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IBPS RRB (Officer Scale I and Office Assistant)

Evidence status: ✅ official. Every number below matches the CRP-RRBs-XV notification documents fetched from the official IBPS registration portal (ibpsreg.ibps.in) this run.

IBPS RRB recruits officers (Group A) and office assistants (Group B, multipurpose) for the Regional Rural Banks. The local language of the state applied for matters in selection.

At a glance
Conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Stages Officer Scale I: Prelims → Mains → Common Interview. Office Assistant: Prelims → Mains, then provisional allotment on Mains marks (no interview)
Qualification Bachelor's degree in any discipline; proficiency in the local language of the state applied for is essential (may be acquired within six months of joining). Working knowledge of computers is desirable
Age (as on 01.09.2026) Office Assistant: 18–28 years; Officer Scale I: above 18 and below 30 years. Relaxations for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD and other categories as per the notification
Final merit Office Assistant: Mains marks only. Officer Scale I: Mains and Interview, weighted 80:20

Official sources

  • CRP-RRBs-XV application portal (contains links to notification, how to apply, and FAQs): https://ibpsreg.ibps.in/rrbxvaug26/
  • IBPS does not publish previous-year question papers or official answer keys.

Exam pattern

Prelims (Officer Scale I and Office Assistant): 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes, −0.25 per wrong answer. Candidates must qualify in both tests by securing minimum cut-off marks.

Section Questions Marks Time
Reasoning 40 40 25 min
Numerical Ability (Office Assistant) / Quantitative Aptitude (Officer Scale I) 40 40 20 min

Mains (both posts): 200 questions, 200 marks, 120 minutes, −0.25 per wrong answer. Attempt English or Hindi (either one, not both).

Section Questions Marks Time
Reasoning 40 50 30 min
Computer Knowledge 40 20 15 min
General Awareness 40 40 15 min
English Language or Hindi Language 40 40 30 min
Numerical Ability (Office Assistant) / Quantitative Aptitude (Officer Scale I) 40 50 30 min

The penalty for a wrong answer is one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question and applies in every stage (Prelims, Mains and the single-level exams). A blank answer carries no penalty.

Officer Scale I candidates shortlisted in Mains appear for a Common Interview coordinated by the Nodal Regional Rural Banks with NABARD and IBPS. The interview is out of 100 marks with a minimum of 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD); the final score is 80:20 Mains to Interview. Tests other than the English/Hindi language test are bilingual (English + Hindi and the state's language as applicable).

Syllabus

The official syllabus for IBPS RRB covers the following areas:

  • Reasoning: Logical reasoning, puzzles, seating arrangements, coding-decoding, syllogism, input-output, data sufficiency, blood relations, distance and direction, and verbal/non-verbal reasoning.
  • Quantitative Aptitude / Numerical Ability: Simplification, number series, quadratic equations, data interpretation, arithmetic (percentages, profit & loss, ratio & proportion, time & work, time, speed & distance, simple & compound interest, mixtures & allegations, etc.), and data sufficiency.
  • General Awareness: Current affairs (national/international), banking awareness, financial awareness, static GK, and economy-related news.
  • English Language: Reading comprehension, cloze test, para jumbles, fill in the blanks, error spotting, sentence improvement, and vocabulary.
  • Hindi Language: Similar to English, covering grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary.
  • Computer Knowledge: Basics of computer, hardware/software, operating systems, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), internet, networking, and security.

Note: For the detailed official syllabus structure, refer to the Information Handout provided by IBPS on their official portal during the application process.

How to prepare (free, in order)

  1. Clear the Prelims first: only two sections, reasoning (25 min) and numerical ability or quant (20 min). Speed and accuracy in these decide who reaches Mains.
  2. For Mains, treat General Awareness as cheap, high-scoring marks (40 marks in 15 minutes) — build it from daily current affairs and banking news.
  3. Pick English or Hindi (Section 4a or 4b) — choose the language you write best. The other sections are bilingual, so no reading handicap.
  4. Join the free Pre-Examination Training if eligible (online mode; Office Assistant: SC/ST/OBC/ minority/ex-servicemen/PwBD; Officer Scale I: SC/ST/OBC/minority). Tick the PET option in the application form.
  5. Practise on the official Information Handout for the online test interface, and respect the −0.25 penalty — leave a question blank rather than guess.

Free resources