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IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2026, Subject Wise Exam Pattern for Prelims + Mains Exam

Candidates preparing for the IBPS Clerk 2026 Exam should first go through the latest IBPS Clerk Syllabus to understand what to study. The syllabus includes topics from English Language, Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability, General/Financial Awareness, and other sections prescribed for the recruitment process.

IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2026

The IBPS Clerk 2026 syllabus is divided into two stages Prelims and Mains. The Prelims exam covers English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Numerical Ability, while the Mains exam includes these subjects along with General/Financial Awareness. Candidates should prepare all sections to perform well in the examination.

IBPS Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026: Overview

To perform well aspirants should regularly practice a variety of questions ranging from basic to moderate difficulty, work on improving their calculation speed and logical thinking, and focus on managing time effectively during the exam.

Particulars Details
Conducting Body Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Examination Name IBPS Clerk Notification 2026 
Post Name Customer Service Associate (CSA)
Selection Process Preliminary Examination, Main Examination & Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
Mode of Examination Online
Medium of Examination English, Hindi, and 13 Regional Languages
Total Marks Prelims: 100 Marks/Mains: 200 Marks
Exam Duration Prelims: 60 Minutes/Mains: 120 Minutes
Marking Scheme 1 mark for each correct answer
Negative Marking 0.25 marks deducted for each incorrect answer
Question Type Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
Final Selection Based on performance in the Main Examination, subject to qualifying the Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
Official Website www.ibps.in

IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

The IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026 is the screening stage of the recruitment process. It tests candidates’ agility and problem-solving skills through 100 objective questions to be completed in 60 minutes. Since the exam is sectionally timed and there is negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer, candidates must focus on both speed and accuracy to secure a place in the Mains exam.

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 For Prelims
S. No. Name of Tests (Objective) No. of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
1 English Language 30 30 20 minutes
2 Numerical Ability 35 35 20 minutes
3 Reasoning Ability 35 35 20 minutes
Total 100 100 60 minutes

IBPS Clerk Prelims Syllabus 2026

With the IBPS Clerk 2026 exam confirmed, it’s important for candidates to understand the Prelims syllabus and exam pattern. The Prelims exam is objective and includes three sections: English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Numerical Ability. Below is the detailed syllabus to help you start your preparation in the right direction.

IBPS Clerk Syllabus For Prelims
English Language Reasoning Ability Numerical Ability
Reading Comprehension Puzzles(Box based puzzle, Designation based puzzle, Category based puzzle, Floor / Flat-floor based puzzle, Day / Month / Year based puzzle) Simplification: BODMAS, Square & Cube, Square & cube root, Indices, fraction, percentage etc.
Fillers

Seating Arrangement(Circular Seating Arrangement (Uncertain), Square / Rectangle / Triangular seating Arrangement, Linear seating arrangement, Single row, Double row, Uncertain)

Approximation: BODMAS, Square & Cube, Square & cube root, Indices, fraction, percentage etc.
Sentence Based Error Inequality (Direct and Indirect Statement) Number Series: Missing Number series, Wrong number series
Vocabulary Distance and Direction (Normal) Inequality:Linear equation, Quadratic equationQuantity comparison
Cloze Test Coding-Decoding (General) Ratio and Proportion
Error Detection Blood Relation (Normal) Percentage
Sentence Improvement Syllogism (2/3 statement + 2 conclusion) Number System and HCF & LCM
Word Swap(3 words, 4 words) Series(Alpha-numeric-symbol based, Alpha-numeric based, Word-based, Number based, Digit based series, Letter based series) Average
Word Rearrangement(3 Words, 4 Words) Order – Ranking (Comparison) Age
Sentence Rearrangement Word Pair / Number Pair Partnership
Parajumble Word formation (Meaningful word) Mixture and Alligation
Column Based Odd one out Simple Interest
Idioms & Phrases Word / Number based (Multiple operations) Compound Interest
Word Usage Time and Work
Connectors/Starters Pipe and Cistern
Profit & Loss and Discount
Speed Time Distance
Boat And Stream
Mensuration 2D and 3d
Probability
Permutation & combination
Data Interpretation: Table DI, Missing Table DI, Single Pie chart DI and Multiple pie chart DI, Line chart DI, Bar chart DI, Mixed DI, Caselet
Data Sufficiency: Two Statement

IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates who qualify the Preliminary Exam will appear for the IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2026. The exam covers four major sections and consists of 155 questions carrying a total of 200 marks. Since every section has a fixed time limit, candidates should focus on both speed and accuracy while preparing.

