IBPS RRB Clerk 2026: what we know
According to the IBPS 2026-27 calendar, the Office Assistant prelims are on 6, 12 and 13 December 2026 and the Main exam on 30 January 2027. The notification gives broader windows: November/December 2026 for the prelims and December 2026/February 2027 for the Mains. No 2026 paper has been held so far, and IBPS does not release difficulty ratings or good-attempt figures even after the exams.
What this page covers
Test-wise paper
The test names, question counts, marks and timings come from the notification, and every test has its own time limit. Apart from the English and Hindi language tests, each test is offered in English and Hindi, and in many states in the regional language too. IBPS names the tests but publishes no topic list, so the topics below are commonly tested topics rather than an official syllabus.
Prelims · Reasoning
40 Q · 40 marks · 25 min. Commonly tested: puzzles and seating arrangement, syllogism, inequalities, blood relations and coding-decoding.
Prelims · Numerical Ability
40 Q · 40 marks · 20 min. Commonly tested: simplification and approximation, number series, quadratic equations, data interpretation and arithmetic.
Mains · Reasoning
40 Q · 50 marks · 30 min. Commonly tested: puzzles and seating arrangement, syllogism, inequalities, data sufficiency and logical reasoning.
Mains · Computer Knowledge
40 Q · 20 marks · 15 min. Commonly tested: computer fundamentals, hardware and software, internet and networking, MS Office and basic security.
Mains · General Awareness
40 Q · 40 marks · 15 min. Commonly tested: current affairs, banking and economy, and static general knowledge.
Mains · English Language (option)
40 Q · 40 marks · 30 min · English only. Commonly tested: reading comprehension, error spotting, fillers and para jumbles.
Mains · Hindi Language (option)
40 Q · 40 marks · 30 min · Hindi only. Taken instead of English — you choose one. Commonly tested: comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.
Mains · Numerical Ability
40 Q · 50 marks · 30 min. Commonly tested: data interpretation, arithmetic, number series and quadratic equations.
What a wrong answer costs
In every objective test, prelims and Mains alike, a wrong answer costs one-fourth of that question’s marks; leaving a question blank costs nothing. Since marks per question vary from test to test, so does the penalty. These figures are calculated from the official marks and question counts:
| Test | Marks per question | Penalty per wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims · Reasoning | 1.00 | 0.25 |
| Prelims · Numerical Ability | 1.00 | 0.25 |
| Mains · Reasoning | 1.25 | 0.3125 |
| Mains · Computer Knowledge | 0.50 | 0.125 |
| Mains · General Awareness | 1.00 | 0.25 |
| Mains · English or Hindi Language | 1.00 | 0.25 |
| Mains · Numerical Ability | 1.25 | 0.3125 |
IBPS states only each test’s total marks, so these figures assume the marks are split equally across its questions. IBPS publishes no good-attempt numbers, and we don’t show any.
Normalisation & cut-offs
If the exam runs in more than one session, scores are normalised using the equi-percentile method and taken up to two decimals. In the prelims you have to clear the minimum cut-off in both tests, after which an adequate number of candidates in each category is shortlisted for Mains, depending on requirements. In the Mains you need a minimum score in each test and a total high enough in the merit order. How many candidates are shortlisted for provisional allotment depends on the vacancies available in each state, and only Mains marks count towards final merit. IBPS shows cut-offs in candidates’ result logins, not in a separate document.
Crack IBPS RRB Clerk with your own daily plan
Daily targets, a test-wise plan & date alerts — to the latest pattern.
Turn the paper structure into your daily plan
Knowing where the marks and penalties sit pays off only when you practise with it in mind. JobSafal turns the IBPS RRB Clerk tests into daily targets, so accuracy is a habit well before exam day.
Test-wise plan
Daily targets across Reasoning, Numerical Ability, General Awareness, Computer and English/Hindi.
Daily current affairs
Steady input for the General Awareness test in the Mains.
Focus on weak tests
Give more of your daily time to the test you find hardest.
Date alerts
Call letter, exam and result reminders.
