IBPS Clerk Main Examination Syllabus 2026
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
The IBPS Clerk Main Examination is the second and final stage of the IBPS Clerk (Customer Service Associate) recruitment process. It is an online objective examination that tests candidates in Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude, General/Financial Awareness, and English Language. Unlike the Preliminary Examination, the marks obtained in the Main Examination are considered for the final selection. There is no interview stage for IBPS Clerk recruitment. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Duration
2 Hours
Marking
1 mark is awarded for every correct answer. The Main Examination carries a total of 200 marks, with different sections having different maximum marks through score normalization.
Negative marking
0.25 (one-fourth) of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for every incorrect answer. There is no penalty for unanswered questions.
Exam Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 40 | 50 |
| General English | 40 | 40 |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 50 |
Subject-wise Syllabus
General / Financial Awareness
Current Affairs, Banking Awareness, RBI Functions & Monetary Policy, Financial Awareness, Indian Economy, Budget & Economic Survey, Banking Terms, Static General Knowledge, Government Schemes, National & International News, Important Banking Committees, Financial Institutions, Capital Market Basics
General English
Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks, Para Jumbles, Error Detection, Sentence Improvement, Vocabulary, Synonyms & Antonyms, Word Swap, Phrase Replacement, Idioms & Phrases, Sentence Rearrangement
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude
### Reasoning Ability, Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Syllogism, Inequality, Alphabet & Number Series, Order & Ranking, Data Sufficiency, Input-Output, Machine Input, Logical Reasoning, Statement & Conclusion, Critical Reasoning, ### Computer Aptitude, Computer Fundamentals, Computer Hardware, Software, Operating Systems, Internet, Networking, MS Office, Computer Memory, Input & Output Devices, Cyber Security, Computer Abbreviations, Digital Banking
Quantitative Aptitude
Simplification & Approximation, Number Series, Quadratic Equations, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Average, Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest, Partnership, Time & Work, Pipes & Cistern, Time, Speed & Distance, Boat & Stream, Mixture & Alligation, Ages, Permutation & Combination, Probability
Preparation Tips
- Read newspapers daily for Banking and Financial Awareness.
- Focus heavily on puzzles and seating arrangements, as they carry significant weight.
- Practice Data Interpretation and arithmetic questions regularly.
- Revise computer fundamentals and digital banking concepts.
- Attempt sectional and full-length mock tests under timed conditions.
- Analyze mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.
- Solve previous years' IBPS Clerk Main papers to understand the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.