IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

IBPS PO is the common recruitment process that fills Probationary Officer and Management Trainee vacancies across participating public sector banks. Prelims is qualifying only; the Mains objective test plus the descriptive paper decide 80% of the final merit, with the interview contributing the remaining 20%.

3 papers 88 topics listed Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) IBPS PO previous year papers

IBPS PO exam at a glance

Conducting body	Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
Post	Probationary Officer / Management Trainee
Stages	Prelims → Mains → Interview
Prelims	100 questions · 100 marks · 60 minutes (qualifying only)
Mains	170 objective + 2 descriptive · 225 marks
Interview	100 marks; minimum 40% to qualify (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD)
Negative marking	0.25 per wrong answer
Final merit ratio	Mains : Interview = 80 : 20
Official website	www.ibps.in

IBPS PO selection process

Each phase has to be cleared before the next one opens.

1
Phase 1
Preliminary Examination (objective, qualifying only)
2
Phase 2
Main Examination (objective + descriptive)
3
Phase 3
Interview (100 marks)

IBPS PO Preliminary Examination syllabus

Sectionally timed, with 20 minutes for each of the three sections. Prelims marks are qualifying only — they are not counted in the final merit.

Prelims

Questions: 100
Marks: 100
Duration: 60 minutes, sectionally timed
Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration
English Language	30	30	20 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	35	30	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	40	20 minutes
Total	100	100	60 minutes

The marks distribution across the Prelims sections was revised in the latest notification — question counts and section marks no longer match one-to-one. Always confirm against the notification PDF on ibps.in.

Reasoning Ability

Alphanumeric series
Ranking, direction
Coded inequality, inequality
Puzzle
Syllogism
Data sufficiency
Seating arrangement
Blood relation
Input–output
Coding–decoding
Tabulation
Alphabet test

Quantitative Aptitude

Number system
Simplification and approximation
Time and work
Percentage, average
Simple interest, compound interest
Profit and loss
Data interpretation
Decimal fractions
Age problems
HCF and LCM
Time and distance
Ratio and proportion
Partnership

English Language

Reading comprehension
Para jumbles
Fill in the blanks, paragraph completion
Cloze test
Multiple meaning / error spotting
Synonyms and antonyms
Tense, active and passive voice
Substitution, adjectives, preposition, articles
Idioms and phrases

IBPS PO Main Examination syllabus

Four sectionally-timed objective sections followed by a 30-minute descriptive paper. The objective test now carries 170 questions (up from 145) while the total objective marks stay at 200, with the Banking Awareness section gaining weight.

Mains — Objective Test

Questions: 170
Marks: 200
Duration: 160 minutes, sectionally timed

Section	Questions	Marks	Medium	Duration
Reasoning and Computer Aptitude	40	60	English & Hindi	45 minutes
General / Economy / Banking Awareness (incl. RBI circulars)	50	60	English & Hindi	35 minutes
English Language	40	20	English	35 minutes
Data Analysis and Interpretation	40	60	English & Hindi	45 minutes
Objective total	170	200	—	160 minutes

Reasoning

Syllogism
Verbal reasoning
Input–output
Double lineup
Linear seating arrangement, circular seating arrangement
Blood relation
Scheduling
Ordering and ranking
Coding and decoding
Direction and distance
Data sufficiency

Data Interpretation and Analysis

Data interpretation — tabular, caselet and chart based
Average, percentage
Mensuration, geometry
Simplification
Quadratic equation, linear equation
Age
Number series
Profit and loss, interest
Speed, distance and time
Permutation and combination
Mixture and allegation
Probability

General / Economy / Banking / Financial Awareness

Current affairs
General knowledge
Financial awareness
Basic economics, economic theories, economic indices
Banking terms and definitions
Banking awareness
Latest banking regulation and developments, including RBI circulars

English Language

Reading comprehension
Grammar
Editing
Vocabulary
Verbal ability
Fill in the blanks

Digital / Computer Awareness

Computer fundamentals
Computer hardware, computer software
Memory
Operating system
Microsoft Office, keyboard shortcuts
Internet, networking
Computer abbreviations
New technologies

Mains — Descriptive Paper

Taken only by candidates who reach the minimum qualifying marks in the objective test. Two essay-type questions for 25 marks.

Questions: 2 (essay + letter)
Marks: 25
Duration: 30 minutes
Medium: English

Essay topics that recur

Indian banking system; merger of banks; public vs private sector banks
The present economic condition of India; export–import policy of India
Global warming and its causes; Green Hydrogen policy; electric vehicles in India
India–United States trade relations; India as a new global power
Contemporary geopolitics and its economic consequences

Letter topics that recur

Letter to the Superintendent of Police suggesting steps to make the police department more approachable
Letter to a newspaper editor about a civic problem in your locality
Letter to a branch manager proposing a KYC awareness campaign
Letter to an editor on types of pollution and ways of tackling them
Letter to the GM of a bank about a failed UPI transaction

IBPS PO Interview syllabus

Worth 100 marks. A minimum of 40% is required to qualify (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates). Final merit is computed with Mains and Interview weighted 80:20.

Practise the IBPS PO syllabus, section by section

Reading the syllabus tells you what is examinable; previous year papers tell you how it is actually asked. Every IBPS PO paper on AI Test Planet runs in a real exam interface with worked solutions and a topic-wise breakdown of where you lost marks.

IBPS PO previous year papers Browse all exams NCERT source books

IBPS PO syllabus — frequently asked questions

Do IBPS PO Prelims marks count towards the final selection?+

No. Prelims is qualifying in nature. The final merit is built from the Mains score and the interview in an 80:20 ratio.

What changed in the revised IBPS PO Mains pattern?+

The objective test now carries 170 questions instead of 145, while the total objective marks remain 200. The General / Economy / Banking Awareness section gained weight, at 50 questions for 60 marks.

How much negative marking is there?+

0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests.

What are the high-frequency topics in IBPS PO?+

Reasoning is dominated by puzzles and seating arrangement, syllogism and inequality. Quantitative Aptitude leans on data interpretation, simplification/approximation and arithmetic (SI/CI, profit and loss, averages). Mains adds complex puzzles, machine input–output, coded direction and distance, and caselet DI.

Is the descriptive paper compulsory?+

It is evaluated only for candidates who secure the minimum qualifying marks in the objective test. It carries 25 marks over 30 minutes and consists of two essay-type questions.

Syllabus of exams IBPS PO aspirants also write

SBI PO Syllabus

State Bank runs its own PO exam on a near-identical pattern.

View syllabus

SSC CGL Syllabus

A parallel government track with shared aptitude preparation.

View syllabus

Where this syllabus comes from

IBPS PO exam pattern and syllabus for the current recruitment cycle, including the revised Prelims marks distribution and the expanded Mains objective test. Always confirm the pattern against the official notification PDF on ibps.in.

Last verified on 13 August 2026.Commissions revise patterns between cycles — confirm anything decisive against the current notification on www.ibps.in.