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 For Mains
Section No. of Qs. Marks Duration
General/ Financial Awareness
Section A- 2 Marks (10 Questions)
Section B- 1 Mark (30 Questions)
40 50 20 minutes
English Language 40 40 35 minutes
Reasoning Ability
Section A- 2 Marks (20 Questions)
Section B- 1 Mark (20 Questions)
40 60 35 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude
Section A- 2 Marks (15 Questions)
Section B- 1 Mark (20 Questions)
35 50 30 minutes
Total 155 200 120 minutes

Important Points for IBPS Clerk Exam 2026

  • Final Merit List: Marks obtained by candidates in the IBPS Clerk Mains Examination will be considered while preparing the final merit list.
  • Negative Marking: A penalty of 0.25 marks (one-fourth of the marks assigned to a question) will be deducted for every incorrect answer in both the Prelims and Mains examinations.
  • Focus on Accuracy: Since wrong answers lead to mark deductions, candidates should attempt questions carefully and avoid unnecessary guesses.
  • Changing Exam Trends: The difficulty level and question patterns may vary each year, so candidates should prepare with a flexible approach.
  • Regular Practice is Important: Solving mock tests, previous year papers, and practicing regularly can help improve speed, accuracy, and confidence for the exam.

IBPS Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026

More or less, the syllabus for IBPS Clerk Prelims and mains are similar but some topics are added in all the sections with the level of difficulty. The level of the mains exam is comparatively difficult. Check the detailed IBPS Clerk mains syllabus below:

IBPS Clerk Syllabus For Mains
S. No. Subject Syllabus
1. General English
  • Reading comprehension: Conventional, Multiple Short RC, Comprehensive RC
  • Fillers: Single, Double blanks, Double sentence single blanks, Triple blanks, Multiple Options, Sentence Completion, Vocab+Fillers
  • Sentence Rearrangement: Conventional, Mixed Rearrangement, Sentence+Paragraph, Phrase swapping, Phrase rearrangement
  • Error Detection: Old Pattern, Jumbled Error, Multiple Error, Sentence Based Error, Sentence Improvement single option, Sentence Improvement multiple option, similar sentences
  • Inferences: Paragraph Based, Sentence Based, Word Based
  • Coherent Paragraph
  • Paragraph Completion
  • Starters
  • Word Swap
  • Word Rearrangement
  • Spelling Error
  • Idioms and Phrases: Meanings, Usage, Fillers
  • Match The Columns: 3 columns, 2 columns based, column-based fillers
  • Cloze Test: Blank, Replacement, Phrase, Pair Words
  • Phrase Swapping
  • Word Usage: Single, Multiple
2. Reasoning Ability
  • Seating Arrangement: Circular Seating Arrangement (Inscribed); Square / Rectangle / Triangular seating Arrangement (Inscribed); Linear seating arrangement; Single row / Uncertain; Double row; Triple row; Blood Relation Based Seating Arrangement
  • Miscellaneous: Inequality (Coded);Distance and Direction (Normal);Coding-Decoding (Coded);Blood Relation (Coded);Input – Output (Arrangement / Shifting); Resultant Miscellaneous; Syllogism(Normal, Reverse);Series(Alpha-numeric-symbol based, Coded Series);Order – Ranking Mains (Comparison); Data – Sufficiency (2 / 3 statement); Word / Number Based
  • Logical Reasoning: Statement + Assumption; Statement + Inference; Statement + Conclusion
3. Quantitative Aptitude
  • Approximation: BODMAS, Square & Cube, Square & Cube root, Indices, Fraction, Percentage etc.
  • Number Series: Missing Number series, Wrong number series, Double Pattern series, Statement and Variable based number series etc.
  • Inequality: Quadratic equation, Quantity comparison, Statement based Quadratic equation etc.
  • Arithmetic (Simple Arithmetic, Variable based Arithmetic, Filler Based Arithmetic, Multiple statement and Multiple options-based Arithmetic): Ratio and Proportion, Percentage, Number System & HCF and LCM, Basic Algebra, Average, Age, Partnership, Mixture and Alligation, Simple Interest, Compound Interest, Time and Work, Pipe and Cistern, Profit & Loss and Discount, Speed Time Distance, Boat And stream, Train, Mensuration 2D and 3D, Probability and Permutation and combination, etc.
  • Data Interpretation: Table Data Interpretation (Simple table DI, Missing Table DI, Variable based table DI), Pie chart Data Interpretation (percentage + Degree based and Missing & Variable based), Line chart DI (Single and Multiple line chart), Bar chart DI (Single and Multiple line chart), Mixed DI, Caselet (Table based caselet, Venn Diagram based caselet Arithmetic and Filler based caselet), Radar Data Interpretation, Arithmetic Topic wise Data Interpretation, New pattern Data Interpretation (Scatter, Stock, Funnel, Sunburst) etc.
  • Data Sufficiency: Two Statement and Three Statements Data Sufficiency
4. General/ Financial Awareness National Current Affairs, International Current Affairs, State Current Affairs, Sports News, Central Government Schemes, Agreements/MoU, Books & Authors, Summits & Conferences, Defense News, Science & Technology News, Banking and Financial Awareness, Static Awareness, Recent RBI Circulars Based Questions, Business & Economy related News, Important Days, Obituaries, Important Appointments, Important Awards & Honours, Union Budget 2026, Economic Survey 2026, Ranks/Reports/Indexes

