IBPS Clerk (Customer Service Associate)
What is the IBPS Clerk (Customer Service Associate) exam, who can apply, and how do the prelims and mains lead to a bank clerk post in one state?
IBPS Clerk is the Common Recruitment Process through which the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection fills clerical posts in eleven public sector banks. Since CRP CSA-XVI the post is called Customer Service Associate (CSA). You apply for the vacancies of one state or union territory, sit an online preliminary exam and an online main exam, and are provisionally allotted to a bank on main exam merit and your preference. There is no interview, but you must know the state's local language. This page follows IBPS's notification of 1 August 2026 for CRP CSA-XVI (vacancies of 2027-28) and the corrigendum of 29 September 2026.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 March 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
Registration for CSA-XVI closed on 21 August 2026. The notification gives tentative months for each later stage (main exam December 2026, allotment March 2027); check ibps.in for the current position.
Exam at a glance
- Conducted by
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), for the participating public sector banks[1]
- Post
- Customer Service Associate (CSA), a clerical cadre post[1]
- Participating banks (CSA-XVI)
- Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India[1]
- Education
- A degree in any discipline, with the result declared by 21 August 2026, plus computer literacy and the local language of the state you apply for[1]
- Age limit
- 20 to 28 years on 1 August 2026 (born between 2 August 1998 and 1 August 2006)[1]
- Stages
- Online preliminary exam, online main exam, provisional allotment, local language test before joining[1]
- Application fee
- Rs 850 (Rs 175 for SC, ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen and disabled ex-servicemen), including GST[1]
- Starting basic pay
- Rs 24,050 a month on the scale 24050-1340/3-28070-1650/3-33020-2000/4-41020-2340/7-57400-4400/1-61800-2680/1-64480, plus the bank's allowances[1]
- Vacancies
- Indicative, state by state and bank by bank, updated on 29 September 2026; Union Bank of India had not reported[2]
This check runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. It applies the age rules of IBPS's CRP CSA-XVI notification of 1 August 2026 (age on 1 August 2026), checked 19 October 2026. It checks age only; the bank verifies every document at joining.
Main exam: where the 200 marks are
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
You must clear IBPS's cut-off in each of the three tests. Each test is timed separately.[1]
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 40 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 160 | 200 | 125 minutes |
Each test has a minimum score, and there is a minimum total. Only main exam marks count for the merit list; they are converted to a score out of 100 for allotment. A wrong answer costs one fourth (0.25) of that question's marks in both exams; a blank costs nothing.[1]
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC and ST | 5 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| Persons with benchmark disabilities | 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen and disabled ex-servicemen | Actual service in the defence forces plus 3 years (8 years for disabled ex-servicemen who are SC or ST), up to age 50 |
| Widows, and divorced or legally separated women who have not remarried | Up to age 35 (General and EWS), 38 (OBC) or 40 (SC and ST) |
SC, ST and OBC relaxation adds to only one of the other relaxations. General and EWS candidates get the base limit of 28.[1]
You need a degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, with the result declared by 21 August 2026, and you must hold the mark sheet or degree certificate on the day you register. You enter your graduation percentage to two decimals; if your university gives a CGPA, you convert it by the university's own rule and bring proof of that rule.
You also need working knowledge of computers: a certificate, diploma or degree in computer operations or a computer language, or computers or IT studied as a subject at school, college or an institute. An ex-serviceman without a degree qualifies with Class 10 and the Army Special Certificate of Education (or the Navy or Air Force equivalent) after at least 15 years of service.
The age band is 20 to 28 years on 1 August 2026. Indian citizens can apply, and so can subjects of Nepal and Bhutan and some other groups the notification lists, who need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.[1]
Clerical recruitment is done state by state, so you apply for the vacancies of one state or union territory only and sit the exam at a centre there (IBPS may move you to a centre outside it, but you are still considered for the state you chose).
You must read, write, speak and understand one of that state's listed local languages, which you name in the form. If your Class 10 or higher mark sheet shows you studied that language, you skip the Local Language Proficiency Test. Otherwise you take it after the main exam or allotment and before joining. It is qualifying, and failing it ends your candidature.
Except for the English test, you can take the exams in English, Hindi or the languages IBPS lists for your state, such as Bengali in West Bengal or Tamil in Tamil Nadu.[1]
- Preliminary exam: a screening test. Clear the cut-off in all three tests and rank high enough in your category to be called to the mains.
