March 26, 20268 min read

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2024-25: Prelims, Mains, No Interview and Allotment Process

Complete IBPS Clerk exam pattern — Prelims (100 questions, 60 min), Mains (190 questions, 160 min, 4 sections + English), no interview, provisional allotment based on Mains score, and section-wise syllabus.

IBPS Clerk exam pattern banking Prelims Mains clerk recruitment

IBPS Clerk (Clerical Cadre) recruitment is one of the largest banking recruitment exercises in India — conducted for 11 public sector banks simultaneously. The selection process has two stages: Prelims and Mains. There is no interview stage for IBPS Clerk, which is a significant difference from IBPS PO. Final allotment is based entirely on Mains marks.

Banks Participating in IBPS Clerk Recruitment

Approximately 11 public sector banks participate in IBPS Clerk recruitment, including Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, and others (as notified in each cycle).

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

100 questions | 100 marks | 60 minutes

Sectional timing is enforced — you cannot use time from one section in another.

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	30	30	20 minutes
Numerical Ability	35	35	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 minutes

Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.

Sectional cutoffs apply — you must clear both the minimum sectional marks and the overall cutoff. Just scoring well in total isn't enough if one section falls below the minimum.

IBPS shortlists approximately 10 times the number of vacancies for Mains from Prelims.

Prelims Syllabus — Section by Section

English Language (30 questions)

Reading comprehension — 1 passage, 6-10 questions (factual and inference-based)
Cloze test — 5-7 blanks in a passage
Error detection — identifying the incorrect part of a sentence
Sentence improvement
Fill in the blanks (vocabulary in context)
Para jumbles (sentence rearrangement)

The RC passage is usually the largest chunk. Don't skip it — it's often the most manageable part for prepared candidates. Numerical Ability (35 questions)

Number series — identify the missing term or the wrong term in a series
Simplification / Approximation — BODMAS application with fractions and decimals
Arithmetic word problems: percentage, ratio and proportion, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance, partnership, average
Data Interpretation — 1-2 sets (bar chart, table, pie chart, line graph)
Quadratic equations — two equations, find the relationship between variables

Reasoning Ability (35 questions)

Puzzles and seating arrangements — the dominant topic (floor puzzles, circular arrangements, linear arrangements with conditions)
Syllogisms — "All A are B" type with conclusions
Coded/Direct inequality — determine relationships from coded symbols
Blood relations — 3-4 generation family relationships
Direction sense — finding final direction or distance
Coding-decoding — letter shifting or coded patterns
Alphanumeric series
Order and ranking

Stage 2: Main Examination

190 questions | 200 marks | 160 minutes

Sectional time limits apply in Mains as well.

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
General/Financial Awareness	50	50	35 minutes
English Language	40	40	35 minutes
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude	50	60	45 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	45 minutes

Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.

There is no descriptive paper in IBPS Clerk Mains — unlike IBPS PO or SBI PO, the entire Mains is objective MCQ.

Mains Syllabus — Section by Section

General/Financial Awareness (50 questions)

This is the section where many candidates struggle and which differentiates serious candidates from casual ones.

Current affairs: last 6 months (national, international, economy)
Banking awareness: functions of RBI, CRR, SLR, repo rate, types of accounts, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI
Financial awareness: types of loans, credit cards, insurance basics, mutual funds
Important banking terminology: NPA, CASA ratio, CIBIL score, Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR)
Government schemes: PM Jan Dhan Yojana, PMSBY, PMJJBY, Mudra, Stand Up India
Indian economy basics: GDP, inflation measures, budget highlights
Static GK for banking: bank nationalization history, headquarters of major banks, payment banks, small finance banks
Awards relevant to banking/finance
International bodies: IMF, World Bank, ADB, BIS

English Language (40 questions)

At Mains level, English is more nuanced:

Reading comprehension — 1-2 passages (longer, 700-900 words), with both direct and inference-based questions

