IBPS Clerk Exam 2025 – Complete Guide

What is IBPS Clerk Exam?

The IBPS Clerk exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit clerical staff for public sector banks in India. Clerks are responsible for customer interactions, data entry, and basic banking functions at the branch level.

Participating Public Sector Banks

IBPS Clerk recruitment is for 11+ public sector banks, including:

• Bank of Baroda
• Bank of India
• Canara Bank
• Central Bank of India
• Indian Bank
• Indian Overseas Bank
• Punjab National Bank
• Punjab & Sind Bank
• UCO Bank
• Union Bank of India
• Bank of Maharashtra

Eligibility Criteria (as per IBPS Clerk 2025 notification)

1. Nationality

• Must be an Indian citizen
• Nepal/Bhutan/Tibetan refugees eligible with valid documents

2. Age Limit (as of the date mentioned in the notification)

• Minimum: 20 years
• Maximum: 28 years
• Age Relaxation:
  • SC/ST – 5 years
  • OBC – 3 years
  • PwD – 10 years
  • Ex-Servicemen, Widows, Divorced women – as per norms

3. Educational Qualification

• Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university
• Working knowledge of computers (certificate or studied in school/college)
• Proficiency in the local language of the state/UT you're applying for (mandatory)

IBPS Clerk Selection Process

There are two phases only:

1. Preliminary Examination
2. Main Examination

No interview is conducted. Final selection is based on Mains score.

IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern

Prelims Exam Pattern

Section	No. of Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	30	30	20 mins
Numerical Ability	35	35	20 mins
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 mins
Total	100	100	60 mins

• Negative marking: 0.25 for each wrong answer
• Sectional timing: Yes
• Qualifying in nature: Marks not included in final merit

Mains Exam Pattern

Section	No. of Questions	Marks	Time
General/Financial Awareness	50	50	35 mins
General English	40	40	35 mins
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude	50	60	45 mins
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	45 mins
Total	190	200	160 mins

• Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer
• No descriptive test or interview

IBPS Clerk 2025 Syllabus (Section-wise)

English Language (Prelims + Mains)

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze Test
• Error Detection
• Fill in the Blanks
• Para Jumbles
• Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms)
• Sentence Rearrangement
• Word Usage

Numerical Ability / Quantitative Aptitude

Prelims Focus:

• Simplification
• Approximation
• Number Series
• Quadratic Equations
• Arithmetic Word Problems

Mains Focus:

• Data Interpretation (Table, Pie, Line, Bar)
• Caselets
• Probability
• Time-Speed-Distance
• Time & Work
• Profit & Loss
• Mensuration
• Partnership
• SI & CI
• Mixtures and Allegations

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude

Reasoning Topics:

• Puzzles (linear, circular, box, floor-based)
• Seating Arrangement
• Coding-Decoding
• Syllogism
• Inequality
• Blood Relations
• Direction Sense
• Input-Output
• Order and Ranking
• Logical Reasoning

Computer Aptitude Topics:

• Basics of Hardware & Software
• Internet & Networking
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Operating Systems
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Computer Terminology

General/Financial Awareness

• Current Affairs (last 4–6 months)
• Banking & Insurance Awareness
• Static GK (Books, Sports, Awards, etc.)
• RBI Functions & Policies
• Indian Financial System
• Budget, Economic Survey
• Government Schemes
• International Organizations

IBPS Clerk 2025 – Important Dates (Tentative)

Event	Date
Notification Release	August 2025
Online Registration	August–September 2025
Prelims Exam Dates	September 2025
Prelims Result	October 2025
Mains Exam Date	October–November 2025
Final Result Declaration	January 2026

IBPS Clerk Salary & Benefits

Component	Amount (Approx.)
Basic Pay	₹19,900
DA, HRA, TA, etc.	₹9,000–₹11,000
Total (In-hand)	₹29,000–₹31,000

• Annual increment structure included
• Benefits: medical allowance, leave policy, pension (NPS), travel allowance

Career Growth Path

1. Clerk
2. Senior Clerk
3. Officer (via internal exam)
4. Manager → Senior Manager → AGM → DGM

Preparation Strategy

1. Start Early

• Begin 3–6 months in advance
• Identify strong/weak sections

2. Mock Tests

• Attempt weekly full-length mocks
• Analyze errors in detail

3. Time Management

• Prelims: Focus on speed and accuracy
• Mains: Improve comprehension and stamina

4. Resources

• Read newspapers daily for current affairs
• Solve previous year papers

Recommended Books

Subject	Books
English Language	Magme’s Book, SP Bakshi, Wren & Martin, Editorials
Quant Aptitude	Magme Mega Guide, RS Aggarwal
Reasoning Ability	Magme’s Reasoning, MK Pandey, RS Aggarwal
General Awareness	Magme GK, Lucent GK, Banking Awareness (Arihant)
Computer Knowledge	Arihant Computer Awareness

Final Tips

• Aim for 100+ marks in Mains to stay competitive
• Practice typing and reading comprehension
• Keep a monthly revision routine for GK
• Don’t ignore computer aptitude – easy scoring section
• Stay updated with official IBPS website: https://www.ibps.in

 

SBI Clerk Exam 2025 – Complete Guide

What is the SBI Clerk Exam?

