IBPS Exams in 2022: Current Opening, Notification, Syllabus

What is IBPS?

The Institute of Banking and Personnel Selection (IBPS) is an exam conducting authority. The IBPS will recruit the candidates for the public sector banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRB) of our country. In this page complete details of IBPS exams are provided.

History of IBPS:

The IBPS history is around 45 years old. It was started in the year 1975. Initially it was known as PSS (Personnel Selection Services). The PSS was designed by the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM).  It was started as a recruitment body to encourage the selection of youngsters to the public sector banks. In 1984, the PSS had been converted into IBPS. There after the IBPS became an independent body. Earlier each bank conducted separate exams to fill their vacancies. From 2011, the recruitment process had been changed. The Head office of the IBPS is located in Mumbai (Maharashtra).

From 2011, the IBPS started to conduct common written exams to recruit the candidates. This recruitment is to fill the vacancies of various public sector banks (except SBI) and Regional Rural Banks in India.

Vision of IBPS:

The vision of IBPS is just simple. They are,

• To develop and apply world class processes and systems of assessment to select the candidates.
• To conduct the selection in an honest and real manner.
• Conduct of relevant supportive research and to publicise the findings.

IBPS Recruitment:

IBPS is the finest recruitment body of our country. Every year the candidates are applying in huge numbers for the IBPS recruitment exams. Such is the hope level developed on us. From 2011, the IBPS recruitment has been conducted in a successful manner.

Services Offered By IBPS:

The following are the services offered by the IBPS,

• Project consultation
• Assessment centres
• Personality Assessment
• Training programmes
• Workshops
• Nominating experts

Banks That Come Under IBPS:

From 2011, the common written exams have been introduced by the IBPS. The IBPS bank recruitment will cover all the public sector banks (except SBI) and Regional Rural Banks of our country. The following are the list of Public sector banks that included in the recent IBPS bank recruitment process.

• Allahabad bank
• Andhra bank
• Bank of Baroda
• Bank of India
• Canara bank
• Bank of Maharashtra
• Central Bank of India
• Corporation bank
• Indian bank
• Indian Overseas Bank
• Oriental Bank of Commerce
• Punjab national bank
• Punjab & Sind bank
• Syndicate bank
• UCO bank
• Union bank of India
• United bank of India

IBPS Exam Process:

The IBPS exam process is given here in simple steps.

• For each recruitment, the notification announcement is the first step.
• Then the apply online link will get activated to receive online applications from the candidates.
• Conduct of pre exam training for the minority candidates.
• Release of admit card for the prelims exam
• Then the prelims exam will take place on the announced dates.
• The mains admit card will release for the shortlisted candidates.
• Then the mains exam is conducted and final results will be announced.
• For exams of some higher cadres, interview is included. For those cadres, the final result will be announced after the interview gets completed.

Exams Conducted By IBPS:

The IBPS recruitments are made for the following posts.

• Clerk
• Probationary Officer / Management Trainee (PO / MT)
• Specialist Officer (SO)
• RRB Office Assistant (Multipurpose)
• RRB Officer Scale I, II, & III

IBPS Exam Structure:

Normally the IBPS exam structure will have two important rounds. They are as follows,

1. Online Preliminary exam
2. Online Mains Exam

For some recruitment, there will be a third round. This third round will contain interview.

Subjects Covered in IBPS Exams:

There are several sections in the online exams of the IBPS recruitment. The following are the IBPS subjects covered in the exams of various stages.

• English language
• Reasoning Ability
• Quantitative aptitude
• Computer Knowledge
• General Awareness

IBPS Exam Syllabus:

The syllabus is very important for the exam preparation. The syllabus contains the individual topics included in each subject of prelims and mains exams of IBPS recruitment. Here we have added the general IBPS syllabus topics for all the subjects.

Prelims Level Syllabus:

Normally a prelims level exam in IBPS recruitment will have 2 or 3 sections. For all the 3 sections, the updated syllabus is provided here. They three sections are,

• English language
• Quantitative aptitude
• Reasoning ability

All the topics are provided in the table given below. Cover every topic in this IBPS syllabus to make your preparation more effective.

Mains Level Syllabus:

The mains level syllabus of the IBPS exams will have 4 to 5 sections. For all the subjects, the IBPS syllabus topics for mains level are added in the table. The mains syllabus will have slight changes compared to that of the prelims syllabus. So refer the syllabus and prepare for the mains exams with extra hard work.

