IBPS RRB Clerk Syllabus 2026: Quick Answer
The IBPS RRB Clerk syllabus 2026 (Office Assistant – Multipurpose, CRP RRBs-XV) has a Prelims of Reasoning (40 questions, 25 minutes) and Numerical Ability (40 questions, 20 minutes), 80 marks in total, and a Mains of Reasoning, Computer Knowledge, General Awareness, English or Hindi Language, and Numerical Ability, 200 questions for 200 marks in 120 minutes. There is no interview: provisional allotment is based on Mains marks only.
Key takeaway (official IBPS notification dated 01.09.2026): 8,222 indicative Office Assistant vacancies (after the September 2026 updates), age 18 to 28 years as on 01.09.2026, separate timers for every test, 1/4 negative marking, and Hindi can replace English in Mains. Prelims is scheduled for 6, 12 and 13 December 2026 and Mains for 30 January 2027 (IBPS calendar).
The officer post in the same recruitment has its own note: IBPS RRB PO syllabus and exam pattern, which also lists all 28 participating RRBs with head offices.
IBPS RRB Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 at a Glance
| Stage | Questions / Marks | Time | Cut-off | Counts in allotment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | 80 Q / 80 marks | 45 min (Reasoning 25 + Numerical 20) | Must clear both tests | No |
| Mains | 200 Q / 200 marks | 120 min (five timed tests) | As decided by IBPS | Yes, only this |
| Interview | Not held for Office Assistants | — | — | — |
Negative marking: 0.25 of the marks of a question for every wrong answer. Session scores are normalised by the equi-percentile method.
IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 25 min |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 40 | 20 min |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 45 min |
The RRB Clerk Prelims has no English test, which makes it unlike IBPS Clerk and SBI Clerk. Earlier RRB cycles allowed a composite 45 minutes for the whole paper; the 2026 notification fixes a separate time for each test, so speed in Numerical Ability (40 questions in 20 minutes, 30 seconds each) is now critical.
IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Syllabus 2026: Reasoning
| Topic | Usual questions |
|---|---|
| Puzzles and Seating Arrangement | 12–20 |
| Inequality | 4–5 |
| Syllogism | 3–5 |
| Coding-Decoding | 3–5 |
| Blood Relation | 2–3 |
| Direction Sense | 2–3 |
| Order and Ranking, Alphanumeric Series, Pair Formation | 3–6 |
IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Syllabus 2026: Numerical Ability
| Topic | Usual questions |
|---|---|
| Simplification / Approximation | 10–15 |
| Number Series (missing / wrong) | 5 |
| Data Interpretation (table, bar, pie, line) | 5–10 |
| Quadratic Equations | 0–5 |
| Arithmetic: percentage, profit and loss, SI & CI, average, ratio, ages, time and work, speed-distance, mixture, mensuration | 8–12 |
These counts come from candidates' feedback on recent RRB Office Assistant shifts. IBPS publishes the subjects, not topic weightage, so treat them as a study plan.
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 30 min |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | 15 min |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 15 min |
| English Language or Hindi Language | 40 | 40 | 30 min |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 50 | 30 min |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 min |
How to read this table: a Reasoning or Numerical question is worth 1.25 marks, a GA or language question 1 mark, and a Computer question only 0.5 mark. A candidate with 30 right and 4 wrong in Reasoning scores (30 − 4 × 0.25) × 1.25 = 29 × 1.25 = 36.25 out of 50.
