Quick Answer
IBPS Clerk Mains 2026 (CRP Clerk-XVI) is expected in December, following the Prelims result in November. 200 questions in 160 minutes across four sections — plus a descriptive English test — make Mains a stamina game where sectional strategy matters more than raw knowledge.
- Quick Answer
- The Mains pattern
- Section 1: General/Financial Awareness (50 Q, 35 min)
- Section 2: General English (40 Q, 35 min)
- Section 3: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (50 Q, 45 min)
- Section 4: Quantitative Aptitude (50 Q, 45 min)
- The descriptive English test
- The 4-week Mains plan
- Exam angle
- FAQ
- Related reading
The Mains pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 min |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 min |
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 min |
Note: timings are sectional and enforced — the interface locks each section when its time expires. Plus: English descriptive test (letter + essay, 25 marks, 30 minutes) evaluated after objective qualifying.
Section 1: General/Financial Awareness (50 Q, 35 min)
The rank-decider. Covers the last 4–6 months: RBI decisions (repo rates, policy stance), government schemes (outlays + ministries), banking terminology (Basel III, NPA norms, priority sector lending), current affairs, and static GK (currencies, capitals, national parks).
Strategy: Read daily current affairs for 30 minutes from now until the exam. Our daily digests compress exactly this. For banking-awareness depth, review RBI’s recent circulars and the Union Budget highlights.
Section 2: General English (40 Q, 35 min)
Reading comprehension (10–15 Q), cloze test (5–10 Q), error spotting (5 Q), para jumbles (5 Q), and fill-in-the-blanks. Strategy: Attempt RC last if you’re slow — the cloze and error questions are faster to solve and equally weighted.
Section 3: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (50 Q, 45 min)
Includes puzzles (seating arrangement, scheduling — the time sinks), syllogisms, inequalities, coding-decoding, plus computer fundamentals (hardware, software, networking basics, MS Office shortcuts). Strategy: Do computer questions first (they’re factual and fast), then syllogisms and inequalities, then puzzles with whatever time remains.
Section 4: Quantitative Aptitude (50 Q, 45 min)
Data interpretation (tables, charts, caselets — 15–20 Q), simplification/approximation (5–10 Q), arithmetic (percentages, profit-loss, time-work — 10 Q), and number series. Strategy: DI sets are the highest-mark-per-minute if your calculation speed is sharp — practise mental-math shortcuts daily.
The descriptive English test
One letter (formal/informal) and one essay, both from a choice of topics. The letter is formulaic: sender address, date, recipient, subject, salutation, 3-paragraph body, sign-off. Practise three formats: complaint, application, and inquiry. For essays, prepare 5–6 themes: digital banking, financial inclusion, climate change, education, technology in governance, and social issues.
The 4-week Mains plan
| Week | Focus | Daily target |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Full syllabus scan + 1 sectional/day | 2 hours: 1 sectional + current affairs |
| Week 2 | 2 full mocks + error-log repair | 2.5 hours: mock + analysis |
| Week 3 | Weak-section drills + descriptive practice | 2 hours: drills + 1 letter/essay |
| Week 4 | 2 more full mocks + taper | 2 hours: mock + formula revision |
Exam angle
How exams use this: Mains rewards depth, not speed — the sectional lock means you can’t steal time from one section for another. Train the full pattern with Banking-pattern mock tests and let your study guide tell you which section is pulling your score down.
FAQ
What is the IBPS Clerk Mains cutoff? General-category overall cutoffs have ranged 70–85 out of 200. Sectional cutoffs are typically 30–40% per section.
Is the descriptive test qualifying or scored? The English descriptive test is qualifying in nature — you need to score above a minimum threshold, but it doesn’t add to your total marks.
How many candidates qualify for the final merit list? Approximately 3× the vacancies (around 35,000 for 11,663 posts) clear Mains and reach the provisional allotment stage.
Related reading
- UPSC DAF 2026: Complete Guide for 2,526 Interview Candidates
- Socio-Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century India: Brahmo Samaj to Aligarh Movement (UPSC Notes)
Quick revision
- Quick Answer: IBPS Clerk Mains 2026 (CRP Clerk-XVI) is expected in December, following the Prelims result in November.
- The Mains pattern: Note: timings are sectional and enforced — the interface locks each section when its time expires.
- Section 2: General English (40 Q, 35 min): Reading comprehension (10–15 Q), cloze test (5–10 Q), error spotting (5 Q), para jumbles (5 Q), and fill-in-the-blanks.
- The descriptive English test: One letter (formal/informal) and one essay, both from a choice of topics.
- Exam angle: How exams use this: Mains rewards depth, not speed — the sectional lock means you can’t steal time from one section for another.
- FAQ: What is the IBPS Clerk Mains cutoff? General-category overall cutoffs have ranged 70–85 out of 200.
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