The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) determines the IBPS Clerk exam pattern 2026 in the official notification. According to the IBPS Clerk 2026 exam pattern, there are two stages for the IBPS Clerk exam - prelims and mains. The final allotment is based on the score secured in the IBPS Clerk mains exam 2026. The exam pattern of IBPS Clerk 2026 contains a section-wise question pattern, marking scheme, the time allotted for each section, and other important information.
This Story also Contains
Candidates must check the IBPS Clerk exam pattern 2026 to get an idea about the IBPS Clerk exam. It is also advisable for the candidates to go through the IBPS Clerk syllabus to know the important topics of the question paper. Read the complete article to know more about the exam pattern of IBPS Clerk 2026.
IBPS Clerk 2026 exam pattern for the prelims stage of the examination have questions from 3 sections, including English Language, Reasoning Ability and Numerical Ability. Each question in the IBPS Clerk 2026 Prelims exam pattern consists of 1 mark. The 0.25 mark is deductible for each incorrect attempt. The allocated time for the preliminary exam is 60 minutes. The total number of marks allocated for the preliminary stage of the test is 100.
IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Sections | Question Type | No. of questions | Marks | Time |
Reasoning Ability | Objective | 35 | 35 | 20 Min |
English Language | Objective | 30 | 30 | 20 Min |
Numerical Ability. | Objective | 35 | 35 | 20 Min |
Total | 100 | 100 | 60 Min | |
The main exam round of the IBPS Clerk 2026 exam pattern has objective-type questions in 4 sections, including General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude and Quantitative Aptitude. For each question in the Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude section, candidates will be awarded 1 mark each for the other 3 sections. 0.25 mark is deductible for each incorrectly attempted objective-type question. The table below contains all important information on the exam pattern of the IBPS Clerk 2026 mains exam.
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026
Sections | Marks Per Question | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Time |
Quantitative Aptitude | 1 | 35 | 50 | 30 Min |
General English | 1 | 40 | 40 | 35 Min |
General/Financial Awareness | 1 | 40 | 50 | 20 Min |
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 1.2 | 40 | 60 | 35 Min |
Total | 155 | 200 | 120 Min |
| State Name | Medium of examination |
| Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Sikkim | English and Hindi |
| Andhra Pradesh | English, Hindi and Telugu |
| Assam | English, Hindi and Assamese |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu | English. Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Konkani |
| Goa | English, Hindi and Konkani |
| Gujarat | English, Hindi and Gujarati |
| Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh | English, Hindi and Urdu |
| Karnataka | English, Hindi, Kannada and Konkani |
| Kerala, Lakshadweep | English, Hindi and Malayalam |
| Maharashtra | English, Hindi, Marathi and Konkani |
| Manipur | English, Hindi and Manipuri |
| Odisha | English, Hindi and Odia |
| Puducherry | English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam |
| Punjab | English, Hindi and Punjabi |
| Tamil Nadu | English, Hindi and Tamil |
| Telangana | English, Hindi, Telugu and Urdu |
| Tripura, West Bengal | English, Hindi and Bengali |
As per the IBPS Clerk 2026 exam pattern, each question in all sections of both prelims and mains tests carries 1 mark each (except for Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude in Mains Exam). 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer in the IBPS Clerk exam.
Quick Links:
Candidates can look at the syllabus of IBPS Clerk 2026 after going through the exam pattern. Understanding the syllabus would give candidates a better understanding of each section and the relevant topics they should concentrate on during their training. Thus, first going through the test pattern of IBPS Clerk 2026 and then the syllabus will give the candidates a complete understanding of the examination.
Candidates are also recommended to obtain the question papers of IBPS Clerk from previous years. These test question papers contain questions from previous exam sessions. Thus, recognising the 2026 IBPS Clerk exam pattern and the papers of the previous years will assist the candidates in formulating an idea of the question patterns of the exam. Understanding query patterns will assist in the prediction of key questions for the IBPS Clerk 2026 test. Candidates can also practice solving papers from previous years, as it will help them improve their speed and accuracy.
Also Read:
IBPS Clerk 2026 mock test will be available in online mode on the official website. Aspirants can appear in the IBPS Clerk 2026 mock test to understand the exact exam pattern of IBPS Clerk 2026. The mock tests are designed in a way that candidates will get to know the types of questions asked in the exam, how to answer in an online format and other important aspects.
In order to excel in the upcoming examination, candidates can prepare their own IBPS Clerk 2026 preparation strategy. It is important to prepare regularly, take notes on important subjects, and revise before the test. Solving previous year's question papers assists candidates in identifying the weaker sections and encourages them to focus on them. It is also important to choose the best books of IBPS Clerk 2026 based on the latest syllabus and exam pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, in the IBPS Clerk 2026 exam, 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.
Questions in the segment on Thinking Skill & Machine Aptitude have 1.2 marks each. According to the IBPS Clerk exam pattern 2026, questions in the other parts are worth one mark each.
Only those applicants who qualify for the results of the prelims will be eligible to sit for the main test. The final result will take into account the marks received in the mains test.
Yes. Applicants can appear In both Hindi and English medium for the IBPS Clerk 2026.
For IBPS Clerk 2026 exam, applicants have 60 minutes to complete the prelims paper and 160 minutes to complete the mains paper.
The IBPS clerk exam pattern consists of preliminary and Mains exam.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
If your admit card shows your name as “Pooja Pooja” but all your documents have the name “Pooja” , you should do the following:
Contact the RRB/IBPS helpdesk as soon as possible. Tell them your correct name and explain that your admit card has your name printed twice.
Send
Hello
You didn’t enter your last name, but the system is still showing your full name with a last name.
This may be due to auto-fill or system default based on previous data or your ID proof. If all your official documents have only your first name, this mismatch could
Hello,
You don't need any certificate for the IBPS clerk because this job role doesn't require any certificate. This role doesn't state that you need any computer certificate; you just need a basic knowledge of computers. The participating bank may assess your computer literacy during the exam.
I hope it
Hello Preeti,
The age limit for SBI Clerk and IBPS Clerk 2025 is usually 20 to 28 years , with age relaxation for reserved categories.
Since you were born on October 5, 1996 , you will be 29 years old in 2025. This means you will not be eligible for
You are 18 years old and currently pursuing a diploma in engineering, you do not meet the minimum age requirement of 20 years or the educational qualification of holding a bachelor's degree. Therefore, you are not currently eligible to apply for the IBPS Clerk examination.
You meet the age requirement
Apply for Online M.Com from Manipal University