IBPS PO 2026 Syllabus & Exam Pattern — Complete Guide for Prelims and Mains

IBPS PO 2026 syllabus and exam pattern is the first thing every banking aspirant must master before starting preparation. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the Probationary Officer (PO) recruitment every year for 11 Public Sector Banks. With the IBPS PO 2026 notification expected on June 30, 2026, this complete guide covers everything — exam pattern, subject-wise syllabus, eligibility, expected vacancies, and a step-by-step preparation strategy.

IBPS PO 2026 Important Dates

Event	Date
Notification Release	June 30, 2026 (expected)
Online Application	July 2026
IBPS PO Prelims 2026	August 22–23, 2026
IBPS PO Mains 2026	October 4, 2026
Interview	November–December 2026

IBPS PO 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification: Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university.

Age Limit (as on June 1, 2026): Minimum 20 years, Maximum 30 years.

Age relaxation: SC/ST — 5 years | OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) — 3 years | PwBD — 10 years

Nationality: Indian citizen

IBPS PO 2026 Vacancies

IBPS PO 2026 is expected to announce 3,500–5,000 vacancies across 11 PSBs: Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Bank, and Punjab & Sind Bank. Final numbers will be confirmed in the official notification on June 30.

IBPS PO 2026 Exam Pattern

The selection process has three stages: Prelims → Mains → Interview

IBPS PO Prelims 2026 Exam Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	30	30	20 min
Quantitative Aptitude	35	35	20 min
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 min
Total	100	100	60 min

Prelims is qualifying in nature. Marks are not included in the final merit list.

IBPS PO Mains 2026 Exam Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude	45	60	60 min
English Language	35	40	40 min
Data Analysis & Interpretation	35	60	45 min
General/Economy/Banking Awareness	40	40	35 min
Objective Total	155	200	180 min
Descriptive (Letter + Essay)	2	25	30 min
Grand Total	—	225	210 min

Final Merit Formula: Mains (80%) + Interview (20%)

IBPS PO 2026 Syllabus — Subject-Wise

Reasoning Ability (Prelims + Mains)

Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Input-Output Machine, Blood Relations, Direction & Distance, Inequalities, Critical Reasoning, Data Sufficiency, Computer Aptitude (Mains only).

Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis & Interpretation

Number Series, Simplification & Approximation, Quadratic Equations, Data Interpretation (Bar, Pie, Line, Tabular, Caselet), Profit & Loss, Percentages, Simple & Compound Interest, Time & Work, Mixtures & Allegations, Probability, Permutation & Combination.

English Language

Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Error Spotting, Fill in the Blanks, Sentence Improvement, Phrase Replacement, Word Usage / Vocabulary, Descriptive Writing — Letter & Essay (Mains only).

General/Economy/Banking Awareness (Mains)

Current Affairs (last 6 months), Banking Terminology & Concepts, RBI Policies & Monetary Policy, Important Financial Regulators (SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA), Government Schemes & Budgets, Static GK — Countries/Capitals/Currencies, Awards, Books & Authors.

IBPS PO 2026 Preparation Strategy

1. Map the syllabus in Week 1 — mark your strengths and gaps across Reasoning, Quant, and English.
2. Daily 3-hour study blocks — 1 hour Reasoning, 1 hour Quant, 1 hour English/GK.
3. Banking Awareness routine — 30 minutes of current affairs every day; track RBI news and government schemes.
4. Topic-wise mocks after finishing each chapter, then full-length mock tests in the last 4 weeks before Prelims.
5. Descriptive Writing — start letter and essay practice from Month 2; 2 essays/week is sufficient.
6. Target Score: Aim for 65+ in Prelims and 110+ in Mains objective to be comfortably shortlisted for interview.

Free Mock Tests for IBPS PO 2026

FreePrep offers free IBPS PO mock tests for both Prelims and Mains — Reasoning puzzles, Data Interpretation sets, and Banking Awareness quizzes, all bilingual (English & Hindi). No login or payment required. Start practising today and track your progress with detailed score analysis.