IBPS PO Syllabus 2026

What is IBPS PO?

IBPS PO (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection — Probationary Officer) is a national bank recruitment exam for Probationary Officer / Management Trainee positions at 11 public sector banks in India, including Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India and others (SBI conducts its own SBI PO exam separately).

IBPS PO is one of the most sought-after banking jobs in India. Approximately 3,000–5,000 PO vacancies are notified per cycle.

Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university. Age: 20–30 years (relaxation for OBC, SC/ST, PwD, ex-servicemen).

Notification: Usually July–August 2026. Exam dates: Prelims October 2026; Mains November 2026; Interview/HR: January–February 2027.

Selection process: Prelims (screening) → Mains → Interview → Document Verification → Medical.

Starting salary after selection: Approximately ₹52,000–58,000/month (Basic + DA + HRA + other allowances). Post probation, POs can grow into Assistant Manager and Branch Manager roles within 5–8 years.

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern

Duration: 1 hour (60 minutes). Total questions: 100. Total marks: 100. Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer. Mode: Computer-based online exam.

Sections: - English Language: 30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes - Quantitative Aptitude: 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes - Reasoning Ability: 35 questions, 35 marks, 20 minutes

Sectional time limit: Each section has a fixed time — you cannot switch between sections. Sectional cutoffs apply — you must pass each section individually. IBPS uses a normalisation process for marks across shifts.

Cutoffs (approximate, vary by year and category): English: 7–10 marks. QA: 7–10 marks. Reasoning: 10–14 marks. Overall: 55–65 marks (general category).

IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern

Duration: 3 hours + 30 minutes (additional for English Descriptive). Total questions: 155 (objective) + 2 descriptive. Total marks: 200 (objective) + 25 (descriptive). Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.

Objective sections: - Reasoning and Computer Aptitude: 45 questions, 60 marks, 60 minutes - General/Economy/Banking Awareness: 40 questions, 40 marks, 35 minutes - English Language: 35 questions, 40 marks, 40 minutes - Data Analysis and Interpretation: 35 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes

Descriptive test (English — Letter and Essay Writing): 2 questions, 25 marks, 30 minutes. Conducted online (typed). One essay (200–250 words) and one formal letter (150–200 words). Descriptive is evaluated only if the candidate clears the objective sections' cutoff.

Final selection: Mains marks (objective + descriptive combined) determine shortlisting for interview. Interview carries 100 marks. Final merit = 80% Mains + 20% Interview.

Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis Syllabus

Prelims QA topics: Number Series (find the missing/wrong number), Simplification/Approximation, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Mixtures & Alligation, Time and Work, Time, Speed and Distance (including trains/boats), Data Interpretation (DI) — tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs.

Mains DI and Analysis: Caselet DI (paragraph-based data), Missing DI (tables with blanks to fill from given clues), Comparative DI (two sets of data to compare), Radar/Web charts. Data Sufficiency (is the given data sufficient to answer the question?). Probability, Permutations and Combinations, Inequalities.

Note: Mains QA is called 'Data Analysis and Interpretation' and is significantly harder than Prelims — complex multi-step DI sets, missing data problems and advanced Maths are tested.

Reasoning Ability Syllabus

Prelims Reasoning topics: Puzzles and Seating Arrangement (most important — 50–60% of questions), Syllogisms, Inequalities, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order and Ranking, Alphanumeric Series.

Mains Reasoning and Computer Aptitude: Advanced puzzles (box-based, floor-based, circular, linear arrangements with complex conditions), Input-Output, Logical Reasoning (critical reasoning, cause-effect, assumption-conclusion), Blood Relations (complex tree format), Data Sufficiency.

Computer Aptitude (included in Mains Reasoning section): Computer hardware, software, networking basics, keyboard shortcuts, MS Office, internet and browsers, database basics. Computer aptitude questions are conceptual, not technical — basic familiarity is sufficient.

Tip: Puzzles and seating arrangement constitute the highest-weightage topic in both Prelims and Mains Reasoning. Practise 5–10 puzzle sets daily.

English Language Syllabus

Prelims English: Reading Comprehension (10–15 questions from 1–2 passages), Cloze Test (fill in blanks in a passage), Error Detection/Spotting, Sentence Rearrangement (para-jumbles), Fill in the Blanks (single or double blanks), Vocabulary (word usage, synonym-antonym based).

Mains English: Reading Comprehension (longer passages with inference and vocabulary questions), Error Detection (complex sentences), Sentence Improvement and Correction, Para Jumbles, Word Usage (choosing the correct word in context), Column-Based Questions (match the word to its synonym/antonym/usage).

Descriptive Writing (Mains only): Essay on current economic/banking/social topics (200–250 words). Formal letter (official communication, complaint or inquiry format, 150–200 words).

General/Economy/Banking Awareness (Mains): Current affairs (last 6 months): RBI policy decisions, government schemes, banking sector developments, financial market news, GDP/budget highlights, international financial events. Static Banking Awareness: History and structure of Indian banking, RBI functions, types of banks, NPA/SARFAESI/IBC basics, financial inclusion schemes (Jan Dhan, PM Mudra). Financial/Economic Awareness: Union Budget highlights, economic indicators, insurance sector basics.