IBPS Clerk
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
IBPS Clerk recruits candidates for clerical cadre posts in participating banks, at the entry grade of the banking clerical stream.
The IBPS Clerk examination is conducted annually by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to fill clerical cadre posts in participating banks. Selection runs through two online computer-based stages, a 100-mark Prelims of 60 minutes and a 200-mark Mains of 160 minutes. Both stages carry a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Frequency
Annual
Overview
What is IBPS Clerk?
The examination exists to provide a single common recruitment route for clerical cadre staffing across the banks that participate in the IBPS process, replacing separate recruitment drives by each bank. Recruits are posted at branch level, where clerical work covers counter operations, account and document handling, and day to day customer service. Because applicants must be proficient in the official language of the state they apply for, recruitment is organised state by state and postings follow that state preference. The post sits at the start of a defined internal ladder running from Clerk to Senior Clerk to Special Assistant and on to Probationary Officer.
Who Can Apply?
The examination suits a graduate who wants an entry level banking post with a structured internal promotion route. An applicant must be an Indian citizen, must hold a Bachelor's degree, and must be proficient in the official language of the state applied for. The age limit is 20 years at the lower end and 28 years at the upper end. Upper age relaxation on record is 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates, with category-wise conditions set out in the official notification for the cycle.
Career Opportunities
Selection through IBPS Clerk leads to a clerical cadre post in a participating public sector bank, with work centred on branch counter operations, customer service, account handling and routine documentation. Entry is at the clerk grade on the pay scale of Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920. Progression on record runs from Clerk to Senior Clerk and then to Special Assistant, with movement decided by the bank's own internal norms. Beyond that, the recorded path allows an internal route from Special Assistant to Probationary Officer, which moves a candidate from the clerical cadre into the officer cadre. Candidates posted in a particular state should note that proficiency in the official language of that state is part of the eligibility, since branch work involves direct dealings with local customers.
How to Apply
- 1
Check the notification and eligibility
Open ibps.in, go to the CRP Clerical section and read the detailed advertisement for the eligibility, state wise vacancy structure and language proficiency requirement before starting the form.
- 2
Register on the IBPS portal
Use the online application link to create a registration with your name, a working mobile number and email id, and note the provisional registration number and password sent to you.
- 3
Fill the application form
Enter personal details, educational qualification, category and the single state or union territory you are applying for, since only one state can be chosen for the clerical cadre.
- 4
Upload documents in the given specifications
Upload the scanned photograph, signature, left thumb impression and a handwritten declaration in the prescribed file formats, dimensions and size limits stated in the notification.
- 5
Pay the application fee online
Complete the payment through the integrated gateway using debit card, credit card, net banking, IMPS or a mobile wallet, and wait for the e receipt to generate before closing the page.
- 6
Submit and save the confirmation
Verify the preview, submit the form and download or print the completed application and the fee receipt for your records.
- 7
Download the call letter when released
Log in to the same portal with your registration number and password to download the pre examination training, prelims and mains call letters, and carry a valid photo identity proof to the centre.
Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit
20–28 years
Age Relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | +3 years |
| SC | +5 years |
| ST | +5 years |
Educational Qualification
Bachelor's degree and proficiency in official language of the state applied for.
Nationality
Indian citizen.
A candidate must hold a Bachelor's degree and must have proficiency in the official language of the state applied for. The age band is a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 28 years. Age relaxation is 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates. The applicant must be an Indian citizen, and category claims should be supported by valid certificates as specified in the official notification.
Selection Process
Prelims
Online CBT · 60 min
Mains
Online CBT · 160 min
Final Selection
Exam Pattern
Prelims
Online CBTDuration: 60 minTotal: 100 marksNegative: -0.25| Subject / Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
Mains
Online CBTDuration: 160 minTotal: 200 marksNegative: -0.25| Subject / Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 |
| English Language | 40 | 40 |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 |
Detailed Syllabus
- Reading comprehension passages
- Cloze test
- Error spotting and sentence correction
- Fill in the blanks with single and double blanks
- Para jumbles and sentence rearrangement
- Phrase replacement
- Synonyms, antonyms and vocabulary in context
- Idioms and phrases
- Articles, prepositions and subject verb agreement
- Tenses and voice
Salary & Career Growth
Pay Scale
Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920
Allowances & Benefits
In addition to basic pay drawn on the scale of Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920, the post carries Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical allowance, Transport allowance and Newspaper allowance. House Rent Allowance varies with the classification of the city of posting, and Dearness Allowance is revised periodically. The applicable rates for each component are notified by the appointing bank and should be checked in the official notification.
Promotion Hierarchy
Clerk to Senior Clerk to Special Assistant to Probationary Officer (internal)
Job Security
Recruitment is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, which runs the process annually for participating banks, and appointment is to a regular clerical cadre post carrying the pay scale of Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920. The pay scale is incremental, so earnings rise within the band over the course of service. Specific service conditions, probation terms and bond requirements are set by the appointing bank and are stated in the official notification for the relevant cycle.
