| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Customer Service Associate (clerical cadre) |
| Qualification | A degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, held on the day you register (eligibility date 21 August 2026). You must read, write, speak and understand the local language of the state or UT you apply for. Computer literacy is compulsory: a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations or a computer language, or computers/IT studied as a subject in school or college. |
| Age limit | 20–28 years on 1 August 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Online preliminary exam (objective, qualifying) → Online main exam (objective) → Provisional allotment on the basis of mains marks only → Local Language Proficiency Test (qualifying) before joining, unless exempt |
| Latest notification | CRP CSA-XVI notification (Customer Service Associates, vacancies of 2027-28) |
Last checked . Sources
About IBPS Clerk
IBPS Clerk is the common exam for clerical jobs in public sector banks. In the XVI round the notification calls the post Customer Service Associate (CSA), and it fills vacancies for 2027-28. Vacancies are listed state by state, and you must know the local language of the state or union territory you apply for.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 20–28 years, counted on 1 August 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- You must be born between 2 August 1998 and 1 August 2006, both dates included.
- Ex-servicemen get their period of defence service plus 3 years (8 years for disabled ex-servicemen from SC/ST), up to an age of 50.
- Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated who have not remarried can apply up to 35 years (General/EWS), 38 (OBC) or 40 (SC/ST).
Qualification
A degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, held on the day you register (eligibility date 21 August 2026). You must read, write, speak and understand the local language of the state or UT you apply for. Computer literacy is compulsory: a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations or a computer language, or computers/IT studied as a subject in school or college.
Other conditions
- A Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) is held after the mains or provisional allotment and before joining. If your class 10 or higher mark sheet shows you studied the opted language, you do not need to take it.
- Failing the LLPT means you will not be appointed.
Selection process
- Online preliminary exam (objective, qualifying)
- Online main exam (objective)
- Provisional allotment on the basis of mains marks only
- Local Language Proficiency Test (qualifying) before joining, unless exempt
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Online, objective · Duration: 60 minutes (20 minutes per section) · Negative marking: 0.25 of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer; no penalty for a blank
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
Main exam
Mode: Online, objective · Duration: 125 minutes (each test timed separately) · Negative marking: 0.25 of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | 40 | 50 |
| General English | 40 | 40 |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 60 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 |
IBPS Clerk syllabus
Prelims
- English Language
- Numerical Ability
- Reasoning Ability
Mains
- General and financial awareness
- General English
- Reasoning Ability
- Quantitative Aptitude
Local language test
- Reading, writing, speaking and understanding the opted language of the state or UT
What they ask
The prelims has 100 questions in 60 minutes, in three separately timed sections, and you must clear the cut-off in each one. The mains has 160 questions for 200 marks in 125 minutes. General/Financial Awareness gets only 20 minutes for 40 questions, so it rewards quick recall more than calculation. Tests other than English are offered in English, Hindi and, for several states, the regional language. There is no interview, and the final merit list uses mains marks alone.
How to prepare
- Reasoning is the heaviest mains test at 60 marks for 40 questions, so make puzzles and seating arrangement a daily habit.
- Prepare banking and financial awareness for fast recall: 40 questions in 20 minutes leaves no time to work things out.
- Pick your state knowing its language. Keep your class 10 mark sheet ready if it shows you studied that language, since it exempts you from the LLPT.
- Leave a question blank when you are unsure, because each wrong answer costs a quarter of its marks.
- Keep your numerical speed up with daily topic-wise practice quizzes on the free Improvam app.
IBPS Clerk is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appPhoto and signature
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- Signature: 140 x 60 pixels preferred, file size 10 KB to 20 KB
Source: official instructions ↗
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IBPS Clerk FAQs
Yes. The CRP CSA-XVI notification recruits Customer Service Associates in the clerical cadre of public sector banks.
Sources
- IBPS CRP CSA-XVI notification ↗ (official, checked )
- IBPS Clerical Cadre XVI page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.