IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026: Check Details for Prelims and Mains

Q: Ques: How many sections are there in IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims?

Ans: IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims has three sections – English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Each section has a fixed time limit, and candidates must qualify in all sections.

Q: Ques: Is there negative marking in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: According to IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026, 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Main exams, so candidates need to answer carefully to avoid losing marks.

Q: Ques: Are Prelims exam marks considered in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026 final merit?

Ans: IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 clearly states that marks obtained in the Preliminary exam are not considered for the final merit. Only the Mains exam scores are used for final selection.

Q: Ques: Can candidates choose the order of sections in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: No, IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 has fixed sectional order with separate timing. Once the time for a section is over, the system automatically moves the candidate to the next section.

Q: Ques: Is there any descriptive paper in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: No, IBPS Clerk Exam 2026 includes only objective-type multiple-choice questions. There is no descriptive or subjective paper at either the Prelims or Main stage of the recruitment process.

Paulami Chandra

Feb 5, 2026

IBPS Clerk 2026 Exam Pattern for CRP CSA-XV will be released along with the detailed notification. IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 consists of 2 exams,i.e., Prelims exam, which contains 100 questions of 1 mark each, and Mains exam, which is of 200 marks and 155 questions. Candidates are required to appear and qualify IBPS Clerk 2026 Prelims to appear for the mains exam in IBPS Clerk 2026.

Table of Contents

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern Highlights 2026
IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026
IBPS Clerk 2026 Language Proficiency Test
IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern Highlights 2026

IBPS Clerk 2026 Prelims and Mains highlights are mentioned in the table below:

Particulars	Prelims	Mains
Exam Mode	Online	Online
No. of Sections	3	4
Total Questions	100	190
Total Marks	100	200
Time Duration	60 minutes (20 min per section)	2 Hour 40 Minutes
Medium of Exam	English & Hindi	English & Hindi
Negative Marking	0.25 mark for each wrong answer	0.25 mark for each wrong answer
Qualifying Status	Qualifying in nature (not counted in final selection)	Considered for final selection

IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

Detailed IBPS Clerk 2026 Prelims Exam Pattern is given in the table below:

Section	No. of Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	30 Questions	30 Marks	20 Minutes
Numerical Ability	35 Questions	35 Marks	20 Minutes
Reasoning Ability	35 Questions	35 Marks	20 Minutes
Total	100 Questions	100 Marks	1 Hour

Points to remember:

Sectional timing is applied.
Candidates must qualify in each section.

IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates who successfully pass IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026 proceed to IBPS Clerk 2026 Mains exam. Detailed IBPS Clerk Mains 2026 Exam Pattern is given below:

Section	No. of Questions	Marks	Time
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
Quantitative Aptitude	35 Questions	50 Marks	30 Minutes
Total	155 Questions	200 Marks	2 Hours

Points to remember:

Marks from Mains exam only count towards the final merit list.

IBPS Clerk 2026 Language Proficiency Test

IBPS Clerk 2026 Language Proficiency Test is conducted after the Mains exam. These are the key pointers:

Conducted after the Main Exam/Provisional Allotment.
Required if a candidate cannot produce proof of having studied the local language.
Qualifying in nature; failure leads to disqualification.

Candidates preparing for IBPS Clerk 2026 must note that the exam is conducted in two stages: Prelims and Mains, both online with separate sectional timings. Prelims results are used only for shortlisting, while Mains exam scores determine the final merit. Negative marking applies, and a language proficiency test may follow, so prepare strategically for each stage.

Relevant Links
IBPS Clerk 2026 Cutoff	IBPS Clerk Previous Year Papers
IBPS Clerk 2024 Question Paper	IBPS Clerk Mock Tests

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs

Ques: How many sections are there in IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims?

Ans: IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims has three sections – English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Each section has a fixed time limit, and candidates must qualify in all sections.

Ques: Is there negative marking in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: According to IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026, 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Main exams, so candidates need to answer carefully to avoid losing marks.

Ques: Are Prelims exam marks considered in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026 final merit?

Ans: IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 clearly states that marks obtained in the Preliminary exam are not considered for the final merit. Only the Mains exam scores are used for final selection.

Ques: Can candidates choose the order of sections in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: No, IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 has fixed sectional order with separate timing. Once the time for a section is over, the system automatically moves the candidate to the next section.

Ques: Is there any descriptive paper in IBPS Clerk Exam 2026?

Ans: No, IBPS Clerk Exam 2026 includes only objective-type multiple-choice questions. There is no descriptive or subjective paper at either the Prelims or Main stage of the recruitment process.