IBPS Clerk

One of the exams conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is IBPS Clerk Exam.

Clearing this exam, lets one to get a job as a clerk/assistant – one of the basic designation in Indian banks. Since 2011, 20 nationalized banks has keeps the opening of clerk position available every year. Freshers find this as a lucrative position to begin their career in the banking sector.

As per 2016 statistics, 19 banks participated for the IBPS clerk opening with almost 100 openings in each. This led to a total vacancy of 19,000 whose recruitment is still on the way.

Every year almost 2 crore Indians apply for the IBPS clerk exam, against an opening of around 20,000 presently.

A bank clerk gets the same salary as any central government employee of their designation. An IBPS Clerk begins his career with a monthly salary of around Rs.20,000 (approx), liable to necessary deductions.

Also, throughout the service period of a bank clerk, they have the option to appear for promotional exams and achieve better ranks in the banking sector. The immediate promotion for a clerk in government bank happens after 2-3 years, to the position of officer. Bank clerks are provided with medical and insurance facility extended to their families.

The tasks of a bank clerk are the following:

• Records filing
• Staffing service counters
• Screening specialists
• Regulatory tasks.

The IBPS clerk exam happens in two phases : Preliminary exam and Mains exam

The three sections in an IBPS prelims exam paper are as follows:

• Reasoning
• English
• Numerical Ability

The five sections in an IBPS clerk mains exam paper are as follows:

• Reasoning
• English
• Numerical Ability
• General Awareness
• Computer knowledge

IBPS Prelims paper pattern:

IBPS mains paper pattern:

The prelims and mains exam of IBPS clerk follows with a round of document verification after which students are offered jobs in government banks and financial institutes. If students fail to present any document in the verification round, will not be offered job even though they have cleared the IBPS clerk exams.

Previously, there was interview session in IBPS clerk exam, which has been withdrawn since 2015.

In IBPS clerk exam, there is 0.25 negative marking for each wrong answer given.

Eligibility criteria to apply for IBPS clerk exam:

Age : 20 – 28 years

Age relaxation chart:

Education : Class X clearance for administrative roles.

Graduates from recognized university/colleges.

Nationality :

• Indian citizen
• A subject of Bhutan
• A subject of Nepal
• A person from Pakistan, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Burma or any other countries from East Africa, who is of Indian Origin and intends to settle down permanently in India.
• A refugee from Tibet, whose ancestors settled down in India, before 1962.

Application for IBPS clerk exam

Application of IBPS clerk exam happens online in the official IBPS website.

The following are mandatory during application for IBPS exam:

A) A scanned color passport photograph of the candidate (looking straight) with dimension 200X230 pixels. The file size of the scanned photo should not exceed 50 kb.

B) A scanned signature of the candidate with dimension 140X60 pixels. The file size of the scanned signature should not exceed 20 kb.

C) An online payment facility (debit card/credit card/net banking)

Tips for IBPS Clerk exam

a) Many fail to realize the opportunities associated with IBPS Clerk jobs and does not apply for it. Remember, IBPS clerk is a tough test that needs ample preparation and is the first gateway to step in the Indian banking sector. Good candidates takes up clerical jobs and later, climbs up the success ladder qualifying each of the internal promotion exams of the bank.

b) In the IBPS Clerk prelims exam, time management is critical as one has to answer 100 questions in one hour. This makes each question have an alloted time of 36-seconds. But all IBPS clerk exam applicants need approx 15 minutes to read the prelims paper. This leaves a solid time of 40-minutes to solve the 100 questions, each in approx 25-seconds.

c) The difference between IBPS Prelims and main exams is the addition of extra two papers in mains exam. The two papers are computer and general awareness.

d) Time management is a key factor that will determine your success in IBPS clerk exam. You need to reach the exam center (for both prelims and main exams) in time. Also, carrying all required documents on the verification round is a requisite to get placed in Indian banks.

e) Solving mock tests and previous years paper enables improved preparation for IBPS clerk exam.

Important topics for IBPS Clerk English paper:

• Error Spotting
• Active Passive Voice
• Commonly confused terms
• Para Jumbles
• Word Power Capsules
• Phrasal Verbs
• Error Spotting

Important topics for IBPS Clerk General Awareness paper:

• Finance Committees and related reforms since last 2 years
• Changes in Growth Rate of various sectors and parts of the economy – Agriculture, Industry, EX-IM, etc.
• Basic Macroeconomic Concepts (CAD, Foreign Trade)
• Reforms in RBI Monetary Policy since last year.
• Important Banks and their headquarters.
• Important Financial Institutions (Indian and International).
• Micro and Macro Financing Institutions in the country and Rural Banks
• Budget (last 2 years)
• Culture
• Indian History
• Geography (India+World)
• Environment
• Economy and Politics

Important topics for IBPS Clerk Mains Quant paper:

• Number Series and Simplification
• Data interpretation
• Quadratic Equations
• Averages, Percentages and Ratio & Proportion
• Mensuration
• Profit & Loss
• Speed, Time and Distance
• Algebra
• Time and Work
• Interest
• Misture Problem sums
• Permutation Combination
• Probability

IBPS Clerk Exam books:

30 Model Papers IBPS-VI Bank Clerk Preliminary Examination Paperback
Model answers help to prepare better in any exam. So is the rule applicable for iBPS clerk exam. If you want model answers to know how to crack the IBPS clerk exam, this book is a must buy.

IBPS-VI Bank Clerk Main Examination Success Master Paperback
This book is not rquired at the very initial stage of IBPS clerk exam preparation. However if your score qualifies for the mains exam, then this book becomes a must in your book stand. It elaborately explains all parts of IBPS mains exam.

Kiran’s IBPS Bank Clerk CWE 2016: Common Written Examination – 21 Previous Exams Solved Papers Paperback
Before you start soving IBPS clerk exam previous years papers, have a look at the solved ones compiled in this book. It will help you to get an understanding and thus, prepare well for IBPS clerk exam.

50 Practice Papers IBPS-VI Bank Clerk Main Examination Paperback
This book is a collection of question and sample paper of IBPS Mains exam that you can refer to after clearing the first round/prelims session. The book has solutions for the questions that will help you to prepare easily and fast.

New IBPS-CWE Bank Clerk Guide for Prelim & Main Exams (Old Edition) Paperback – 2015
Another compiled guide for IBPS clerk exam, this is useful for both prelims and mains exam.