IBPS Clerk Syllabus For Language Proficiency Test

The Language Proficiency Test (LPT) is conducted after the IBPS Clerk Mains exam to assess a candidate’s ability to communicate in the local language of the state or Union Territory applied for. Qualifying this test is mandatory for final selection.

Key points of the LPT:

  • Candidates must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the official local language.
  • The test may include reading passages, writing tasks, grammar questions, or simple conversations.
  • It ensures that selected candidates can communicate effectively with local customers.
  • Failure to qualify the LPT may lead to disqualification from final appointment, even after clearing the Main Examination.

Important: Candidates should not overlook the Language Proficiency Test, as clearing the LPT is essential for final selection under the IBPS Clerk recruitment process.

Related Posts
IBPS Clerk Salary IBPS Clerk Previous Year Papers
IBPS Clerk Selection Process IBPS Clerk Preparation Strategy

 

FAQs

Where can I get the detailed IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2026?

The IBPS Clerk Syllabus is divided into two parts. For the Prelims exams, you need to study English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. The Mains exams includes Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, Reasoning Ability, and General Awareness. Be sure to cover all these topics.

What is the syllabus of IBPS Clerk?

The syllabus of IBPS Clerk includes: Numerical Ability/Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English Language, and General/Financial Awareness.

Is there any major difference in IBPS Clerk Syllabus when compared to other bank exams?

No there is no major difference, the syllabus for almost all bank and insurance exams is the same. The level of questions asked in Officer grade and clerk grade exams may differ.

How long will it take to cover complete IBPS Clerk Syllabus?

If you are preparing from scratch, then it is possible that you can complete the IBPS Clerk syllabus in 3 to 4 months with the proper study plan. However, this may differ from person to person depending on their strengths and weaknesses.

What are the topics of English Language covered in the IBPS Clerk Syllabus?

The topics of English Language covered in the IBPS Clerk Syllabus are mentioned in the above article.

What is the total marks in the IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam?

The total marks in the IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam is 100.

What are the major changes in the IBPS Clerk Mains exam pattern?

The total number of questions has been reduced from 190 to 155, and the total time has decreased from 160 minutes to 120 minutes. The "Reasoning & Computer Aptitude" section is now just "Reasoning Ability," and there are also changes to the number of questions and time allotted per section.

Does the Prelims exam also have these changes?

No, these specific changes only apply to the IBPS Clerk Mains examination.

Is the Computer Aptitude section still part of the exam?

No, the "Computer Aptitude" portion has been removed, and the section is now focused solely on "Reasoning Ability."

. Is the IBPS Clerk Prelims syllabus different from the Mains syllabus?

The core subjects remain largely the same in both stages. However, the Main Examination includes General/Financial Awareness and features a higher level of difficulty compared to the Preliminary Examination.

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