IBPS RRB PO and Clerk 2026 Prelims: Pattern, Dates and a 45-Minute Strategy

The IBPS RRB exams recruit officers (PO, Officer Scale I) and clerks (Office Assistant) for Regional Rural Banks. Both start with the same short, fast prelims.

IBPS RRB prelims pattern

• Marking: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one.
• Sectional timers: Reasoning comes first with 25 minutes, then Quant with 20 minutes. Each section has its own cutoff, so you need marks in both.

2026 dates

IBPS's tentative calendar, as reported:

• RRB PO Prelims: 21–22 November 2026; Mains 20 December 2026.
• RRB Clerk Prelims: 6, 12 and 13 December 2026; Mains 30 January 2027.

Check ibps.in for your admit card, and our exam calendar for updates.

How to score in 45 minutes

Reasoning (25 min). Puzzles and seating arrangements carry 10 to 15 marks, but one wrong guess at the arrangement can cost five minutes. Start with inequality, syllogism, coding and blood relations (about 20 questions in 8 to 10 minutes), then pick the two puzzles that look smallest.

Quant (20 min). Number series, simplification and quadratic equations make up about 15 questions you can solve in under 30 seconds each. Do them first. Then take the DI set, and finish with word problems.

Accuracy beats attempts. At −0.25 a wrong answer, 40 attempts at 90% accuracy beat 55 attempts at 65%.

Practise on the real clock

RankVyuh's IBPS RRB mocks use the same two timers: Reasoning first for 25 minutes, then Quant for 20. The report shows your accuracy and time on every topic, including puzzles and DI.