IBPS RRB Office Assistant (RRB Clerk) Exam Pattern 2026
The full IBPS RRB Office Assistant (RRB Clerk) exam pattern for 2026 — 2 stages, with the sections, question count, marks, duration and negative marking for each, as set by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). Then take a free IBPS RRB Office Assistant (RRB Clerk) mock in the real pattern below.
Preliminary Examination (screening only)
- Mode
- Online (Computer Based Test) at IBPS-designated centres
- Sections
- Reasoning · Numerical Ability
- Questions
- 80 multiple-choice questions (40 Reasoning + 40 Numerical Ability)
- Marks
- 80 marks (1 mark per question)
- Duration
- 45 minutes COMPOSITE TIMING — candidates can move between the two sections freely. (Note: RRB Office Assistant Prelims uses composite timing, not sectional.)
- Negative marking
- 0.25 mark deducted per wrong answer; no penalty for unattempted questions
Prelims is a screening test ONLY — marks do NOT carry forward to Mains merit. Candidates must clear both an overall cutoff and a sectional cutoff for each of the two sections. Roughly 10 times the state-wise vacancies are shortlisted for Mains. Recent General-category sectional cutoffs have hovered in the 24-32 range per section out of 40 (RRB Clerk cutoffs are typically higher than RRB PO because the paper is comparatively easier).
Main Examination (Office Assistant — Single Examination)
- Mode
- Online (Computer Based Test)
- Sections
- Reasoning · Computer Knowledge · General Awareness · English Language OR Hindi Language (candidate's choice) · Numerical Ability
- Questions
- 200 multiple-choice questions (Reasoning 40 + Computer 40 + GA 40 + English/Hindi 40 + Numerical Ability 40)
- Marks
- 200 marks (Reasoning 50 + Computer 20 + GA 40 + English/Hindi 40 + Numerical Ability 50)
- Duration
- 120 minutes (2 hours) COMPOSITE TIMING for the full paper
- Negative marking
- 0.25 mark deducted per wrong answer; no penalty for unattempted questions
Mains is the SOLE merit-deciding stage — there is NO interview for Office Assistant. Normalised Mains scores across shifts drive the state-wise category-wise final merit list. Sectional cutoffs must be cleared for each of the five sections. Language choice (English vs Hindi) is locked at application stage. General Awareness for RRB skews towards rural banking, NABARD, agricultural finance and Priority Sector Lending alongside standard banking awareness.
You know the pattern — now practise in it.
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