The SBI Clerk exam is conducted by the State Bank of India (SBI) to recruit Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) for its branches across India. This is one of the most popular banking exams due to SBI’s attractive salary, job security, and work environment.

SBI Clerk 2025 Overview

Feature	Details
Conducting Body	State Bank of India (SBI)
Post	Junior Associate (Clerk)
Level	National (All-India based)
Job Location	State-wise posting
Selection Stages	Prelims → Mains
Interview	❌ No interview
Mode of Exam	Online (Computer-Based)

Eligibility Criteria (As per SBI Clerk 2025 Notification)

1. Nationality

• Indian citizen only

2. Age Limit

• Minimum: 20 years
• Maximum: 28 years
• Relaxation:
  • SC/ST – 5 years
  • OBC – 3 years
  • PwBD – 10–15 years
  • Ex-Servicemen – As per rules

3. Educational Qualification

• Graduation in any discipline (as on cutoff date)
• Final year students may apply provisionally, subject to producing proof at the time of joining

4. Language Proficiency

• Must be proficient in the local language of the state/UT applied for
• Language Proficiency Test (LPT) may be conducted after mains

SBI Clerk 2025 Selection Process

There are two stages:

1. Preliminary Exam
2. Mains Exam

No Interview
Final selection based on Mains marks + LPT (qualifying)

SBI Clerk Exam Pattern 2025

Preliminary Exam (Online)

Section	No. of Qs	Marks	Duration
English Language	30	30	20 min
Numerical Ability	35	35	20 min
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 min
Total	100	100	60 min

• Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer
• Sectional timing: Yes
• Qualifying in nature (not counted in final merit)

Mains Exam (Online)

Section	No. of Qs	Marks	Duration
General/Financial Awareness	50	50	35 min
General English	40	40	35 min
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	45 min
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude	50	60	45 min
Total	190	200	2 hr 40 min

• Negative Marking: 0.25 per wrong answer
• Final merit is based on this score
• No sectional cut-off

SBI Clerk 2025 Syllabus

English Language

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze Test
• Error Spotting
• Fill in the Blanks
• Sentence Rearrangement
• Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms)

Numerical Ability

• Simplification & Approximation
• Number Series
• Data Interpretation
• Quadratic Equations
• Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, SI/CI, Time & Work, etc.)
• Ratio, Proportion, Percentage, Averages

Reasoning Ability

• Puzzles
• Seating Arrangement
• Syllogism
• Inequality
• Direction Sense
• Blood Relations
• Order & Ranking
• Alphanumeric Series
• Coding-Decoding

General/Financial Awareness

• Current Affairs (last 6 months)
• Banking Terms & Abbreviations
• RBI Policies
• Indian Financial System
• National & International News
• Static GK (important dates, books, capitals)
• Government Schemes

Computer Aptitude

• Basics of Computers (Input/Output, Memory)
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Internet and Networking
• Operating Systems
• Computer Shortcuts & Terminologies

SBI Clerk 2025 Important Dates (Tentative)

Event	Date
Notification Release	September 2025
Online Registration	September–October 2025
Prelims Exam Date	November 2025
Mains Exam Date	January 2026
Final Result Declaration	March 2026

SBI Clerk Salary (In-hand)

Component	Amount (Approx.)
Basic Pay	₹19,900
Gross Monthly Pay	₹29,000 – ₹31,000
After 2–3 Increments	Up to ₹32,000–₹35,000

Perks & Benefits:

• DA, HRA, TA, Special Allowance
• Leave policy, Medical Benefits
• Pension under NPS
• Job Security & Promotional Exams

Preparation Strategy

Start Early

• Plan for at least 3–6 months of focused preparation

Focus on:

• Speed + Accuracy (especially for Prelims)
• Depth + Comprehension (for Mains)

Mock Tests

• Attempt full-length mock tests weekly
• Analyze performance & work on weak areas

Read Daily

• Read The Hindu, Indian Express, or banking digests for current affairs

Best Books for SBI Clerk 2025

Section	Recommended Books
English Language	SP Bakshi, Wren & Martin, Editorials, Magme’s Book
Quantitative Aptitude	RS Aggarwal, Arun Sharma, Quantum CAT, Magme’s Book
Reasoning Ability	MK Pandey, R.S. Aggarwal, Magme’s Guide
GK & Banking	Lucent GK, Banking Awareness , Magme GK
Computer Awareness	Arihant Computer Knowledge, Magme’s Book

Final Tips

• Start with Prelims basics → strengthen speed
• Move to Mains-level preparation after Prelims
• Stay consistent – avoid skipping revision
• Improve reading & typing speed for RC and analysis
• Practice previous year papers to understand the pattern