[UPDATE] IBPS Clerk 2026 Prelims Admit Card & Exam Date — 11,403 Posts
IBPS Clerk (CRP CSA-XVI) 2026 — notification out 1 August, registration closed 28 August. 11,403 posts. Prelims 10–11 October, Mains 27 December 2026.
Apply Online Now ↗Complete Details
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Official Notification (CRP CSA-XVI) | 1 August 2026 | Done |
| Online Registration Opened | 1 August 2026 | Done |
| Last Date to Apply (extended) | 28 August 2026 | Closed |
| Pre-Exam Training Call Letter | Before the prelims | Tba |
| Preliminary Exam Call Letter | About 2 weeks before the exam | Upcoming |
| Preliminary Examination | 10 & 11 October 2026 | Upcoming |
| Preliminary Result | Expected November 2026 | Tba |
| Main Examination | 27 December 2026 | Upcoming |
| Provisional Allotment | Expected 2027 | Tba |
Who could apply
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Education | Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, held on the cut-off date |
| Age | 20 to 28 years |
| Computer literacy | Operating and working knowledge of computers is compulsory — a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations, or computers as a subject at school or in graduation |
| Language | Proficiency in the official language of the state or UT you applied for — reading, writing and speaking |
Age relaxation — upper limit
- SC / ST — 5 years
- OBC (non-creamy layer) — 3 years
- Persons with Benchmark Disabilities — 10 years
- Ex-servicemen and widows / divorced women — as per the notification's relaxation table
The condition that catches candidates late
Local language proficiency is a real eligibility requirement, not a formality. Candidates who did not study the state's official language as a subject in Class 10 or Class 12 must clear a Language Proficiency Test after the Main Exam — and failing it cancels the allotment, however high the Mains score.
What candidates paid
| Category | Fee (inclusive of GST) |
|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-servicemen / DESM | ₹175 |
| General / OBC / EWS and all others | ₹850 |
Payment was accepted online only, and the fee is non-refundable. The window closed with the application on 28 August 2026 — an unpaid application is not a valid one, and IBPS does not accept late payment.
Selection Process — three stages, no interview
- Preliminary Examination (10 & 11 October 2026) — qualifying only; the marks do not carry forward
- Main Examination (27 December 2026) — this alone decides your rank
- Language Proficiency Test — qualifying, for candidates who did not study the state's official language at school
- Provisional allotment to a participating bank on Main Exam merit
Preliminary Exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Sectional time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Main Exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Sectional time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 minutes |
- Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer in both the prelims and the mains.
- Sectional timers are enforced. You cannot bank leftover minutes from English and spend them on Numerical Ability — when a section's clock runs out, it locks.
- There is no interview for the clerical cadre. Your Main Exam score is the entire basis of the final merit list.
Full Details
Notification Is Out and Registration Has Closed — 11,403 Customer Service Associate Posts, Prelims on 10 & 11 October 2026
IBPS released the CRP CSA-XVI notification on 1 August 2026 and the registration window closed on 28 August 2026 after an extension from the original 21 August date. 11,403 Customer Service Associate posts are on offer across 11 public sector banks, and the preliminary examination is fixed for 10 and 11 October 2026.
Quick Highlights Dashboard
| Who is recruiting? | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), for 11 public sector banks |
|---|---|
| Which post? | Customer Service Associate (Clerical Cadre) |
| Recruitment code | CRP CSA-XVI |
| How many seats? | 11,403 |
| Application window | 1 August 2026 → 28 August 2026 (extended) |
| Application status | 🔴 CLOSED |
| Prelims exam | 10 & 11 October 2026 |
| Mains exam | 27 December 2026 |
| Interview? | None — selection ends at the Mains plus a language proficiency test |
What has changed
Everything on the application side is now settled. The notification is no longer “expected”, the apply link is no longer pending, and the vacancy figure is confirmed at 11,403. The next thing that will actually appear on your screen is the prelims call letter, which IBPS publishes on ibps.in roughly two weeks before the exam, preceded by a pre-exam training call letter for eligible candidates.
Official links
- Download the Prelims Call Letter from the IBPS Portal (ibps.in) — log in with the Registration Number and Password issued to you in August.
- IBPS Official Website (ibps.in) — for the CRP CSA-XVI notification PDF and all exam notices.
Lost your registration number? It was sent by SMS and email at the time you applied. Retrieve it through the “Forgot Registration Number” option on the IBPS login page well before the call letter drops.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Registration for CRP CSA-XVI opened on 1 August 2026 and closed on 28 August 2026 after being extended from 21 August. IBPS has not indicated any further extension, and the fee window closed with it.
IBPS normally publishes the preliminary call letter on ibps.in around two weeks before the exam — so expect it in late September for the 10–11 October sitting. Eligible candidates also receive a separate pre-exam training call letter before that.
No. The prelims is purely a screening stage. Your final merit and bank allotment are decided entirely by the Main Exam on 27 December 2026.
No. The clerical cadre has no interview. After the Main Exam, the only remaining stage is the Language Proficiency Test, and that is qualifying rather than scored.
Not from sitting the exam, but you will have to clear a Language Proficiency Test after the Main Exam. Candidates who fail it lose the allotment regardless of their Mains score, so treat it as a real stage and prepare for it.
No. The state and language choice is locked at submission and IBPS does not run a preference-change window. It also determines which language you may be tested in later.
Use the "Forgot Registration Number" option on the IBPS candidate login and recover it with the email address and mobile number you registered with. Do this now rather than on call-letter day, when the portal is under load.