Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern Test Series
Practice for the preliminary (Prelims) stage of bank recruitment exams in India: IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO, SBI Clerk and RRB (Regional Rural Banks) officer and office assistant exams. Full length mock tests with English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability, with Hindi and English explanations.
About Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern
Bank Prelims is the first, qualifying stage of the main public-sector bank recruitments in India: IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO, SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) and IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I and Office Assistant. IBPS runs a common recruitment every year for public sector banks and regional rural banks, while SBI recruits separately.
The PO and Clerk Prelims of IBPS and SBI share one structure: English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning, 100 questions in 60 minutes with 20 minutes for each section. Prelims marks only decide who goes to the Mains; the final merit is made from the Mains (and the interview for officer posts).
Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern at a glance
| Conducted by | IBPS (public sector banks and RRBs) and SBI |
| Stages | Prelims (qualifying) → Mains → interview (PO / officer posts) |
| Prelims | 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, 20 minutes per section |
| Negative marking | 1/4 of the question's marks per wrong answer |
| Mode | Online computer-based test |
| Official websites | ibps.in and sbi.co.in |
Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
PO and Clerk Prelims. In IBPS PO 2025 the marks became English 30, Quant 30 and Reasoning 40 with the same number of questions. IBPS RRB Prelims has only Reasoning and Quant (40 questions each, 45 minutes).
Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern — test series & prices
Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern syllabus
Eligibility
A graduate degree in any discipline. Age is generally 20 to 30 years for PO (SBI PO 21 to 30) and 20 to 28 years for Clerk, with relaxation for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD as per rules. Clerk and RRB posts also need knowledge of the local language of the state.
How to prepare: 5 practical tips
- Practise with sectional timing: you cannot return to a section once its 20 minutes end.
- In Quant, make simplification, number series, quadratic equations and one DI set your sure attempts.
- In Reasoning, solve syllogism, inequality, coding and direction first, then the easiest puzzle.
- With 0.25 negative marking, accuracy matters more than attempts; aim for 90% accuracy in mocks.
- Track wrong answers topic-wise every week and practise those topics separately.
📚 Notes & eBooks for this exam
Month-wise national current affairs eBooks (Hindi + English) for the Mains General Awareness section. Available on our sister site Learnnity — every eBook comes with 6 months of its My Study Room (quiz, flashcards and more).
Prepnity students get 10% off with code PREPNITY10 on Learnnity. See all eBooks →
What you get on Prepnity
Banking (IBPS / SBI / RRB) — Prelims Pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in bank Prelims?
Yes. One-fourth of the question's marks (0.25 for a 1-mark question) is deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
What is the sectional timing?
In IBPS and SBI PO and Clerk Prelims each section has a fixed 20-minute window, 60 minutes in total, and you cannot go back to an earlier section.
How is IBPS RRB Prelims different?
It has only Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude, 40 questions each, 80 questions in 45 minutes, without an English section.
Do Prelims marks count in the final selection?
No. Prelims is qualifying. The final merit is made from Mains marks, plus the interview for officer posts.
What changed in IBPS PO 2025?
The Prelims marks split became English 30, Quant 30 and Reasoning 40 with the same 30-35-35 questions, and the Mains objective paper was revised.
What does Prepnity offer for banking?
Full-length Prelims pattern mock tests (100 questions, 60 minutes, 1/4 negative marking) with Hindi and English explanations. The tests currently use one 60-minute timer; sectional timers are planned.
Can I try before paying?
Yes. Register for free and attempt the free tests (1 available for this exam) before buying any series.
Are the questions in Hindi or English?
Every question, option and explanation is available in both Hindi and English. You can switch the language at any time.
For how long can I use a series?
You choose a 3, 6 or 12 month plan. You can renew any time and the remaining days are added.
How do I pay?
Secure online payment by UPI, card or net banking.
Do I get my money back?
Please read our refund policy.
Information checked on 7 November 2026. Checked against reports of the latest IBPS and SBI notifications. Confirm the pattern in the notification of your exam. Always confirm dates and rules on the official website: ibps.in. Prepnity is an independent test-series platform and is not connected with any exam-conducting body.
