IBPS Common Recruitment Process — Customer Service Associates
The common recruitment exam for clerical (Customer Service Associate) posts in participating public sector banks.
IBPS Clerk topic-wise practice and short mini mocks are live on Kitabey — students can practise IBPS Clerk Prelims- and Mains-pattern questions topic by topic or take a mini mock with the real paper's sections, sectional timers and marking, and every question's answer and explanation is checked before it's published. Puzzles and seating arrangements, reading passages, data-interpretation charts and current affairs aren't in Kitabey's bank yet, and full-length mocks follow as the bank grows. Coaching centres can also run IBPS Clerk tests with their own questions or an uploaded PDF.
IBPS Clerk has a Prelims screening test and a Mains exam. Allotment is state-wise, and the exam is offered in English, Hindi and the regional languages of the states with vacancies.
Both stages are sectionally timed with a minimum score in each section, and every question is a single-correct MCQ with five options.
| Prelims | English Language (30 Q, 20 min), Numerical Ability (35 Q, 20 min), Reasoning Ability (35 Q, 20 min) — 100 Q, 100 marks, 60 minutes |
| Mains | General / Financial Awareness (40 Q, 50 marks, 20 min), General English (40 Q, 40 marks, 35 min), Reasoning Ability (40 Q, 60 marks, 35 min), Quantitative Aptitude (40 Q, 50 marks, 35 min) — 160 Q, 200 marks, 125 minutes |
| Question format | Single-correct MCQs with 5 options; every section separately timed |
| Sectional cutoff | Yes — a minimum score in every section plus the total |
| Medium | English, Hindi and the state's official language as per the notification (the English section is in English) |
Marking scheme
Correct
+1 per question in Prelims; Mains marks per question differ by section (e.g. 1.25 in Awareness and Quant, 1.5 in Reasoning)
Incorrect
−¼ of that question's marks for every wrong answer; unanswered questions get 0
Mains sections may appear in any order on exam day. The 2026 Mains added more Quant questions and time than 2025; a corrigendum to the 2026 notification exists, so confirm the pattern on ibps.in. Whether computer-aptitude questions appear inside Mains Reasoning isn't confirmed.
Thirty-odd questions in 20 minutes per section leaves well under a minute each. Drill simplification, approximation and series until they're automatic.
IBPS sets a minimum in each section, so balance your preparation instead of over-investing in your favourite subject.
Mains awareness has 40 questions in 20 minutes — you either know it or you don't. Daily reading of banking and current-affairs updates is the only shortcut.
Each wrong answer costs a quarter of that question's marks. Attempt what you can narrow down; skip pure guesses.
What's live today for IBPS Clerk, and what's coming next.
Note: This guide covers the evergreen pattern, syllabus, and preparation framework. Registration dates, exam dates, and category-wise cutoffs change every cycle — always verify the latest details on the official Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) notification before you act on timelines.