IBPS PO Syllabus 2026: Check New Exam Pattern and Topic-Wise Syllabus for Mains & Prelims
The IBPS PO syllabus has been released by the official authorities for 6715 Probationary Officer Posts. The IBPS PO exam is divided into two stages: the Prelims exam and the other is Mains exam. There are a few changes in the exam pattern as compared to last year's exam pattern. Read the article to know more IBPS PO Exam pattern along with the topic-wise syllabus.
IBPS Syllabus 2026:- The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection will conduct the IBPS PO Prelims Exam in August 2026, across various centres in India. The officials have announced a new exam pattern and the syllabus for the exam, along with the official notification. Understanding the syllabus and the exam pattern is an important part for candidates who are aspiring to become Probationary Officers in public sector banks. The syllabus for the IBPS exam is divided into two parts, which are Prelims and Mains. Candidates will have to clear both stages to appear for the Personality test round.
In this article, we have discussed the IBPS PO Syllabus of Prelims and Mains exams, along with the latest changes that have been introduced in the exam pattern to help the candidates prepare better for the exam.
IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 Overview
Given below are the key highlights of the IBPS PO Syllabus and the exam pattern 2026:-
| Features | About |
| Exam Conducting Body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, IBPS |
| Post Name | Probationary Officer and Management Trainee |
| Number of Vacancies | 6715 |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test |
| Number of Questions | Prelims:- 100 questions Mains:- 170 Questions+ 2 Descriptive Questions |
IBPS PO Topic-Wise Syllabus 2026
The IBPS PO exam will be conducted in two stages, which is prelims and mains stages. The questions will be asked from a variety of topics like the English language, quantitative aptitude and reasoning ability in the prelims paper, and general and banking awareness, English language and data interpretation in the Mains exam. Given below is the Topic-wise syllabus of the Prelims and Mains exam for the IBPS PO Exam 2026.
IBPS PO Prelims Topic-wise Syllabus
Given below is the IBPS PO syllabus for the prelims stage of the IBPS PO Exam, which is the first stage of the examination:-
| Section | Topic-Wise Syllabus |
| Quantitative Aptitude | It is a section which is designed to evaluate a candidate's numerical skills, understanding of numbers, and to check the question-solving ability of the candidate in a limited time.
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| Reasoning Ability | This section evaluated candidates' logical thinking, analytical aptitude, and the ability to identify the pattern behind every question.
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| English Language | This section will check the candidate’s grammar concepts, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
|
IBPS PO Mains Topic-wise Syllabus
Given below is the IBPS PO syllabus for the mains stage of the IBPS PO Exam, which is the second stage of the examination:-
| Section | Topic-Wise Syllabus |
| Reasoning |
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| General Awareness |
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| English Language |
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| Data Analysis and Interpretation |
|
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2026
In the latest IBPS PO notification, the authorities have introduced some changes in the Mains Exam of the IBPS PO Exam 2026. The prelims exam largely remains the same, while the number of questions and sections has been changed in the Mains exam. Given below is the exam pattern of the Prelims and Mains stages for the IBPS PO Exam 2026.
IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Given below is the IBPS PO Prelims exam pattern for the IBPS PO Exam 2026:-
| Section | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Allotted |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning | 35 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 Minutes |
The prelims exam is the first stage, and it will include 100 questions in the paper. There will be negative marking of 1/4th marks (0.25 marks) for every incorrect answer.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026
Given below is the IBPS PO Mains exam pattern for the IBPS PO Exam 2026:-
| Section | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Allotted |
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness / Digital/ Financial Awareness, including RBI circulars | 50 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 170 | 200 | 160 minutes |
| Descriptive Paper | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Last year in the IBPS PO Mains paper, the total number of questions asked was 145, the number has changed this year to 170 questions. The sectional distribution of time, questions and marks is also different this year in the IBPS PO Mains Exam paper.
Pratyasha is a Communications Professional with over 2.2 years of experience in the education sector. Having worked with top names like Arihant Publications and Jagran Josh, she specializes in board exam results, education news, and government job updates. She also brings a unique perspective as a former Subject Matter Expert for nearly a year. Currently, she is a key part of the Exam Prep and Sarkari Naukri team at Jagran Josh. Pratyasha holds an Honours degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology, and loves reading and traveling in her free time.
