IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2026: Exam Pattern & Marking
IBPS Clerk 2026 (CRP-CSA-XVI) is a two-stage online exam -- a 1-hour Preliminary test worth 100 marks, followed by a 125-minute Main test worth 200 marks -- and only the Main exam score decides the final merit list, followed by a compulsory local-language test before joining.
Open official websiteThe PDF opens on the official site. Every topic in it is explained in plain language below — you do not have to open the PDF to read the syllabus.
Compiled from the official syllabus · check it against the official link
The IBPS Clerk exam has two online stages -- here is what each one tests ↑
IBPS Clerk 2026 recruits Customer Service Associates (CSA) for participating public sector banks, under the Common Recruitment Process CRP-CSA-XVI, for vacancies of 2027-28. The notification calls the exam "two tier" -- an Online Preliminary Examination followed by an Online Main Examination. Only candidates who clear the Preliminary are shortlisted for the Main exam.
Every topic named in the official notification is explained below, table by table, so you do not have to open the PDF yourself. Where the notification gives an exact number -- marks, questions, minutes -- that exact number is reproduced; nothing here is guessed.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Exam (Objective Test) | Online, qualifying in nature -- its marks are not carried forward or added to your final score. |
| Main Exam (Objective Test) | Online -- this is the only score used to prepare the final merit list. |
| Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) | Conducted after you qualify the Main exam and get a provisional allotment, but before you join the bank. |
Official source ↑
This page is built from the official IBPS CRP-CSA-XVI notification published on ibps.in. For the complete document -- including reservation, disability and application-process clauses not covered on this syllabus page -- see the official PDF: ibps.in › Notification_CRP_CSA_XVI-Final.pdf
At a glance
| Post Name | Clerk |
| Mode of Exam | Online (Computer Based Test) |
| Official Website | ibps.in |
Preliminary Exam -- the official pattern ↑
The Preliminary exam has three tests, and each one is separately timed -- you cannot use extra time left on one test to finish another. IBPS decides a cut-off for each of the three tests, and you must clear all three cut-offs to be shortlisted for the Main exam.
| Test (in order) | Questions | Maximum marks | Time allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes (each test separately timed) |
| What the syllabus lists | What it means |
|---|---|
| English Language | Your command over English -- reading, grammar and vocabulary -- tested through objective (multiple-choice) questions. |
| Numerical Ability | Number-based problem solving -- the kind of calculation used in day-to-day banking work -- tested through objective questions. |
| Reasoning Ability | Logical and analytical thinking, tested through objective, puzzle-style questions. |
Main Exam -- the official pattern ↑
The Main exam has four tests, listed in the notification as "not by sequence" -- meaning the order you attempt them in on screen is not fixed to this table. Together they carry 200 marks over 125 minutes, and this is the score that decides your final merit rank -- your Preliminary score plays no further part once you are shortlisted.
| Test (not by sequence) | Questions | Maximum marks | Time allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | 40 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 160 | 200 | 125 minutes |
| What the syllabus lists | What it means |
|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | Current affairs and banking/financial-sector awareness, tested through objective questions. |
| General English | English-language skills, tested through objective questions -- a broader English test than the Preliminary exam's English Language test. |
| Reasoning Ability | Logical and analytical thinking, tested through objective, puzzle-style questions -- worth almost twice the marks of the same test in the Preliminary exam. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Numerical and mathematical problem solving, tested through objective questions -- a heavier version of the Preliminary exam's Numerical Ability test. |
Which language your question paper comes in ↑
English Language / General English is always tested in English. For the remaining tests, the notification lists which language versions are offered, state by state -- you choose one option for your applied State/UT at the time of registration. If the English text and the translated text disagree on any question, the notification states the English version will prevail.
| State / UT | Version of tests (medium of examination) offered |
|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | English and Hindi |
| Andhra Pradesh | English, Hindi and Telugu |
| Arunachal Pradesh | English and Hindi |
| Assam | English, Hindi and Assamese |
| Bihar | English and Hindi |
| Chandigarh | English and Hindi |
| Chhattisgarh | English and Hindi |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Konkani |
| Delhi (NCT) | English and Hindi |
| Goa | English, Hindi and Konkani |
| Gujarat | English, Hindi and Gujarati |
| Haryana | English and Hindi |
| Himachal Pradesh | English and Hindi |
| Jammu & Kashmir | English, Hindi and Urdu |
| Jharkhand | English and Hindi |
| Karnataka | English, Hindi, Kannada and Konkani |
| Kerala | English, Hindi and Malayalam |
| Ladakh | English and Hindi |
| Lakshadweep | English, Hindi and Malayalam |
| Madhya Pradesh | English and Hindi |
| Maharashtra | English, Hindi, Marathi and Konkani |
| Manipur | English, Hindi and Manipuri |
| Meghalaya | English and Hindi |
| Mizoram | English and Hindi |
| Nagaland | English and Hindi |
| Odisha | English, Hindi and Odia |
| Puducherry | English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam |
| Punjab | English, Hindi and Punjabi |
| Rajasthan | English and Hindi |
| Sikkim | English and Hindi |
| Tamil Nadu | English, Hindi and Tamil |
| Telangana | English, Hindi, Telugu and Urdu |
| Tripura | English, Hindi and Bengali |
| Uttar Pradesh | English, Hindi and Urdu |
| Uttarakhand | English and Hindi |
| West Bengal | English, Hindi and Bengali |
Negative marking, cut-offs and the final merit list -- exactly as the document states ↑
This penalty rule applies to both the Preliminary and the Main exam. It is the same rule for every test in both stages -- there is no test where wrong answers go unpunished.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Penalty for a wrong answer | One-fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. A question left blank -- no answer marked -- gets no penalty at all. |
| Preliminary cut-off | You must clear a minimum cut-off, decided by IBPS, in each of the three Preliminary tests to be shortlisted for the Main exam. Preliminary marks stop there -- they are not added to your Main-exam score. |
| Main-exam cut-off | You must score a minimum in each Main-exam test, and also a minimum total, to be considered further. Cut-offs depend on the state/UT-wise vacancies available. |
| Final merit list | Marks obtained in the Online Main Examination ONLY are considered for the final merit list -- the notification states this in capitals. Scores are not shared with candidates until after provisional allotment is complete. |
After the Main exam: the Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) ↑
Clearing the Main exam is not the last language hurdle. Every candidate must also prove they can actually work in the local language of the state or UT they are applying for.
