EXAM SYLLABUS

The Main Exam is a crucial phase of the IBPS PO Mains Exam. The score obtained by the candidate in the IBPS PO Mains Exam holds the highest weightage in the final selection process for the position of Probationary Officer. The Mains Examination consists of 4 + 1 sections: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Additionally, IBPS has introduced a descriptive paper in the Mains exam for selecting candidates for the Probationary Officer role.

The syllabus for IBPS PO Main Examination is given below:

EXAM SYLLABUS

The Main Exam is a crucial phase of the IBPS PO Mains Exam. The score obtained by the candidate in the IBPS PO Mains Exam holds the highest weightage in the final selection process for the position of Probationary Officer. The Mains Examination consists of 4 + 1 sections: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Additionally, IBPS has introduced a descriptive paper in the Mains exam for selecting candidates for the Probationary Officer role.

The syllabus for IBPS PO Main Examination is given below:

REASONING & COMPUTER APTITUDE DETAILED SYLLABUS

The detailed syllabus for Reasoning & Computer Aptitude along with the topic description, topic example & difficulty level is given below:-

Note:- The above examples to various topics are for illustrative purposes only.

GENERAL/ BANKING/ ECONOMY AWARENESS DETAILED SYLLABUS

The detailed syllabus for General/ Banking/ Economy Awareness along with the topic description, topic example & difficulty level is given below:-

Note :- The above examples to various topics are for illustrative purpose only.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE DETAILED SYLLABUS

The detailed syllabus for the English Language along with the topic description, topic example & difficulty level is given below:

Note:- The above examples of various topics are for illustrative purposes only.

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION DETAILED SYLLABUS

The detailed syllabus for Data Analysis & Interpretation along with the topic description, topic example & difficulty level is given below:

Note:- The above examples to various topics are for illustrative purposes only.

EXAM PATTERN

IBPS has implemented separate sectional timing for each section in the Preliminary Exam. The IBPS PO exam (CRP XIII) for recruiting candidates consists of two stages: Tier 1 (IBPS Preliminary Exam) and Tier 2 (IBPS Mains Exam), both conducted online. Following these, a face-to-face interview is conducted as part of the selection process.

IBPS PO Main Examination shall be held as an Objective Type Online Computer Based Test. IBPS PO Main Examination shall consist of a total of 145 questions and a total of 200 Marks. The total duration of examination shall be 180 Minutes.

The section-wise distribution of Questions and Marks is given below:

For Descriptive Test

After the conduction of the Objective Type Computer Based online test, a Descriptive test will be held. This test shall consist of two questions of a total of 25 marks. The time duration of the Descriptive test is 30 minutes.

Note:- No break will be provided between Objective Type Computer Based test and Descriptive test.

Mode Of Examination

Both Objective type and Descriptive Type Tests will be held as a Computer Based Test.

Medium Of Examination

1. From Objective Type Online Computer Based Test,  Questions from Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness, and Data Analysis & Interpretation section shall be available in both English & Hindi.

2. From Objective Type Online Computer Based Test,  Questions from the English Language shall be available in only English.

3. Descriptive Type Online Computer Based Test shall be held in English only.

Marking Scheme

Sections of the test-

1. English Language

2. Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

3. General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness

4. Data Analysis & Interpretation

Question from the above-mentioned sections are asked in IBPS PO Main Examination where the English language comprises 35 Questions of 40 Marks, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude comprises 45 questions of 60 marks, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness comprises 40 Questions of 40 Marks and Data Analysis & Interpretation comprises 35 questions of 6

EXAM PATTERN

IBPS has implemented separate sectional timing for each section in the Preliminary Exam. The IBPS PO exam (CRP XIII) for recruiting candidates consists of two stages: Tier 1 (IBPS Preliminary Exam) and Tier 2 (IBPS Mains Exam), both conducted online. Following these, a face-to-face interview is conducted as part of the selection process.

