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A clear understanding of the IBPS PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 helps candidates plan their preparation in a structured manner. The selection process consists of Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The syllabus covers Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and Data Analysis & Interpretation, along with the Descriptive Test in the Mains exam.
Prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes (English 30, Quantitative Aptitude 35 questions for 30 marks, Reasoning 35 questions for 40 marks). The Mains Objective Test now has 170 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, plus a 25-mark Descriptive Paper (Essay and Comprehension) of 30 minutes.
The selection process comprises Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The prelims exam is only qualifying in nature, but marks scored in Mains and Interview hold weightage in final selection. This article provides details on the latest subject-wise syllabus, exam pattern, descriptive paper, interview process, and preparation tips.
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026
Candidates should thoroughly review the IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern before starting their preparation. Understanding the subject-wise topics, marking scheme, and structure of the Prelims and Mains helps in creating an effective study plan.
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has revised the IBPS PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 under its latest recruitment. Candidates preparing for the examination must understand the latest subject-wise syllabus, question distribution, marking scheme and examination duration to plan their preparation effectively.
IBPS PO Notification 2026 Out for 6715 Vacancies
IBPS PO Exam Syllabus 2026- Highlights
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Particular
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Details
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Exam Conducting Body
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Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, IBPS
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Name of Exam
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IBPS PO
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Post
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Probationary Officer (PO)
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Total Marks
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Duration of Exam
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Marking scheme
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1 mark each for every correct answer in the Online Test
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Negative marking
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1/4th of the marks assigned to the question in the MCQ
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Mode of Examination
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Online For Prelims & Mains
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Language of examination
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English OR Hindi
The English Language paper has to be attempted in English. |
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Prelims Exam Date
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22 and 23 August 2026
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Mains Exam Date
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4 October 2026
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Syllabus
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Attempt Daily IBPS PO Mock Test to Crack the Exam
IBPS PO Selection Process 2026
The Probationary Officer Exam is conducted in three different stages as listed below:
| Stage | Exam Pattern |
| Prelims Exam | Objective Test Total Marks: 100 |
| Mains Exam | Objective + Descriptive Test Total Marks: 225 (200 Objective + 25 Descriptive) |
| Interview | Candidates shortlisted based on the Mains score Minimum qualifying marks set by IBPS |
IBPS PO Mains Descriptive Capsule 2026- Download PDF
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026
IBPS has introduced updates to the IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026 for both the Preliminary and Main examinations. Although the overall marks and negative marking remain the same, changes have been made to the section-wise question and marks distribution. Candidates should check the latest number of questions, marking scheme, and exam duration before starting their preparation.
Prelims Exam Pattern (Revised)
Under the revised IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026, the marks distribution has changed across sections. Reasoning Ability now carries 40 marks, while Quantitative Aptitude carries 30 marks. The English Language section continues to have 30 marks, making the total 100 marks.
- The Prelims exam has three sections of a total duration of 1 Hour.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer.
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IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern (New)
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Sr. No.
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Name of Tests
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No. of Questions
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Marks
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Medium of Exam
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Time Allotted
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1
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English Language
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30
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30
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English
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20 minutes
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2
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Quantitative Aptitude
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35
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30
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English and Hindi
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20 minutes
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3
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Reasoning Ability
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35
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40
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English and Hindi
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20 minutes
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Total
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100
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100
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60 Minutes (1 Hour)
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Mains Exam Pattern (Revised)
Important Changes in the Revised Mains Pattern
- Total Objective Questions increased from 145 to 170.
- Banking Awareness & Data Interpretation carry higher weightage.
- English section marks have been reduced (40 to 20), although the number of questions has increased.
- Total marks (225) and overall exam duration remain unchanged.
- A penalty of 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer in the Objective Tests.
