IBPS PO Syllabus 2026-27 — Prelims, Mains, Interview Pattern
Last updated: 9 May 2026
IBPS PO 2026 — At a Glance
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts IBPS PO (Probationary Officer) recruitment across 11 participating Public Sector Banks. IBPS PO 2026 has 3 stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection) |
| Participating Banks | 11 PSBs (Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, PNB, Bank of India, etc.) |
| Prelims Expected | October 2026 |
| Mains Expected | November 2026 |
| Interview | January–February 2027 |
| Vacancies (typical) | ~3,000–5,000 |
| Eligibility | Graduate (any discipline), Age 20–30 |
IBPS PO Prelims — Pattern
Computer-Based Test, 100 MCQs in 60 minutes (sectional timing applies), 100 marks. Negative marking: -0.25 per wrong answer.
- English Language — 30 Qs, 30 marks, 20 minutes
- Quantitative Aptitude — 35 Qs, 35 marks, 20 minutes
- Reasoning Ability — 35 Qs, 35 marks, 20 minutes
Sectional cut-offs apply. Top ~10× of vacancies qualify for Mains.
IBPS PO Mains — Pattern
Computer-Based Test, 200 marks objective + 25 marks descriptive. ~3 hours total.
- Reasoning + Computer Aptitude — 45 Qs, 60 marks, 60 minutes
- English Language — 35 Qs, 40 marks, 40 minutes
- Data Analysis & Interpretation — 35 Qs, 60 marks, 45 minutes
- General/Economy/Banking Awareness — 40 Qs, 40 marks, 35 minutes
- English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) — 2 Qs, 25 marks, 30 minutes (descriptive)
IBPS PO Interview
100 marks. Final selection: Mains (80%) + Interview (20%).
Subject-wise Syllabus (Detailed)
English Language
Reading comprehension, cloze test, para jumbles, sentence correction/error spotting, fillers, vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, idioms), word usage, sentence improvement.
Quantitative Aptitude
Number series, simplification, approximation, quadratic equations, data interpretation (tables, bar/pie/line graphs, caselets), arithmetic (percentages, profit-loss, time-speed-distance, ratio-proportion, partnership, ages, simple/compound interest, mixture-allegation), permutation-combination, probability, mensuration.
Reasoning Ability
Puzzles & seating arrangement (linear, circular, double-row, scheduling, blood-relation puzzles), syllogisms, inequalities, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order-ranking, input-output, machine input, data sufficiency.
General/Banking/Economy Awareness
Banking fundamentals (RBI, NABARD, monetary policy, repo rate, CRR, SLR), Indian financial system, capital market, money market, mutual funds, NPCI products (UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS), insurance basics, current banking news, government schemes (PMJDY, PMJJBY, Mudra), economic survey, budget highlights, recent appointments, awards, sports, books.
Computer Aptitude
Computer fundamentals, hardware-software, networking basics, MS Office, internet, security, abbreviations.
How to Prepare for IBPS PO 2026 — 4-Month Plan
- Month 1: Strengthen basics — Reasoning + Quant fundamentals, daily English reading.
- Month 2: Topic-wise practice + sectional tests. Start banking awareness daily.
- Month 3: Full Prelims mocks 4×/week. Begin Mains-pattern practice.
- Month 4: Mains-focused — descriptive English, current affairs intensive, Mains mocks.
Recommended programme: Sankalp 2026 covers IBPS PO Prelims + Mains, or Prahar 3-Month Crash for the final-quarter sprint.