IBPS Clerk 2026 — Complete Prelims Preparation Course

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the Common Recruitment Process for Clerical Cadre on behalf of the participating public-sector banks. A single application and a single examination put you in the running across all of them, which is why it draws one of the largest candidate pools of any banking exam in India. Prelims is 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, split into three sections of 20 minutes each: English Language (30 questions), Numerical Ability (35) and Reasoning Ability (35). Marking is +1 for a correct answer and −0.25 for a wrong one, with no penalty for questions left blank. IBPS Clerk is easier than IBPS PO by design, and that is exactly what makes it competitive. When the questions are straightforward, nearly everyone attempts nearly all of them, so state-wise cutoffs run high and the exam quietly stops testing ability and starts testing precision. The candidates who miss out are rarely the ones who could not solve the questions — they are the ones who solved them slightly slower, or got two of them carelessly wrong. Eligibility & who can join: • A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Central Government. • Age limits are typically in a 20–28 band as on the notified cut-off date, with relaxations for OBC, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates as per the official notification. • Basic computer literacy is expected, and candidates are normally required to be proficient in the official language of the state or union territory they apply to. • Always confirm eligibility, state-wise vacancies and dates against the official notification at ibps.in. How the course is structured: The syllabus is taught section by section, exactly as the paper is administered, with topics ordered by their real previous-year question share. Because each section is capped at 20 minutes and the questions are not individually difficult, the teaching emphasis falls on accuracy at speed rather than on advanced technique. Simplification, number series and arithmetic word problems together carry most of Numerical Ability, and puzzles most of Reasoning, so those get proportionally more practice. Every chapter test runs against a per-section clock from the beginning, and accuracy is reported alongside score in every mock. IBPS normally notifies Clerk recruitment once a year with state-wise vacancies; always confirm details against the official notification.