IBPS RRB PO (Officer Scale-I) 2026: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I, often called IBPS RRB PO, recruits Assistant Managers for the Regional Rural Banks. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) runs it as part of CRP-RRBs-XV, notified on 1 September 2026, which also covers Officer Scale-II and III and Office Assistants. Registration closed on 27 September 2026 after an extension. The point that matters now: by IBPS's tentative schedule, the preliminary exam is in November or December 2026, so there are a few weeks left. This guide covers the dates, the IBPS RRB PO exam pattern and syllabus, how to apply, and a plan.
IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I at a glance
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| What it is for | Officer Scale-I (Assistant Manager), a Group A post in a Regional Rural Bank |
| Stages | Prelims, Mains, interview |
| Mode | Online, at an examination centre |
| Prelims | 80 questions, 80 marks, 45 minutes: Reasoning (25 minutes) and Quantitative Aptitude (20 minutes) |
| Mains | 200 questions, 200 marks, 120 minutes, five tests |
| Marking | One fourth of a question's marks deducted for a wrong answer; blanks score 0 |
| Languages | English and the language of the State or UT you apply for, which includes Hindi |
| Eligibility | A bachelor's degree in any discipline; age above 18 and below 30 on 1 September 2026 (general and EWS), with relaxations; local language proficiency |
| Official website | ibps.in |
IBPS RRB PO 2026 exam date
The CRP-RRBs-XV notification gives this tentative schedule (checked 20 October 2026):
| Stage | Tentative schedule |
|---|---|
| Online registration and fee payment | 1 to 21 September 2026, extended to 27 September 2026 |
| Pre-Exam Training | November 2026 |
| Prelims call letters and Prelims exam | November / December 2026 |
| Prelims result | December 2026 / January 2027 |
| Mains call letters and Mains exam | December 2026 / January 2027 |
| Mains result and interview call letters | January 2027 |
| Interview | January / February 2027 |
| Provisional allotment | February / March 2027 |
IBPS gives months, not days. Your exact date and session will be on the call letter on ibps.in. As of 20 October 2026 the CRP-RRBs-XV page lists the notification, vacancy corrigenda of 9, 15 and 25 September 2026, and the registration extension of 21 September 2026; no exact exam dates yet. Our exam dates page follows it.
How to apply for IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I
Registration for XV is closed. For the next round, the current notice works like this:
- Read the notification on ibps.in: the State-wise RRB vacancies and the local language each needs.
- Choose your posts. You may apply for Office Assistant and for one officer post, but not for more than one officer scale.
- Register through the CRP RRBs page and keep the provisional registration number and password.
- Choose one State or UT, and upload your photograph, signature, left thumb impression and handwritten declaration in the sizes given.
- Pay online. In XV it was ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates and ₹850 for all others, including GST, for each post applied for.
- Check everything, then complete the registration and save the printout.
Keep ready your degree certificate and marks, a category certificate if you claim one, and proof of the local language if you have it. Degrees in agriculture, IT, management, law, economics, accountancy and related fields get preference in the notice, so keep that certificate handy too.
IBPS RRB PO exam pattern
Prelims
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 45 minutes |
There is no English test in the Officer Scale-I prelims. You must reach the cut-off in both tests. Each question is 1 mark and a wrong answer costs 0.25.
Mains
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | 15 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 15 minutes |
| English Language or Hindi Language (choose one) | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 minutes |
Only Mains and interview marks decide the final result, weighted 80:20. The interview is out of 100, with a minimum of 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD).
IBPS RRB PO syllabus
The notice prints no topic list. The questions these tests usually carry:
- Reasoning: seating arrangements, floor and scheduling puzzles, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction, order and ranking, alphanumeric series.
- Quantitative Aptitude: data interpretation from tables, number series, quadratic equations, simplification, and arithmetic (percentage, profit and loss, interest, time and work, time and distance, ratio, average, mixture, partnership).
- Mains adds: computer knowledge, general and banking awareness, and English or Hindi language.
See the full list on our IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I syllabus page.
A plan for the weeks until Prelims
With prelims in November or December, plan for five to six weeks. The paper is only two tests, so speed in those two is everything: 25 minutes for 40 Reasoning questions is under 40 seconds each, and 20 minutes for 40 Quant questions is 30 seconds each.
| Weeks | Focus | Mock tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take one full IBPS RRB PO mock test, then list your slowest question types | 1 full mock |
| 2-3 | Puzzles daily; simplification, series and quadratics as 10-minute speed drills | 2 full mocks a week |
| 4-5 | Mock, review, redo the wrong questions; practise skipping long puzzles | 3 full mocks a week |
| Last days | Light drills, sleep, and checking your call letter | 1 mock, two days before |
Start General Awareness and Computer Knowledge in short daily sessions now, because Mains may follow within weeks of Prelims. The quarter-mark penalty is light enough that an educated guess between two options pays; negative marking: when to guess works through the numbers.
Useful links
- IBPS official website: notifications, call letters, results
- CRP-RRBs-XV notification (PDF)
- CRP-RRBs-XV page on ibps.in
- Free IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I mock tests
- IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I syllabus
- IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I exam dates
- IBPS RRB Office Assistant 2026: exam date and how to apply
- IBPS PO 2026: exam date and how to apply
Frequently asked questions
When is the IBPS RRB PO prelims exam in 2026?
The XV notification puts the prelims in November or December 2026. IBPS gives the exact date on the call letter, on ibps.in.
Is there negative marking in IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I?
Yes. One fourth of the marks of a question is deducted for a wrong answer, in Prelims and Mains. In Prelims that is 0.25; a blank costs nothing.
Is there English in the IBPS RRB PO prelims?
No. Prelims has only Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. In Mains you choose either English Language or Hindi Language.
Can I apply for both IBPS RRB PO and Office Assistant?
Yes. The notice lets you apply for Office Assistant and for one officer post, but not for more than one officer scale.
What is the IBPS RRB Officer Scale-I age limit?
For general and EWS candidates, above 18 and below 30 years on 1 September 2026, with the relaxations in the notice.
Are your IBPS RRB PO mock tests official?
No. They are practice papers written for this site on the XV prelims pattern, with two separately timed tests, five options and the quarter-mark penalty.