IBPS RRB: Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

Dear Aspirants,

Following are the many queries we received from you regarding the IBPS RRB 2017 Examination, we decided to put together the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of the IBPS RRB Recruitment Examination 2017.

Following are some of the most common queries we received on IBPS RRB Examination:

 

Exam FAQs

1. What are the posts available under this recruitment?

The exam is conducted for the recruitment of Group ‘A’ Officers Scale – 1, 2 and 3 and Group ‘B’ Office Assistants (multipurpose). The Group ‘A’ posts are considered similar to Probationary Officers and Group ‘B’ posts are considered similar to Clerk jobs in PSUs.

2. What are the Regional Rural Banks participating in CWE 2017?

Name of the RRB	Head Office	State/Union Territory	Desired local language proficiency
Allahabad UP Gramin Bank	Banda	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit
Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank	Warangal	Telangana	Telugu
Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank	Kadapa	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu
Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank	Naharlagun (Papumpare)	Arunachal Pradesh	English
Assam Gramin Vikash Bank	Guwahati	Assam	Assamese, Bengali, Bodo
Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank	Murshidabad	West Bengal	Bengali
Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank	Bharuch	Gujarat	Gujarati
Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank	Ajmer	Rajasthan	Hindi
Baroda UP Gramin Bank	Raibareilly	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit
Bihar Gramin Bank	Begusarai	Bihar	Hindi
Central Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank	Chhindwara	Madhya Pradesh	Hindi
Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank	Guntur	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu
Chhattisgarh Rajya Gramin Bank	Raipur	Chhattisgarh	Hindi
Dena Gujarat Gramin Bank	Gandhinagar	Gujarat	Gujarati
Ellaquai Dehati Bank	Srinagar	Jammu and Kashmir	Dogri, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Urdu, Gojri, Pahari, Ladakhi, Balti (Palli), Dardi, Hindi
Gramin Bank of Aryavart	Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank	Mandi	Himachal Pradesh	Hindi
J & K Grameen Bank	Jammu	Jammu and Kashmir	Dogri, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Urdu, Gojri, Pahari, Ladakhi, Balti (Palli), Dardi, Hindi
Jharkhand Gramin Bank	Ranchi	Jharkhand	Hindi
Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank	Dharwad	Karnataka	Kannada
Kashi Gomti Samyut Grameen Bank	Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
Kaveri Grameen Bank	Mysore	Karnataka	Kannada
Kerala Gramin Bank	Mallapuram	Kerala	Malayalam
Langpi Dehangi Rural Bank	Diphu	Assam	Assamese, Bengali, Bodo
Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank	Patna	Bihar	Hindi
Madhyanchal Gramin Bank	Sagar	Madhya Pradesh	Hindi
Maharashtra Gramin Bank	Aurangabad	Maharashtra	Marathi
Malwa Gramin Bank	Sangrur	Punjab	Punjabi
Manipur Rural Bank	Imphal	Manipur	Manipuri
Meghalaya Rural Bank	Shillong	Meghalaya	Khasi, Garo
Mizoram Rural Bank	Aizwal	Mizoram	Mizo
Nagaland Rural Bank	Kohima	Nagaland	English
Narmada Jhabua Gramin Bank	Indore	Madhya Pradesh	Hindi
Odisha Gramya Bank	Bhubaneswar	Odisha	Odia
Pallavan Grama Bank	Salem	Tamil Nadu	Tamil
Pandyan Grama Bank	Virudhunagar	Tamil Nadu	Tamil
Paschim Banga Gramin Bank	Howrah	West Bengal	Bengali
Pragathi Krishna Gramin Bank	Bellary	Karnataka	Kannada
Prathama Bank	Moradabad	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
Puduvai Bharthiar Grama Bank	Puducherry	Puducherry	Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu
Punjab Gramin Bank	Kapurthala	Punjab	Punjabi
Purvanchal Bank	Gorakhpur	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank	Jodhpur	Rajasthan	Hindi
Saptagiri Grameena Bank	Chittor	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu
Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank	Rohtak	Haryana	Hindi
Sarva UP Gramin Bank	Meerut	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
Surashtra Gramin Bank	Rajkot	Gujarat	Gujarati
Sutlej Gramin Bank	Bhatinda	Punjab	Punjabi
Telangana Grameena Bank	Hyderabad	Telangana	Telugu, Urdu
Tripura Grameen Bank	Agartala	Tripura	Bengali, Kokborak
Utkal Grameen Bank	Bolangir	Odisha	Odia
Uttarbanga Kshtriya Grameen Bank	Coochbehar	West Bengal	Bengali, Nepali
Uttar Bihar Grameen Bank	Muzaffarpur	Bihar	Hindi
Uttarakhand Gramin Bank	Dehradun	Uttarakhand	Hindi, Sanskrit
Vananchal Gramin Bank	Dumka	Jharkhand	Hindi
Vidharbha Konkan Gramin Bank	Nagpur	Maharashtra	Marathi

 

3. How many vacancies are there in total?

13,000 plus vacancies; out of which Scale-1 Officer vacancies are 5,123 and Office Assistant vacancies 8,298. However, some regional rural banks (RRBs) have not yet reported their vacancies to IBPS. Therefore the vacancies mentioned are indicative and not exhaustive. More vacancies are anticipated as communicated by the RRBs. The provisional allotment will be made based on the actual vacancies reported.

