Last updated: 11 October 2026 · By: Prep247 Exam Desk · Status: Prelims done (22–23 August 2026) · Prelims result declared (September 2026) · Mains held (4 October 2026) · Mains result expected November 2026
Quick Summary: IBPS PO 2026 at a Glance
- What it is: IBPS PO (CRP PO/MT-XVI) recruits Probationary Officers / Management Trainees for 11 public sector banks. Officially, the recruitment is against the banks' vacancies of 2027–28.
- Vacancies: 7,565 (revised on 27 August 2026; originally 6,715).
- Eligibility: graduation in any discipline, with no minimum percentage. Age 20–30 years as on 1 July 2026.
- Selection: Prelims (qualifying) → Mains → Personality Test (mandatory, non-qualifying) → Interview. Final merit = Mains 80% + Interview 20%.
- Prelims pattern change: Reasoning now carries 40 marks and Quant 30 marks (35 questions each); English stays at 30.
- Latest Prelims cut-off (2026): 49.68 for General/OBC/EWS, 46.93 for SC, 40.72 for ST.
- Starting basic pay: ₹48,480 per month.
What Is the IBPS PO Exam?
The IBPS PO exam is a national-level recruitment exam run by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to hire Probationary Officers (Scale-I officers) in public sector banks. Selected candidates join as Assistant Managers and can rise to senior management. The 2026 cycle is called CRP PO/MT-XVI, the 16th Common Recruitment Process for POs.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Cycle | CRP PO/MT-XVI (vacancies of 2027–28) |
| Post | Probationary Officer / Management Trainee |
| Vacancies | 7,565 (revised) |
| Participating banks | 11 public sector banks |
| Selection process | Prelims → Mains → Personality Test → Interview |
| Negative marking | 0.25 of the marks for that question |
| Official website | ibps.in |
IBPS PO 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 30 June / 1 July 2026 |
| Online application | 1 July – 26 July 2026 (extended) |
| Prelims exam | 22 & 23 August 2026 |
| Prelims result | September 2026 |
| Mains exam | 4 October 2026 |
| Mains result | November 2026 (tentative) |
| Personality Test & Interview | November–December 2026 (tentative) |
| Provisional allotment | January 2027 (tentative) |
IBPS PO Vacancy 2026 (Bank-Wise)
Short answer: there are 7,565 vacancies. Bank of Baroda (1,900) and Canara Bank (1,500) have the most.
| Bank | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of Baroda | 285 | 142 | 513 | 190 | 770 | 1,900 |
| Canara Bank | 225 | 112 | 405 | 150 | 608 | 1,500 |
| Bank of Maharashtra | 165 | 82 | 297 | 110 | 446 | 1,100 |
| Indian Bank | 122 | 60 | 199 | 52 | 217 | 650 |
| Indian Overseas Bank | 84 | 41 | 148 | 54 | 223 | 550 |
| Punjab National Bank | 76 | 38 | 136 | 50 | 204 | 504 |
| Bank of India | 75 | 37 | 135 | 50 | 203 | 500 |
| Central Bank of India | 75 | 37 | 135 | 50 | 203 | 500 |
| UCO Bank | 30 | 15 | 54 | 20 | 81 | 200 |
| Punjab & Sind Bank | 24 | 13 | 47 | 15 | 62 | 161 |
| Union Bank of India | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Total | 1,161 | 577 | 2,069 | 741 | 3,017 | 7,565 |
NR = Not Reported. Vacancies are indicative and can change as banks report final numbers.
IBPS PO Eligibility Criteria 2026
Educational Qualification
You need a graduation degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, or an equivalent qualification. There is no minimum percentage. Your result must have been declared, with a valid marksheet or degree, on or before the cut-off date in the notification (21 July 2026 for this cycle).
Age Limit (as on 1 July 2026)
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 20 years |
| Maximum age | 30 years |
| Date of birth | Between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006 (both inclusive) |
Age Relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen / ECOs / SSCOs | 5 years |
Nationality
You must be a citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries. The last three categories also need an eligibility certificate.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹175 (incl. GST) |
| All others | ₹850 (incl. GST) |
IBPS PO Selection Process
Short answer: Prelims is a screening round only. Your final rank comes from Mains (80%) and Interview (20%).
| Stage | Nature | Counts in final merit? |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims | Objective, qualifying | No |
| Mains | Objective + Descriptive | Yes (80%) |
| Personality Test | Mandatory, non-qualifying | No (profile shared with the interview panel) |
| Interview | 100 marks (min. 40%, or 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD) | Yes (20%) |
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026
IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 min |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 min |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 min |
What changed: Quant marks dropped from 35 to 30, and Reasoning rose to 40. Each Reasoning question is now worth about 1.14 marks, compared with about 0.86 for Quant. Reasoning is now the highest-value Prelims section.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 min |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness (incl. digital & financial awareness, RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 | 35 min |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 min |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 min |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 160 min |
| Descriptive Paper (Essay + Comprehension) | 2 | 25 | 30 min |
This is the CRP PO/MT-XVI pattern as reported from the official notification. Mains section marks have changed several times in recent cycles, so always confirm against the official PDF for your cycle.
