IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026

IBPS Clerk 2026 Exam Pattern

Both stages are online, objective-type tests. There is a penalty of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer; there is no penalty for questions left blank. Each section has its own time limit.

Preliminary Exam (qualifying)

Prelims marks are used only to shortlist candidates for Mains. They are not added to the final merit.

Main Exam (decides final merit)

Important points

• The English sections are in English only; other sections are in English and Hindi.
• You must clear the sectional and overall cut-offs, which IBPS fixes state-wise and category-wise.
• After Mains, candidates who have not studied the state's official language up to Class 10 must pass the Local Language Proficiency Test.
• There is no interview. Provisional allotment is based on Mains marks.

Source: Sreedhar's CCE – IBPS Clerk CRP CSA-XVI notification guide, Careers360 – IBPS Clerk Recruitment 2026