IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 — Prelims + Mains + Interview Topic-wise Pattern

IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 — Prelims + Mains + Interview Topic-wise Pattern — Highlights

Eligibility & Age Limit

Age Limit: 20–30 years as on 1 August 2026 per the typical IBPS PO notification cycle

OBC-NCL: 3 (max 33) · SC/ST: 5 (max 35) · PwBD: 10 (UR), 13 (OBC), 15 (SC/ST) · Ex-Servicemen: 5 post-service · J&K domicile 1980-89: 5 · Persons affected by 1984 riots: 5 · Departmental candidates per IBPS norms.

Educational Qualification:

• Probationary Officer / Management Trainee: Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a UGC-recognised university. Computer literacy: Operating + working knowledge of computer systems is essential. Either Computer as a subject in graduation, OR a Government certificate course in Computer Operations, OR Class 10/12 with computer as a subject is required. Final-year students at notification time NOT eligible — degree must be in hand.

Nationality: Indian citizens · Nepali / Bhutanese subjects · Tibetan refugees who came to India before 1 January 1962 · Indian-origin migrants from listed countries (per Schedule II of CSE Rules).

How to Apply Online

1. Visit the official portal of IBPS (linked in Important Links below).
2. Register with a valid email and mobile number to generate login credentials.
3. Fill the application form with personal, educational, and contact details exactly as on official documents.
4. Upload a recent passport-size photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
5. Pay the application fee through the prescribed payment mode (see Application Fee table above).
6. Review all entries carefully, then submit the form.
7. Download and print a copy of the submitted application for your records.

Resultpedia is independent and not affiliated with Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. The official application link is in the Important Links section at the bottom of this page — verify all details on the official portal before applying.

IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 — Prelims + Mains + Interview Topic-wise Pattern — Analysis & Trends

Three-stage pattern at a glance

Prelims — Exam pattern (qualifying only)

Negative marking -0.25. Sectional timing strictly enforced — you must finish each section in its 20-minute window before moving to the next. No going back. Both sectional and overall cut-offs apply.

Prelims — Section-wise syllabus

English Language (30 Q · 30 marks)

Reading Comprehension · Para Jumbles · Fill in the Blanks · Cloze Test · Error Spotting · Sentence Improvement · Synonyms + Antonyms · Tense + Active/Passive Voice · Idioms + Phrases · Preposition + Articles · Vocabulary.

Weightage estimate: Reading Comprehension 8-10 Q (largest block) · Cloze Test 5-6 Q · Para Jumbles 4-5 Q · Error Spotting 3-4 Q · Fill in Blanks 3-4 Q · Vocabulary + Spelling 2-3 Q.

Quantitative Aptitude (35 Q · 30 marks)

Number System · Simplification + Approximation · Percentage · Profit + Loss · Average · Ratio + Proportion · Time + Work · Time + Distance + Speed · Simple Interest + Compound Interest · Data Interpretation (bar, pie, line, tabular) · Decimal Fractions · HCF + LCM · Partnership · Mensuration · Mixture + Alligation.

Weightage estimate: Simplification + Approximation 5-7 Q · Number Series 5-6 Q · Data Interpretation 10-12 Q (the largest block) · Quadratic Equations 4-5 Q · Arithmetic word problems 5-8 Q.

Reasoning Ability (35 Q · 40 marks)

Alphanumeric Series · Ranking + Direction + Alphabet Test · Coded Inequality + Inequality · Puzzle · Syllogism · Data Sufficiency · Seating Arrangement (linear + circular) · Blood Relation · Input-Output · Coding-Decoding · Tabulation · Direction Sense + Distance.

Weightage estimate: Puzzles + Seating Arrangement 12-15 Q (dominates the section) · Syllogism 3-5 Q · Inequality 3-5 Q · Coding-Decoding 3-5 Q · Blood Relations 2-3 Q · Direction Sense 2-3 Q · Series 2-3 Q.

Mains — Exam pattern

Negative marking -0.25 in all 4 objective sections. Sectional time strictly enforced. General + Banking Awareness is the time-pressed section — 35 questions in 25 minutes means 43 seconds per question, so factual recall must be instant. Banking aspirants who skim the 6-month banking-current-affairs window typically score 35-40 in this section; those who study monthly compilations top out near 45.

Mains — Section-wise syllabus

Reasoning + Computer Aptitude (40 Q · 60 marks · 50 min)

Reasoning portion (~28-30 Q): Syllogism · Verbal Reasoning · Input-Output · Double Lineup + Linear Seating · Blood Relation · Scheduling · Circular Seating · Ordering + Ranking · Coding-Decoding · Direction + Distance · Data Sufficiency · Statement-Argument-Assumption.

Computer Aptitude portion (~10-12 Q): Internet basics · Keyboard Shortcuts · MS Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint) · Memory (RAM/ROM/Cache) · Hardware components · Abbreviations · Operating Systems · Software fundamentals · Networking basics · Latest banking technologies (UPI, IMPS, RTGS, NEFT, cyber security basics).

English Language (35 Q · 40 marks · 40 min · English only)

Reading Comprehension (typically 2 passages, 8-10 Q total) · Cloze Test · Para Jumbles · Para Completion · Sentence Improvement · Fill in the Blanks (single + double) · Error Spotting + Sentence Correction · Vocabulary (Synonyms + Antonyms + Word Usage) · Idioms + Phrases · Verbal Ability (inferences, inference-based RC).

