
- Mains Computer Knowledge carries only 20 marks for 40 questions; do it quickly and spend the saved time on Reasoning and Quant.
- Prepare rural banking topics (NABARD, Regional Rural Banks, priority-sector lending, Kisan Credit Card and agricultural schemes) for General Awareness.
- Apply for both Office Assistant and Officer Scale I; the exams are weeks apart and preparation overlaps almost entirely.