IBPS Competitive Exam
IBPS Clerk Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2020
IBPS has released the IBPS Clerk 2020 Exam Pattern and Syllabus along with its official notification. You can check the updated IBPS Clerk syllabus & exam pattern in this post below. IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2020 is very much same as any other Bank Exam. The major three sections on which a candidate needs complete command to ace IBPS Clerk 2020 Preliminary Exam are:
IBPS Clerk Preliminary Exam :
Major changes have been observed in the Exam Pattern of IBPS Clerk 2020 Prelims Exam. The IBPS Clerk preliminary examination is conducted online and candidates are allocated total duration of 1 hour (20 minutes for each section) to complete the preliminary exam.
Candidates have to qualify in each of the three tests by securing cut-off marks to be decided by IBPS. Adequate number of candidates in each category as decided by IBPS depending upon requirements will be shortlisted for Online Main examination.
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam :
In the latest update by IBPS, IBPS Clerk Mains Exam will now constitute of 190 questions that needs to be completed in a time frame of 160 minutes.
Previously, Computer Aptitude and Reasoning Ability Section used to be conducted separately. But, in the recent update by IBPS, both these sections are amalgamated together and will constitute of 50 questions that needs to be solved in a time duration of 45 minutes. Both Preliminary Exam and Mains Exam will be conducted bilingually, i.e. both in English and in Hindi. Let’s have a look at the Exam Pattern for IBPS Clerk CWE VII.
English Language :
Reasoning :
Quantitative Aptitude :
Computer Knowledge :
General Awareness :
IBPS Clerk Eligibility Criteria 2020: At a Glance
IBPS Clerk 2020 Best Books :
IBPS PO Exam Pattern :
Candidates need to understand the IBPS PO Exam Pattern to have an idea of the topics covered in the exam.
The IBPS PO Exam Pattern consists of Prelims, Mains and an Interview.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern for Prelims :
IBPS PO Exam Pattern for Mains :
IBPS PO Syllabus for Prelims
The preliminary exam consists of one paper of 100 marks divided into three sections.
The IBPS PO Prelims syllabus covers the following subjects:
The IBPS does not specify a list of topics in their notification; hence the syllabus is drawn up by analysing past years’ papers.
Candidates can also check the best IBPS PO books which may help them ace the upcoming Probationary Officer exam at the linked article.
The following is the subject wise breakdown of the IBPS PO Prelims syllabus
IBPS PO Syllabus for Prelims exam is given below:
To get some simple maths shortcuts and tricks to solve the questions from the quantitative aptitude section quicker and more efficiently, candidates can check the linked article.
The IBPS PO syllabus for the Prelims exam covers a large number of topics. Thorough practice and proper IBPS PO preparation need to be done to cover these topics before the Prelims exam in the best possible way.
Candidates can check IBPS PO Mock Tests for performance review and revision.
IBPS PO Syllabus for Mains
The IBPS PO Mains syllabus has topics similar to the Prelims phase, but the standard of questions is a bit complex.
Two new subjects are added in the syllabus for phase II exam. These are Computer Knowledge and Banking Awareness. Also, a descriptive paper is included in this stage of the examination.
To get the detailed Probationary Officer Mains exam syllabus, refer to the table below:
IBPS PO Interview :
The IBPS PO Interview does not cover any specific topic. It is advisable to focus on general knowledge and awareness, current affairs and some essential matters under finance while preparing for the Probationary Officer Interview.
The Interview will be for 100 marks, and minimum 40% marks (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD) are necessary to qualify the Interview phase. Also, the final result is according to the marks scored in Interview+ Mains, and they shall be calculated in a 20:80 ratio, respectively.
It is more important to display excellent interpersonal skills and business acumen during the IBPS PO Interview.
The IBPS PO exam process is relatively short when compared to other competitive exams. It makes it very important that candidates do not get distracted during preparation.
IBPS PO Books for English Language
Questions in English Language are asked from Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para jumbles, Fill in the blanks, Paragraph Completion, etc. Candidates can refer to the following books.
