IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2025 for Prelims & Mains Exam: Check Negative Marking

IBPS Clerk exam pattern is such that it comprises prelims and Mains exams. The both the stages of exams are conducted online. The final selection of candidates is done based on the Mains exam. The marks obtained in the prelims exam are not counted for the final merit list. The prelims exam comprises three sections and carries 100 marks. The Mains exam comprises four sections and carries 200 marks. The structure of the IBPS Clerk prelims and mains exams is given below.

IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern

IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 

There is no difference between IBPS Clerk and SBI Clerk exam pattern. The level of both exams is the same. The pattern of both the exams is divided into prelims and Mains. The prelims exam carries three sections-English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. The total marks allotted to the prelims exam are 100. The duration of the test is 60 minutes. The mains exam comprises four sections-General/ Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude, and Quantitative Aptitude. The total marks allotted to the mains exam are 200. The duration of the test is 160 minutes. There is a difference in the difficulty levels. SBI Clerk exam is tougher than IBPS Clerk. 

The prelims exam of IBPS Clerk is conducted in four shifts: 9 am to 10 am, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, 2 pm to 3 pm, and 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The reporting times are mentioned on the admit card. Candidates are required to reach the exam centres as per the reporting times. IBPS Clerk Mains exam is conducted in one shifts depending upon the number of candidates. IBPS Clerk shift timing for the Mains exam is 9:00 am -12.00 pm. The shift timings for IBPS Clerk prelims and mains exams are given below:

Mains Exam

Prelims Exam

IBPS Clerk exam is conducted in 13 regional languages. Earlier, the question papers are framed in English and Hindi only. The medium of examination of IBPS Clerk exam according to the state applied for is given below.

IBPS Clerk Mains exam is conducted for candidates who qualify the prelims exam. The Mains exam of IBPS Clerk is divided into four sections. The total marks allotted to the Mains exam are 200. The structure of the exam pattern is given below.

The prelims exam of IBPS Clerk is divided into three sections. The total marks allotted to the test are 100. The duration of the test is 60 minutes. The exam structure of IBPS Clerk prelims exam is given below.

There are negative marking in IBPS Clerk exam. 0.25 marks are deducted as penalty for wrong answers. For correct answers, candidates score one mark. Candidates are advised to mark their answers carefully as there are negative markings. For wrong answers marked in the exam, the marks of candidates will be deducted. Candidates are required to secure both overall and sectional cut off marks.

Candidates can check below few important points related to IBPS Clerk exam pattern:

• IBPS Clerk Mains exam pattern comprises current affairs and computer knowledge
• Only three sections will be asked in the prelims exam
• The score of the preliminary exam will not be taken into consideration for the final selection. The score of the Mains exam will be taken into consideration for the final allotment
• There will be a penalty for wrong answers marked in the objective tests

IBPS Clerk marking scheme is prescribed by the examination authority. For correct answer, one mark is awarded to candidates. For incorrect answers, 0.25 marks are awarded. The score is calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers. The marks obtained by candidates are normalised to calculate the scores. Candidates need to secure the desired marks to get selected for the post of Clerk in the public sector banks in India. The total marks allotted to the prelims exam are 100. The total marks allotted to the mains exam are 200. The marks obtained in the prelims exam are not counted for the final merit list. Only the marks scored in the mains exam are taken into consideration for the final merit list.

Yes, there are sectional timings in IBPS Clerk exam. In prelims exam, candidates will get 20 minutes to answer each section. In the Mains exam, 35 minutes each will be given to answer questions from General/Financial Awareness, General English and 45 minutes each will be given to attempt Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude and Quantitative Aptitude questions. The section-wise exam timings for prelims and mains exam are given below.