Key points:
- Sectional timing applies in both Prelims and Mains, so you can't switch sections.
- Negative marking: 0.25 of the marks assigned to the question for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
- The Descriptive Paper (Essay and Comprehension, in English) is typed online and may be checked by an automated scoring system.
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 (Section-Wise Breakdown)
Reasoning Ability (Prelims & Mains)
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Puzzles & seating | Floor/flat, box, scheduling (day/month/year), linear and circular seating, parallel rows, comparison and uncertain-number puzzles |
| Verbal reasoning | Syllogism, inequality (direct and coded), coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order & ranking |
| Others | Alphanumeric series, input-output, data sufficiency |
| Mains add-ons | Logical reasoning (assumptions, conclusions, courses of action, cause & effect, statement–argument) |
Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis & Interpretation
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Calculation | Simplification, approximation, number series (missing and wrong) |
| Algebra | Quadratic equations, quantity comparison |
| Data interpretation | Table, bar, line, pie, caselet, missing-data DI, radar/mixed graphs (Mains) |
| Arithmetic | Percentage, ratio, profit & loss, SI & CI, averages, ages, partnership, time & work, pipes & cisterns, speed-time-distance, trains, boats, mixtures, mensuration, probability, permutation & combination |
| Mains add-ons | Data sufficiency, arithmetic-based DI |
English Language
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Reading | Reading comprehension (inference, tone, vocabulary in context) |
| Grammar | Error spotting, sentence improvement, phrase replacement |
| Vocabulary | Cloze test, fillers (single/double), word usage, word swap |
| Sentence arrangement | Para jumbles, sentence connectors, odd sentence out, column matching |
General / Economy / Banking Awareness (Mains only)
- Current affairs (last 6 months, with emphasis on banking and the economy)
- Banking awareness: RBI functions, monetary policy, RBI circulars, financial institutions, banking terms
- Economy: budget, Economic Survey, government schemes, reports and indices
- Digital and financial awareness: UPI, payment systems, fintech, financial inclusion
- Static GK relevant to banking
Descriptive Paper (Mains)
Essay and comprehension on themes such as the economy, social issues, banking and technology trends, current events and ethics.
IBPS PO Previous Year Cut Off
IBPS PO Prelims Cut Off 2026 (CRP PO/MT-XVI)
| Category | Cut Off (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | 49.68 |
| SC | 46.93 |
| ST | 40.72 |
| HI | 21.43 |
| OC | 31.47 |
| VI | 20.71 |
| ID | 21.28 |
IBPS PO Prelims Sectional Cut Off 2026
| Section (max marks) | General / EWS | OBC / SC / ST / PwBD |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability (40) | 12.50 | 7.75 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (30) | 6.50 | 4.00 |
| English Language (30) | 10.00 | 7.00 |
IBPS PO Prelims Cut Off Trend (out of 100)
| Cycle | General/OBC/EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 49.75 | 46.75 | 40.75 |
| 2023 | 54.25 | 49.50 | 43.00 |
| 2024 | 48.50 | 48.00 | 41.00 |
| 2025 | 49.21 | 45.96 | 40.96 |
| 2026 | 49.68 | 46.93 | 40.72 |
IBPS PO Mains Cut Off (out of 225)
| Cycle | General | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 71.25 | 69.75 | 70.50 | 59.25 | 53.25 |
| 2023 | 63.00 | 62.25 | 61.00 | 50.25 | 41.00 |
| 2024 | 66.50 | 66.00 | 64.75 | 54.25 | 47.50 |
| 2025 | 75.75 | 75.75 | 72.50 | 59.00 | 51.75 |
IBPS PO Final Cut Off (Mains + Interview, out of 100)
| Cycle | General | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 43.47 | 41.38 | 41.76 | 38.02 | 36.24 |
| 2023 | 41.13 | 38.69 | 38.71 | 34.73 | 31.93 |
| 2024 | 42.69 | 40.18 | 39.93 | 35.91 | 33.69 |
| 2025 | 46.11 | 44.04 | 43.64 | 38.53 | 36.73 |
Cut-offs are labelled by the year the exam was held. Final cut-offs shown are from the first provisional allotment; reserve-list cut-offs are slightly lower.
