The IBPS Clerk Prelims 2025 continues to unfold, and with the completion of the 4th Shift on 4 October 2025, candidates now have a better idea of what to expect.
This detailed IBPS Clerk 4th Shift Exam Analysis covers everything from the difficulty level and good attempts to the section-wise breakdown. If you appeared in this shift or are preparing for upcoming ones, this will help you understand the pattern and prepare smartly.
Overview
The IBPS Clerk prelims exam is being conducted to fill 10,696 vacancies. The exam consists of three sections — Numerical Ability, English Language, and Reasoning Ability — with a total of 100 questions for 100 marks. The duration is 60 minutes.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the 4th Shift held on 4 October 2025:
| Section | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Easy |
| English Language | 30 | Easy |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | 100 | Easy to Moderate |
Attempts
Candidates who attempted the exam reported that 70 or more attempts with good accuracy can be considered safe for clearing the prelims. Here’s a breakdown of safe attempt ranges by section:
| Section | Good Attempts |
|---|---|
| English Language | 23–26 |
| Numerical Ability | 23–24 |
| Reasoning Ability | 24–26 |
| Overall | 70+ |
Numerical
The Numerical Ability section was straightforward and largely formula-based. Simplification, DI, and Arithmetic questions dominated this section. Candidates with a good command of speed maths were able to complete the section comfortably.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Simplification | 10–12 |
| Data Interpretation (Bar) | 5 |
| Data Interpretation (Line) | 5 |
| Arithmetic | 10 |
| Caselet DI | 3 |
The arithmetic questions were from topics like Profit & Loss, SI-CI, Age, and Time & Work.
English
The English section was easy and manageable. RC was based on “Tribal Miniso Agroforestry” and included vocabulary and inference-based questions. A mix of grammar and comprehension tested the candidates.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 8–9 |
| Cloze Test | 6–7 |
| Error Detection | 4–5 |
| Spelling Error/Usage-Based | 4 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 4–5 |
Most candidates found this section scoring, especially those with a strong grammar foundation.
Reasoning
Reasoning was slightly time-consuming due to multiple puzzles but still rated easy to moderate overall. Candidates who practiced different puzzle types beforehand found this section manageable.
| Topic | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Comparison Puzzle (6 persons) | 3 |
| Month-based (Non-Consecutive) Puzzle | 5 |
| Circle-based Puzzle (Inside Facing) | 5 |
| Sequence/Box Puzzle | 5 |
| Certain Number of People (14) | 3–4 |
| Mixed Series | 5 |
| Word Formation (CITY) | 1 |
| Pair Formation (Numbers) | 1 |
| Odd One Out | 1 |
| Number-Based | 1 |
Candidates who focused on puzzle-solving strategies were able to attempt most of these with decent accuracy.
Timings
Knowing the shift timings helps understand the paper flow and pattern consistency throughout the day. Here are the official IBPS Clerk 2025 Prelims shift timings:
| Shift | Reporting Time | Handwriting Sample | Exam Start | Exam End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 8:00 AM | 8:55 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 10:30 AM | 11:25 AM | 11:30 AM | 12:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 1:00 PM | 1:55 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 3:30 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:30 PM |
Overall, the IBPS Clerk 4th Shift exam on 4 October was rated easy to moderate. Those who maintained a good speed and accuracy, especially in the Reasoning and Numerical sections, were able to maximize their scores. For those appearing in future shifts, focus on speed practice, puzzle-solving, and revision of basic arithmetic and grammar concepts.
FAQs
What was the difficulty level of the 4th Shift exam?
The exam was easy to moderate overall.
How many good attempts are considered safe?
Around 70 or more good attempts are safe.
Which section was slightly tricky in Shift 4?
Reasoning was a bit time-consuming for some.
How many questions came from simplification in maths?
There were around 10 to 12 simplification questions.
What was the topic of Reading Comprehension in English?
It was based on Tribal Miniso Agroforestry.