IBPS Exam Pattern:

The IBPS conducts exams for the recruitment of various posts in public sector banks, except SBI. For SBI recruitment separate exams are conducted. The IBPS exam pattern will differ for various recruitments. For all these recruitments, the updated IBPS exam patterns are given here.

IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern:

The IBPS clerk prelims exam pattern consists of 3 sections. They are English language, reasoning ability, and quantitative aptitude. The marking schemes are updated in the table.

• Total questions in the exam are 100.
• For each correct answer 1 mark is awarded. Also, for each wrong answer 0.25 marks are deducted as penalty.
• 20 minutes of sectional time is there for all the 3 sections.
• Sectional cut off is available for all the 3 sections. Also candidates have to clear the overall cut off to qualify for the next round.
• After clearing this stage, the candidates will have to attend the mains exam.

IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern:

The mains exam of IBPS clerk recruitment consists of 4 sections as mentioned in the table.

• For each section, different time limits are given.
• The total questions in this exam are 190.
• Maximum marks for this exam is 200.
• Both sectional cut off and overall cut off are applicable.
• 1/4th of the marks assigned to the question are deducted as penalty for wrong answer.
• The candidates clearing the mains phase will get the provisional selection order.

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern:

The IBPS PO prelims exam pattern is similar to that of the clerk prelims exam pattern.  The marking schemes, penalty marks and sectional timings are same as that of the clerk prelims exam. The candidates clearing this stage will be selected for the IBPS PO mains stage.

IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern:

The IBPS PO mains exam will have 4 sections and a descriptive test. The candidates clearing this stage will qualify for the final interview stage.

• • Total marks – 225 (including the descriptive test).
  • Penalty for wrong answers – 1/4th of marks allotted to that question.
  • Descriptive test – typing mode.
• Candidates have to clear both sectional and overall cut offs, to qualify in this exam.

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern:

There are two types of prelims pattern for IBPS SO exam. For law officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari, a separate prelims pattern is there. For the posts other than these two, another separate prelims pattern is available. The candidates should clear the overall cut off and sectional cut off to move on to the next phase of selection. For each wrong answer, 1/4th of the marks are deducted as the penalty. The various posts in IBPS SO selection are,

• Law Officer
• Rajbhasha Adhikari
• IT Officer
• Agriculture Field Officer
• HR / Personnel Officer
• Marketing Officer

IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern:

Like prelims exam, the IBPS SO mains exam pattern is also available in 2 types, depending on the post. The penalty marks for each wrong answer is 1/4th of the marks assigned to that question.

IBPS RRB Prelims Exam Pattern:

For these prelims exams, sectional timing is not applicable. Candidates can swap through the sections as per their wish. Both sectional and overall cut offs are applicable. The wrong answer will cost you 1/4th of the marks as penalty.

IBPS RRB Mains Exam Pattern:

For this exam also, the candidates have to clear both overall and sectional cut offs to get qualified. The minus marks for wrong answer is 1/4th of marks allotted to the question.

*Candidates can opt for either 4a or 4b section as per their choice.

IBPS RRB Single Level Examination Patterns:

For IBPS RRB officer scale II & III posts, only single exam is there. In this exam candidates have to clear both overall and sectional cut offs. The negative mark for wrong answers is 1/4th of the marks allotted to that question.

*Candidates can opt for either 4a or 4b section as per their choice.

IBPS Exam Duration:

The IBPS exam time duration details are given here.

• Clerk Prelims – 60 minutes
• Clerk Mains – 160 minutes
• PO Prelims – 60 minutes
• PO Mains – 210 minutes (including descriptive test)
• Prelims SO – 120 minutes
• SO Mains (Rajbhasha Adhikari) – 60 minutes
• SO Mains (All other posts) – 45 minutes
• IBPS RRB Office Assistant & Officer scale I prelims – 45 minutes
• IBPS RRB Officer assistant & Officer scale I Mains – 120 minutes
• RRB Officer Scale II (general Banking Officer) Single exam – 120 minutes
• RRB Officer Scale II (Specialist cadre) Single exam – 150 minutes
• IBPS RRB Officer Scale III – 120 minutes

IBPS Time Table:

The IBPS time table will consist the schedule of examinations held in the year. The dates of prelims and mains exams of all the recruitments are clearly available in it. The IBPS time table will normally release every year in the mid of January.

IBPS Exam Selection Process:

The IBPS selection process will differ for the recruitment of each post. Normally, the recruitments will have 2 or 3 rounds. Some may have just single level of examination. The candidates have to clear all the available stages to get the provisional allotment order. Here we have added the table in which the IBPS selection processes for all the exams are available.