Preparation Strategy
For Beginners
Begin with the three Prelims subjects, English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability, since all three reappear in the Mains in expanded form. The Prelims carries 100 marks across 100 questions in 60 minutes, so early practice should focus on accuracy at speed rather than on long, multi-step methods. Once the basics are steady, add the two elements that appear only at the Mains stage, General/Financial Awareness and the computer aptitude portion that is tested along with reasoning, and start writing full 160-minute mocks at the 200-mark level. Both stages apply a penalty of 0.25 marks for a wrong answer, so build the habit of leaving a question rather than guessing blindly, and track your accuracy percentage in every mock alongside your raw score.
Intermediate Level
Inconsistent mock scores at this stage usually come from an unstable attempt count rather than weak coverage, since every fourth wrong answer cancels a correct one under the 0.25 penalty applied in both Prelims and Mains. Log each mock section by section, Numerical Ability, Reasoning Ability and English in Prelims, and check whether your accuracy stays above the level at which extra attempts still add net marks; if a section repeatedly falls below that, cap attempts there and reinvest the saved minutes in a section where you convert reliably. For Prelims, rehearse the full 100 questions inside 60 minutes so that speed is built against the clock rather than against untimed practice sets. For Mains, the 160 minute paper rewards a different balance, because General/Financial Awareness carries 50 marks with little calculation while Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude carries 60 marks for 50 questions, so revise awareness daily in short slots and give the reasoning block the longest timed drills in your weekly plan.
Advanced (Final Stage)
In the closing weeks, shift from topic study to timed full-length Mains sets of 160 minutes and 200 marks, attempted in one sitting rather than section by section. Track accuracy separately for each paper, since the 0.25 penalty makes a high-attempt, low-accuracy run score worse than a shorter, cleaner one. General/Financial Awareness carries 50 marks and responds best to short daily revision of notes already made, while Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude at 60 marks deserves the largest share of practice time because its marks exceed its question count. On exam day, fix a rough time budget for each section before starting, leave puzzle and data interpretation sets that resist a first reading, and return to them only after the straightforward questions across the paper are secured.
3-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Build the Prelims base by working through English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability separately, and keep a daily record of accuracy so the 0.25 mark penalty per wrong answer stays in view. Finish each topic with a short set of timed questions rather than untimed practice. Month 2: Shift to full 60 minute Prelims mocks at least twice a week while starting the Mains additions, namely General and Financial Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and the computer aptitude portion that sits with Reasoning Ability. Review every mock for the questions attempted wrongly and rework those topics the same week. Month 3: Alternate Prelims mocks with full 160 minute Mains mocks across all four Mains sections, and use the remaining days to revise General and Financial Awareness notes and weak reasoning sets. Reduce fresh topics in the final two weeks and focus on attempt strategy and error control.
6-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Build the base in the three Prelims sections, English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability, giving roughly equal daily time to each and recording accuracy separately for every section. Month 2: Continue Prelims preparation but add timed sectional sets, since the Prelims paper carries 100 marks in 60 minutes and leaves very little time per question. Month 3: Begin the Mains sections that do not appear in Prelims, General/Financial Awareness and the computer aptitude portion of Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude, while keeping one Prelims revision slot each day. Month 4: Shift the quantitative work from Numerical Ability to the Mains level Quantitative Aptitude standard, and start attempting Mains style sections of 40 to 50 questions in one sitting. Month 5: Take full-length Prelims mocks of 100 marks and full-length Mains mocks of 200 marks across 160 minutes, and after each one calculate the score after the 0.25 penalty for every wrong answer so that guessing habits become visible. Month 6: Reduce fresh study, repeat full-length mocks of both stages under exam timing, revise General/Financial Awareness notes at short intervals, and fix a per-section attempt target that keeps negative marking within an acceptable limit.
12-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Establish a fixed daily study slot and map the two stages in full, Prelims at 100 marks in 60 minutes and Mains at 200 marks in 160 minutes, so that later practice is always aimed at a known target. Begin basic work on Numerical Ability without any timing pressure. Month 2: Continue Numerical Ability at a slow pace, adding written working for every sum, and start English Language with grammar rules and daily reading. Accuracy matters more than volume at this stage because both papers carry a penalty of 0.25 marks for a wrong answer. Month 3: Introduce Reasoning Ability as the third subject and settle into a three-subject rotation. Keep a single error notebook across all three rather than separate ones, since the same mistakes tend to repeat. Month 4: Take the first untimed sectional tests in each of the three Prelims subjects to find out where the weak areas actually sit. Spend the rest of the month rebuilding those weak areas from the basics instead of moving ahead. Month 5: Start timing sectional practice, but keep the limits generous at first. Work on the 35-question Numerical Ability and 35-question Reasoning Ability sections in blocks, and treat the 30-question English Language section as a separate daily habit. Month 6: Begin General and Financial Awareness, which carries 50 questions and 50 marks in Mains. Start a running record of banking and economy developments now, because this subject rewards long exposure rather than late cramming. Month 7: Add Computer Aptitude so that the combined Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude section of Mains, worth 60 marks across 50 questions, is covered end to end. Continue the awareness record daily. Month 8: Sit full-length Prelims mocks of 60 minutes at a fixed weekly slot. Fix a section order and a per-section time split, then test whether that split survives under the clock. Month 9: Analyse mocks in depth. Separate wrong answers into guesses, concept gaps and careless errors, and reduce guessing deliberately, since every wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. Keep Quantitative Aptitude practice running at the longer Mains level of difficulty. Month 10: Move the weekly full-length test to the Mains format of 200 marks across 160 minutes. The jump in duration needs rehearsal on its own, so sit these papers in one unbroken sitting. Month 11: Alternate Prelims and Mains mocks week by week and cut new material to a minimum. Revise the error notebook in full at least twice this month and consolidate the General and Financial Awareness record into a condensed set of notes. Month 12: Restrict work to revision, timed mocks and the condensed awareness notes. Check the official notification for the application window, centre details and any change in the stage structure, and keep the final fortnight light enough to hold exam-day stamina.