The Quantitative Aptitude carries questions from Simplification, Percentage, Average, Ratio and Percentage, Data Interpretation, Speed, Distance and Time, Time and Work, Number Series, Quadratic Equation. To score good marks in this section, candidates can refer to the following banks.
IBPS PO Books for Reasoning Ability
This section, candidates will get questions from Verbal Reasoning, Syllogism, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Input-Output, Coding-Decoding, etc. Candidates can buy the following books for this section.
Questions from General Awareness are basically asked from financial awareness, current affairs, banking awareness and general knowledge. Usually questions are asked from events that takes place 3 to 4 months prior to the examination. Candidates should read the newspapers, watch news and read magazines to prepare this section. The following books are recommended for this section
IBPS PO Books for Computer Aptitude
In this section, candidates should prepare topics such as Internet, Memory, Keyboard Shortcuts, Computer Abbreviation, Microsoft Office, Computer Hardware, Computer Software, Operating System, Operating System and Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies. Candidates can refer to the following books.
IBPS has released the IBPS Clerk 2020 Exam Pattern and Syllabus along with its official notification. You can check the updated IBPS Clerk syllabus & exam pattern in this post below. IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2020 is very much same as any other Bank Exam. The major three sections on which a candidate needs complete command to ace IBPS Clerk 2020 Preliminary Exam are:
- Reasoning
- Quantitative Aptitude
- English Language
- Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude
- Quantitative Aptitude
- English Language
- General/ Financial Awareness
Major changes have been observed in the Exam Pattern of IBPS Clerk 2020 Prelims Exam. The IBPS Clerk preliminary examination is conducted online and candidates are allocated total duration of 1 hour (20 minutes for each section) to complete the preliminary exam.
Candidates have to qualify in each of the three tests by securing cut-off marks to be decided by IBPS. Adequate number of candidates in each category as decided by IBPS depending upon requirements will be shortlisted for Online Main examination.
| S.No. | Name of Tests(Objective) | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 1 Hour |
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam :
In the latest update by IBPS, IBPS Clerk Mains Exam will now constitute of 190 questions that needs to be completed in a time frame of 160 minutes.
Previously, Computer Aptitude and Reasoning Ability Section used to be conducted separately. But, in the recent update by IBPS, both these sections are amalgamated together and will constitute of 50 questions that needs to be solved in a time duration of 45 minutes. Both Preliminary Exam and Mains Exam will be conducted bilingually, i.e. both in English and in Hindi. Let’s have a look at the Exam Pattern for IBPS Clerk CWE VII.
| S.No. | Name of Tests(Objective | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| 2 | English Language | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| 4 | General/ Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 minutes |
English Language :
| Vocabulary | Grammar | Reading Comprehension |
|---|---|---|
| Homonyms, Antonyms, Synonyms, Word Formation, Spelling | Spotting Errors, Phrases and idioms, Direct and Indirect speech, Active/ Passive voice | Theme Detection, Passage completion, Topic rearrangement of passage, Deriving Conclusion. |
Reasoning :
| Verbal Reasoning | Non-Verbal Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Analogy, Classification, Word formation, Statement and conclusions Syllogism, Statement and assumptions, Statement and arguments, Coding Decoding, Blood Relations, Passage and conclusions, Alphabet test, Series Test, Number, Ranking and time sequence, Direction sense Test, Decision making test, Figure series, Input/output, Assertion and reasoning, Sitting Arrangement | Series test, Odd figure Out, Analogy, Miscellaneous Test |
Quantitative Aptitude :
| Ratio and proportion, Averages, Time and work, Speed, Distance and time, Mixture and allegation Stocks and shares, Percentages, Partnership, Clocks, Volume and surface Area, Bar & Graphs, Line charts, Tables | Height and Distances, Logarithms, Permutation and combinations, Simple and compound interest, Equations, Probability, Trigonometry, Profit, Loss and Discount, Mensuration, Elements of Algebra, Data Interpretation, Pie charts |
Computer Knowledge :