How Frequent IBPS Exams are Conducted?

The IBPS exam frequency is once in a year. That is, in a year, the recruitments for all the post will happen only one time. There will be a specific gap between the notification release for all the recruitments. You can check the exam dates for all the recruitments from the IBPS tentative calendar.

Eligibility to Attend IBPS Exams:

There are several IBPS eligibility criteria that are mandatory to apply for these exams. We have listed all the norms that are necessary to apply for the IBPS exams.

Nationality / Citizenship:

The nationality or citizenship is an important criterion to apply for these exams. In this case the citizen must be either of the following options given below.

1. Citizen of India (or)
2. Subject of Nepal (or)
3. Subject of Bhutan (or)
4. a Tibetan Refugee who came India before 1st January 1962 with permanent settling intention (or)
5. a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

The candidates belonging to the case 2, 3, 4, and 5 should produce an eligibility certificate issued by the Indian government.

Age:

According to the IBPS age eligibility norms, the minimum and maximum age limits are mentioned in the table. The minimum and maximum age limit will differ for each post.

Educational Qualification:

The basic criteria for this educational qualification part is a degree. Only the candidates with a degree in any stream from a government recognized University can apply. For specialist officers, the degree related to the stream of posting is required.

Attempts in IBPS Exams:

There is no restriction in the number of IBPS attempts for the candidates. Only the SBI exams will have the maximum permissible attempts, based on the category of the candidates. Until you fulfil the age & other criteria, there is no restriction for the maximum number of attempts in IBPS exams.

How to Apply IBPS Exams Online?

Here we have updated the steps for the IBPS apply online process.

• Visit www.ibps.in.
• In the home page of IBPS, there will be the apply online link. Click that link.
• “CLICK HERE FOR NEW REGISTRATION” tab is available in that page. Click that tab to start the IBPS apply online registration process.
• In that page register your details and give submit option.
• You will get your registration number and password through your registered email Id and mobile number.
• Use this registration number and password to open your IBPS online application form.
• In the first page give your basic details.
• In the next page provide your educational qualification and work experience details, if any.
• Fill all the details carefully without any mistake.
• Upload the necessary scanned document at the appropriate space given.
• Then give final submit after checking the details.
• Finally pay your application fee in the online mode (credit card or debit card or any such ways).
• Take a printout of your IBPS online application form and fee receipt.

Guidelines for Scanned Documents:

The scanned documents that are needed at the time of online form filling are,

1. Passport size photograph
2. Signature
3. Hand written declaration
4. Left thumb impression

Passport Size Photograph:

• The size of your passport size photograph is 4.5cm * 3.5cm.
• Use only colour photograph with preferably white background.
• There should not be “red eye”, while using the flash.
• While using glasses, ensure that there are no reflections and your eyes visible clearly.
• Don’t wear cap, hat or cooling glasses. You can wear religious headwear, but it should not cover your face.
• Preferred dimensions for the scanned copy of your photograph is 200*230 pixels.
• The file size of scanned copy of photograph should range between 20kb to 50 kb.

Follow all the guidelines for uploading documents in your IBPS online application form.

Signature:

• Put your sign with black ink on white paper.

• The Preferred dimensions for the scanned copy of your signature is 140*60 pixels.

• The preferred file size is 10kb to 20kb.

Left Thumb Impression:

• Put your left thumb impression on a white paper. For this you can use either black or blue ink.
• File type – jpg / jpeg.

• Dimensions of the file is 240*240 pixels in 200 DPI. That is the width*height size is 3cm * 3cm.
• File size – 20kb to 50kb.

Hand Written Declaration:

• The hand written declaration should be in English language only.

• The file type is jpg / jpeg.

• The preferred dimension of the file is 800*400 pixels in 200 DPI. That is the width*height size is 10cm * 5cm.

• The size of the file should range between 50kb to 100kb.

The signature, handwritten declaration, and left thumb impression should be done by the candidate themselves only. Also don’t use capital letters for the hand written declaration and signature. 

IBPS Exam Preparation:

There are many ways for the IBPS exam preparation. First know the complete details about the selection process, exam pattern and syllabus. Then prepare a study plan to cover the entire syllabus. For preparation, you can follow the methods given below.