IBPS PO Main Examination shall be held as an Objective Type Online Computer Based Test. IBPS PO Main Examination shall consist of a total of 145 questions and a total of 200 Marks. The total duration of examination shall be 180 Minutes.

The section-wise distribution of Questions and Marks is given below:

For Descriptive Test

After the conduction of the Objective Type Computer Based online test, a Descriptive test will be held. This test shall consist of two questions of a total of 25 marks. The time duration of the Descriptive test is 30 minutes.

Note:- No break will be provided between Objective Type Computer Based test and Descriptive test.

Mode Of Examination

Both Objective type and Descriptive Type Tests will be held as a Computer Based Test.

Medium Of Examination

1. From Objective Type Online Computer Based Test,  Questions from Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness, and Data Analysis & Interpretation section shall be available in both English & Hindi.

2. From Objective Type Online Computer Based Test,  Questions from the English Language shall be available in only English.

3. Descriptive Type Online Computer Based Test shall be held in English only.

Marking Scheme

Sections of the test-

1. English Language

2. Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

3. General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness

4. Data Analysis & Interpretation

Question from the above-mentioned sections are asked in IBPS PO Main Examination where the English language comprises 35 Questions of 40 Marks, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude comprises 45 questions of 60 marks, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness comprises 40 Questions of 40 Marks and Data Analysis & Interpretation comprises 35 questions of 60 Marks summing up to total 200 marks.

Marking Scheme Highlights

1. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty.

2. If a question is left blank, No answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.

Normalization Of Marks

The corrected scores obtained by each of the candidates in different sessions (if held) will be normalized using the equi-percentile method.

1. First, the percentile rank of the students for each shift of the exam is calculated using the formula given below -

Percentile rank of the Candidate = ((Total Students in a shift - Rank of Candidate in that shift) / (Total Students in a shift - 1)) x 100

2. After that, based on the number of available vacancies, a cut-off percentile rank is decided.

3. Based on this cut-off score, candidates are shortlisted for the next phase of the recruitment process.

Note:- Scores up to two decimal points shall be taken for the purpose of calculations.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria for the IBPS PO Exam, covering aspects such as educational qualifications, computer literacy, language proficiency, and age limit, are outlined below.

Nationality

A Citizen of India or

A subject of Nepal or

A subject of Bhutan or

A Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or (v) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India, provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.

Age limit

Minimum Age: 20 years

Maximum Age: 30 years

A candidate must have been born not earlier than 02.08.1993 and not later than 01.08.2003 (both dates inclusive)

Relaxation of Upper Age Limit

Note:-The relaxation in the upper age limit to SC/ST/OBC candidates is allowed on a cumulative basis with only one of the remaining categories for which age relaxation is permitted as mentioned above in Point No. (3) to (5).

Educational Qualification

A Degree (Graduation) in any discipline from a University recognized by the Govt. of India or any equivalent qualification recognized as such by the Central Government.

The candidate must possess a valid Mark-sheet / Degree Certificate that he/ she is a graduate on the day he/she registers and indicate the percentage of marks obtained in Graduation while registering online.

IMPORTANT DATES

The IBPS PO prelims exam is scheduled for August 22 and 23, 2026, with the mains exam following on October 4, 2026. These dates for the CRP PO/MT-XVI recruitment drive were confirmed in the official 2026 calendar released by IBPS. The official notification, expected in June/July 2026, will provide further details. 

EXAM ANALYSIS

Last Conducted IBPS PO Exam – 2025 Cycle

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducted the IBPS PO 2025 Recruitment with prelims and mains stages as part of CRP-XV to recruit Probationary Officers.

Preliminary Examination – 2025

The IBPS PO Prelims 2025 was held on 23rd and 24th August 2025 in multiple shifts each day.

The Prelims pattern had three sections with a total of 100 objective questions for 100 marks, and the total duration of the exam was 60 minutes. Negative marking of 0.25 marks was applied for every wrong answer.