| Basics of Hardware and software, Windows operating system basics, Internet terms and services, Basic Functionalities of MS-Office( MS-word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint) | History of computers, Networking and communication, Database basics, Basics of Hacking, Security Tools and Viruses |
General Awareness :
| Current affairs related to national and international issues of last 6 months,Overview of Indian Financial System,History of Indian banking system, Recent credit and monetary policies | Introduction to National financial institutions like RBI, SEBI, IRDA, FSDC etc and of International organizations like IMF, World Bank, ADB, UN etc,Abbreviations and Economic terminologies, Banking Terms,Important Government Schemes on capital & money market. |
IBPS Clerk Eligibility Criteria 2020: At a Glance
| Age limit | The aspirants who are belonging from the age group of 20-28 years, can apply for IBPS Clerk. The reserved category students will have age relaxation for applying the exam. |
| Educational qualification | The applicants should complete their graduation in any subject. |
IBPS Clerk 2020 Best Books :
| Sections of IBPS Clerk | Best Books for IBPS Clerk |
|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | Lucent’s General Knowledge |
| General English | Word Power Made Easy – By Norman Lewis, Penguin Publication |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning (Revised Edition) – By R.S. Aggarwal, S. Chand Computer Knowledge for IBPS – CWE Clerical Cadre - Content Crop Publication |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude Test – By N.K Singh, Upkar Prakashan |
IBPS PO Exam Pattern :
Candidates need to understand the IBPS PO Exam Pattern to have an idea of the topics covered in the exam.
The IBPS PO Exam Pattern consists of Prelims, Mains and an Interview.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern for Prelims :
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | No. of Questions & Maximum Marks | Language of the exam | Duration of each IBPS PO Prelims exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 30 | English | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 1 Hour |
IBPS PO Exam Pattern for Mains :
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Language of the exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | English |
| 2 | General/Economy/Banking Awareness | 35 | 40 | English & Hindi |
| 3 | English Language | 35 | 40 | English & Hindi |
| 4 | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | English & Hindi |
| 5 | English Language( Letter Writing & Essay) | 2 | 25 | English |
| Total | 155 | 200 |
IBPS PO Syllabus for Prelims
The preliminary exam consists of one paper of 100 marks divided into three sections.
The IBPS PO Prelims syllabus covers the following subjects:
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
The IBPS does not specify a list of topics in their notification; hence the syllabus is drawn up by analysing past years’ papers.
Candidates can also check the best IBPS PO books which may help them ace the upcoming Probationary Officer exam at the linked article.
The following is the subject wise breakdown of the IBPS PO Prelims syllabus
IBPS PO Syllabus for Prelims exam is given below:
| English Language | Quantitative Aptitude | Reasoning Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension Idioms & Phrases Paragraph Jumbles Tenses Rules (Fill in the blanks)/Cloze Test Error Detection Multiple Meanings(Contextual Usage) Paragraph and passage completion | Simplification and Approximation Quadratic Equations Profit and Loss Mixtures and Alligations Simple and Compound Interest Surds and Indices Work and Time Speed, Time and Distance Mensuration: Cylinder, Cone, Sphere and Cuboid Data Interpretation Ratio And Proportion Percentages Number Series Boat Stream Series and Sequences Permutation and Combination Measures of Central Tendency and Variation Probability | Logical Reasoning Alphanumeric Series Directions Reasoning Puzzles Order and Ranking Alphabet Combination Data Sufficiency Tests Coded Inequalities Seating Arrangements Picture Series Puzzles Tabulation Syllogism Relationships Input/Output Coding and Decoding Assertion and Reason Statement, Argument and Assumption Word Formation |
To get some simple maths shortcuts and tricks to solve the questions from the quantitative aptitude section quicker and more efficiently, candidates can check the linked article.
The IBPS PO syllabus for the Prelims exam covers a large number of topics. Thorough practice and proper IBPS PO preparation need to be done to cover these topics before the Prelims exam in the best possible way.
Candidates can check IBPS PO Mock Tests for performance review and revision.
IBPS PO Syllabus for Mains
The IBPS PO Mains syllabus has topics similar to the Prelims phase, but the standard of questions is a bit complex.
