The IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims Exam 2025 is officially underway, and the first shift of 7th December wrapped up smoothly across multiple exam centres. Candidates who appeared for the Shift 1 paper shared a common verdict—it was mostly easy to moderate in difficulty.
If you’re preparing for the upcoming shifts or just curious about the paper structure, this detailed analysis covers everything from section-wise difficulty to the number of good attempts.
Let’s break it down and see how this shift fared in terms of question types, difficulty, and what kind of performance would be considered safe.
Overview
The first shift of the IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims followed a very balanced pattern, with questions that tested both speed and accuracy. There were no surprises, which is a good sign for those appearing in the later shifts. The structure remained consistent with previous years: two main sections — Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude, each consisting of 40 questions to be solved in 45 minutes.
So, if you’ve been practicing mocks and working on your speed, this paper played to your strengths.
Difficulty
Candidates and experts alike rated the paper as easy to moderate overall. Both the Reasoning and Quant sections had a similar level of challenge, and the distribution of questions favored those who focused on regular practice and speed building.
Here’s a quick look at the section-wise difficulty:
| Section | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | Easy to Moderate |
As you can see, the paper was manageable. No tricky or out-of-syllabus surprises were thrown at the candidates.
Attempts
The ideal number of attempts is always a hot topic. Based on student feedback and expert insights, the following are considered good attempts for this shift:
| Section | Good Attempts |
|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 33 – 34 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 – 32 |
| Overall | 63 – 66 |
Candidates who attempted between 63 and 66 questions with good accuracy are likely in a safe spot for clearing the prelims cutoff. Remember, accuracy matters more than just speed.
Reasoning
The Reasoning section had a decent mix of questions, most of which were doable within the time frame if you kept your cool. Puzzles and seating arrangements dominated, making up almost half the section.
Here’s how the section broke down:
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Pair Formation | 1 |
| Puzzles & Seating Arrangement | 18 |
| Word Series (3 Letter) | 5 |
| Syllogism | 4 |
| Inequality | 3 |
| Meaningful Words | 1 |
| Chinese Coding | 5 |
| Odd One Out | 1 |
| Direction & Distance | 2 |
| Total | 40 |
The puzzle types included:
- Square seating arrangement with 8 people – 5 questions
- Day-based puzzle (Monday to Saturday) – 5 questions
- Box-based puzzle with 7 boxes – 5 questions
- Comparison puzzle (pencil lengths) – 3 questions
These are standard puzzle types that many would’ve practiced, which made this section very much in control.
Quantitative
The Quant section also leaned on the easier side, with a lot of questions coming from simplification and basic arithmetic. Two sets of Data Interpretation added some spice, but nothing too tricky.
Here’s the topic-wise split:
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Simplification | 15 |
| Wrong Number Series | 5 |
| Line DI | 5 |
| Table DI | 5 |
| Arithmetic | 10 |
| Total | 40 |
The arithmetic part touched upon basic concepts like profit & loss, time & work, and simple interest. DI was presented through simple line and table formats, which didn’t demand complex calculations.
Schedule
If you’re appearing in the upcoming shifts or days, here’s the shift-wise schedule to keep in mind:
| Shift | Exam Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM | 45 minutes |
| Shift 2 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | 45 minutes |
| Shift 3 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM | 45 minutes |
| Shift 4 | 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM | 45 minutes |
Plan your travel and reach early to avoid last-minute stress. Also, don’t forget to carry your admit card and valid ID.
The IBPS RRB Clerk Prelims 2025 Shift 1 held on 7th December was clearly a candidate-friendly paper. It rewarded those who stayed consistent in their prep. If you’re taking the exam in upcoming shifts, this is your cue to stay calm, trust your practice, and go in with a time-managed approach. All the best!
FAQs
What was the difficulty level of Shift 1?
The paper was easy to moderate in difficulty.
How many good attempts in IBPS RRB Clerk Shift 1?
Around 63–66 attempts are considered good.
How many DI sets were asked in Quant?
Two DI sets: one Line and one Table-based.
How many puzzle questions in Reasoning?
There were 18 puzzle and seating arrangement questions.
Was there Chinese Coding in the exam?
Yes, 5 questions were based on Chinese coding.
