IBPS Clerk (CRP Clerk) Exam 2026 – Complete Guide
Complete exam hub — syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility, salary, books, preparation strategy, previous year papers and FAQs.
Current Recruitment
application-openIBPS Clerk (CSA) 16th Recruitment 2026
Exam Overview
- Full Form
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Clerk
- Conducting Body
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
- Exam Level
- Graduate Level (National)
- Frequency
- Annual
- Exam Type
- CBT (Prelims + Mains)
- Mode
- Online
- Selection Process
- Prelims → Mains → Language Proficiency Test
- Posts
- Clerical Cadre in 11 Public Sector Banks
About the Exam
IBPS Clerk (CRP Clerk) is a national-level exam conducted annually by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit clerical cadre staff for 11 participating public sector banks including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and others.
The exam is conducted in two phases — Prelims (qualifying) and Mains (merit) — followed by a local language proficiency test at the time of joining.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | 25 Jun 2026 |
| Application Start | 1 Jul 2026 |
| Application End | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Prelims Exam DateMultiple slots: Aug 22, 23, 29 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Prelims Result | 5 Sept 2026 |
| Mains Exam Date | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Final Result | 20 Nov 2026 |
Eligibility
Nationality: Citizen of India; or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan; or a Tibetan refugee settled in India before 1962; or a person of Indian origin migrated from specified countries.
Educational Qualification: Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university. Candidates in their final year are also eligible provisionally.
Age Limit: Minimum 20 years and maximum 28 years as on the notification date, with relaxations of 3 years for OBC, 5 years for SC/ST and up to 10 years for PwD candidates.
Exam Pattern
IBPS Clerk 2026 is conducted in two phases:
Prelims (Qualifying)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Prelims has sectional timing and negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer.
Mains (Merit)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 minutes |
Mains also has sectional timing. Final selection is purely based on Mains score, subject to clearing the local language proficiency test.
Syllabus
IBPS Clerk syllabus for both phases:
Section-wise Syllabus
| Section | Key Topics |
|---|---|
| English Language | Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Para Jumbles, Fillers, Vocabulary |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Simplification, Number Series, Data Interpretation, Quadratic Equations, Arithmetic (Time & Work, Speed & Distance, Profit & Loss, SI & CI, Mensuration, Probability) |
| Reasoning | Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Inequalities, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Data Sufficiency |
| General / Financial Awareness | Banking & Financial Institutions, RBI, Monetary Policy, Budget, Current Affairs, Static GK |
Selection Process
Selection happens in two online phases:
- Prelims: qualifying exam — score not added to final merit
- Mains: merit exam — final score determines selection
Candidates selected in Mains must clear a local language proficiency test (local language of the bank's state) before final appointment.
Salary
IBPS Clerk basic pay is ₹21,700 in Pay Scale 17900-1000/3-20900-1230/3-24590-1490/4-30550-1730/7-42660-1990/1-44650-1990/2-46640 (14 annual increments).
Total starting emoluments are approximately ₹28,000 – ₹30,000 per month including Dearness Allowance, HRA, Special Allowance and other benefits.
Recommended Books
- Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal / Arun Sharma
- Reasoning Ability – R.S. Aggarwal
- English – S.P. Bakshi, Wren & Martin
- General / Financial Awareness – Banking Awareness by Arihant + Monthly Current Affairs
- IBPS Clerk Previous Year Solved Papers
Preparation Strategy
- Build speed with daily 30-minute sectional quizzes (English, Quant, Reasoning)
- Practice Data Interpretation and Number Series daily for mains-level Quant
- Read banking & financial news for 30 minutes daily for Financial Awareness
- Take full-length mocks with sectional timers and analyse errors weekly
- Revise formulas and grammar rules in the final 15 days
Previous Year Papers
- IBPS Clerk Prelims Previous Year Papers (2022–2025)
- IBPS Clerk Mains Previous Year Papers (2022–2025)
- Section-wise practice sets with solutions
Previous Year Cutoffs
IBPS Clerk Prelims Cutoff (Indicative, out of 100)
| Category | Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| General | 68 – 75 |
| OBC | 64 – 71 |
| EWS | 62 – 70 |
| SC | 58 – 65 |
| ST | 50 – 58 |
| PwD | 35 – 45 |
Mains cutoffs are much higher (out of 200) and depend on vacancies and difficulty level.
Frequently Asked Questions
QIs IBPS Clerk conducted annually?
Yes, IBPS conducts the Clerk exam (CRP Clerk) every year, typically with notification in June-July and exams from August onwards.
QWhich banks participate in IBPS Clerk?
11 public sector banks including PNB, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank, Indian Bank, Central Bank of India and others.
QWhat is the negative marking in IBPS Clerk?
0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains.
QIs there an interview in IBPS Clerk?
No. Selection is based on the Mains exam score followed by a language proficiency test.
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