The sectional distribution was:

English Language

Quantitative Aptitude

Reasoning Ability

Prelims Shift Details – 2025

The exam was conducted in four shifts each day:

Shift 1: 09:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Shift 2: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Shift 3: 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM

Shift 4: 04:30 PM to 05:30 PM

Candidates were advised to reach the exam centre at least one hour before reporting time for verification and attendance procedures.

Prelims 2025 Difficulty & Analysis

According to expert analysis and candidate feedback:

Overall difficulty was reported as Moderate.

Reasoning Ability and English Language were moderately balanced, and Quantitative Aptitude was moderate.

Good attempts in shifts ranged roughly between 64 and 77 questions in one hour.

Section-wise good attempts were estimated around:

English Language: ~22–23

Quantitative Aptitude: ~18–19

Reasoning Ability: ~24–25

Total ~64–77 as a safe range for prelims qualification.

This pattern suggests consistency with previous years, making the Prelims accessible but competitive due to time constraints.

Mains Examination – 2025

The IBPS PO Mains 2025 was conducted on 12th October 2025.

The Mains exam had multiple sections including Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation, and a descriptive test (essay and letter).

Pattern Changes in 2025

In the 2025 cycle, IBPS made some notable adjustments in the exam pattern:

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude now had 40 questions with 60 marks (reduced from 45).

General/Economy/Banking Awareness had 35 questions for 50 marks (increased weightage).

Data Analysis & Interpretation carried 50 marks (reduced from 60).

Total number of objective questions in the Mains was around 145, and total duration was 160 minutes (excluding the descriptive section).

The descriptive part (essay and letter writing) is usually conducted immediately after the objective test and must be attempted to qualify.

Mains Difficulty & Expectations

From the trend in 2025:

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude ranged from Moderate to Difficult due to complex puzzles and logic sets.

General Awareness had more banking and economy oriented questions compared with previous cycles.

Data Interpretation was moderate but required careful analysis of graphs and tables.

English Language (objective) was moderate, while descriptive tasks required clarity of thought and articulation.

Mains is more comprehensive than Prelims, and many candidates struggled with time management due to the breadth of topics.

Expected Timeline for IBPS PO 2026

Based on last year’s schedule and the recently circulated official IBPS Exam Calendar 2026-27:

IBPS PO Preliminary Exam 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on 22nd and 23rd August 2026 in multiple shifts.

IBPS PO Mains 2026 is expected on 4th October 2026.

This pattern closely follows the 2025 cycle, where Prelims happened in August and Mains in October.

Key Insights for 2026 Aspirants

For Prelims Preparation:

Time management is critical due to only 60 minutes for 100 questions.

Reasoning Ability has increased weightage over Quantitative topics.

Safe attempt ranges around 65–75 with high accuracy usually lead to qualification.

For Mains Preparation:

Strong focus on General Awareness (especially banking and economy) since weightage has increased.

Data Interpretation and Quant sections require accuracy and calculation speed.

Descriptive writing needs practice — structure, clarity, and grammar are tested.

Summary of 2025 as Insight for 2026

IBPS PO Prelims 2025 was held on 23–24 August 2025 in four shifts per day with moderate difficulty.

Prelims pattern: three sections, 100 marks, 60 minutes, negative marking.

Mains exam was on 12 October 2025 with a revised pattern giving more weight to General Awareness and fewer total questions.

Based on the official calendar, the 2026 Prelims is set for 22–23 August 2026 and Mains on 4 October 2026.

STUDY TIPS

IBPS PO is one of the most competitive banking exams in India. Since you are working in the education domain, you can structure your preparation like a proper project with weekly targets and performance tracking.

Below is a practical and realistic strategy.

IBPS PO PRELIMS STUDY TIPS

Prelims has three sections: Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and English Language. The main goal is speed plus accuracy.

Reasoning Strategy

Focus more on puzzles and seating arrangement because they carry the highest weightage.

Daily practice:

– 2 seating arrangements

– 1 puzzle

– 5 inequality questions

– 5 syllogism

– 5 coding questions

Tip: Do easy and moderate sets first. Do not get stuck on one puzzle.

