IBPS PO 2026 exam pattern — sections, marks, negative marking
IBPS PO (IBPS Probationary Officer / Management Trainee Recruitment (CRP PO/MT)) is conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The stages are: Prelims CBT → Mains CBT → interview → provisional allotment. This page sets out each stage with its sections, questions, marks, duration and negative marking, explains how the final selection is made, and shows how to approach each subject. For dates and the current status of the 2026 cycle, see the IBPS PO guide.
Preliminary Examination (Qualifying): 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question (−0.25 of its value) per wrong answer. Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive): 172 questions, 225 marks, 190 minutes, One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question per wrong answer (objective tests).
✓ Data verified 4 Oct 2026
Stage-wise exam pattern
Preliminary Examination (Qualifying) Qualifying — shortlists candidates for the Mains
Online CBT · 60 min · One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question (−0.25 of its value) per wrong answer
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
The current (CRP PO/MT-XVI) prelims uses weighted marking, not 1 mark per question: Reasoning 35 questions carry 40 marks (≈1.14 per question), Quantitative Aptitude 35 questions carry 30 marks, English 30 questions carry 30 marks. Each test has a separate 20-minute timer — you cannot move between sections. You must clear the sectional cut-off in each of the three tests and make the overall shortlist; only a fixed number of candidates per category (as decided by IBPS against vacancies) is shortlisted for the Mains. Prelims score never counts in the final merit. Note the marks split against the official notification's table — older years used a flat +1 per question.
Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive) Merit-deciding — Mains score is 80% of the final selection score
Online CBT · objective 160 min + descriptive 30 min · 190 min · One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question per wrong answer (objective tests)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness / Digital & Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 |
| English Language | 40 | 20 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 |
| Descriptive Paper — Essay and Comprehension | 2 | 25 |
| Total | 172 | 225 |
Objective sections are separately timed (Reasoning 45 min, Awareness 35 min, English 35 min, Data Analysis & Interpretation 45 min — 160 minutes total) and the tests are not necessarily in sequence on screen. Per-question value differs sharply: 1.5 marks in Reasoning and Data Analysis, 1.2 in Awareness, only 0.5 in English — accuracy in the heavy sections is what separates the merit list. The Descriptive Paper (2 questions, 25 marks, 30 minutes; broadly on economic and social issues, banking and technology trends, current events, ethics) may be scored by an automated mechanism per the notification. You need a minimum score in each objective test and a minimum total to be shortlisted for the Personality Test and Interview. Only the Mains score (plus interview at 20%) counts in the final merit.
Personality Test and Common Interview Interview — 100 marks · 20% of final score
In-person, at bank-coordinated centres (conducted by participating banks, coordinated by the nodal bank) · Minimum qualifying marks: 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates)
The notification schedules a Personality Test (self-report format) before the Common Interview. The interview panel probes your graduation subjects, banking awareness, current economy and your home-state/bank preferences. The combined final score = Online Main exam (80%) + Interview (20%), expressed out of 100. Candidates who fail the interview's minimum qualifying marks are out regardless of their Mains score. Date, venue and time cannot normally be changed once allotted.
Selection process
Prelims (qualifying) → Mains (merit) → Personality Test + Common Interview → Provisional Allotment. The prelims only filters: it has sectional cut-offs plus an overall shortlist per category, and its score is discarded afterwards. The Mains (200 objective + 25 descriptive) decides your standing; shortlisted candidates face a 100-mark interview and the final combined score is 80% Mains + 20% Interview. IBPS then provisionally allots candidates to the 11 participating banks against the vacancies each bank reports, honouring reservation norms and the preference exercise. Allotment validity lasts one year from the date of provisional allotment or until a fresh allotment, whichever is earlier.
Normalisation: why your raw score is not your final score
Both stages run in multiple shifts with different question papers, so IBPS normalises corrected scores across sessions using the equi-percentile method before deciding cut-offs (scores are carried to two decimals). Practical consequences: (1) your raw score is not what the cutoffs compare — the normalised score is; (2) never compare raw marks across shifts or years; (3) a visibly tough shift is not a penalty — trust your attempts and accuracy. IBPS also publishes a 'Process for Arriving at Scores' note with each result explaining the exact computation.
How to read this pattern
Each stage carries a tag that tells you what it is for. In this exam: Preliminary Examination (Qualifying) is “Qualifying — shortlists candidates for the Mains”; Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive) is “Merit-deciding — Mains score is 80% of the final selection score”; Personality Test and Common Interview is “Interview — 100 marks · 20% of final score”. Read each stage's tag and notes to see whether its marks count towards the final merit or only decide who moves to the next stage, because that changes how much risk is worth taking on a single question.
Always check the negative marking line before you decide how freely to guess. Where there is a penalty, a wrong answer costs marks; where the data says there is none, leaving a question blank only loses the chance to score.
