J&K Bank Probationary Officer 2026 — Preliminary Online Examination

Notification JKB/HR/Rectt/2026-492 | Conducting agency: IBPS | First shortlisting stage | 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes

Official Preliminary structure

The paper is objective type, the medium of examination is English, and all three sections have separate time limits. This means candidates should not treat the entire hour as a flexible common pool of time: English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning have their own 20-minute examination windows. The paper also does not assign identical total marks to equal-sized question sets: Quantitative Aptitude has 35 questions carrying 30 marks, while Reasoning has 35 questions for 40 marks.

📊 Prelims: marks allocated to each official test

English Language — 30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes

The bank identifies English Language as a distinct, separately timed English-medium test. The notified structure establishes its 30-question count, 30-mark maximum and 20-minute duration. The detailed advertisement does not go on to allot chapter-wise weightage, individual numbers for reading-comprehension passages, grammar questions, cloze passages or vocabulary. Applicants should distinguish these commonly associated subject topics from the actual bank-published examination specification; no per-chapter questions or particular textbook are guaranteed in this notice.

For qualification, English is not simply a fraction of a 100-mark average: the candidate must secure the bank/IBPS-determined section-specific cutoff. A high total in Reasoning or Quantitative Aptitude does not automatically substitute for failing the English test's separately prescribed threshold.

Quantitative Aptitude — 35 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes

This is the notified numerical/quantitative section. Its 35 questions together carry 30 marks, which is a distinctive difference from a standard 35-mark template. The bank does not publish a separate numerical table showing the internal allocation of arithmetic, data sets, algebra or other proposed subtopics. Applicants should base the score calculation on the marks assigned to the individual question, not an unsupported assumption that every Quantitative question is worth exactly one mark.

The 20-minute timer is separately prescribed. The bank/IBPS qualifying score for this section will be determined within the recruitment's selection process and must be met in addition to the aggregate threshold.

Reasoning Ability — 35 questions, 40 marks, 20 minutes

Reasoning Ability accounts for 40% of all Preliminary marks while occupying 35% of the question count. That comparison is official and materially affects performance expectations; it does not mean that the advertisement guarantees any named subtopic or difficulty category. As in English and Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning is separately timed and must meet the qualifying cutoff fixed for its test.

Aggregate qualifying marks, category merit and advancement

The notification sets a minimum aggregate 40% for General-category candidates and 35% for reserved-category candidates, subject to overall merit. The Preliminary paper itself totals 100 marks, making those percentage thresholds numerically 40 and 35 marks respectively; however, these are minimum qualifying benchmarks, not guaranteed progression scores or announced last-selected cutoffs. Candidates must additionally pass the individual test cutoffs decided by IBPS in concurrence with J&K Bank.

The bank states that candidates shortlisted on Preliminary performance up to ten times the number of vacancies in each category will take Mains. The number is category-wise and tied to the actual roster and performance: the 323 advertised posts are an overall total, not a published individual category seat distribution. Passing the stated aggregate minimum alone does not ensure being within the bank's limited qualifying shortlist.

Penalty per incorrect answer

For an incorrectly answered objective question, one-fourth of the marks allotted to that question is deducted from the candidate's score. There is no penalty for an answer left blank. Because the section's total marks do not always equal the number of questions, the deduction should be understood as a fraction of the particular question's value, not assumed to be a uniform 0.25 mark everywhere.

The bank may adjust corrected scores of candidates sitting different shifts by the equi-percentile normalisation method. The notice says that scores up to two decimal places are used for calculations. The bank is entitled to modify the examination structure and will give any official amendment on its Careers website.

Preliminary call letter and examination-centre rules

The actual Preliminary exam date and release date of its call letter are not announced in the notice. A candidate downloads the call letter from J&K Bank's official website using the required registration/roll details when enabled; the bank does not dispatch hall tickets by post. The call letter will specify the examination centre, reporting time and required instructions.

Applicants submit six centre preferences, with at least three outside J&K UT. The advertised in-UT options include Jammu, Srinagar, Pulwama, Baramulla and Samba; outside options include Delhi NCR, Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Bengaluru, Mumbai/Navi Mumbai/Thane and Pune. Actual allotment may differ because of bank capacity and administrative decisions.

Bring the correct call letter, a matching original photographic identity document, its photocopy and the additional photograph directed by the notice. The bank excludes ration cards and learner's driving licences from the accepted identification list. Preserve the Prelims call letter and identity photocopy bearing the exam-centre authentication/stamp: you must present them again for entry to the Main Examination along with the new Mains call letter. Misplacing them can disqualify an otherwise successful Prelims candidate from attending Mains.

Eligible scribe and compensatory-time facilities require correct choices in registration and all applicable certificates. A scribe may not answer or prompt for the candidate. Prohibited communication and electronic devices must not be taken into the examination room. Arrive by the reporting time; the reporting window precedes the 60-minute testing time and late arrival is not admitted.

Link to the next selection stage

Candidates placed within the bank's category-wise shortlist after Prelims proceed to the Main Online Examination. Preliminary marks do not receive a separate percentage share in the final merit formula: the bank's final weighted score is based on qualified Main Examination and Interview performance at 80:20. The Preliminary qualification result, call letters and later notifications are to be issued via J&K Bank Careers, not inferred from the registration deadline.