Recommended Books
Quantitative Aptitude
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
R.S. Aggarwal · S. Chand
Covers arithmetic and data interpretation chapters with graded practice sets
Numerical Ability
Magical Book on Quicker Maths
M. Tyra · BSC Publishing
Short calculation methods useful for the time bound prelims section
Reasoning Ability
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
R.S. Aggarwal · S. Chand
Broad topic coverage from series and coding to puzzles
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude
Analytical Reasoning
M.K. Pandey · BSC Publishing
Builds the analytical and critical reasoning depth needed in mains
English Language
Objective General English
S.P. Bakshi · Arihant
Grammar rules and objective practice matched to banking question formats
General/Financial Awareness
Banking Awareness
Arihant Experts · Arihant
Banking terms, regulators and financial system basics in one place
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Frequently Asked Questions
IBPS Clerk is a recruitment exam conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection for clerical cadre posts, also described as Single Window Operator, in 11 public sector banks across India. It is held on an annual basis. The overall difficulty level is considered moderate.
The exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, commonly known as IBPS. It is an annual recruitment exercise. Details for each cycle are published on the official website, https://ibps.in.
A candidate must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Proficiency in the official language of the state or union territory applied for is also required. Candidates should confirm the qualifying date and documentation requirements in the official notification.
The minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 28 years. Age is calculated with reference to a cut-off date specified for each recruitment cycle, so check the official notification for the exact date.
Yes. OBC candidates get a relaxation of 3 years, while SC and ST candidates get a relaxation of 5 years. Any other relaxation category and the proof required are listed in the official notification.
Indian citizens who hold a Bachelor's degree and are between 20 and 28 years of age can apply, subject to category based age relaxation. The candidate must also be able to read, write and speak the official language of the state for which the application is made. State wise vacancy and language requirements are listed in the official notification.
The Prelims is an online computer based test of 100 marks with a duration of 60 minutes. It has three sections, English Language with 30 questions for 30 marks, Numerical Ability with 35 questions for 35 marks, and Reasoning Ability with 35 questions for 35 marks. Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for each wrong answer.
The Mains is an online computer based test of 200 marks with a duration of 160 minutes. It has four sections, General and Financial Awareness with 50 questions for 50 marks, English Language with 40 questions for 40 marks, Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude with 50 questions for 60 marks, and Quantitative Aptitude with 50 questions for 50 marks.
Yes. Both the Prelims and the Mains carry a penalty of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. Questions left unanswered do not attract any penalty.
The published exam pattern for this recruitment lists two stages, the Prelims and the Mains, both conducted as online computer based tests. Candidates should read the official notification for the complete selection process applicable to a given cycle, including any language test or document verification requirement.
The pay scale for the clerical cadre post runs from Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920. In addition to basic pay, the post carries Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical allowance, Transport allowance and Newspaper allowance. The exact in hand amount varies by posting location and the applicable allowance rates.
The internal progression runs from Clerk to Senior Clerk, then to Special Assistant, and then to Probationary Officer. Promotion depends on the service rules and internal processes of the bank in which the candidate is placed.
Key Takeaways
- IBPS Clerk is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection once a year and is rated moderate in difficulty.
- To apply for IBPS Clerk a candidate must be an Indian citizen holding a Bachelor's degree, with proficiency in the official language of the state applied for, and must be between 20 and 28 years of age, with relaxation of 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates.
- The IBPS Clerk Prelims is an online computer based test of 100 marks across 60 minutes, covering English Language (30 questions, 30 marks), Numerical Ability (35 questions, 35 marks) and Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 35 marks), with 0.25 marks deducted for a wrong answer.
- The IBPS Clerk Mains is an online computer based test of 200 marks across 160 minutes, covering General/Financial Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks), English Language (40 questions, 40 marks), Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude (50 questions, 60 marks) and Quantitative Aptitude (50 questions, 50 marks), with 0.25 marks deducted for a wrong answer.
- The IBPS Clerk pay scale is Rs 17,900 to Rs 47,920, with Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical, Transport and Newspaper allowances payable in addition, and the internal promotion path running from Clerk to Senior Clerk to Special Assistant to Probationary Officer.