Quantitative Aptitude Strategy

Start with simplification and number series because they are scoring.

Daily practice:

– 20 simplification questions

– 10 number series

– 10 arithmetic word problems

Arithmetic topics to master: percentage, ratio, average, profit and loss, time and work, speed and distance.

English Strategy

Improve reading speed.

Daily practice:

– 1 reading comprehension

– 1 cloze test

– 10 error detection or sentence improvement

Focus on grammar rules and vocabulary.

Prelims Golden Rule

Accuracy above 90 percent is important. Clearing sectional cut off is mandatory.

IBPS PO MAINS STUDY TIPS

Mains is tougher and includes General Awareness and Descriptive English.

Sections:

Reasoning and Computer

Quantitative Aptitude

English Language

General Awareness

Descriptive Writing

Reasoning for Mains

High level puzzles

Input output

Critical reasoning

Data sufficiency

Practice 3 to 4 complex sets daily.

Quantitative Aptitude for Mains

Focus on Data Interpretation.

Practice caselet DI, quantity comparison and data sufficiency.

Arithmetic must be strong.

General Awareness

Prepare last 6 months current affairs.

Focus on:

– RBI updates

– Banking terms

– Government schemes

– Budget and economic survey

Daily habit: Read current affairs for 30 to 40 minutes.

Descriptive Paper

Practice essay and letter writing weekly.

Focus on banking, digital payments, financial inclusion topics.

STUDY PLANS

60 DAY STUDY PLAN (Balanced for Working Candidates)

First 30 Days

Focus mainly on Prelims basics.

Daily 3 to 4 hours study.

Weekly 1 full length mock test.

Complete all arithmetic and puzzle basics.

Next 15 Days

Start Mains preparation side by side.

Increase mock tests to 2 per week.

Start current affairs revision.

Last 15 Days

Daily full length mock for Prelims.

Analyze mistakes properly.

Revise formulas and shortcut methods.

90 DAY ADVANCED PLAN (For Serious Aspirants)

Month 1

Complete full syllabus of Prelims.

Build strong basics.

Month 2

Start Mains topics.

Daily current affairs revision.

Weekly 2 full mocks.

Month 3

Alternate day full mock test.

Focus on weak areas.

Practice descriptive writing twice a week.

Important Practical Advice for 2026

– Do not ignore Mains while preparing for Prelims.

– Start current affairs at least 4 to 5 months before Mains.

– Attempt at least 25 full length mock tests before exam.

– Maintain a mistake notebook.

– Revise weekly.

OVERVIEW

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Probationary Officers or IBPS PO Exam is conducted every year for Recruitment to the post of Probationary Officer/  Management Trainee  in 11 Public Sector Banks in India. IBPS PO is a 3 stage Examination Procedure, which includes Preliminary Examinations, Main Examinations and Interview. The final selection will be based on the marks achieved in the Main and Interview round. The Probationary Officer recruited under IBPS PO recruitment will deal with customer service, customer complaints, administrative labor inspection, credit process, queries regarding the loan process, supervising clerical work, and more depending on various offices across the country.

SELECTION PROCESS

The IBPS PO selection process consists of three key stages: the Preliminary Exam, the Main Exam, and the Interview. Candidates must clear each stage to be eligible for provisional allotment to participating banks. The Preliminary Exam is only qualifying, while the Main Exam and Interview scores are used to compile the final merit list.

Mentioned below are the important steps of the IBPS PO Selection Process:

1. Preliminary Examination

2. Mains Examination

3. Interview

Final Result

The Final result is declared based on candidates' combined performance in IBPS PO Mains and Interview Rounds.

Provisional Allotment

The provisional allotment of the qualified candidate is released on the official website. The IBPS Banks are allotted based on candidates' preferences which are made at the time of online application. IBPS plays its part in the selection process only till the provisional allotment to different banks. After that, the responsibility to intimate the qualified candidates about their joining dates and procedures lies with the respective banks.