IBPS RRB Clerk (Office Assistant) 2026: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
IBPS RRB Office Assistant (Multipurpose), the post most students call IBPS RRB Clerk, is a Group B job in the Regional Rural Banks. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) recruits for it through CRP-RRBs-XV, notified on 1 September 2026, with registration extended to 27 September 2026 and now closed. There are two online exams and no interview. By IBPS's tentative schedule, the preliminary exam is in November or December 2026, so a candidate has a few weeks left. This guide sets out the dates, the IBPS RRB Clerk exam pattern and syllabus, how to apply, and a plan for the remaining weeks.
IBPS RRB Office Assistant at a glance
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| What it is for | Office Assistant (Multipurpose), Group B, in a Regional Rural Bank |
| Stages | Preliminary exam, Main exam; no interview |
| Mode | Online, at an examination centre |
| Prelims | 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes: Reasoning (25 minutes) and Numerical Ability (20 minutes) |
| Mains | 200 questions, 200 marks, 120 minutes, five tests |
| Marking | One fourth of a question's marks deducted for a wrong answer; blanks score 0 |
| Languages | English, Hindi or a listed language of the State or UT; the Mains language test is English or Hindi, your choice |
| Eligibility | A bachelor's degree; age 18 to 28 on 1 September 2026, with relaxations; proficiency in the local language |
| Official website | ibps.in |
IBPS RRB Clerk 2026 exam date
The CRP-RRBs-XV notification gives this tentative schedule (checked 20 October 2026):
| Stage | Tentative schedule |
|---|---|
| Online registration and fee payment | 1 to 21 September 2026, extended to 27 September 2026 |
| Pre-Exam Training | November 2026 |
| Prelims call letters and Prelims exam | November / December 2026 |
| Prelims result | December 2026 / January 2027 |
| Mains call letters and Mains exam | December 2026 / January 2027 |
| Provisional allotment | February / March 2027 |
These are months, not days. IBPS puts your exact date and session on the call letter, downloaded from ibps.in. As of 20 October 2026 the CRP-RRBs-XV page lists the notification, vacancy corrigenda of 9, 15 and 25 September 2026 and the extension of 21 September 2026, but no exact exam dates. Our IBPS RRB Office Assistant exam dates page follows it.
How to apply for IBPS RRB Office Assistant
Registration for XV is closed. For the next round, the current notice works like this:
- Read the notification on ibps.in, especially the State-wise RRB vacancies and the local language each State requires.
- Register through the CRP RRBs page and keep the provisional registration number and password.
- Pick one State or UT, and upload your photograph, signature, left thumb impression and handwritten declaration in the sizes the notice gives.
- Pay online. In XV the Office Assistant fee was ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD/ESM/DESM candidates and ₹850 for all others, including GST.
- If you also want an officer post, apply and pay for it separately; you may apply for Office Assistant and one officer scale.
- Check every detail, complete the registration, and keep the printout.
Keep ready your degree certificate and marks, a category or ex-serviceman certificate if you claim one, and any proof that you know the local language.
IBPS RRB Clerk exam pattern
Preliminary exam
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 45 minutes |
There is no English test in Prelims. You must reach the cut-off in both tests, and Prelims marks do not count in the final list. Each question is 1 mark; a wrong answer costs 0.25.
Main exam
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | 15 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 15 minutes |
| English Language or Hindi Language (choose one) | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 minutes |
You need a minimum in each Main test. Provisional allotment uses the Main marks and the vacancies of the State or UT you chose. A candidate who does not yet have the local language is given six months from joining to acquire it.
IBPS RRB Clerk syllabus
The notice names the tests but gives no topic list. What these tests usually contain:
- Reasoning: puzzles and seating, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, alphanumeric and number series, order and ranking; Mains adds input-output.
- Numerical Ability: simplification, number series, quadratic equations, data interpretation, percentage, profit and loss, ratio, average, partnership, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance.
- Computer Knowledge (Mains): computer basics, hardware and software, operating systems and office tools, internet, networking and security basics.
- General Awareness (Mains): banking and financial awareness, current events and static general knowledge.
- English or Hindi (Mains): comprehension, cloze or fillers, error spotting, para jumbles; in Hindi, गद्यांश, रिक्त स्थान, त्रुटि, पर्याय और विलोम.
The full list is on our IBPS RRB Office Assistant syllabus page.
A plan for the weeks until Prelims
Five or six weeks are enough to sharpen two tests. Speed is the test: Numerical Ability gives 30 seconds a question and Reasoning under 40.
| Weeks | Focus | Mock tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take one full IBPS RRB Clerk mock test; list the question types that cost you the most time | 1 full mock |
| 2-3 | Simplification and approximation every day (10-minute drills); two or three puzzles daily | 2 full mocks a week |
| 4-5 | Mocks under exam timing; decide in advance which puzzle sizes you skip | 3 full mocks a week |
| Last days | Light practice and checking the call letter | 1 mock, two days before |
Because Mains may come within weeks of Prelims, give 20 minutes a day from now to Computer Knowledge and General Awareness. After every mock, follow the steps in how to analyse a mock test.
Useful links
- IBPS official website: notifications, call letters, results
- CRP-RRBs-XV notification (PDF)
- CRP-RRBs-XV page on ibps.in
- Free IBPS RRB Office Assistant mock tests
- IBPS RRB Office Assistant syllabus
- IBPS RRB Office Assistant exam dates
- IBPS RRB PO (Officer Scale-I) 2026: exam date and how to apply
- IBPS Clerk 2026: exam date and how to apply
Frequently asked questions
When is the IBPS RRB Clerk prelims exam in 2026?
The XV notification puts the preliminary exam in November or December 2026. The exact date and session will be on your call letter at ibps.in.
Is there an interview for IBPS RRB Office Assistant?
No. Office Assistants are selected on the Main exam marks and the vacancies of the State or UT they chose.
Is there negative marking in IBPS RRB Clerk?
Yes. One fourth of the marks of a question is deducted for a wrong answer. In Prelims, where each question is 1 mark, that is 0.25; a blank costs nothing.
What is the IBPS RRB Office Assistant age limit?
18 to 28 years on 1 September 2026 for the XV round, with the relaxations given in the notice.
Is English compulsory in IBPS RRB Clerk?
No. Prelims has no language test, and in Mains you choose either English Language or Hindi Language.
Are your IBPS RRB Clerk mock tests official papers?
No. They are practice papers written for this site on the XV prelims pattern, with two timed tests, five options and the quarter-mark penalty.