Key dates
Registration ran from 1 to 21 August 2026. The dates below come from the IBPS tentative calendar for 2026-27 and the CSA-XVI notification. IBPS marks them as tentative, so treat your call letter as the final word.
- Pre-Examination Training and prelims call letters: September 2026.
- Online prelims: 10 and 11 October 2026 (tentative calendar).
- Prelims result: November 2026.
- Online mains: 27 December 2026 (tentative calendar).
- Provisional allotment: March 2027.
Prelims pattern: three sections, three cut-offs
The prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, and each section is separately timed. You have to clear the cut-off in each of the three sections, so a brilliant Quant score cannot rescue a weak English score.
- English Language: 30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes.
- Numerical Ability: 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes.
- Reasoning Ability: 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes.
- Penalty: 0.25 of the question's marks is deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
What happens after prelims
The mains has 160 questions for 200 marks in 125 minutes: General/Financial Awareness (40 questions, 50 marks, 20 minutes), General English (40 questions, 40 marks, 35 minutes), Reasoning Ability (40 questions, 60 marks, 35 minutes) and Quantitative Aptitude (40 questions, 50 marks, 35 minutes). There is a minimum score for each section and for the total.
Only mains marks count for the final merit list. They are converted to a score out of 100 for provisional allotment, and prelims marks don't carry forward. Candidates apply for vacancies in one State/UT only, and a Local Language Proficiency Test for the chosen state follows the mains. You are exempt if your mark sheet shows you studied that language. IBPS also keeps a reserve list of about 30% of vacancies in each category.
Eligibility recap
You need a graduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university by the day you register, plus operating and working knowledge of computers. The age limit is 20 to 28 years as on 1 August 2026, so you must have been born between 2 August 1998 and 1 August 2006, both dates inclusive. Upper-age relaxation applies to reserved categories, for example 5 years for SC/ST and 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer).
A 21-day plan for the prelims
Speed decides this exam: 20 minutes for 35 questions leaves about 34 seconds per question. The plan builds speed first and then stamina.
- Week 1 (speed drills): 20 minutes of simplification and approximation every day, plus one topic each of number series, quadratic comparison and arithmetic word problems. For Reasoning, do puzzles and seating arrangements daily, since they take the most time. For English, do one reading comprehension and one cloze test a day.
- Week 2 (sectional tests): take one timed 20-minute sectional test per section every day. Track accuracy separately; aim for above 90% in English and in inequalities and syllogisms before you push for more attempts.
- Week 3 (full mocks): take a full 60-minute mock daily, analyse it for at least as long as you spent writing it, and rehearse your order within each section: quick questions first, puzzles last.
- Final two days: revise your error log only, download the call letter, and read the information handout that comes with it. Keep your photo ID ready in original, with the same name as on the call letter.
Common mistakes to avoid
The first is ignoring English because it has only 30 questions. It still has its own cut-off. The second is getting stuck on one long puzzle and losing the whole Reasoning block. Set a two-minute limit, then move on. The third is guessing wildly. At −0.25 a wrong answer the penalty is mild, but a string of blind guesses still erodes a section score that is being measured against a cut-off.
Before the real exam, attempt at least one full-length mock under the exact 20-20-20 timing. You can start with the free first mock on ExamguruX to benchmark where you stand.
Key takeaways
- IBPS Clerk (CRP CSA-XVI) prelims are tentatively on 10–11 October 2026, with mains on 27 December 2026.
- The prelims has 100 questions in 60 minutes across three separately timed 20-minute sections, each with its own cut-off.
- Only mains marks (200, scaled to 100) decide final merit, and there is a 0.25 penalty for each wrong answer.
- Use the three weeks for speed drills, then sectional tests, then daily full mocks.
Sources
Dates and patterns change — always confirm on the official website before applying.