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026: Reasoning
- Puzzles and seating (higher level), coded inequality, syllogism, input–output, data sufficiency, blood relation, direction sense, logical reasoning
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026: Numerical Ability
- DI (including caselet and missing DI), arithmetic, quadratic equations, series, approximation, quantity comparison
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026: General Awareness
- Rural banking: RRBs (50 : 35 : 15 shareholding of Centre, sponsor bank and state), NABARD, Kisan Credit Card, priority sector lending, SHGs, cooperative banks
- Banking basics: types of accounts, cheques, KYC, NEFT/RTGS/IMPS/UPI, RBI rates, financial inclusion schemes
- Current affairs (last 4–6 months) and static GK (bank HQs, important days, national parks)
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026: Computer Knowledge
- Input/output devices, memory (RAM, ROM, cache), units of storage, operating systems, MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint, internet, networking, email, cyber security, shortcut keys, abbreviations
IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026: English or Hindi
- English: reading comprehension, cloze test, fillers, error detection, para jumbles, sentence improvement
- Hindi: अपठित गद्यांश, रिक्त स्थान, वाक्य शुद्धि, त्रुटि पहचान, पर्यायवाची, विलोम, मुहावरे और लोकोक्तियाँ
IBPS RRB Clerk Eligibility and Local Language Rule
| Item | Official rule (CRP RRBs-XV) |
|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 28 years as on 01.09.2026 (born between 02.09.1998 and 01.09.2008) |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any discipline; proficiency in the RRB's local language; working knowledge of computers desirable |
| Extra relaxation (OA only) | Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated (not remarried): up to 35 years (General/EWS), 38 (OBC), 40 (SC/ST) |
| Fee | ₹850 (others); ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD/ESM/DESM (GST included) |
| Can I also apply for RRB PO? | Yes, an Office Assistant application plus one officer post (Scale I, II or III) is allowed |
| Vacancies | 8,222 indicative Office Assistant posts (raised from 8,183 in the original notification) |
| Selection | Prelims (qualifying) → Mains → provisional allotment on Mains marks |
Local language: if you studied the State's language in Class VIII or above, you are treated as proficient. If not, the RRB gives you six months from joining to acquire it (extendable within probation). Since there is one RRB per State/UT now, the language list for your State decides which bank you can join; for example, Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank (Mandi) prescribes Hindi.
IBPS RRB Clerk vs IBPS Clerk vs SBI Clerk (2026)
| Point | IBPS RRB Clerk | IBPS Clerk (CSA) | SBI Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | Reasoning + Numerical, 80 Q, 45 min | English + Numerical + Reasoning, 100 Q, 60 min | English + Numerical + Reasoning, 100 Q, 60 min |
| Mains | 200 Q, 200 marks, 120 min | 160 Q, 200 marks, 125 min | 190 Q, 200 marks, 160 min |
| English compulsory? | No (English or Hindi in Mains) | Yes | Yes |
| Interview | No | No | No |
| Upper age | 28 (as on 01.09.2026) | 28 (as on 01.08.2026) | 28 (as on 01.04.2026) |
Read more in our IBPS Clerk syllabus and SBI Clerk syllabus notes.
How to Prepare for the IBPS RRB Clerk Syllabus 2026
- Build calculation speed first. Numerical Ability gives 20 minutes for 40 questions; practise simplification tricks and approximation daily.
- Solve easy puzzles quickly. RRB Clerk puzzles are usually 5–8 people; aim for under 4 minutes per set.
- Learn GA in short daily slots. 40 questions in 15 minutes means pure recall; revise rural banking, RBI rates and monthly current affairs.
- Revise computer basics in a week. Memory, shortcuts and abbreviations cover most questions.
- Pick English or Hindi by your stronger score in two practice papers, and stick with it.
IBPS RRB Clerk Syllabus Practice Questions with Answers
Q1. (Simplification) 25% of 480 + 36 ÷ 4 × 3 = ? (a) 127 (b) 137 (c) 147 (d) 157 Answer: (c). 120 + 9 × 3 = 120 + 27 = 147.
Q2. (Approximation) 39.97% of 600.12 + 14.99² ≈ ? (a) 445 (b) 455 (c) 465 (d) 475 Answer: (c). 40% of 600 + 15² = 240 + 225 = 465.