• Through the online courses, you can have better explanation of concepts.
• For home preparation you can opt for the pdf study materials and E-books.
• You can also join coaching institutes, if you are weak in basics.
• Prepare by using the previous year question papers and online memory based papers. So that your preparation will be really effective.
• Attend online quizzes and tests regularly to assess your preparation level.
• Practice with lot of IBPS mock test series and rectify your mistakes regularly.

Follow all your convenient preparation methods in a dedicated manner. Surely you can succeed in the IBPS exams.

IBPS Exam Instructions:

In the exam hall, there are set of instructions to follow. You can see such instructions in your IBPS exam call letter. Some of the important IBPS exam instructions are given below.

• Stationary items such as geometry box, printed text books are not allowed in exam hall.
• Calculators, wrist watches and other electronic gadgets are prohibited in the exam hall.
• Metallic items are not allowed in exam hall.
• Eatable items and water bottles are prohibited.
• Reach the exam hall and report within the time mentioned in your IBPS exam call letter.
• Don’t involve in any malpractices. If you get caught for such reasons, your candidature will be cancelled. You may also restricted to appear for the exams in future.

IBPS Cut Off:

Cut Off is the minimum required score to pass in the exam. In IBPS exams there are various types of cut offs.

• Sectional Cut Off – In each section you have to clear this cut off. To qualify in the exam, it is necessary to clear the sectional cut off. Even if you fail in any one section, you are disqualified.
• Overall Cut Off – In the exams your total score should cross the overall cut off. Only then you are considered for the further selection process
• State wise Cut Off – In some recruitments state wise cut off is available. That is, the cut of will vary for each state based on the state-wise vacancy.
• Category wise Cut Off – The candidates belonging to each category will have different cut off marks.

How IBPS Final Score is Calculated?

The IBPS final score calculation will vary for each recruitments. In all the final score calculation, the prelims marks are not taken into account. Only the mains marks are considered.  They are given below in detail for you to understand in a clear manner.

IBPS Clerk Final Score = (marks scored in quantitative aptitude) + (marks scored in general English) + (marks scored in general / financial awareness) + (marks scored in reasoning ability & computer aptitude).

IBPS PO, SO, RRB Officer scale I, II & III Final Score:

In IBPS PO final score calculation, the marks obtained in the mains and interview stages are considered. The total marks of the mains exam and the interview are 225 and 100 respectively. The minimum qualifying marks for interview is not less than 40 % (35% for SC / ST / OBC / PWBD candidates).

Now for the final score calculation, the aggregate marks of mains and interview phases are taken in the 80:20 ratio respectively.

For IBPS SO final score calculation and IBPS RRB officer scale I, II, & III final score calculation also same procedure is followed.

IBPS RRB Office Assistant Final Score:

For the IBPS RRB office assistant final score calculation, only mains mark is considered.

• IBPS RRB Office Assistant Final Score = (marks in reasoning * 1.25) + (marks in numerical ability * 1.25) + (marks in computer knowledge * 0.5) + (marks in general awareness) + (marks in Hindi / English language).

What is Pre-exam Training in IBPS?

For the candidates of limited number, pre-exam training is available. These candidates include SC, ST PWD categories. They should mention the same in the online application form that they are willing to attend pre-exam training. The training is free of cost. But the candidates should bone other expenses such as food, travel, etc. In pre-exam training some exam preparation methods and short cuts will be taught to those students.

What is Normalisation in IBPS?

To stabilize the marks of all the candidates, IBPS follows a method called normalization. As large number of candidates applied for the recruitment, exam will take place in various shifts. In each shift, the candidates will get different question papers. In some shifts, the questions are easy to moderate. Whereas in other shifts, the questions may be moderate to difficult. So there is an imbalance in the score calculation of the candidates. To equalize this difficulty level in all the shifts, IBPS will do the normalization process to obtain the corrected score. This corrected score is the final score of the candidates. Based on this corrected score, a cut off is fixed to shortlist the candidates. For the normalization process, a formula is used as given below.

Candidate’s percentile rank = {(Total number of students in a slot) – (Rank of the candidate in that slot) / (Total number of students in a slot – 1)} * 100

Using the above formula, the percentile rank of each candidate is obtained. This equi-percentile method is used to do the normalization process. Based on this candidates are selected by fixing a cut off, as per available vacancy.

Reserve List in IBPS:

The IBPS reserve list is released to occupy the unfilled vacancies. During the release of the final result for any recruitment, some candidates will be held in the wait list. That is, the candidates very near to the final cut off are kept in the wait list. The IBPS scorecard is normally valid for one year. Some selected candidates may not join the bank due to various reasons. Those unfilled vacancies are then filled with the wait-listed candidates, based on their marks. The IBPS will release the reserve list after one year.

