IBPS Clerk Answer Key 2026: Does IBPS Release It? Score & Marking

IBPS does not release an answer key or open an objection window for the Clerk (CRP CSA-XVI) 2026 Preliminary — none is provided for in the CRP CSA-XVI notification, and candidates get scores rather than a key. For the CSA-XV Preliminary, IBPS published a "Process for Arriving at Scores" note explaining how scores were calculated. The Preliminary result is scheduled for November, 2026.

Can you report a wrong question in IBPS Clerk 2026?

Only during the exam. The CSA-XVI Preliminary Information Handout says a "Report Question" button is available on screen if a candidate wishes to report an issue in any question. No fee, window or post-exam objection form is notified. Complaints about the process go through cgrs.ibps.in.

IBPS Clerk marking scheme: working out your own score

For each wrong answer, one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted to arrive at the corrected score. A question left blank carries no penalty.

• Preliminary (100 marks, 60 minutes): English Language has 30 questions for 30 marks, Numerical Ability 35 for 35, and Reasoning Ability 35 for 35, each separately timed at 20 minutes. You must clear the cut-off in each of the three tests.
• Main (200 marks, 125 minutes): General/Financial Awareness has 40 questions for 50 marks in 20 minutes; General English, 40 for 40 in 35 minutes; Reasoning Ability, 40 for 60 in 35 minutes; and Quantitative Aptitude, 40 for 50 in 35 minutes. You need a minimum in each test and a minimum total.
• Conversion: the Main is marked out of 200, but marks are converted out of 100 for provisional allotment.

Your raw tally will differ from IBPS's figure. Scores from different sessions are normalised by the equi-percentile method, and calculations use scores up to two decimal points. For the CRP CSA-XV Preliminary, the Process for Arriving at Scores note explained that corrected scores were equated across sessions to adjust for differences in difficulty. It said cut-offs were applied on each test and on the total score, but did not list the cut-off values.

What comes after the Preliminary scores?

Candidates shortlisted from the Preliminary sit the Main, scheduled in the IBPS calendar for 27 December 2026. Main scores are not shared until the provisional allotment process is complete, and only Main marks count for final merit. In CRP CSA-XV, the provisional allotment notice of 02.03.2026 published the State/UT-wise and category-wise maximum and minimum Main scores out of 100 for both the allotment and the reserve list.

IBPS Clerk answer keys and score notes in past cycles