IBPS Clerk CRP CSA-XVI Recruitment 2026 for 11,403 Customer Service Associate Posts

Quick Highlights

• Recruiting body: Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
• Recruitment process: CRP CSA-XVI (Customer Service Associates, i.e. clerks)
• Vacancies: 11,403 (indicative, for 2027-28)
• Participating banks: 11 public sector banks
• Application mode: Online only
• Registration period: 1 August 2026 to 21 August 2026
• Preliminary Exam: October 2026 (tentative)
• Main Exam: December 2026 (tentative)

About IBPS CRP CSA-XVI

Through CRP CSA-XVI, IBPS will conduct a two-tier online examination, Preliminary followed by Main, to select candidates for the Customer Service Associate post in the clerical cadre of the Participating Public Sector Banks. Candidates who qualify the Preliminary Exam and are shortlisted will appear for the Main Exam, and those who clear the Main Exam and rank sufficiently high in merit will be provisionally allotted to one of the participating banks based on merit-cum-preference and the vacancies actually reported for the financial year 2027-28. Recruitment is done on a State or Union Territory basis, so candidates can apply for vacancies of only one State or UT, and the provisional allotment remains valid for one year from the date of allotment or until a fresh allotment is made.

The eleven Participating Public Sector Banks under this recruitment are Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India.

Important Dates

These dates are tentative and IBPS may revise them through announcements on its official website.

Application Fee

Payment can be made online between 1 August 2026 and 21 August 2026 using debit card, credit card, internet banking, IMPS, cash cards, mobile wallets or UPI. Bank transaction charges for online payment are to be borne by the candidate, and the fee once paid is non-refundable.

Vacancy Details

IBPS has indicated a total of 11,403 vacancies for CRP CSA-XVI, spread across 36 States and Union Territories. These figures are described as indicative in the notification, and the number of candidates finally allotted will depend on actual vacancies reported by the participating banks during the financial year 2027-28.

Within this total, IBPS has also earmarked vacancies for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: 137 for Hearing Impaired (HI), 121 for Orthopedically Challenged/Locomotor Disability (OC), 121 for Visual Impairment (VI) and 93 for Intellectual Disability and Others (ID). Separately, 1,051 vacancies are marked for Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and 407 for Disabled Ex-Servicemen (DESM), out of the overall total. Karnataka (1,414), Uttar Pradesh (1,731), Maharashtra (1,051) and Gujarat (698) currently show the highest indicative vacancies among all States and UTs. The complete State and bank-wise category breakup is available in Annexure-I of the official notification.

Eligibility Criteria

Nationality

A candidate must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, a subject of Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or specified East African and other countries with the intention of permanently settling in India. Candidates in the last four categories must hold an eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India.

Age Limit (As on 1 August 2026)

The minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 28 years, meaning candidates must be born not earlier than 2 August 1998 and not later than 1 August 2006.

Relaxation for SC/ST/OBC candidates can be combined with only one of the other relaxation categories, and not with more than one.

Educational Qualification (As on 21 August 2026)

Candidates need a degree (graduation) in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, or an equivalent qualification, and must indicate their percentage of marks in graduation while registering online. Candidates applying for a particular State or UT must also be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the specified local language of that State or UT, as listed in the notification, and basic computer literacy is mandatory for all applicants.

Pay Scale

The Customer Service Associate post carries a Basic Pay in the scale of Rs. 24,050-1340/3-28,070-1650/3-33,020-2000/4-41,020-2340/7-57,400-4400/1-61,800-2680/1-64,480, along with allowances and perquisites as applicable in the concerned Participating Bank from time to time.

Selection Process

Selection for CRP CSA-XVI is through an Online Preliminary Examination followed by an Online Main Examination, both objective in nature, and a subsequent Local Language Proficiency Test for shortlisted or provisionally allotted candidates.

Preliminary Examination

Main Examination

Candidates must qualify in each test as well as the overall cut-off decided by IBPS. A penalty of 0.25 marks is deducted for every wrong answer in both exams, while unattempted questions carry no penalty. Only marks obtained in the Main Examination are considered for the final merit list and provisional allotment; scores of the Preliminary Exam are used only for shortlisting.

Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT)

Candidates must be proficient in the specified or opted local language of the State/UT they apply for. Those who have studied that language up to 10th standard are exempt from this test. For others, the LLPT is conducted after the Main Exam or provisional allotment but before joining, and is qualifying in nature; candidates who fail to clear it will not be offered appointment.

Provisional Allotment

Total marks of 200 in the Main Exam are converted to 100 for merit purposes. Shortlisted candidates are provisionally allotted to one participating bank based on merit-cum-preference, category norms and actual vacancies reported by the banks for 2027-28. A reserve list of about 30 percent of vacancies in each category may also be maintained, valid for one year from the date of allotment.

Documents Required

• System-generated printout of the online application form
• Proof of date of birth (birth certificate or 10th standard/SSLC certificate showing DOB)
• Valid photo identity proof as specified in the notification
• Mark sheets and degree certificate for graduation, or provisional certificate
• 10th standard or above mark sheet showing the local language studied, if claiming exemption from LLPT
• Caste certificate in the prescribed format for SC/ST/OBC (NCL) candidates
• Income and Asset Certificate for EWS candidates
• Disability certificate in the prescribed format for PwBD candidates
• Relevant discharge certificate, proforma or declaration for Ex-Servicemen candidates
• No Objection Certificate for candidates already employed in Government, Quasi-Government or Public Sector organisations

How to Apply

1. Visit the official IBPS website (www.ibps.in) and open the "CRP CSA" link, then click "CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE FOR CRP-Customer Service Associates (CRP-CSA-XVI)".
2. Click on "CLICK HERE FOR NEW REGISTRATION" and enter basic details to generate a provisional registration number and password.
3. Upload the required documents, including photograph, signature, left thumb impression, a hand written declaration, and SSC/SSLC/10th standard certificate, following the specifications given in the notification.
4. Fill in all sections of the online application form carefully using the "SAVE AND NEXT" option and verify every field before submission.
5. Pay the application fee or intimation charges online through debit card, credit card, internet banking, IMPS, UPI, or mobile wallet.
6. Submit the completed application, download the e-receipt, and take a printout of the system generated application form for future reference.

Candidates should apply well before the closing date instead of waiting for the last day, since heavy website traffic close to the deadline can cause difficulty in registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is IBPS CRP CSA-XVI?

IBPS CRP CSA-XVI is the Common Recruitment Process being conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit Customer Service Associates, commonly called clerks, for vacancies of 2027-28 in eleven participating public sector banks.

Q2. What is the last date to apply for IBPS Clerk CRP CSA-XVI 2026?

Online registration and payment of application fee for CRP CSA-XVI will remain open from 1 August 2026 to 21 August 2026.

Q3. What is the age limit for IBPS Clerk CRP CSA-XVI?

Candidates must be between 20 and 28 years of age as on 1 August 2026, meaning they should be born between 2 August 1998 and 1 August 2006, subject to category-wise age relaxation.

Q4. What is the minimum educational qualification required?

Candidates need a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university, along with proficiency in the local language of the State or UT they are applying for and basic computer literacy.

Q5. How many vacancies are there in IBPS CRP CSA-XVI 2026?

IBPS has indicated around 11,403 vacancies across 36 States and Union Territories for the 2027-28 recruitment cycle, though the actual number will depend on vacancies finally reported by the participating banks.

Q6. What is the application fee for CRP CSA-XVI?

The application fee is Rs. 175 (inclusive of GST) for SC, ST, PwBD, ESM and DESM candidates, and Rs. 850 (inclusive of GST) for all other candidates.

Q7. What is the exam pattern for IBPS Clerk CRP CSA-XVI?

The Preliminary Exam has 100 objective questions on English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability in 60 minutes, while the Main Exam has 160 questions covering General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude in 125 minutes.

Q8. Is there negative marking in the IBPS CRP CSA-XVI exam?

Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer in both the Preliminary and Main examinations, while unattempted questions carry no penalty.

Source

This article is based on the official CRP CSA-XVI notification released by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection on 1 August 2026. Candidates are advised to read the complete notification on the official IBPS website before applying.

Disclaimer

The details in this article, including dates, fees and vacancy figures, are based on the official notification available at the time of writing and are indicative in nature. Candidates should verify all information from the official IBPS website before proceeding with their application, as IBPS reserves the right to change any criteria, schedule or process.