Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
IBPS PO 2026 (CRP PO/MT-XVI)
Important Dates
Eligibility
Any graduate from a recognized university. Age limit: 20 to 30 years. Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC (NCL), 10 years for PwBD. Computer literacy preferred.
Syllabus
Prelims: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability. Mains: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness (with special reference to Banking Industry). Plus Interview.
Official Links
IBPS PO 2026 — Complete Guide
If you want a government bank job as an officer, IBPS PO is the exam you prepare for. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts this recruitment every year on behalf of 11 public sector banks — Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank.
IBPS PO 2026, formally called CRP PO/MT-XVI, is the 16th cycle of this recruitment. The notification is expected in July 2026, and the exam dates are already confirmed on the IBPS annual calendar — Prelims on August 22–23, 2026 and Mains on October 4, 2026.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 2026 (Expected) |
| Application Opens | July 1, 2026 (Expected) |
| Last Date to Apply | July 21, 2026 (Expected) |
| Prelims Exam | August 22–23, 2026 (Confirmed) |
| Mains Exam | October 4, 2026 (Confirmed) |
| Interview | November – December 2026 |
| Provisional Allotment | January 2027 |
Prelims and Mains dates are confirmed on the IBPS official annual exam calendar at ibps.in. Application dates are expected based on the previous year's notification pattern.
Which Banks Use IBPS PO Score?
Your IBPS PO score and rank get you into one of these 11 nationalized banks based on your preference and vacancies:
- Punjab National Bank (PNB)
- Bank of Baroda (BoB)
- Canara Bank
- Union Bank of India
- Bank of India
- Central Bank of India
- Indian Bank
- UCO Bank
- Bank of Maharashtra
- Punjab & Sind Bank
- Indian Overseas Bank
SBI conducts its own separate exam (SBI PO), so it is not part of IBPS PO. But clearing IBPS PO gives you access to 11 banks — which means far more vacancies in total.
Eligibility
Education: Any bachelor's degree from a recognized university. No minimum percentage required. Final year students can apply — but they need to produce their degree certificate before the interview.
Age: 20 to 30 years as on the notification date. Age relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and 10 years for PwBD candidates.
Selection Process — 3 Stages
Stage 1 — Prelims (Qualifying)
A 1-hour online test with 100 questions. Qualifying in nature — the marks are not added to your final score, but you must clear sectional and overall cutoffs to sit for Mains.
| 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 |
There is a -0.25 penalty for each wrong answer.
Stage 2 — Mains (Counts in Merit)
The Mains is the real exam. It has four objective sections plus one descriptive paper. Your Mains score (scaled) contributes 80% to your final merit.
| 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 Awareness (Banking) | 40 | 40 | 35 min |
| English Descriptive | 2 | 25 | 30 min |
| Total | 157 | 225 | 210 min |
The descriptive paper has a letter writing question and an essay. This is evaluated separately and you must score at least the cutoff here to proceed.
Stage 3 — Interview
Candidates who qualify Mains are called for a personal interview worth 100 marks. The final merit is: Mains score (80%) + Interview (20%).
Salary
IBPS PO starting salary is around ₹36,000 per month basic pay, with total gross salary (including DA, HRA, and allowances) ranging from ₹52,000 to ₹57,000 per month depending on posting location. The annual CTC works out to approximately ₹7.5 to 8 lakh.
What to Study
Quantitative Aptitude: Number series, quadratic equations, simplification, data interpretation (tables, bar charts, line graphs, pie charts), average, percentage, ratio and proportion, time and work, probability.
Reasoning Ability: Puzzles, seating arrangement, direction sense, blood relations, syllogisms, coding-decoding, logical reasoning, inequalities.
English Language: Reading comprehension, cloze test, para jumbles, error correction, fill in the blanks.
Data Analysis & Interpretation (Mains): Caselet DI, radar charts, missing data DI, mixed DI, data sufficiency.
General Awareness — Banking Focus: RBI repo rate, CRR, SLR, banking terminology, government schemes, Union Budget highlights, current affairs of last 6 months, important appointments, financial news.
Computer Aptitude (Mains): Basic hardware/software, MS Office, internet, networking basics, input-output devices.
Application Fee
Around ₹850 for General/EWS/OBC candidates. SC/ST/PwBD candidates pay ₹175 (processing charges only). Payment is through debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI.
How to Apply
Once the notification is released, visit ibps.in and click on the CRP PO/MT-XVI link. Register with your email and phone number, fill out your personal and educational details, upload your photo and signature in the specified format, and pay the fee online. Download the confirmation slip after successful payment.
Official Website
ibps.in — Prelims exam dates (August 22–23, 2026) and Mains date (October 4, 2026) are already confirmed on the IBPS annual calendar. Watch for the full notification in July 2026.