Two new subjects are added in the syllabus for phase II exam. These are Computer Knowledge and Banking Awareness. Also, a descriptive paper is included in this stage of the examination.
To get the detailed Probationary Officer Mains exam syllabus, refer to the table below:
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | General/Economy/Banking Awareness | English Language |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning:Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Syllogism Seating Arrangements (Circular and Linear) Double and Triple Lineups Scheduling Input/Output Blood Relations Ordering and Ranking Coding and Decoding Sufficiency of Arguments and Data Directions and Displacement Code Inequalities Alphanumeric Series Computer Aptitude:Internet Memory Keyboard Shortcuts Computer Related Terms Abbreviations Computer Fundamentals Microsoft Office and Related Word Processing and Spreadsheet Applications Computer Hardware and Software Operating Systems and GUI Basics Computer Network Microsoft Office Microsoft Windows | Banking Awareness Financial Knowledge Basic Economics Current Affairs Current Events of National and International Importance with focus on financial news Static GK General Knowledge on various topics of importance to financial institutions | Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Grammar Usage of English in Business Letter Writing Essay Writing Verbal Ability |
IBPS PO Interview :
The IBPS PO Interview does not cover any specific topic. It is advisable to focus on general knowledge and awareness, current affairs and some essential matters under finance while preparing for the Probationary Officer Interview.
The Interview will be for 100 marks, and minimum 40% marks (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD) are necessary to qualify the Interview phase. Also, the final result is according to the marks scored in Interview+ Mains, and they shall be calculated in a 20:80 ratio, respectively.
It is more important to display excellent interpersonal skills and business acumen during the IBPS PO Interview.
The IBPS PO exam process is relatively short when compared to other competitive exams. It makes it very important that candidates do not get distracted during preparation.
IBPS PO Books for English Language
Questions in English Language are asked from Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para jumbles, Fill in the blanks, Paragraph Completion, etc. Candidates can refer to the following books.
- Word Power Made Easy by Normal Lewis
- English Grammar & Composition by Wren and Martin
- Descriptive General English by S P Bakshi and Richa Sharma
- Objective English for Competitive Examinations by Hari Mohan Prasad, Uma Rani Sinha, Mcgraw Hill Education Publication
The Quantitative Aptitude carries questions from Simplification, Percentage, Average, Ratio and Percentage, Data Interpretation, Speed, Distance and Time, Time and Work, Number Series, Quadratic Equation. To score good marks in this section, candidates can refer to the following banks.
| Books | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude Book | Wiley’s Publication |
| Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examination | The Pearson Guide |
| Teach Yourself Quantitative Aptitude | Arun Sharma |
| Rapid Quantitative Aptitude with Shortcuts & Tricks | Disha Publication |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Sarvesh Verma |
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma (Arihant Publication) |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Disha Experts |
| Data interpretation | Arun Sharma |
| Data Interpretation magical books series | BSC Publication |
IBPS PO Books for Reasoning Ability
This section, candidates will get questions from Verbal Reasoning, Syllogism, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Input-Output, Coding-Decoding, etc. Candidates can buy the following books for this section.
- A Modern approach Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by BS Sijwali
- Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal
- A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal & Non Verbal by B S Sijwali
- Logical reasoning by K Kundan
- Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
Questions from General Awareness are basically asked from financial awareness, current affairs, banking awareness and general knowledge. Usually questions are asked from events that takes place 3 to 4 months prior to the examination. Candidates should read the newspapers, watch news and read magazines to prepare this section. The following books are recommended for this section
| Books | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| Guide to Banking General Awareness | R Gupta |
| Manohar Pandey Book | Arihant Publications |
| Manorama Yearbook 2020 ( English) Paperback | Philip Mathew |
IBPS PO Books for Computer Aptitude
In this section, candidates should prepare topics such as Internet, Memory, Keyboard Shortcuts, Computer Abbreviation, Microsoft Office, Computer Hardware, Computer Software, Operating System, Operating System and Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies. Candidates can refer to the following books.
- Computer by Rani Ahilya
- Objective Computer Awareness by Somya Ranjan Behera