Data Analysis + Interpretation (35 Q · 50 marks · 45 min)

This is the largest single section by marks in Mains. Data Interpretation (~20-25 Q): Bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, tables, mixed DI, caselet DI, missing DI. Numerical analysis with multi-step computations. Quant supplement (~10-15 Q): Average, Percentage, Profit/Loss, Interest, Mensuration, Geometry, Simplification, Quadratic Equations, Age Problems, Number Series, Speed-Distance-Time, Permutation + Combination, Probability, Mixture + Alligation.

General + Banking Awareness (35 Q · 50 marks · 25 min)

The most time-pressed section. Topics:

• Banking Awareness: RBI structure + functions + monetary policy · CASA + NPA + repo rate + reverse repo · MCLR + base rate + spread · Basel norms · CRR + SLR · Priority sector lending · KYC + AML · Insurance schemes (Jeevan Jyoti, Suraksha, APY) · Banking history (nationalisation, mergers) · Latest banking regulations + RBI notifications
• Financial Awareness: Economic indices (Repo, Reverse Repo, MSF, Bank Rate, SDF, GDP, Inflation indices) · Stock market basics · Mutual funds · Insurance · Pension schemes
• Current Affairs: Last 6 months — government schemes, appointments, awards, sports, summits, books
• Static GK: Capitals + currencies + heads of state · Important days · National parks + sanctuaries · Important committees + reports

Descriptive Test — Letter + Essay (25 marks · 30 min · English only)

Letter writing (~150 words): Formal letter (complaint, application, request, recommendation) OR informal letter (to friend/family). Evaluate: format adherence + content relevance + grammar + clarity + tone.

Essay (~300 words): Topics from banking + economy + governance + social issues + technology + environment. Recent prompts: digital banking transformation, financial inclusion, women in banking, RBI's role in inflation control, cryptocurrencies, climate change + green finance, India's banking sector reforms.

Interview — 100 marks · 15-20 minutes

Conducted at the participating bank or an IBPS-arranged centre. Board of 3-5 members (senior bank officers, occasionally an HR specialist). Qualifying threshold: 40% UR + EWS, 35% SC/ST/OBC/PwBD.

Typical question areas:

• Economy + Banking Updates: Recent RBI monetary policy, latest banking regulations, current account deficit, GDP growth
• Basic Banking Concepts: CASA, NPA, repo rate, MCLR, base rate, types of accounts, deposit/loan products
• Educational Background: Subject knowledge from graduation, hobbies, certifications
• Strengths + Weaknesses: SWOT-style introspection
• Work Experience: If any, role + responsibilities + key learnings
• Situational Questions: "What if a customer accuses you of poor service?" / "What if your branch manager asks you to skip KYC for a VIP?" — bank-ethics scenarios
• Why Banking + Why This Bank: Motivation + career fit
• Communication Skills: Verbal + active listening + structured response

Final merit + bank allotment

Final Score = (Mains Objective + Descriptive normalised to 80)
            + (Interview normalised to 20)
            = max 100 marks

Bank allotment based on:

1. Final merit rank
2. Bank preference order filled at registration (you rank all 11 participating banks)
3. Category-wise reservation roster
4. Vacancy at the chosen bank in your category

Higher rank → higher preference of bank fulfilled. Provisional allotment letter issued by IBPS; final joining at the allotted bank within 30 days. 2-year probation period with confirmation subject to passing internal banking-paper certifications (JAIIB + CAIIB are recommended for promotion eligibility).

Preparation strategy — 6-month framework

1. Foundation (months 1-2): Core concept building. Number system, percentages, ratio, interest, average, profit/loss for Quant. Tenses, voice, articles, prepositions for English. Basic syllogism + seating + puzzle for Reasoning. Take Prelims-level concept tests weekly.
2. Speed (months 3-4): Daily 1-hour speed drills. 35 Quant + 35 Reasoning + 30 English in 60 minutes — same as Prelims pattern. Sectional cut-off practice. Start IBPS PO Mains topics (Data Analysis + Interpretation, Banking Awareness).
3. Banking Awareness build-up (months 4-6): 30-40 minutes daily on banking news from The Hindu BusinessLine / Bankers Adda monthly compilations + RBI website monetary policy + RBI notifications. Build a banking-terms cheat sheet.
4. Mock tests (months 5-6): 20+ full-length Prelims mocks before Prelims · 10+ full-length Mains mocks before Mains · 5+ descriptive practice essays + letters evaluated by a peer or coaching mentor.
5. Post-Mains, pre-Interview: 15-20 days. Mock interviews + RBI monetary policy revision + bank-specific concepts + banking-current-affairs final pass.

Recommended books per section

• Quantitative Aptitude: R.S. Aggarwal — Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations · M. Tyra — Magical Book on Quicker Maths · Adda247 / Bankers Adda speed-quant ebooks
• Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal — Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning · M.K. Pandey — Analytical Reasoning · Arihant Bank PO Reasoning
• English: Wren & Martin English Grammar · Norman Lewis — Word Power Made Easy · S.P. Bakshi — Objective General English
• Banking Awareness: Banking Awareness for SBI/IBPS by Arihant · Disha — Banking Awareness · Monthly Bankers Adda compilations + RBI website
• Current Affairs: The Hindu BusinessLine daily + Indian Express daily + Yojana monthly
• Descriptive: Disha — IBPS PO Descriptive English · Arihant — Essay & Letter Writing
• Mock tests: Adda247 / Bankers Adda / Oliveboard / Career Power test series — pick ONE and stick to it

Related banking + financial sector pages

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