Prelims Exam

Mains Exam

IBPS Clerk syllabus is divided into prelims and Mains exams. The syllabus for the prelims exam comprises the topics such as English Numerical Ability, and Reasoning. IBPS Clerk Mains syllabus includes Quantitative Aptitude English Language, Reasoning Ability, Computer Aptitude, and General Awareness. It is important to prepare according to the syllabus as the questions in the exam are framed based on it. Candidates must be well-versed with the IBPS Clerk syllabus to know the important topics for the exam. The benefits of knowing the syllabus are given below:

• IBPS Clerk syllabus outlines the topics that candidates need to prepare for the exam
• Going through the syllabus candidates can know the topics that are important for the exam
• Candidates can plan their preparation strategy based on the syllabus

IBPS Clerk prelims Quantitative Aptitude section carries a total of 35 questions of 35 marks. Questions in this section are asked from Number Series, Data Interpretation, Simplification/ Approximation, Quadratic Equation, Data Sufficiency, Mensuration, Average, Profit and Loss, Ratio and Proportion, Work, Time, and Energy, Time and Distance, Probability, Relations, Simple and Compound Interest, Permutation and Combination. Usually, maximum questions are asked from Data Interpretation, Arithmatic, etc. To ace the Quant section of IBPS Clerk exam, candidates need to prepare well by solving the previous years' question papers.

SBI Clerk syllabus comprises subjects such as English Numerical Ability, Reasoning Ability, Data Interpretation, Computer Aptitude, General Awareness. For English the important topics are Reading Comprehension, Cloze test, spotting errors, para-jumbles. For Reasoning, the important topics are Arithmetic, simplification, data interpretation, quadratic equations, miscellaneous problems. For Reasoning Ability, candidates should prepare topics such as Puzzles, Number Series, miscellaneous problems, syllogism, linear arrangement. For General Awareness, candidates can cover Current Affairs, News on the Banking Industry, Awards and Honours, Latest Appointments, Obituaries, New schemes of central and state governments, Static Awareness. For Computer Aptitude, candidates can cover Basics of Computer: Hardware, Software, Generation of Computers, DBMS, Networking, Internet, MS Office, Input-Output Devices, Important Abbreviations.

To crack IBPS Clerk exam with three months preparation, candidates must prepare for the exam with sincerity and dedication. Candidates must devote two to three hours each day to complete the syllabus. Candidates must also solve mock tests and practice previous year question papers to prepare well for IBPS Clerk exam in three months. Candidates must analyse their performances through the mock tests. After analysing the mock test, candidates must focus upon improving the weak areas. Conceptual clarity is important because it helps candidates to solve the questions easily. The tips and tricks to crack IBPS Clerk are given below:

• Candidates must understand the exam pattern and syllabus to know the structure of the exam and topics that are important for the exam
• After going through the syllabus, candidates must find out the important topics for the exam
• Candidates must solve previous year question papers to know the type of questions asked in the exam
• Candidates must attempt mock tests to improve the speed and accuracy
• Candidates must study regularly for the exam

It is important for candidates to utilise the right resources to prepare for IBPS Clerk exam. The accurate preparation strategy helps candidates in moving ahead on the path to success. Candidates need to put in consistent and dedicated efforts to prepare for IBPS Clerk exam in the right direction. If candidates are preparing for the exam, it is essential for candidates to have an efficient study plan. This will help candidates to prepare in the best possible way. As this is a competitive exam, without study plan, candidates may struggle to clear the cutoff. The tips and tricks to prepare for the exam are given below:

• For English Language, candidates can focus on the topics such as reading comprehension, cloze test, fillers, spotting errors, etc. Candidates can improve their comprehension by reading newspapers
• For Reasoning Ability section, candidates must practice more questions on the topics such as puzzles, inequalities, syllogism, coding decoding, blood relations, seating arrangements
• For Numerical Ability section, candidates must practice a variety of questions on different topics including simplification, number series, data interpretation, and quadratic equations.
• Candidates must attempt mock tests inorder to identify the strengths and weaknesses
• Candidates must focus on the important topics that carry higher weightage