Question counts per section are the best guide to how much time and practice each subject deserves. Use the tables above to split your preparation in proportion to the marks on offer, and revisit the split after each mock or topic test.
How to approach each section
Each subject below links to the full notes on ExamShortcut. Topics are listed as high importance where our topic data flags them; the question counts come from the pattern above.
English Comprehension
All 14 topics →Preliminary Examination (Qualifying): 30 questions, 30 marks · Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive): 40 questions, 20 marks
Build the basics in grammar (error spotting, fill in the blanks, sentence improvement) and add a little vocabulary every day: idioms, one-word substitutions, synonyms and spellings. For comprehension, read the questions before the passage and answer from the text, not from outside knowledge.
High-importance topics: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
Quantitative Aptitude
All 23 topics →Preliminary Examination (Qualifying): 35 questions, 30 marks · Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive): 40 questions, 60 marks
Learn the formula and the shortcut for each topic first, then drill timed sets so that routine calculation questions take seconds. In the exam, take the questions you can do quickly and leave the long, multi-step ones for the end. Topic tests after every chapter show which topics still cost you time.
High-importance topics: Number System, Percentage, Ratio, Proportion, Partnership & Ages, Average, Interest (SI & CI), Profit, Loss & Discount
General Intelligence & Reasoning
All 20 topics →Preliminary Examination (Qualifying): 35 questions, 40 marks · Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive): 40 questions, 60 marks
Reasoning rewards pattern recognition, so practise each question type until you recognise it on sight: series, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, syllogism, direction and blood-relation questions, and non-verbal figures. Work in rough on paper rather than in your head, and skip any puzzle that is not settling within a minute or so.
High-importance topics: Analogy, Classification (Odd One Out), Series (Number & Letter), Coding - Decoding, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangement
General Awareness
All 14 topics →Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive): 50 questions, 60 marks
General awareness is memory work, so revise in short, regular rounds instead of cramming. Combine static GK tables with the last several months of current affairs, and use the daily quiz to keep facts fresh. Decide in advance how much time you will give it.
High-importance topics: Modern Indian History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Indian Geography, Indian Economy, Biology, Static GK
Next, check who can apply on the IBPS PO eligibility page and compare posts and pay on the IBPS PO salary and posts page.
IBPS PO exam pattern — FAQs
What is the selection process for IBPS PO?
Prelims CBT → Mains CBT → interview → provisional allotment.
What is the Preliminary Examination (Qualifying) pattern in IBPS PO?
100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question (−0.25 of its value) per wrong answer. Sections: English Language (30 questions, 30 marks); Quantitative Aptitude (35 questions, 30 marks); Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 40 marks).
What is the Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive) pattern in IBPS PO?
172 questions, 225 marks, 190 minutes, One-fourth of the marks assigned to the question per wrong answer (objective tests). Sections: Reasoning (40 questions, 60 marks); General / Economy / Banking Awareness / Digital & Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars) (50 questions, 60 marks); English Language (40 questions, 20 marks); Data Analysis & Interpretation (40 questions, 60 marks); Descriptive Paper — Essay and Comprehension (2 questions, 25 marks).
Are IBPS PO prelims marks counted in the final selection?
No. The prelims is purely a qualifying filter — it has sectional cut-offs and a category-wise shortlist, and its score is not used again. The final combined score is 80% Mains + 20% Interview. A bare-qualify prelims is worth exactly as much as a topper's.
What is the negative marking in IBPS PO?
One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer in both the prelims and the mains objective tests. Unanswered questions carry no penalty. Because section values differ (up to 1.5 marks per question in the mains), a wrong guess in Reasoning or Data Analysis costs more than one in English.
Is there a sectional cut-off and sectional timing?
Yes to both. Prelims: 20 minutes per section and a minimum cut-off in each of the three tests plus an overall shortlist. Mains: separately-timed sections (45 + 35 + 35 + 45 minutes) with minimum marks in each test and a minimum total needed to be shortlisted for the interview stage.
How does normalisation work across shifts?
IBPS normalises corrected scores across sessions using the equi-percentile method and works to two decimals, so candidates in harder shifts are not disadvantaged. Published cut-offs always refer to normalised scores — never compare raw marks across shifts or years.
How much weight does the interview carry?
The interview is out of 100 marks and contributes 20% of the final combined score (Mains 80%). Minimum qualifying marks are 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD). A strong interview can lift you several hundred ranks; skipping interview preparation is the most common way good Mains scores are wasted.
What happens if I clear the Mains but fail the interview?
You cannot be provisionally allotted without securing the interview's minimum qualifying marks (40%; 35% for reserved categories). If you clear it but land just below the main-list cut-off, you may still be allotted from the reserve list in later rounds — keep your documents ready for months after the main allotment.