Exam pattern at a glance
IBPS PO 2026 (CRP PO/MT-XVI) is an online exam held in two phases, followed by a personality test and an interview. Prelims only screens; mains and interview marks build the final merit list.
Prelims exam pattern
Three objective tests, each with its own 20-minute timer — 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes. You must clear the minimum cut-off in every test; IBPS then shortlists an adequate number of candidates in each category for mains.
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min | English |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 min | English & Hindi |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 min | English & Hindi |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 min | −¼ of marks per wrong answer |
Mains exam pattern
Mains is where marks start to count. You need a minimum score in each objective test and a minimum total to be shortlisted for the personality test and interview; IBPS sets these cut-offs based on the vacancies available.
| Part | Taken by | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective tests (4) | All mains candidates | 170 | 200 | 2 h 40 m |
| Descriptive Paper | All mains candidates | 2 | 25 | 30 min |
| Interview | Shortlisted after mains & personality test | — | 100 | — |
Mains — test-wise breakdown
Each test is timed separately and the order is not fixed. The Main exam runs 3 hours 10 minutes in all, and IBPS advises planning for about 4 hours or more at the venue for verification and formalities.
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 min | English & Hindi |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness / Digital / Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 | 35 min | English & Hindi |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 min | English |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 min | English & Hindi |
| Descriptive Paper (Essay & Comprehension) | 2 | 25 | 30 min | English |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 160 min | + descriptive 25 |
Descriptive paper, personality test & interview
Mains ends with a short written paper, and clearing mains leads to two more steps before the final merit list.
Descriptive Paper · Essay & Comprehension
Written in English. It may be broadly based on economic and social issues, emerging trends in banking and technology, current events and ethics, and may be evaluated by an automated scoring mechanism.
Personality Test & Interview
The personality test is a self-report test. It is non-qualifying, but you must take it to be eligible for the interview. Interviews are held by the participating banks, coordinated by a nodal bank in each State / UT.
Negative marking, stage by stage
IBPS uses one rule for every objective test: a wrong answer costs one-fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to that question. Leave a question blank and there’s no penalty.
| Exam stage | Penalty per wrong answer |
|---|---|
| Prelims (all three tests) | ¼ of the question’s marks |
| Mains objective tests (all four) | ¼ of the question’s marks |
| Mains descriptive paper | Not an objective test — the penalty rule covers objective tests |
| Unattempted questions | No penalty |
Prelims marks are used only to shortlist for mains. Only Main exam marks count for the personality test and interview shortlist and for the final merit list, where Mains and interview are weighted 80:20. Scores from different sessions, if held, are normalised using the equi-percentile method.
Crack IBPS PO with your own daily plan
Daily targets, PYQ-style practice sets & timed mocks — built around the IBPS PO pattern.
Rehearse the exam pattern
Knowing the pattern is step one. JobSafal lets you practise it in timed tests, so separately timed sections feel familiar on exam day.
Timed mocks
Full-length IBPS PO mocks in a timed test interface.
Negative-marking analysis
See how your accuracy versus attempts affects your net score, question by question.
Section-wise practice
Drill one section at a time to fix the weak links the pattern exposes.
PYQ-style practice sets
Six timed sets to check your speed and accuracy before the real exam.
