IBPS clerk previous year question paper: prelims and mains guide

The format your practice papers must match

Old papers only help if you time them against today's exam. The prelims has been steady for many cycles: 30 English questions, then 35 of numerical ability and 35 of reasoning, every block locked at 20 minutes, for 100 marks in one hour.

The mains has changed more often. Reports of the 2024 mains describe a long paper of about 190 questions in 160 minutes, with computer aptitude folded into reasoning. The 2025 mains was reported at 155 questions for 200 marks in 120 minutes. Coverage of the newest notice puts it at 160 questions in 125 minutes: awareness 40 questions in 20 minutes, English 40 in 35, reasoning 40 in 35 and quant 40 in 35. So an IBPS clerk mains previous year paper from an older cycle should be re-timed before you use it. For the complete topic tables, read the IBPS clerk syllabus.

Prelims shifts seen through an IBPS clerk previous year question paper

Analyses of the 2025 prelims shifts, built from candidate feedback, describe an easy paper where speed decided the score. One reported shift looked like this:

• Reasoning: about 18 of the 35 questions came from puzzles and seating (circular, linear, box and month based), with short blocks of sequence, inequality, direction and blood relation questions.
• Numerical ability: roughly 12 simplification items, 10 data interpretation questions on a table and a line graph, and 13 word problems spread across ages, percentage, interest, mixtures, work, speed and mensuration.
• English: a passage with about 9 questions, a cloze test of 6, and small sets of word swaps, error spotting and phrase replacement.

Other shifts moved a few questions around but kept the same shape. Anyone hunting for an IBPS clerk pre previous year paper should expect this shape: lots of quick marks, and penalties waiting for anyone who guesses under pressure.

What past mains papers ask

The mains is where the ranking happens, and past papers show a clear jump in difficulty. Reports of the 2025 mains rated it moderate overall:

• Reasoning: four or five big puzzle sets (box based, year based, single row with mixed facing), a group of roughly six critical reasoning questions, coded statements, machine input and output, and data sufficiency.
• Quantitative aptitude: two or three data interpretation sets including a caselet, approximation, missing number series with two variables, and around eight arithmetic questions. Candidates rated it the toughest section.
• English: two long passages giving 15 or more questions, a cloze passage, column matching, connectors, double error spotting and a seven part rearrangement.
• Awareness: banking terms, schemes and economic news from roughly the two months before the exam.

An IBPS clerk mains previous year question paper therefore teaches you two things: puzzles take most of the reasoning clock, and reading speed decides English.

A practice routine built around old papers

1. Diagnose first: attempt one full prelims paper cold, with the three 20 minute locks. Note your attempts and accuracy per section.
2. Section drills: for the next three weeks, solve one past section a day. In numerical ability, finish all simplification items in under five minutes before touching the data sets.
3. Selection practice: in reasoning, read every puzzle setup once, pick the two shortest and leave the rest. Most high scorers attempt three or four puzzle sets, not all of them.
4. Mains block: once prelims is done, re-time older mains papers to the current section limits and practise the awareness section in 20 minutes flat.
5. Error log: turn every mistake into a one line rule, and read the log before every mock.

Try these questions in the clerk style

We wrote this mini set ourselves in the manner of recent clerk shifts; none of it comes from a real paper.

1. Simplification: 35% of 640 + 18 x 12 = ? (a) 440 (b) 436 (c) 450 (d) 428. Correct option (a), since 224 + 216 = 440.
2. Inequality: Given M > N = K and T < K, which conclusion must follow? (a) M > T (b) N < T (c) T = M (d) K > M. Answer: (a).
3. Arithmetic: A trader prices a bag 40% over its cost, then allows 15% off that price. Find his gain percent. (a) 17% (b) 19% (c) 21% (d) 25%. Correct option (b), as 1.40 x 0.85 = 1.19.
4. English, error spotting: "Each of the clerks have submitted their report before the deadline." Which part has the error? Answer: "have" should be "has", because "each" takes a singular verb.

Where to find genuine IBPS papers

IBPS does not, as a rule, publish full clerk question papers or an official answer key. The sets you see elsewhere are memory based, rebuilt from what candidates recall after each shift, so small errors in options or figures are common. The material on ibps.in itself is reliable and worth reading:

• the notification with the exam scheme for your cycle
• information handouts released with call letters, explaining the test rules with a few illustrative items
• score cards and category wise cut offs after each stage

Use the official scheme to set your timings and the memory based sets only for question styles. For earlier qualifying scores, open the IBPS clerk cut off guide.

Pairing clerk papers with other bank exams

The clerk prelims shares its three subjects with the State Bank clerical exam, so SBI clerk previous papers make useful extra practice once you have worked through the IBPS sets. Planning to sit the gramin bank exam as well? Then, note that its prelims drops English and runs on a 45 minute clock; see IBPS RRB clerk previous papers. Officer aspirants can step up to IBPS PO previous papers. Every banking guide we have sits in the bank exams section.