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IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 (Objective) (Latest)
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| Sr. No. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Medium | Duration |
| 1 | Reasoning | 40 | 60 | English & Hindi |
45 Minutes
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| 2 | General/Economy/Banking Awareness/Digital/Financial Awareness (including RBI Circulars) | 50 | 60 | English & Hindi |
35 Minutes
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| 3 | English Language | 40 | 20 | English |
35 Minutes
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| 4 | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | English & Hindi |
45 Minutes
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| Total | Objective Test | 170 | 200 | – |
160 Min.
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IBPS PO Descriptive Paper 2026
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| Paper | Topics | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Medium | Duration |
| Descriptive Paper | Essay and Comprehension | 2 | 25 | English |
30 Minute
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Important Note: In the official Notification, IBPS has stated that the Descriptive Paper may be assessed using an automated evaluation system that analyses various aspects of writing skills. This system is thoroughly validated and is designed to accurately measure a candidate’s writing proficiency.
IBPS PO Prelims Syllabus 2026
The Syllabus for the Prelims Exam is given below for all 3 subjects:
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Reasoning Syllabus
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English Language Syllabus
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Quantitative Ability Syllabus
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Logical Reasoning
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Reading Comprehension
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Simplification
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Alphanumeric Series
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Cloze Test
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Profit & Loss
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Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test
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Para jumbles
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Mixtures & Allegations
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Data Sufficiency
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Word Usage, Word-Swap
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Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices
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Inequalities
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Fill in the blanks
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Work & Time
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Seating Arrangement
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Error Detection, Error Spotting
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Time & Distance
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Puzzle
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Paragraph Completion
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Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere
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Tabulation
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One word Substitution
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Data Interpretation
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Syllogism
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Miscellaneous
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Ratio & Proportion, Percentage
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Blood Relations
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–
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Number Systems
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Input-Output
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–
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Sequence & Series
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Coding-Decoding
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–
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Permutation, Combination &Probability
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IBPS PO Mains Syllabus
Candidates meeting the prescribed IBPS PO Prelims cut-off will be shortlisted for the Mains Examination. The detailed section-wise Mains syllabus is given below.
Data Analysis and Interpretation Syllabus
- Simplification
- Average
- Percentage
- Mixture and Allegations
- Ratio and Proportion
- Data Interpretation
- Mensuration and Geometry
- Quadratic Equation
- Interest
- Problems of Ages
- Profit and Loss
- Number Series
- Speed, Distance, and Time
- Time and Work
- Number System
- Data Sufficiency
- Linear Equation
- Permutation and Combination
- Probability
General Awareness and Economy/Banking Awareness Syllabus
- Financial Awareness
- Banking Awareness
- Banking Reforms
- Monetary Policy
- Fiscal Policy
- Budget and Economic Survey
- RBI Reports and Indices
- International Organisation Reports
- Static Banking Terms (CRR, SLR, Repo Rate, etc.)
- Financial Institutions (RBI, NABARD, SEBI, IMF, World Bank, etc.)
- Government Schemes and Initiatives
- Current Affairs (National and International Importance)
- Economy Basics (Inflation, GDP, Growth, etc.)
- Capital Market and Money Market
- Digital Banking and Payment Systems (UPI, NEFT, RTGS, etc.)
- Insurance and Financial Products
- Important Committees and Reports
- Banking Abbreviations and Terminologies
- General Knowledge
Reasoning Syllabus
- Verbal Reasoning
- Syllogism
- Circular Seating Arrangement
- Code Inequalities
- Linear Seating Arrangement
- Double Lineup
- Scheduling
- Input-Output
- Blood Relations
- Directions and Distances
- Ordering and Ranking
- Data Sufficiency
- Coding and Decoding
English Language Syllabus
- Reading Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- One Word Substitution
- Verbal Ability
- Cloze Test
- Para Jumbles (Sentence Rearrangement)
- Fill in the Blanks
- Error Detection (Error Spotting)
- Sentence Improvement
- Word Swap
- Column-Based Questions
- Match the Following (Sentence Connectors)
- Para Completion
- Sentence Connectors
- Phrase Replacement
- Idioms and Phrases
IBPS PO Mains Descriptive Test
The descriptive paper is conducted to assess the writing skills of the candidates. They will have to write an essay and comprehension of 25 marks. Some of the expected topics and topics that appeared in the previous year’s exam are as follows:
| Expected Essay topics: |
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Some Previous Year Essay Topics asked:
- Demonetisation and its impact on the Indian Economy
- Financial Inclusion in Rural India
- Role of Technology in Banking
- Impact of Social Media on Youth
- Women Empowerment and Economic Growth
- Digital India Initiative
- Cryptocurrency and its Future in India
IBPS PO Personality Test 2026
It is a self-report assessment of behavioural traits with no fixed syllabus. It is non-qualifying but mandatory, and the profile may be placed before the Interview Panel. Answer honestly and consistently.