- Main exam: minimum scores in each test and in total, set state by state against the vacancies. Its marks alone make the merit list.
- Provisional allotment to one bank in your state, on merit and the bank preferences you gave. There is no interview. Ties go to the older candidate.
- Local language test, if you need it, before joining. Then the bank checks your documents and makes the offer.
- A reserve list of about 30% of the vacancies in each category may be kept for one year after allotment, and IBPS may allot from it three or four times if banks report more vacancies.
Source[1]
- 1 to 21 August 2026: online registration and fee payment.
- September 2026: pre-exam training for some SC, ST, OBC, minority, ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates who opted for it.
- October 2026: preliminary exam; result in November 2026 (tentative).
- December 2026: main exam (tentative).
- March 2027: provisional allotment (tentative).
- 29 September 2026: IBPS updated the indicative vacancies; all other terms stayed the same.
Source[1]
Tips and tricks
- Work out your graduation percentage the notification's way: total marks in all subjects and all semesters, divided by the total maximum, times 100, with fractions ignored. 59.99% counts as less than 60%.[1]
- Check that a Class 10 or later mark sheet shows the local language you name. With it, you skip the language test.[1]
- Keep proof of computer literacy ready: a certificate, diploma or degree, or a mark sheet showing computers or IT as a subject.[1]
- Practise each section to its own clock. Every test in both exams is timed separately, and in the mains General / Financial Awareness gives you 20 minutes for 40 questions.[1]
Questions people ask
What is the age limit for IBPS Clerk?
For CRP CSA-XVI, 20 to 28 years on 1 August 2026, so you must be born between 2 August 1998 and 1 August 2006. SC and ST candidates get 5 more years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 and PwBD 10.[1]
Is IBPS Clerk now called Customer Service Associate?
Yes. The CRP CSA-XVI notification recruits Customer Service Associates, which it describes as clerical cadre posts in the participating banks.[1]
Is there an interview in IBPS Clerk?
No. Provisional allotment follows the main exam merit list and your bank preferences. Before joining you may have to pass the local language test.[1]
Do prelims marks count in the final IBPS Clerk result?
No. Only main exam marks are used for the final merit list. The prelims only shortlist candidates for the mains.[1]
Can I apply for more than one state in IBPS Clerk?
No. You apply for the vacancies of one state or union territory only, and you must know one of its listed local languages.[1]
Is there negative marking in IBPS Clerk?
Yes. In the prelims and the mains, a wrong answer loses one fourth (0.25) of the marks for that question. Unanswered questions lose nothing.[1]
Connected pages
- Related · ExamIBPS PO (Probationary Officer / Management Trainee)IBPS PO/MT (CRP-XVI) from the official IBPS notification: the graduate rule, 20-30 age band, prelims and mains pattern, interview and bank allotment.
- Related · DegreeB.Com (Bachelor of Commerce)How long a B.Com takes, the 4-year honours option, how central universities admit, and the CA, CS and SSC routes after it. From UGC, ICAI, ICSI and NTA.
- Related · ExamSSC CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination)SSC CHSL 2026 from the official SSC notice: LDC/JSA and Data Entry Operator posts, the 18-27 age rule, Tier-I and Tier-II pattern and the typing or skill test.
- Related · DegreeBA (Bachelor of Arts)How long a BA takes, the honours and research year, majors and minors, the CUET tests that get you in, and the MA through CUET (PG). From UGC and NTA.
- Related · ExamIBPS RRB Clerk (Office Assistant Multipurpose)IBPS RRB Office Assistant (CRP RRBs-XV) from the official notice: the 18-28 age band, prelims and mains pattern, local-language rule and allotment.
- Related · ExamSBI Clerk (Junior Associate, Customer Support & Sales)SBI Junior Associate 2026 (CRPD/CR/2026-27/17) from SBI's notice: any degree, age 20-28, one state only, prelims, mains and the local language test.
Official and partner links
Sources
- Notification CRP CSA-XVI: Common Recruitment Process for Recruitment of Customer Service Associates in Participating Public Sector Banks (Vacancies of 2027-28), dated 01.08.2026, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Important dates, Introduction, sections A, B.I, B.II, B.VI, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K (pp. 1-20). Accessed 19 October 2026.
- Corrigendum dated 29.09.2026 in connection with CRP CSA-XVI, with updated Annexure I (indicative vacancies as on 29.09.2026), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Corrigendum p. 1, and its updated Annexure I (state tables), linked from ibps.in. Accessed 19 October 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 19 October 2026.