Difference Between IBPS and SBI:

In SBI recruitments, the candidates are recruited to the SBI branches across the country. In IBPS recruitments, the candidates are recruited to fill the vacancies in all the other Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks across the country.

IBPS Job Vacancies:

The most expected detail among the aspirants in the notification is a vacancy. The vacancy is an attractive factor for any recruitment notification. Every year the IBPS job vacancies have been announced in huge numbers. Through the recruitment of Clerk, PO, SO, RRB office assistant, RRB Officer Scale I, II, & III, a lot of job opportunities are created. Eligible and interested candidates can apply for the examination online, after the notification release.

IBPS Application Form:

The IBPS application form is to be filled in the online mode only. Before filling your application form check your eligibility completely. Don’t give fake details to make you eligible for the recruitment. Then while filling in your basic information such as name, father’s name, etc, fill it in carefully. Don’t make any spelling mistakes. Before giving the final submit, check the preview of your application form. If you find any mistakes, correct them and give them the final submit. This IBPS application form should be submitted within the last date mentioned in the official recruitment notification.

IBPS Vacancy List:

Every year the IBPS recruitment is creating a huge opportunity for the banking aspirants of our country. For the announced vacancy, a lot of candidates will appear for the exam every year. The vacancy is announced to the recruitment at the time of notification release. The vacancy is announced by splitting it into all the categories. The overall IBPS vacancies for all the recruitments in the recent years are given in the table below.

IBPS Exam Fees:

The IBPS exam fees must be paid only through the online mode. For that you can opt for any of the following such as credit card, debit card, net banking, mobile wallets, etc. The IBPS application fee will vary for the candidates based on the category to which they belong. The online exam fees of various IBPS recruitments are given below.

For IBPS PO, SO, RRB officer scale I, II, and III, the following application fee is charged.

• SC / ST / PWBD candidates – Rs.100.
• All other candidates – Rs.600.

For IBPS Clerk and RRB office assistant (multipurpose), the online application fee charged is given below.

• SC / ST/ PWBD / EXSM candidates – Rs.100.
• For all other candidates – Rs.600.

IBPS Exam Calendar:

The IBPS Calendar for the 2022 recruitment has been released. The dates of the various recruitments are available here.

IBPS Declaration:

The text for the handwritten declaration for IBPS online application is as follows.

“I, _______ (Name of the candidate), hereby declare that all the information submitted by me in the application form is correct, true, and valid. I will present the supporting documents as and when required.”

The candidates should write this declaration form in English only. This handwritten declaration should be scanned and uploaded in the online application as per the prescribed format. If any others handwriting is used or any other language is used, your application will go invalid.

IBPS Registration:

The IBPS registration is done prior to the application form filling process. The first step for filling application form is the registration process. Only after completing your registration process, you will get your registration number and password. This registration number and password will be sent to your registered mobile number and email Id. So give your permanent mobile number and email Id. Only then you can get timely updates about various stages of recruitment. This registration number and password will act as the login credentials for your online application form. Using these details you can log in and fill your application form. So the candidates while starting to fill the application, finish their IBPS registration process first.

IBPS Score Card:

The IBPS scorecard is released after the exam result. In the IBPS exam scorecard, you can find the details of your marks. You can get the details of your marks in each section and your total score. After the release of the scorecard, take a printout of it, for future use.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Here we have added the FAQs related to the IBPS recruitment exams.  So refer to it and clear the doubts.

Q: Is the SBI included in the IBPS recruitment exams?

A: No, for SBI separate exams are held. The IBPS recruitment is done for all the other Public Sector Banks.

Q: For widow women candidates, is any age relaxation applicable for the IBPS clerk exam?

A: Yes. For Widows, divorced women and women legally separated from their husbands who have not remarried have an age relaxation of 9 years.

Q: For EWS candidates any age relaxation is there to apply for the IBPS recruitments?

A: No, for EWS candidates age relaxation is not applicable.

Q: For which IBPS RRB officer recruitments, the single-level examination is conducted?

A: In IBPS RRB Officer Scale-II & III recruitments, a single-level exam is conducted. After the single-level exam, the interview is there.

Q: For which IBPS recruitments, there is no interview stage?

A: For IBPS clerk and IBPS RRB office assistant recruitments interview stage is not held. The merit list is prepared completely based on the marks obtained by the candidates in main exam only.