In the IBPS Clerk Prelims, especially in the English section, you know smart preparation can make all the difference. So, students, instead of studying everything randomly, what if you could focus more on the topics that appear most frequently? In this blog, we will explain how many questions have been asked about each English topic over the last 6 years. Whether it’s Reading Comprehension or Error Detection. If you know the trend, it will help you plan better and score higher in the IBPS Prelims Exam.
Why Is It Important to Know Topic-Wise Weightage?
The English Language section of the IBPS Clerk exam tests your grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. When you’re preparing for the IBPS Clerk Prelims exam 2025, knowing the topic-wise weightage of each section helps you:
- Focus on high-scoring areas
- Plan your study schedule better
- Avoid spending too much time on low-weightage topics
- Practice the most expected questions smartly
IBPS Clerk Prelims Topic-Wise Weightage of English Section
Here is the breakdown of topic-wise weightage of the English section, so that you get clarity on which topic is frequently asked every year
| Topics | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Reading Comprehension | 08-10 | 08-10 | 08-09 | 06 | 08 | 08 |
| Cloze Test | 06 | 05-07 | 05 | 05 | 06 | 05 |
| Error Detection | 03-05 | 04-05 | 05 | 05 | 03 | – |
| Word Swap | 02-05 | 05 | – | 04 | – | – |
| Fillers | 03-07 | 02-05 | – | – | 05 | 05 |
| Word Usage | 01 | 02-03 | 04-05 | – | – | – |
| Misspelt | 04-05 | 04-06 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 |
| Para Jumbles | 04-05 | 05 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0-5 |
| Phrase Replacement | 03-05 | 02-05 | – | 05 | – | 07 |
| Match the Column | 01-03 | – | – | – | – | 05 |
| Word Rearrangement | 03 | – | 04-05 | – | 03 | – |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 03-05 | 02-05 | – | 05 | – | – |
| Miscellaneous | 01-03 | 01-02 | 01-03 | 01-02 | 01-02 | 01-02 |

Most Important Topics to Prepare for IBPS Clerk English
- Reading Comprehension (RC)
- Comes every year with 8–10 questions
- Practice both factual and inference-based RCs
- Focus on economy, environment, and current affairs-based RCs
- Cloze Test
- Scoring and a predictable question. You can do it easily.
- Practice with grammatical and contextual clues
- Error Detection
- Master subject-verb agreement, tense, articles, and prepositions
- Para Jumbles & Sentence Rearrangement
- Improve your understanding of sentence flow and connectors
- Fillers & Word Swap
- Test vocabulary and grammar simultaneously
Tips to Solve the English Section Efficiently
- Don’t Leave RC Till Last: Start your English section with Reading Comprehension if you’re strong in it. Otherwise, leave it for last and quickly score in grammar and vocabulary.
- Error Spotting Needs Practice: Don’t try to solve this intuitively unless you’ve practiced enough. Grammar rules are key.
- Read Daily: Build your comprehension and vocabulary by reading newspapers, blogs, or editorials every day.
- Build a Vocab Journal: Note down new words, synonyms, and antonyms. Revise them weekly.
- Solve Previous Year Questions: This helps understand the type of options and traps set by IBPS.
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Other Related Blogs of IBPS Clerk
| IBPS Clerk Cut Off 2025 | IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2025 |
| IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2025 | IBPS Clerk Salary 2025 |
| IBPS Clerk Previous Year Question Paper |
FAQs
Around 8 to 9 questions.
Yes, topics like Error Detection and Cloze Test require grammar knowledge
Easy to moderate.
Not recommended. They are often easy and scoring.
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