Opening Overview
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has issued the notification for the Common Recruitment Process (CRP CSA-XVI) for recruitment to the Customer Service Associate (CSA) post in participating public sector banks for vacancies of 2027-28. The Online Preliminary Examination is tentatively scheduled for October 2026, while the Online Main Examination is scheduled for December 2026. The Preliminary Examination call letter is expected to be made available in September 2026 through the official IBPS website.
Post Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Post Name | Customer Service Associate (CSA) |
| Recruitment Process | CRP CSA-XVI |
| Participating Banks | Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India |
| Vacancies | Indicative state-wise and category-wise vacancies for 2027-28 |
| Qualification | Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university, computer literacy and proficiency in the applicable local language |
| Category | Admit Card / Examination Notification |
| Status | Preliminary call letter scheduled for September 2026 |
| Official Website | www.ibps.in |
Important Dates
| Event | Tentative Schedule |
|---|---|
| Online Registration | 01/08/2026 to 21/08/2026 |
| Online Fee Payment | 01/08/2026 to 21/08/2026 |
| Application Edit Window | 2 days after closure of registration; dates to be notified |
| Pre-Examination Training | September 2026 |
| Preliminary Examination Call Letter | September 2026 |
| Online Preliminary Examination | October 2026 |
| Preliminary Examination Result | November 2026 |
| Main Examination Call Letter | November 2026 |
| Online Main Examination | December 2026 |
| Provisional Allotment | March 2027 |
Admit Card Details
The examination centre, venue address, reporting time, examination date and session will be mentioned in the respective call letter. Eligible candidates will be required to download the call letter from the official IBPS website using their Registration Number and Password or Date of Birth. No hard copy of the call letter or Information Handout will be sent by post or courier.
Candidates who opted for a scribe must enter the scribe details while downloading the call letter and download the separately generated scribe declaration form. The completed form must be carried to the examination venue along with the call letter and other required documents.
Documents Required for the Preliminary Examination
- Valid Preliminary Examination call letter.
- Original photo identity proof bearing exactly the same name as printed on the call letter.
- Photocopy of the photo identity proof.
- One additional recent photograph identical to the photograph pasted on the call letter.
- Scribe form and supporting documents, wherever applicable.
Accepted photo identity documents include PAN Card, Passport, Permanent Driving Licence, Voter ID Card with photograph, bank passbook with photograph, photo identity proof issued by a Gazetted Officer or People’s Representative, college or university identity card, Aadhaar or E-Aadhaar card with photograph, Employee ID and Bar Council identity card with photograph. Ration Card and Learner’s Driving Licence will not be accepted.
Candidates must report before the reporting time printed on the call letter. Late candidates will not be permitted to enter the examination. During the Preliminary Examination, the call letter and photocopy of the identity proof will be authenticated or stamped and returned to the candidate. Candidates shortlisted for the Main Examination must preserve these documents and bring them to the Main Examination along with the Main Examination call letter.
Examination Pattern
Preliminary Examination
| Test | Medium | Questions | Maximum Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | English | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | As per selected state or UT | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | As per selected state or UT | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
The Preliminary Examination is separately timed. Candidates must qualify in all three tests by securing the cut-off marks decided by IBPS.
Main Examination
| Test | Medium | Questions | Maximum Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General or Financial Awareness | As per selected state or UT | 40 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| General English | English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | As per selected state or UT | 40 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | As per selected state or UT | 40 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 160 | 200 | 125 minutes |
There will be a penalty of one-fourth of the marks assigned to a question for every incorrect answer in both the Preliminary and Main Examinations. No penalty will apply to questions left unanswered. Only the marks obtained in the Main Examination will be considered for final merit listing.
Local Language Proficiency Test
Candidates must be able to read, write, speak and understand the specified or opted local language of the State or Union Territory selected in the application. Candidates who produce a Class 10 or higher certificate showing that they studied the applicable local language will not be required to appear for the language test.
The Local Language Proficiency Test will be conducted after qualification in the Main Examination and provisional allotment, but before joining the allotted bank. It is qualifying in nature, and candidates who fail the test will not be offered appointment.
Examination Centres
The examination will be conducted online at centres across India. The tentative list includes centres in all participating States and Union Territories, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other regions. IBPS may cancel, add or change examination centres according to administrative feasibility. A candidate may also be allotted a centre outside the selected State or Union Territory.
No request for change of examination centre, date or session will be accepted.
Examination Centre Instructions
The following items are prohibited inside the examination centre:
- Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones, microphones, pagers and health bands.
- Calculators, electronic pens, scanners, pen drives, log tables, writing pads and stationery items.
- Watches, cameras and electronic devices with storage or screen-freeze facilities.
- Bags, purses, belts, caps, hair accessories, goggles and metallic items.
- Jewellery such as rings, earrings, chains, pendants, badges and brooches.
- Food items, water bottles and other articles that may facilitate unfair means.
Candidates using a scribe must arrange their own scribe at their own cost. Eligible candidates may receive compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour of examination, subject to registration for the facility during the online application. The scribe must not be a candidate for CRP CSA-XVI and may act as a scribe for only one candidate.
Participating Bank Allotment
Candidates qualifying in the Preliminary Examination will be shortlisted for the Main Examination. Candidates who qualify in the Main Examination and secure sufficient merit will be provisionally allotted to a participating bank based on State or Union Territory-wise vacancies, merit and bank preference. The vacancies mentioned in the notification are indicative and provisional allotment will depend on the actual vacancies reported by participating banks.
The provisional allotment is subject to document verification, identity verification, medical fitness, local language proficiency and fulfilment of the participating bank’s eligibility requirements. Marks in the Main Examination will be converted out of 100 for provisional allotment.
Important Examination Documents
Candidates should retain the system-generated application form, registration number, password and copies of uploaded photographs for future stages. At document verification or joining, candidates may be required to submit proof of date of birth, graduation certificates and mark sheets, local language certificate, photo identity proof, caste or category certificate, EWS certificate, disability certificate, Ex-Servicemen documents and other applicable records.
The CRP CSA-XVI recruitment process is conducted online by IBPS. Candidates should regularly check the official IBPS website for call letter release, examination instructions, result announcements and any revised schedule.