You choose ONE language at the time of your online application, from the list fixed for your applied State/UT (Annexure III of the notification). If your own 10th-standard or higher mark sheet already shows you studied that language, you are exempt from sitting the test.
| What the syllabus lists | What it means |
|---|---|
| Who must prove local-language proficiency | Every candidate must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the specified/opted local language of the State/UT they applied for. |
| When it is held | After you qualify the Online Main Examination and get a provisional allotment, but before you actually join the bank. |
| Who conducts it, and how it counts | An independent body or the bank itself. It is marks-based and qualifying in nature -- pass or fail, not part of your merit rank. |
| What happens if you fail it | You will not be offered appointment, and you are disqualified from the recruitment process at that point. |
Eligibility snapshot -- age and qualification, as stated in the notification ↑
This page focuses on the syllabus and exam pattern; the notification's full eligibility clauses (nationality, reservation categories, disability guidelines) run to several more pages. The core numbers every applicant needs are given here.
| Age rule (as on 01.08.2026) | What the document states |
|---|---|
| Minimum / Maximum age | Minimum 20 years, maximum 28 years -- born not earlier than 02.08.1998 and not later than 01.08.2006 (both dates inclusive). |
| SC/ST | 5 years relaxation on the upper age limit. |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years relaxation. |
| Persons with Benchmark Disabilities | 10 years relaxation. |
| Ex-Servicemen / Disabled Ex-Servicemen | Actual period of service rendered in the defence forces plus 3 years (8 years for Disabled Ex-Servicemen from SC/ST), subject to a maximum age of 50 years. |
| Widows, divorced women, women legally separated (not remarried) | Age concession up to 35 years (General/EWS), 38 years (OBC), 40 years (SC/ST). |
| Requirement | What the document states |
|---|---|
| Educational qualification | A degree (graduation) in any discipline from a University recognised by the Government of India, or an equivalent qualification recognised as such by the Central Government. |
| Computer literacy | Mandatory -- a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations, OR Computer/Information Technology studied as one subject in school or college. |
| Local language | Proficiency (reading, writing, speaking, understanding) in the specified language of the applied State/UT -- checked through the LLPT described above. |
Tentative schedule for CRP-CSA-XVI ↑
All dates below are the notification's own tentative schedule -- IBPS states these may change, and the exact date always arrives later with your call letter. Check the official website before you plan around any of these.
| Activity | Tentative schedule |
|---|---|
| Online registration | 01.08.2026 to 21.08.2026 |
| Payment of application fee / intimation charges | 01.08.2026 to 21.08.2026 |
| Edit window to modify/correct the application | 2 days after registration closes (date notified separately on the official website) |
| Pre-Examination Training (PET) | September 2026 |
| Call letter download -- Preliminary exam | September 2026 |
| Online Examination -- Preliminary | October 2026 |
| Result of Preliminary exam | November 2026 |
| Call letter download -- Main exam | November 2026 |
| Online Examination -- Main | December 2026 |
| Provisional allotment | March 2027 |
What the official document does not state ↑
Being exact about gaps matters as much as being exact about facts. Three things this notification deliberately does not fix:
- No topic-wise breakdown. The notification names seven separately-timed tests -- English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability for Preliminary; General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude for Main -- with exact marks, questions and time for each. It does NOT list chapter-level topics (things like "Seating Arrangement" or "Profit and Loss") under any of them. Any page claiming to reproduce an official IBPS topic-wise syllabus for these tests is not quoting this notification.
- No fixed cut-off numbers. The notification says cut-offs for both Preliminary and Main exams will be "decided by IBPS" depending on vacancies and category-wise requirement -- no specific marks are given in advance.
- No fixed exam date. Only tentative months are given (see the schedule table above); the exact date and shift are announced later with the call letter.
Important Links
FAQ — Your Questions, Answered
Which post is this for?
Clerk
In which mode is the exam held?
Online (Computer Based Test)
What is the official website for this recruitment?
ibps.in
Whose official syllabus is this?
IBPS Clerk
More from IBPS
More syllabus pages
Official source: Official website ↗. Always confirm on the official website before acting on it.
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