IBPS Clerk 2026 Main exam pattern, eligibility, age limit and selection (CSA XVI)

IBPS Clerk XVI (CRP CSA-XVI) recruits Customer Service Associates in public sector banks, with 11,663 indicative vacancies as on 29.09.2026. After the Preliminary exam, the Main exam has 160 questions, 200 marks and 125 minutes, and there is no interview: your Main exam marks alone decide the bank you are allotted. Each wrong answer costs one-fourth (0.25) of the marks of that question. The age limit is 20 to 28 years as on 01.08.2026, you need a degree in any discipline, and you must know the local language of the state you applied for. Basic pay starts at ₹24,050. The Main exam is tentatively in December 2026. All facts here come from the IBPS notification and the updated vacancy list.

What is the IBPS Clerk XVI Main exam pattern?

The Main exam is an online objective test with four separately timed tests. The tests may not come in the order shown.

Test	Questions	Marks	Time
General / Financial Awareness	40	50	20 minutes
General English	40	40	35 minutes
Reasoning Ability	40	60	35 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	40	50	35 minutes
Total	160	200	125 minutes

Reasoning Ability carries the most weight (60 marks), so each question there is worth 1.5 marks. General / Financial Awareness gives 50 marks in only 20 minutes. Although the exam itself is 125 minutes, IBPS says you may need to be at the venue for about 3 hours or more for checks and log-in.

How is the Preliminary exam different?

The Preliminary exam is a shorter screening test:

Test	Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	30	30	20 minutes
Numerical Ability	35	35	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 minutes
Total	100	100	60 minutes

You must clear the cut-off in each of the three tests, and then enough candidates in each category are called for the Main exam. The Preliminary marks are not used in the final merit. For the call letter and what to carry, see our IBPS Clerk prelims call letter guide.

Is there negative marking and score normalisation?

Yes. In both the Preliminary and Main exams, one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for every wrong answer. A question left blank has no penalty.

In the Main exam the penalty differs by test because marks per question differ: about 0.375 marks in Reasoning Ability (1.5 marks per question), 0.31 in Quantitative Aptitude and General / Financial Awareness (1.25 marks per question) and 0.25 in General English (1 mark per question).

If the exam runs in several sessions, IBPS normalises the corrected scores using the equi-percentile method, taking scores to two decimal places.

How does selection work if there is no interview?

IBPS Clerk has no interview. The steps are:

1. Clear the Preliminary exam (cut-off in each test).
2. In the Main exam, score a minimum in each test and a minimum total. Cut-offs are decided State/UT-wise depending on vacancies.
3. The Main exam total of 200 is converted out of 100 for provisional allotment.
4. You are provisionally allotted to one participating bank on merit-cum-preference, based on the actual vacancies the banks report for 2027-28.
5. You clear the Local Language Proficiency Test (if needed) before joining.

If two candidates have the same score, the older candidate is placed higher. Scores are not shared until the allotment process is complete.

Who is eligible: age, degree and computer skills?

• Age: 20 to 28 years as on 01.08.2026, meaning born not earlier than 02.08.1998 and not later than 01.08.2006.
• Age relaxation: SC/ST 5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years.
• Education: a degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, and a valid mark sheet or degree certificate on the day of registration.
• Computer literacy is mandatory: a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations or language, or computer / IT studied as a subject in school or college.
• One state only: clerical recruitment is State/UT-wise, so each candidate applies for vacancies in only one State/UT.

What is the Local Language Proficiency Test?

You must be able to read, write, speak and understand the official local language of the State/UT you applied for. You opted for one language in the application.

• If your Class 10 or higher mark sheet or certificate shows you studied that language, you do not have to take the test.
• Otherwise the test is held after the Main exam / provisional allotment but before joining. It is marks-based and qualifying.
• If you fail the test, you will not be offered appointment.

State	Local language (LLPT)	Exam medium
Karnataka	Kannada	English, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani
Uttar Pradesh	Hindi / Urdu	English, Hindi, Urdu
Bihar	Hindi / Urdu	English, Hindi
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan	Hindi	English, Hindi
Haryana	Hindi / Punjabi	English, Hindi

If a translated question differs from the English version, the English version prevails.

What is the salary of an IBPS Clerk (CSA)?

The notification gives the basic pay scale of a Customer Service Associate:

₹24,050 – 1,340/3 – 28,070 – 1,650/3 – 33,020 – 2,000/4 – 41,020 – 2,340/7 – 57,400 – 4,400/1 – 61,800 – 2,680/1 – 64,480

This means basic pay starts at ₹24,050 and rises in yearly increments up to ₹64,480. On top of basic pay, the CSA gets allowances and perquisites as per the rules of the participating bank. The notification does not state a gross or in-hand salary figure, so we do not print one.

How many IBPS Clerk vacancies are in Karnataka and the Hindi states?

Indicative vacancies from the updated Annexure I as on 29.09.2026 (Union Bank of India has not reported):

State	Vacancies
Uttar Pradesh	1,752
Karnataka	1,458
Madhya Pradesh	576
Bihar	491
Rajasthan	410
Haryana	199

All states and UTs together add up to 11,663. In Karnataka, Canara Bank alone shows 800 of the 1,458. IBPS says vacancies are indicative and allotment follows the actual vacancies reported by the banks. For other bank exams this season, see our IBPS RRB XV exam pattern guide and the IBPS PO Main exam guide.

What does the official notice not say?

• No exact Main exam date. Only “December 2026” (tentative). The date will be on the Main call letter.
• No detailed syllabus. Only test names, questions, marks and time.
• No sectional cut-off numbers and no previous-year cut-offs.
• No gross or in-hand salary; only the basic pay scale and a line on allowances.
• No final vacancy figure; the numbers are indicative and one bank has not reported.

We checked this page against the IBPS notification and the 29.09.2026 vacancy list on 22 October 2026. When IBPS announces the Main exam date we will update this page and note the change.