 

 

4. When is the exam going to be held?

IBPS RRB Officer Scale – 1
Prelims	9, 10 and 16 September 2017
Mains	5 November 2017

 

IBPS RRB Officer Scale – 2 and 3
Single Exam	5 November 2017

 

IBPS RRB Office Assistant
Prelims	17, 23 and 24 September 2017
Mains	12 November 2017

 

5. What is the exam pattern?

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-1 Prelims

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	40	45 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude	Hindi/English	40	40
Total		80	80

 

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-1 Mains

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	50	120 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude	Hindi/English	40	50
General Awareness	Hindi/English	40	40
English Language*	English	40	40
Hindi Language*	Hindi	40	40
Computer Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	20
Total		200	200

*Candidates can opt either English Language or Hindi Language

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-2

General Banking Officer

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	50	120 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation	Hindi/English	40	50
Financial Awareness	Hindi/English	40	40
English Language*	English	40	40
Hindi Language*	Hindi	40	40
Computer Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	20
Total		200	200

*Candidates can opt either English Language or Hindi Language

Specialist Cadre

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	40	150 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation	Hindi/English	40	40
Financial Awareness	Hindi/English	40	40
English Language*	English	40	20
Hindi Language*	Hindi	40	20
Computer Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	20
Professional Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	40
Total		240	200

*Candidates can opt either English Language or Hindi Language

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-3

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	50	120 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation	Hindi/English	40	50
Financial Awareness	Hindi/English	40	40
English Language*	English	40	40
Hindi Language*	Hindi	40	40
Computer Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	20
Total		200	200

*Candidates can opt either English Language or Hindi Language

IBPS RRB Office Assistant Prelims

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	40	45 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude	Hindi/English	40	40
Total		80	80

IBPS RRB Office Assistant Mains

Name of the section	Medium	Number of questions	Maximum marks	Duration
Reasoning	Hindi/English	40	50	120 Mins
Quantitative Aptitude	Hindi/English	40	50
General Awareness	Hindi/English	40	40
English Language*	English	40	40
Hindi Language*	Hindi	40	40
Computer Knowledge	Hindi/English	40	20
Total		200	200

*Candidates can opt either English Language or Hindi Language

 

6. Is the exam bilingual?

All the sections except the Hindi and English Language sections are bilingual. However, candidates can opt between Hindi and English language in all the exams.

7. Is there a sectional cut off?

Yes. Each candidate is required to obtain a minimum score in each section of the Main examinations of IBPS RRB Office Scale-1 and Office Assistant and in single exams of Officer Scale 2 and 3.

 

8. When will the results be declared?

Prelims (Scale 1 and Office Assistant): October 2017

Mains (Scale 1, 2 and 3): November 2017

 

9. What is the mode of examination?

The exams will be conducted in online mode only.

 

10. Is there a penalty for wrong answers?

Yes. For each wrong answer one-fourth of the marks allotted to that question will be deducted. However, there will be no deduction if the question is left unanswered.

 

Post-exam FAQs

1. How is the exam evaluated to make final merit list?

Office Assistant: Prelims is qualifying. Marks obtained in main exam will be considered for the final merit list.

Officer Scale-1: Prelims is qualifying. Marks obtained in main exam will be considered for shortlisting for interview and final merit list.

Officer Scale-2 and 3: Marks obtained in the single exam will be considered for shortlisting for the interview and final merit list.

 

2. Will there be interview after the written exam?

There will be an interview for the posts of Officer Scale – 1, 2 and 3. However, there is no interview for the post Office Assistant. Candidates applying for Office Assistant post will be provisionally allotted on basis of marks obtained in the main exam and the vacancies.

 

3. Should I know the local language to apply from a state?

Yes. Proficiency in local language is essential for the posts of Officer Scale-1 and Office Assistant. Candidates who have studied the local language in 8^th grade or above 8^th grade from a Government approved board would be considered proficient in that language. However those who do not meet this requirement will be given a time of six months from the date of joining the RRB to acquire the proficiency.

 

Eligibility FAQs

1. What is the eligibility criteria for recruitment?

Officer Scale-1 Eligibility: Assistant Manager

Age as on 1^st July 2017: 18-30 years

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Proficiency in local language as prescribed by participating RRBs and basic computer skills (desirable).

 

Officer Scale-2 Eligibility: Manager

Age as on 1^st July 2017: 21-32 years

General Banking Officer (Manager)

Education: Bachelor’s degree with minimum 50% marks in aggregate.

Work experience: 2 years as an officer in a bank or Financial Institution

Specialist Officer (Manager)

IT Officer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electronics/Communication/Computer Science/IT or equivalent with minimum 50% aggregate. Certificate in ASP, PHP, C++, Java, VB, VC, OCP (desirable).

Work experience: 1 year in relevant field.

Chartered Accountant

Education: CA from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

Work experience: 1 year as Chartered Accountant

Law Officer

Education: Degree in Law or its equivalent with 50% marks in aggregate.