IBPS PO Interview 2026
| Particular | Details |
| Marks | 100 |
| Minimum qualifying |
40% (General/EWS), 35% (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD)
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| Weightage |
20% of final merit
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High-Weightage Topics in IBPS PO Syllabus
Knowing the syllabus is not enough, you need to know where the exam actually focuses. Based on previous years’ IBPS PO papers, certain topics consistently carry more questions than others. Prioritising these high-weightage areas will help you score faster and more efficiently.
| Subject |
High-Weightage Topics (Range from 5-10 Questions)
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| Reasoning Ability |
Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Inequality, Blood Relations, Direction Sense
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| Quantitative Aptitude |
Data Interpretation (DI), Simplification/Approximation, Number Series, Quadratic Equations
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| English Language |
Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Fillers, Vocabulary & Word Swap
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| General/Economy/Banking Awareness (Mains) |
Current Affairs (Last 4–6 Months), Banking & Financial Awareness, RBI Updates, Government Schemes, Budget & Economic Survey, Banking Terms, Reports & Indices
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| Descriptive Test (Mains) |
Essay Writing (Current Affairs, Banking, Economy, Social Issues), Letter Writing (Formal & Informal)
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How to Prepare for IBPS PO Exam?
To prepare for the IBPS PO 2026 examination, the candidates can go through the details of the Preparation Strategy. Here we have mentioned some tips for the reference of the candidates.
- Start by thoroughly understanding the syllabus, which includes sections like Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English Language, and General Awareness.
- Make a schedule, adding all the topics and weekly or daily goals.
- Create a study plan that allocates time for each section based on your strengths and weaknesses.
- Join IBPS PO Online Coaching if you need assistance.
- Practice with IBPS PO Mock Test and IBPS PO Previous Year Question Paper to improve speed and accuracy.
- Focus on time management and regularly review your progress to ensure comprehensive preparation.
FAQs
What is the IBPS PO Syllabus 2026?
It covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning in Prelims. Mains covers Reasoning, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation and a Descriptive Paper.
Is there a chapter-wise IBPS PO syllabus PDF from IBPS?
No. IBPS publishes only test names, questions, marks and duration. Topic lists are based on recurring patterns.
What is the IBPS PO Prelims exam pattern 2026?
100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes: English 30 marks, Quant 30 marks and Reasoning 40 marks, with 20 minutes per section.
What is the IBPS PO Mains exam pattern 2026?
170 objective questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, plus a 25-mark Descriptive Paper of 30 minutes.
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer in objective tests. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
Is the Personality Test qualifying?
It is mandatory but non-qualifying and not counted in merit.
Are Prelims marks counted in the final merit?
No. Final merit uses Mains (80%) and Interview (20%).
Is Computer Aptitude part of the IBPS PO Mains syllabus 2026?
No separate Computer Aptitude test is listed in the revised Mains pattern.
Is Letter Writing asked in the IBPS PO Descriptive Paper?
Not in the 2026 pattern. The paper has Essay and Comprehension.
Are there sectional cut-offs in IBPS PO?
Yes, sectional and overall cut-offs apply, and sections are separately timed.
What are the interview qualifying marks?
40% for General/EWS and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD.
Which section is the toughest in Mains?
Most candidates find DI and advanced Reasoning the most time-consuming.
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