Banking & insurance exams
IBPS PO: Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Eligibility
IBPS Common Recruitment Process for Probationary Officers / Management Trainees · conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
IBPS PO is the common recruitment exam for Probationary Officers and Management Trainees in participating public sector banks such as Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and Canara Bank. Selection has three stages: an online Preliminary exam (100 questions in 60 minutes), an online Main exam with an objective test and a descriptive English test, and an interview. The final merit combines Mains and interview scores in an 80:20 ratio.
When is IBPS PO?
IBPS publishes the PO schedule in its annual calendar; the Preliminary exam is usually held in the second half of the year.
IBPS PO at a glance
- Conducted by
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
- Stages
- Prelims → Mains → Interview
- Prelims
- 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes
- Negative marking
- One-quarter of the question’s marks
- Mains
- 200-mark objective test + 25-mark descriptive test
- Final merit
- Mains 80% : Interview 20%
- Eligibility
- Graduate in any discipline
- Age
- 20–30 years, with relaxations
IBPS PO exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
- Prelims is qualifying: its marks are not added to the final merit.
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | Puzzles, logic, data sufficiency and computer basics |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | Charts, tables, caselets and arithmetic |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | Current affairs, banking and financial awareness |
| English Language | Comprehension, grammar and vocabulary |
| Descriptive test | Essay and letter, typed online (25 marks) |
- Section-wise question counts and timings are given in each year’s notification.
IBPS PO syllabus
English Language
- Reading comprehension
- Cloze test and fillers
- Error detection and sentence improvement
- Para jumbles
- Vocabulary
Quantitative Aptitude
- Simplification and approximation
- Number series
- Quadratic equations
- Data interpretation
- Arithmetic: percentages, ratio, profit and loss, interest, time and work, speed and distance, mixtures
Reasoning Ability
- Puzzles and seating arrangements
- Syllogism
- Inequalities
- Coding–decoding
- Blood relations and direction sense
- Order and ranking
Mains-only areas
- General, economy and banking awareness
- Computer aptitude
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Descriptive English: essay and letter writing
IBPS PO eligibility
- A graduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university, held by the date in the notification.
- Age 20–30 years, with relaxations (for example 5 years for SC/ST, 3 for OBC and 10 for PwBD).
How to prepare for IBPS PO
- 1Sectional timing (20 minutes each) means you must practise each section separately against the clock.
- 2Puzzles and seating arrangements decide Reasoning scores — practise a few every day.
- 3Read banking and economy news daily for the Mains awareness section.
- 4Practise typing short essays and letters for the descriptive test.
IBPS PO FAQs
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. One-quarter of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests.
Is the IBPS PO Prelims score counted in the final selection?
No. Prelims is qualifying; the final merit uses Mains and interview scores in an 80:20 ratio.
What is the age limit for IBPS PO?
20 to 30 years, with relaxations for reserved categories.
What is the difference between IBPS PO and SBI PO?
IBPS PO recruits for several public sector banks through a common process, while SBI PO recruits only for the State Bank of India and has its own exam and final phase.
Practise IBPS PO on GyanBook
Timed quizzes and mock tests that follow the real marking scheme, instant scores with step-by-step solutions, and progress tracking for every subject. Free to start.
Related exams
GyanBook India is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with the body that conducts IBPS PO. These details were checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. Exam dates, eligibility rules and patterns can change — always confirm them on the official website (ibps.in) before you apply.