Work experience: 2 years as advocate or 2 years as Law Officer in banks or Financial Institutions

Treasury Manager

Education: Chartered Accountant or MBA in Finance

Word experience: 1 year in relevant field

Marketing Officer

Education: MBA in Marketing

Work experience: 1 year in relevant field

Agricultural Officer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture/Horticulture/Forestry/Dairy/Animal Husbandry/Veterinary Science/Agricultural Engineering/Pisciculture or equivalent with minimum 50% marks in aggregate.

Work experience: 2 years in relevant field

 

Officer Scale-3 Eligibility: Senior Manager

Age as on 1^st July 2017: 21-40 years

Education: Bachelor’s degree with minimum 50% marks in aggregate.

Word experience: 5 years as officer in Bank or Financial Institutions

 

Office Assistant Eligibility: Multipurpose

Age as on 1^st July 2017: 18-28 years

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Proficiency in local language as prescribed by participating RRBs and basic computer skills (desirable).

 

2. I am in my final year of graduation, can I apply for IBPS RRB?

Yes, you can. However, all the qualifications mentioned should be from institutions/boards/universities approved and recognized by the Government of India. The regulatory bodies and results should have been declared on or before 1^st of August 2017. The document from your board/university for having declared results on or before 1^st of August 2017 should be submitted at the time of interview (for Scale-1, 2 and 3 Officers) or at the time of joining for Office Assistant.

 

3. How to calculate the percentage?

The percentage should be arrived at by dividing the total marks obtained by the candidate in all the subjects in all semesters(s)/year(s) by aggregate maximum marks in all the subjects irrespective of honors/options/additional optional subject if any. Fractions will be ignore. i.e., 59.99% will be treated at less than 60%.

 

4. Is there any relaxation in age for candidates belonging to reserved category?

Yes.

For reserved categories the following relaxations would apply:

Category	Age relaxation
SC/ST	5 years
OBC	3 years
Persons with benchmark disabilities as defined under “The rights of persons with disabilities act, 2016”	10 years
Ex-servicemen/disabled ex-servicemen	(for the post of office assistant)   actual period of service rendered in the defense forces + 3 years (8 years for disabled ex-servicemen belonging to SC/ST) subject to a maximum age limit of 50 years
In the case of ex-servicemen commissioned officers, including ECOs/SSCOs, who have rendered at least 5 years military service and have been released on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within the next one year from the last date for receipt of application) other than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct of inefficiency or on account of physical disability attributable to military service or an invalidment, subject to ceiling as per government guidelines	(for the post of Officers)   5 years
Widows, divorced women, and women legally separated from their husbands who have not remarried	(only for the post of office assistant)   9 years
Persons ordinarily domiciled in the state of Jammu & Kashmir during the period 1-1-80 to 31-12-89	5 years
Persons affected by 1984 riots	5 years

 

5. When should I submit the OBC certificates?

Candidates seeking age relaxation will be required to submit copies of necessary certificates at the time of interview, if shortlisted. (Officer Scale – 1, 2 and 3)

Candidates applying for Office Assistant post, seeking age relaxation, will be required to submit copies of necessary certificates at the time of verification of documents on the day or before the day of joining the allotted RRB.

Note: In case of OBC, the certificate must contain a clause that the candidate doesn’t belong to creamy layer section excluded from the benefits of reservation for OBC in civil post & services under Government of India.

 

Application FAQs

1. When will the registrations begin?

The registrations begin on 24th July 2017. The last date for registration is 14th of August 2017.

 

2. Can a candidate apply for both posts: Officers and Office Assistants?

Yes. But the candidates can only apply for one post in the officer’s cadre. That is, if you’re applying for Officer Scale-1, then you can’t apply for Officer Scale – 2 and 3. However, you can apply for both Officer Scale-1 and Office Assistant Exams. The application process is separate and fee is also paid separately for the posts applied.

 

3. What is the application fee?

Officer Scale – 1, 2 and 3:

Rs.100/- for SC/ST/PWD candidates

Rs.600/- for all others

Office Assistant (multipurpose):

Rs.100/- for SC/ST/PWD/EXSM candidates

Rs.600/- for all others

 

4. If I am from a particular state, can I select a different state to apply?

Yes, you can. If you’re applying for the posts of Officer Scale-1 and Office Assistant, the names of RRBs for giving the order of preference will be available based on the state which you select to apply for. You will however have to select center of exam in that state only.

 

5. Can I make changes in the application form after submission?

No. Particulars mentioned in online application will be considered final and no change/modifications will be allowed after submission of the online application form. Hence the application needs to be filled with utmost care.

 

We hope the above IBPS RRB Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) helped clear some of your doubts too!

We wish you all the very best for your exam!

 

IBPS RRB Mock Tests are now available in English & Hindi! Click to take a free test in the latest pattern!

 

Further reading:

IBPS RRB 2017 Exam Notification

IBPS RRB Officer Scale-1 and Office Assistant Exam Preparation Strategy

IBPS RRB Clerk 2019 Online Classes

Online Bank Coaching For RRB Bank