IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 is important for candidates preparing for the IBPS Probationary Officer exam. The selection process includes three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Candidates must qualify in each stage to be considered for final selection. Understanding the latest IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern helps aspirants plan their preparation effectively. In this article, we have provided the complete IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 along with the updated exam pattern.
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern are released by the official authorities for candidates preparing for the examination. The Preliminary exam includes sectional timing for each section. The IBPS PO selection process is conducted in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Candidates must qualify at every stage to be selected as a Probationary Officer in participating Public Sector Banks.
| IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 Overview | |
| Organization | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Posts | Probationary Officer |
| Exam Name | IBPS PO 2026 |
| Category | Syllabus & Exam Pattern |
| IBPS PO Exam Date 2026 | Prelims- 22nd and 23rd August 2026 Mains- 4th October 2026 |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Duration of Exam | Prelims- 60 minutes Mains- 190 minutes |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks |
| Recruitment Stages | Prelims, Mains, and Interview |
| Official website | http://www.ibps.in/ |
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 PDF Free Download
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 PDF outlines all the important topics that candidates need to prepare for the Prelims and Mains stages of the examination. We have provided the IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 PDF download link below, which candidates can use to access the syllabus and organize their study plan effectively.
Steps to download IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 PDF?
- Visit the official IBPS website.
- Go to the “CRP PO/MT” recruitment section on the homepage.
- Find the IBPS PO 2026 notification or syllabus link.
- Click on the syllabus PDF link provided in the notification.
- The IBPS PO Syllabus PDF will open on the screen.
- Download and save the PDF for future reference and exam preparation.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026
This year, IBPS has introduced revisions to the exam pattern for both the Prelims and Mains stages of the IBPS PO exam. Candidates planning to appear for IBPS PO 2026 should understand the updated exam pattern to prepare effectively. Below, we have explained the latest IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026 in detail.
IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern
IBPS PO Prelims exam is conducted online with a total duration of 1 hour. It includes three sections with 100 questions carrying 100 marks. A negative marking of 0.25 marks is applied for each incorrect answer. Candidates must clear the sectional cut-off in all three sections to qualify for the IBPS PO Mains exam. Recently, changes have also been made to the marks distribution in the Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability sections.
| S.No. | Name of Tests (Objective) | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | — | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern
- Descriptive Test Introduced: The IBPS PO Mains exam includes a Descriptive Paper to evaluate candidates’ writing ability. It consists of Essay and Letter Writing, carrying 25 marks and must be completed in 30 minutes.
- Updated Sectional Marking: IBPS has revised the marks distribution across different sections in the Mains examination.
- Negative Marking: A penalty of 0.25 marks is deducted for every incorrect answer in the Objective Test.
- Revised Exam Duration: The Objective Mains exam is conducted for 160 minutes, followed by a 30-minute Descriptive Test.
- Total Exam Time: The complete IBPS PO Mains exam duration is 190 minutes (3 hours 10 minutes).
| S. No. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Medium | Time Allotted |
| 1 | Reasoning | 40 | 60 | English & Hindi | 50 minutes |
| 2 | English Language | 35 | 40 | English only | 40 minutes |
| 3 | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 50 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
| 4 | General/Economy/Banking Awareness / Financial Awareness | 35 | 50 | English & Hindi | 25 minutes |
| Total | — | 145 | 200 | — | 160 minutes |
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Interview Stage: Candidates who clear the IBPS PO Mains exam are shortlisted for the Interview round, which carries 100 marks. The minimum qualifying marks are 40% for General category and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates.
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Negative Marking: In both the Prelims and Mains exams, 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer. No marks are deducted for unattempted questions.
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Final Selection: The final merit list is prepared based on the combined scores of the Mains exam and the Interview. The weightage is 80% for Mains and 20% for Interview. Candidates who secure a place in the final merit list are allotted banks and issued their appointment letters.
IBPS PO Selection Process
The IBPS PO recruitment process is conducted in three stages:
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IBPS PO Preliminary Exam
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IBPS PO Mains Exam
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IBPS PO Interview
Candidates must qualify in both the Prelims and Mains examinations to become eligible for the Interview round. Only those who meet the IBPS PO Mains cut-off are shortlisted for the final interview stage. For the final selection, the scores obtained in the Mains exam and Interview are combined to prepare the merit list.
IBPS PO Prelims Syllabus 2026
The IBPS PO Preliminary Exam is the first stage of the IBPS PO selection process. Candidates who qualify for the prelims are eligible to appear for the IBPS PO Mains Exam. The prelims exam consists of three sections: Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Language, which test candidates’ logical, numerical, and language skills. Understanding the IBPS PO Prelims syllabus 2026 helps candidates prepare effectively for the exam.
IBPS PO Prelims Syllabus for English Language
The English Language section in the IBPS PO Prelims exam tests candidates’ understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and reading ability. The important topics include:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Sentence Correction
- Sentence Improvement
- Spotting Errors
- Fill in the Blanks
- Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement
- Para or Sentence Completion
- Column-Based Spelling Errors
- Word Swap
- Word Rearrangement
- Sentence-Based Error Detection
IBPS PO Prelims Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude
The Quantitative Aptitude section evaluates candidates’ numerical and problem-solving skills. Key topics covered in this section are:
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Simplification and Approximation (BODMAS rules, squares, cubes, fractions, percentages)
- Number Series (missing number series and wrong number series)
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Inequality (linear and quadratic equation comparisons)
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Arithmetic Topics, including:
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Ratio and Proportion
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Percentage
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Number System
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HCF and LCM
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Average and Age Problems
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Partnership
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Mixture and Alligation
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Simple Interest and Compound Interest
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Time and Work, Pipes and Cistern
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Profit, Loss, and Discount
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Speed, Time, and Distance
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Boats and Streams
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Train Problems
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Mensuration (2D and 3D)
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Probability
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Permutation and Combination
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Data Interpretation (DI) – questions based on tables, pie charts, line graphs, and bar graphs
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Data Sufficiency (DS) – determining whether the given information is enough to solve a problem
IBPS PO Prelims Syllabus for Reasoning Ability
The Reasoning Ability section measures logical thinking, analytical skills, and problem-solving ability. Important topics include:
- Seating Arrangement (circular, linear, square, triangular)
- Puzzles (based on days, months, floors, boxes, designations, etc.)
- Inequalities (direct and indirect)
- Syllogism
- Input–Output
- Data Sufficiency
- Blood Relations
- Coding–Decoding (including Chinese coding patterns)
- Order and Ranking
- Alphabet / Number / Symbol Series
- Distance and Direction
- Miscellaneous Reasoning (odd one out, word pairs, number pairs, number operations)
IBPS PO Mains Syllabus 2026
| IBPS PO Mains Exam Syllabus 2026 | ||||
| Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus | General Awareness Syllabus | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude Syllabus | English Language Syllabus | |
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