Error detection (multiple segments, find the error)

Sentence rearrangement (paragraph formation)

Cloze test (sometimes double cloze — two separate blanks-based passages)

Match the column type (pair the sentence halves correctly)

Word usage in context (not just synonyms but appropriate usage)

Fill in the blanks with phrases or idioms

Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude (50 questions)

Reasoning at Mains level:

Complex puzzles — floor-based (10 floors, multiple attributes), scheduling (days/months with conditions), blood relation + puzzle combinations

Input-output machine — multi-step direction changes or coded transformations

Logical reasoning — statement-assumption, statement-inference, cause-effect

Data sufficiency — is the given information sufficient to answer the question?

Critical reasoning (short paragraph-based)

Coded blood relations

Computer Aptitude (~10 questions typically embedded):

Fundamentals: CPU, RAM, ROM, input/output devices

Software: operating systems, MS Office, database basics

Networking: LAN, WAN, internet, email protocols

Security: virus, firewall, encryption basics

Computer abbreviations: BIOS, URL, HTTP, FTP, IP, CPU, GPU

Number systems: binary, decimal, hexadecimal conversions (basic)

Quantitative Aptitude (50 questions)

At Mains, the DI is more complex:

3-4 DI sets — caselet (paragraph-based data), mixed table (partially filled), comparison tables across two entities

Missing data DI — some cells are missing, answer questions using available data

Probability (card-based, dice-based, selection-based)

Permutation and combination (simple arrangement and selection)

Advanced arithmetic: problems mixing 2-3 concepts (e.g., a compound interest problem requiring ratio calculation)

Data sufficiency (quantitative)

No Interview — Allotment Based on Mains

IBPS Clerk has no interview stage. This is different from IBPS PO and SBI PO. The provisional allotment of bank is done directly based on:

Mains merit score (category-wise)
Bank preferences filled by the candidate
State/UT-wise vacancy distribution

Each state has a specific number of vacancies for each participating bank. Candidates are allotted to banks in their home state first, based on merit rank and bank preference order. If home-state vacancies are exhausted, candidates may be allotted to neighboring states (for some banks). Provisional allotment list is published by IBPS, and candidates report to the allotted bank's designated branch for document verification and joining formalities.

IBPS Clerk vs IBPS PO — Key Differences at a Glance

Aspect	IBPS Clerk	IBPS PO
Post type	Clerical Cadre	Officer (Probationary)
Pay level	₹11,765 + allowances	₹23,700 + allowances
Mains	Only objective MCQ	Objective + Descriptive
Interview	No	Yes (100 marks)
Final selection	Mains rank only	Mains 80% + Interview 20%
Transfer policy	Mostly within state	All-India transfer
Promotion to PO	Through internal exam (IBPS/bank-specific)	Direct officer entry

Many candidates appear for both simultaneously since preparation overlaps significantly. Starting as a clerk and working toward promotion is a common career path in public sector banking.

FAQ

Is there any limit on the number of times I can appear for IBPS Clerk?

IBPS Clerk does not have an attempt limit. You can appear every year as long as you're within the age limit (20-28 years for General category, with relaxation for reserved categories).

Can I get a bank in a different state as an IBPS Clerk?

Allotment preference is primarily state-wise. Most candidates are allotted within their home state. Inter-state allotments happen only when vacancies exist in other states and the candidate specifically opts for that bank operating in another state.

If I'm allotted to one bank, can I switch to another participating bank later?

Not through IBPS. Each bank has its own internal transfer and job rotation policies. If you want to move to a different bank, you'd need to apply afresh in a new IBPS Clerk cycle.

What is the computer knowledge expected for IBPS Clerk Mains?

The computer aptitude questions are at a basic level — no programming or advanced networking knowledge required. Understanding of common operating systems (Windows), MS Office, internet basics, and computing terminology is sufficient.

Track IBPS Clerk notification, exam dates, result, and allotment status at SarkariNaukriHub.