IBPS PO 2026: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
IBPS PO is the common recruitment of Probationary Officers and Management Trainees for eleven public sector banks, run by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The current round is CRP PO/MT-XVI, notified on 30 June 2026 for vacancies of 2027-28. Its registration closed in July 2026, and by IBPS's own tentative schedule the Main examination falls in October 2026, with interviews in November and December. This guide sets out those dates, the IBPS PO exam pattern and syllabus, how to apply in the next round, and a plan built around mock tests.
IBPS PO at a glance
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| What it is for | Probationary Officer / Management Trainee in participating public sector banks |
| Stages | Prelims, Mains (objective and descriptive), Personality Test, interview |
| Mode | Online, at an examination centre |
| Prelims | 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, three tests of 20 minutes each |
| Mains | 170 objective questions (200 marks) in 160 minutes, then a 30-minute descriptive paper |
| Marking | One fourth of a question's marks deducted for a wrong answer; blanks score 0 |
| Languages | English and Hindi, except English Language (English only) |
| Eligibility | A graduate in any discipline; age 20 to 30 on 1 July 2026, with relaxations in the notice |
| Official website | ibps.in |
IBPS PO 2026 exam date
The CRP PO/MT-XVI notification gives this tentative schedule (checked 20 October 2026):
| Stage | Tentative schedule |
|---|---|
| Online registration and fee payment | 1 to 21 July 2026 |
| Pre-Examination Training | August 2026 |
| Prelims call letters and Prelims exam | August 2026 |
| Prelims result | September 2026 |
| Mains call letters | September 2026 |
| Mains exam | October 2026 |
| Mains result and Personality Test | November 2026 |
| Interview | November / December 2026 |
| Provisional allotment | January 2027 |
These are months, not exact days. IBPS gives the exact date, session and venue on each candidate's call letter, and posts corrigenda on the CRP PO/MT-XVI page. As of 20 October 2026 that page lists the notification and vacancy corrigenda of 20 July and 27 August 2026. The next round (XVII) has not been announced; when it is, the notification will appear on ibps.in first. Our IBPS PO exam dates page follows it.
How to apply for IBPS PO
Registration for the XVI round is closed. For the next round, the steps in the current notice are:
- Read the notification on ibps.in for eligibility, age relaxation and vacancies.
- Open the CRP PO/MTs page and click "Click here for new registration".
- Fill in the form. You get a provisional registration number and password by email and SMS; use "Save and Next" to check each page.
- Upload your photograph, signature, left thumb impression and a handwritten declaration, in the sizes the notice's scanning guidelines give.
- Pay the fee online. In the XVI notice it was ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates and ₹850 for all others, including GST. Check the new notice for the new figure.
- Click "Complete Registration" only when everything is right: no change is allowed after that. Save the printout.
Keep ready: a working email and mobile number, your degree details and marks, a category or PwBD certificate if you claim one, and the scanned files above.
IBPS PO exam pattern
Prelims
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Each test has its own timer, and you must clear IBPS's cut-off in each test as well as score high overall. Prelims only shortlists for Mains.
Mains
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness (incl. digital and financial awareness, RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 minutes |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Descriptive: Essay and Comprehension (English) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
The whole Main exam is 3 hours 10 minutes. Only Main marks count for the interview shortlist and the final merit, where Mains and interview are weighted 80:20. The interview is out of 100 with a minimum of 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD).
IBPS PO syllabus
The notice names the tests but does not print a topic list. The question types IBPS PO has long used are:
- English Language: reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting, fillers, sentence rearrangement, vocabulary.
- Quantitative Aptitude: simplification, number series, data interpretation, percentage, profit and loss, time and work, time and distance, ratio, average and interest.
- Reasoning: seating arrangements and puzzles, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction and ranking.
- Mains adds: input-output, banking and economy awareness, RBI circulars, caselet-style data interpretation and an essay.
The full list, test by test, is on our IBPS PO syllabus page.
A plan for the weeks that are left
If you have a Mains call letter this month, there are only days left. Spend them on timed section practice: one 45-minute Reasoning set and one 45-minute data interpretation set each day, banking awareness and RBI circulars in short daily sessions, and one timed 30-minute essay-and-comprehension draft every other day.
If you are preparing for the next round's Prelims, use eight weeks like this:
| Weeks | Focus | Mock tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Learn the puzzle types, quadratic and series methods, and grammar rules | One full Prelims mock at the start, to find your weakest test |
| 3-4 | Daily 20-minute timed sets, one per test | One full mock a week, analysed the next day |
| 5-6 | Speed: simplification drills, short puzzles first | Two full mocks a week |
| 7-8 | Only mocks and their review; no new topics | Three full mocks a week, under exam timing |
Because each test has a cut-off, do not let your strongest test hide a weak one. The quarter-mark penalty means guessing blindly rarely pays; our article on negative marking works through when a guess is worth it, and IBPS PO Prelims strategy covers each 20-minute test in detail.
Useful links
- IBPS official website, where notifications and the application link appear
- CRP PO/MT-XVI notification, 30 June 2026 (PDF)
- CRP PO/MT-XVI page on ibps.in (call letters, corrigenda)
- Free IBPS PO mock tests
- IBPS PO syllabus
- IBPS PO exam dates
- IBPS PO Prelims strategy
- SBI PO vs IBPS PO
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. For every wrong answer, one fourth of the marks of that question is deducted, in Prelims and in the Mains objective tests. A question you leave blank scores zero.
What is the IBPS PO 2026 exam date?
The XVI notification gives months, not days: Prelims in August 2026, Mains in October 2026 and interviews in November/December 2026. The exact date and session for each candidate is on the call letter downloaded from ibps.in.
What is the IBPS PO eligibility?
A degree in any discipline, with the result declared on or before 21 July 2026 for the XVI round, and age 20 to 30 years on 1 July 2026, with the relaxations the notice lists. The next round will set its own dates.
Is there a sectional cut-off in IBPS PO Prelims?
Yes. You must reach the cut-off IBPS sets in each of the three tests. IBPS does not print those numbers in the notice.
Do Prelims marks count in the final IBPS PO result?
No. Prelims only decides who sits Mains. The final merit uses Mains and interview marks, weighted 80:20.
Where can I take an IBPS PO mock test?
Our free IBPS PO mock tests follow the XVI Prelims pattern, with three 20-minute tests, the quarter-mark penalty, and English and Hindi. They are practice papers written for this site, not IBPS papers.