What the Cut-Off Trend Tells You
- The Prelims cut-off has settled at about 49–50. Apart from the 2023 spike (54.25), the General cut-off has stayed between 48.5 and 49.75 for four cycles. A safe target is 55+, with enough marks in each section.
- The Mains cut-off jumped in 2025. The General cut-off rose from 66.50 to 75.75 out of 225, its highest in four cycles. Aim for 85+ out of 225 to be safe.
- The final cut-off is rising too. The General final cut-off rose from 42.69 to 46.11 out of 100. The 20% interview weightage can decide your final rank, so don't neglect interview preparation.
- Reasoning sectional cut-offs follow the new marks. With Reasoning worth 40 marks, its sectional cut-off rose to 12.50 in 2026, so you can't treat it lightly.
IBPS PO Salary 2026
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Pay scale | ₹48,480 – 2,000/7 – 62,480 – 2,340/2 – 67,160 – 2,680/7 – 85,920 |
| Starting basic pay | ₹48,480 per month |
| Allowances | DA, HRA or leased accommodation, special allowance, medical, LFC and other perks as per bank rules |
| Probation | 2 years (as per bank rules) |
How to Prepare for IBPS PO
- Put Reasoning first in Prelims. It carries 40 marks, the most of any section. Practise puzzles and seating every day, since they make up most of the section.
- Build calculation speed for Quant. With 35 questions in 20 minutes (about 34 seconds each), simplification, approximation and quadratic equations decide your attempts.
- Read for English. Prelims English sectional cut-offs have been 10–13 marks, so one RC passage a day is essential.
- Prepare for Mains from the start. Mains decides 80% of your final score. DI and the Banking/Economy section carry 60 marks each.
- Practise typed descriptive answers every week: one essay and one comprehension under a 30-minute timer.
- Take full mocks regularly. Take one full mock a week, increasing to three a week in the final month, and analyse each one.
Practise with Prep247's mock tests and daily practice sets in the latest pattern, with sectional timing and AI analysis of your weak topics.
Related guides on Prep247:
- IBPS Clerk Exam Analysis 2026: Good Attempts & Questions
- SBI PO Prelims: 5-Year Exam Pattern Analysis (2021–2025)
- NABARD Grade A 2026: Syllabus, Pattern & Cut Off
- IBPS Photo & Signature Resizer: a free tool for IBPS applications
Key Terms Used in This Guide
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CRP PO/MT-XVI | The 16th Common Recruitment Process for Probationary Officers / Management Trainees |
| Sectional cut-off | The minimum marks needed in each section, separate from the overall cut-off |
| Personality Test | A mandatory, non-qualifying assessment introduced before the interview; its profile is shared with the interview panel |
| 80:20 weightage | The final score combines Mains (80%) and Interview (20%), normalised to 100 |
| Provisional allotment | IBPS assigning selected candidates to banks based on rank, preference and vacancies |
| Reserve list | Candidates allotted later if vacancies remain after the first allotment |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vacancies are there in IBPS PO 2026?
There are 7,565 vacancies across the participating public sector banks, revised on 27 August 2026 from the original 6,715.
What is the age limit for IBPS PO 2026?
20 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026. SC/ST candidates get 5 years of relaxation, OBC (NCL) 3 years and PwBD 10 years.
Is there a minimum percentage required in graduation for IBPS PO?
No. A graduation degree in any discipline is enough, though you must enter your percentage in the application form.
What is the IBPS PO Prelims cut-off for 2026?
The General, OBC and EWS cut-off was 49.68 out of 100. It was 46.93 for SC and 40.72 for ST.
What changed in the IBPS PO Prelims exam pattern?
Quantitative Aptitude now carries 30 marks (down from 35) and Reasoning Ability 40 marks, with 35 questions each. English is unchanged at 30 questions and 30 marks.
Are IBPS PO Prelims marks counted in the final selection?
No. Prelims is qualifying only. Final merit is based on Mains (80%) and Interview (20%).
What is the IBPS PO Mains cut-off for 2025?
The General and OBC cut-off was 75.75 out of 225, the highest in recent cycles. It was 72.50 for EWS, 59.00 for SC and 51.75 for ST.
What is the salary of an IBPS PO?
The starting basic pay is ₹48,480, plus DA, HRA and other allowances. Total pay depends on the bank and posting city.
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. 0.25 of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
Which banks participate in IBPS PO 2026?
Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India.
Sources and Methodology
Eligibility, pattern, vacancy and salary details are based on the IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI notification (30 June 2026) and its vacancy corrigenda (20 July and 27 August 2026), as published at ibps.in. Cut-off figures are the category-wise and section-wise cut-offs IBPS released with each cycle's scorecards. Trend analysis and target scores are Prep247's own calculations. Always confirm details on ibps.in. This page will be updated when the Mains result and cut-off are released.