Q3. (Series) 2, 5, 11, 23, 47, ? (a) 93 (b) 94 (c) 95 (d) 96 Answer: (c). Each term × 2 + 1; 47 × 2 + 1 = 95.
Q4. (Average) The average age of 30 students is 15 years. When the teacher's age is included, the average becomes 16 years. The teacher's age is: (a) 40 (b) 44 (c) 46 (d) 48 Answer: (c). 31 × 16 − 30 × 15 = 496 − 450 = 46 years.
Q5. (Profit and Loss) A trader sells an article for ₹1,150 at a profit of 15%. Its cost price is: (a) ₹950 (b) ₹1,000 (c) ₹1,020 (d) ₹977.50 Answer: (b). 1,150 ÷ 1.15 = ₹1,000.
Q6. (Coding-Decoding) If LOAN is written as NAOL, how is BANK written in that code? (a) KNAB (b) KANB (c) BNAK (d) NKAB Answer: (a). The word is written in reverse order.
Q7. (Blood Relation) A is B's sister. C is B's mother. D is C's father. How is A related to D? (a) Daughter (b) Granddaughter (c) Niece (d) Sister Answer: (b). A is C's daughter, and C is D's child, so A is D's granddaughter.
Q8. (Direction) Ravi faces north. He turns 135° clockwise and then 45° anticlockwise. Which direction does he face now? (a) North-east (b) East (c) South-east (d) South Answer: (b). Net turn = 135° − 45° = 90° clockwise from north = east.
Q9. (GA, Rural Banking) In which year was the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme introduced? (a) 1995 (b) 1998 (c) 2001 (d) 2004 Answer: (b). KCC was introduced in 1998 to give farmers timely short-term credit.
Q10. (Computer Knowledge) Which of the following is volatile memory? (a) ROM (b) Hard disk (c) RAM (d) Pen drive Answer: (c). RAM loses its data when power is switched off.
IBPS RRB Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern FAQs
What is the IBPS RRB Clerk syllabus 2026 for prelims?
Reasoning (40 questions, 25 minutes) and Numerical Ability (40 questions, 20 minutes). Key topics are puzzles, inequality, syllogism and coding in Reasoning, and simplification, series, DI and arithmetic in Numerical Ability.
Is English compulsory in IBPS RRB Clerk?
No. Prelims has no language test, and in Mains you choose English or Hindi.
Is there an interview in IBPS RRB Clerk 2026?
No. Office Assistants are provisionally allotted on Mains marks and the RRBs' actual vacancies.
What is the age limit for IBPS RRB Clerk 2026?
18 to 28 years as on 1 September 2026, with category relaxations.
How many marks is IBPS RRB Clerk Mains?
200 marks for 200 questions in 120 minutes: Reasoning 50, Computer 20, GA 40, English/Hindi 40, Numerical Ability 50.
When is the IBPS RRB Clerk 2026 exam?
Prelims on 6, 12 and 13 December 2026 and Mains on 30 January 2027, as per the IBPS calendar.
Practice Next
- Topic-wise IBPS RRB Clerk reasoning tests: IBPS RRB Clerk Puzzle Mock Test 03, IBPS RRB Clerk Seating Arrangement Mock Test 03 and IBPS RRB Clerk Inequality Mock Test 03.
- Full mocks: IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Full Mock Test 10 and IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Full Mock Test 09.
- Sectionals: IBPS RRB Clerk Reasoning Sectional Mock Test 07, IBPS RRB Clerk Quant Sectional Mock Test 07.
- Topic tests: IBPS RRB Clerk Approximation Mock Test 02, IBPS RRB Clerk Seating Arrangement Mock Test 02, IBPS and SBI Clerk Banking Awareness Mock Test 02.
- Related notes: IBPS RRB clerk age limit 2026, IBPS RRB Office Assistant salary 2026, IBPS RRB PO syllabus, wrong number series, blood relation questions, direction sense questions.
- Browse all study notes.