Table of Contents
What is IBPS PO?
IBPS PO is a national-level recruitment examination conducted annually by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit Probationary Officers for 11 public sector banks in India. It offers a highly respected career with a structured promotional path, competitive salaries exceeding ₹80,000/month gross in metro cities, and excellent financial security. Aspiring candidates undergo a three-stage selection process comprising Preliminary screening, Main examinations, and a Personal Interview. Selected officers are posted across India and undergo a mandatory two-year probation to master all commercial and retail banking operations.
IBPS PO Overview Highlights
Important Dates & Recruitment Timeline
Never miss a deadline. Below are the expected key dates for IBPS PO 2026 based on the official notification and previous year patterns.
Official Notification
August 2026 (Expected)Application Start
August 2026Application Last Date
September 2026Admit Card (Prelims)
October 2026Prelims Exam
October 2026Prelims Result
November 2026Eligibility Criteria Overview
Graduation in any discipline from a recognized University / Institution
Final year students can also apply provisionally.20 to 30 years (relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Ex-servicemen)
Standard upper limit relaxations apply for reserved categories.Indian Citizen / Subjects of Nepal / Bhutan / Tibetan refugees
Must be citizen of India or satisfy specified refuge rules.Age limit is the determining factor; no explicit attempt limit stated by IBPS
Age limit is the sole determining factor; no attempt caps apply.Exam Selection Pattern
Understand the timings, negative markings and sectional details below.
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 min |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 min |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Syllabus Breakdown
English Language
Quant Aptitude
Reasoning Ability
PrepBanker Mock Tests
PrepBanker provides detailed full length mock tests matching current difficulty trends for IBPS PO.
Full-Length Prelims Mocks
20 high-fidelity test simulations matching the current difficulty trends, designed with sectional timers.
Full-Length Mains Mocks
15 advanced level full mocks testing analytical ability and descriptive writing simulation answers.
Topic & Sectional Timed Quizzes
Master each subject individually with our topic-focused tests.
Daily Banking & Economy Current Affairs
Get updated daily with specialized digests summarizing the latest notifications.
Monetary & Regulatory Updates
Specialized digests summarizing the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notifications, monetary policy revisions, SLR/CRR changes, and commercial banking regulations.
Financial GK & Digests
Comprehensive monthly news files covering national summits, financial schemes, corporate bank mergers, international indexes, and budget updates.
Preparation Strategy & Study Plan
How to Prepare for SBI PO in 90 Days — Month-by-Month Plan
Foundation
- Master basics: Quant, Reasoning, English
- Learn banking terms & financial concepts
- Start current affairs (daily 30 min)
- Topic-wise mini tests daily
Practice
- Sectional mock tests (2 per section/week)
- Target 80%+ accuracy consistently
- Speed training: 1.5 min per question
- Review every wrong answer deeply
Mock Phase
- Full mock tests (1 every 2 days)
- Analyse percentile and cutoff trends
- Banking GK revision sprint
- Descriptive writing practice (3x/week)
Historical Category Cut-off Trends
Use these as your target scores. Consistently scoring above the General category cut-off in mocks = exam-ready.
Comparative Prelims General Cut-off Marks
Salary Structure, Perks & Allowances
IBPS PO Entry Level Salary Structure
IBPS PO vs SBI PO Comparison
| Parameters | IBPS PO | SBI PO |
|---|---|---|
| Participating Banks | 11 Public Sector Banks | SBI Only |
| Vacancies | 3,500+ (Higher) | 1,500 (Moderate) |
| Base Basic Salary | ₹36,000/month | ₹48,480/month (Higher) |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Senior Content Manager – Banking Exams, PrepBanker
Cleared IBPS PO (2021) • 7+ Years Experience • Verified 500+ mock papers
Yashraj Deshmukh has been writing and reviewing banking exam content for 7 years. He cleared IBPS PO in 2021, has a background in banking awareness content for 5+ years, and has reviewed 500+ mock test papers for accuracy against the latest SBI pattern. At PrepBanker, Yashraj tracks every SBI and IBPS notification the day it's released and personally verifies vacancy, salary, and exam-date updates against the official SBI/IBPS PDFs before they go live on this page.
Subject Matter Expert, Quantitative Aptitude, PrepBanker
IDBI Junior Assistant Manager • Bank of Maharashtra Customer Service Associate via IBPS PO
Divya Bhosale has been reviewing quantitative aptitude and banking exam material for PrepBanker. She has cleared the IDBI Junior Assistant Manager exam and served as a Customer Service Associate at the Bank of Maharashtra via IBPS PO, bringing invaluable real-world exam expertise to PrepBanker.