IBPS Clerk 2026 — Syllabus
Complete paper-wise and section-wise syllabus with every topic, sub-topic and the marks each section carries — straight from the official notification.
Papers
2 papers
Merit paper
200 marks · 4 sections
Duration
2 hr 5 min
IBPS does not publish a topic-level syllabus for CRP CSA. The notification fixes only the test names, question counts, marks and timing — reproduced faithfully below. The topics listed under each section are the standard areas these tests are drawn from, based on the published pattern and past papers; they are indicative preparation guidance, not an official IBPS syllabus. IBPS also states that any change to the structure will be intimated on www.ibps.in and detailed in the Information Handout issued with the call letters.
Paper 1
Preliminary Examination
English Language
30 Q30 marksReading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Error Spotting and Sentence Correction
Para Jumbles
Fill in the Blanks
Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, idioms
Numerical Ability
35 Q35 marksSimplification and Approximation
Number Series
Quadratic Equations
Data Interpretation
Percentage, Ratio and Proportion
Profit, Loss and Discount
Simple and Compound Interest
Time, Speed, Distance and Work
Averages, Mixtures and Alligation
Reasoning Ability
35 Q35 marksPuzzles and Seating Arrangement
Syllogism
Inequality
Blood Relations
Direction Sense
Order and Ranking
Alphanumeric Series
Coding-Decoding
Paper 2
Main Examination
General / Financial Awareness
40 Q50 marksBanking and Financial Awareness
RBI, monetary policy and regulatory bodies
Government schemes and budget
Current affairs — national and international
Static general knowledge
General English
40 Q40 marksReading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Error Spotting and Sentence Improvement
Para Jumbles and Sentence Rearrangement
Vocabulary in context
Reasoning Ability
40 Q60 marksPuzzles and Seating Arrangement
Data Sufficiency
Syllogism and Inequality
Input-Output
Logical Reasoning — statement and assumption, cause and effect
Coding-Decoding
Quantitative Aptitude
40 Q50 marksData Interpretation — tabular, bar, line, pie, caselet
Number Series
Quadratic Equations and Quantity Comparison
Arithmetic word problems
Permutation, Combination and Probability
Mensuration
Source: official IBPS notification (CRP CSA-XVI). View the official syllabus to confirm the latest topics.
Strategy
How to prepare
- 1The Preliminary is separately timed — 20 minutes each for English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning. You cannot borrow time from one section to rescue another, so practise to that clock rather than to a single 60-minute block.
- 2You must clear a cut-off in each of the three Preliminary tests, not just the aggregate. A strong overall score with one weak section still fails.
- 3Only the Main Examination counts towards merit. Treat the Preliminary as a gate to pass, and put your depth into Mains-level Data Interpretation and puzzles.
- 4Reasoning Ability carries 60 of the 200 Main marks — the heaviest single section, at 1.5 marks per question. Weight your practice accordingly.
- 5General / Financial Awareness gets only 20 minutes for 40 questions in Mains. It rewards recall, not working out — build it through daily current affairs rather than last-minute cramming.
- 6With 0.25 negative marking on both papers, blind guessing costs you. An unattempted question carries no penalty at all.
- 7If you did not study your State's specified local language up to 10th standard, you will have to sit the Local Language Proficiency Test after Mains — plan for it early, because failing it disqualifies you after selection.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in IBPS Clerk?
Yes, in both the Preliminary and Main Examinations. One fourth — 0.25 — of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer. Because marks per question differ in the Mains, that means 0.25 marks in the Preliminary but up to 0.375 for a Reasoning question worth 1.5 marks. A question left blank carries no penalty.
What is the IBPS Clerk exam pattern 2026?
The Preliminary has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes — English Language 30, Numerical Ability 35 and Reasoning Ability 35, each separately timed at 20 minutes. The Main has 160 questions for 200 marks in 125 minutes — General/Financial Awareness 40 questions for 50 marks in 20 minutes, General English 40 for 40 in 35 minutes, Reasoning Ability 40 for 60 in 35 minutes, and Quantitative Aptitude 40 for 50 in 35 minutes. The Mains tests do not appear in a fixed sequence.
Syllabus covered — now practise it
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