IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026: 60-Day Study Plan for the 10-11 October Exam

IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026 will be held on 10 and 11 October 2026. From today (9 August), that leaves roughly 60 days. A workable plan: weeks 1–3 to close syllabus gaps, weeks 4–6 for sectional practice and speed work, and the final two weeks for full mocks on alternate days with error-log revision in between. If you have not applied yet, the window closes on 21 August 2026 at ibps.in.

Key dates at a glance

• Notification released: 1 August 2026 (CRP CSA-XVI, 11,403 Customer Service Associate vacancies)
• Last date to apply and pay fee: 21 August 2026
• Prelims exam: 10–11 October 2026
• Prelims result (expected): November 2026
• Mains exam: 27 December 2026

Prelims pattern: what 60 minutes look like

The prelims is 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, with sectional timing of 20 minutes each. There is a penalty of 0.25 mark per wrong answer.

• English Language — 30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes
• Numerical Ability — 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes
• Reasoning Ability — 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes

Because timing is sectional, you cannot borrow minutes from a stronger section. Each section has to stand on its own — plan practice accordingly.

The 60-day plan, phase by phase

Days 1–20: close the syllabus gaps

• Finish every topic once: simplification, number series, quadratic comparison, arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit-loss, time-work, time-distance), DI basics; puzzles and seating, syllogism, inequality, blood relations, alphanumeric series; grammar rules, reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting.
• Take one sectional test per day in whatever you studied that day — short, timed, 15–20 minutes.
• Keep a single notebook for formulas and grammar rules you got wrong. This becomes your final-week revision material.

Days 21–40: speed and accuracy

• Daily: one 20-minute sectional in each of the three sections. That is one hour of timed practice a day, minimum.
• Learn to leave questions. In Numerical Ability, 35 questions in 20 minutes means you attempt the 22–28 you can do fast, not all 35.
• Speed drills: 50 simplifications in 15 minutes, tables up to 30, squares up to 40, cubes up to 20, fraction–percentage conversions.
• Take one full mock at the end of each week (days 27, 34, 40) to track your baseline.

Days 41–60: mock season

• Full mock on alternate days — around 8–10 mocks in this phase. Same time slot as your actual shift if known.
• The day after each mock: error-log review. Classify every mistake as concept, calculation, or panic. Concept errors go back to the notebook; calculation errors get more drills; panic errors reduce as attempts get more selective.
• Last 7 days: no new topics. Only revision notebook, error log, and 3–4 final mocks.

Section-wise targets for a safe score

Cut-offs vary by state, but recent trends suggest an overall 70–80 in most states. A reasonable target: English 22–26 attempts with 90% accuracy, Numerical 24–28 attempts with 85–90% accuracy, and Reasoning 26–30 attempts with 90% accuracy. Accuracy matters more than attempts — 25 correct beats 32 attempts with 8 wrong.

A sample working-day timetable

• Morning (1 hr): Numerical Ability — one topic + 15-minute drill
• Commute/breaks (30 min): vocabulary, grammar rules, or puzzle sets on mobile
• Evening (1.5 hr): Reasoning practice set + one 20-minute English sectional
• Night (30 min): error log and formula notebook review

Weekends: one full mock plus its review — treat the review as seriously as the mock itself.

FAQs

Is there a sectional cut-off in IBPS Clerk Prelims?

Yes. You must clear the cut-off in each section separately, and the overall cut-off decided by IBPS. This is why a balanced plan beats over-investing in your favourite section.

How many mocks are enough?

Around 12–15 full mocks in the 60 days, concentrated in the last three weeks, with a proper review of each. Mocks without review add little.

Can prelims marks decide the final selection?

No. Prelims is qualifying — the final merit list is prepared from Mains marks alone. But you cannot reach Mains without clearing Prelims in your state's cut-off.

You can practise full-length IBPS-pattern mocks, sectional tests, and daily bilingual current-affairs MCQs on Pareeksha — built for SSC, RRB, and banking aspirants.