IBPS PO 2026 — Syllabus
Complete paper-wise and section-wise syllabus with every topic, sub-topic and the marks each section carries — straight from the official notification.
Papers
3 papers
Merit paper
200 marks · 4 sections
Duration
2 hr 40 min
The IBPS PO syllabus spans two online stages. The Preliminary Examination tests English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability. The Main Examination is broader — Reasoning, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking/Digital & Financial Awareness (including RBI circulars) and English Language — plus a Descriptive paper (Essay & Comprehension). Below is the paper-wise, section-wise breakdown. Note on weightage: IBPS fixes the marks and question count for each SECTION in the notification, and those figures are exact. It does not publish any topic-level syllabus or topic weightage. The per-topic question ranges shown below are indicative — observed across recent IBPS PO papers — and are offered as preparation guidance, not as official IBPS figures. Topic mix varies between shifts.
Paper 1
Preliminary Examination (Objective)
English Language
30 Q30 marksReading Comprehension
~8–10 of 30 QGrammar & Error Spotting
~8–12 of 30 QVerbal Ability
~10–14 of 30 QQuantitative Aptitude
35 Q30 marksData Interpretation
~10–15 of 35 Q · highest-yieldArithmetic
~8–12 of 35 QNumber Series & Simplification
~5–8 of 35 QQuadratic Equations
~0–5 of 35 QReasoning Ability
35 Q40 marksPuzzles & Seating Arrangement
~15–20 of 35 Q · highest-yieldSyllogism & Inequality
~5–8 of 35 QCoding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense
~8–12 of 35 QPaper 2
Main Examination — Objective
Reasoning
40 Q60 marksHigh-level Puzzles & Arrangements
~20–25 of 40 Q · highest-yieldLogical Reasoning
~10–16 of 40 QGeneral / Economy / Banking / Digital & Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars)
50 Q60 marksBanking & Financial Awareness
~18–22 of 50 QCurrent Affairs
~20–25 of 50 Q · highest-yieldEconomy & Digital Awareness
~8–12 of 50 QEnglish Language
40 Q20 marksReading Comprehension
~12–18 of 40 Q · highest-yieldVerbal Ability
~22–28 of 40 QData Analysis & Interpretation
40 Q60 marksAdvanced DI
~22–28 of 40 Q · highest-yieldQuantitative Analysis
~12–18 of 40 QPaper 3
Main Examination — Descriptive (Essay & Comprehension)
Descriptive Writing
2 Q25 marksEssay
Comprehension
Source: official IBPS notification (CRP PO/MT-XVI). View the official syllabus to confirm the latest topics.
Strategy
How to prepare
- 1Prelims is on 22 & 23 August 2026 — with days left, prioritise full-length timed mocks over new theory.
- 2Prelims has sectional 20-minute timing and no overall cut-off relaxation — practise each section against the clock.
- 3Mains reweighted for 2026: 170 objective questions, with Reasoning, Data Analysis and Awareness at 60 marks each and English at 20 — plan Mains prep around that split, not last year’s.
- 4In Mains, Banking/Economy/Digital-Financial awareness and DI carry the most weight (120 of 200 objective marks) — build a daily current-affairs and banking-awareness habit.
- 5Learn RBI circulars, monetary-policy terms and fintech basics — they recur in the awareness section.
- 6For the Descriptive paper, practise a 20-minute essay + comprehension structure; it may be evaluated by an automated scoring mechanism, so clarity and coherence matter.
- 7There is 1/4 negative marking in both Prelims and Mains — attempt only when reasonably confident.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. In both the Preliminary and Main objective tests, 1/4 (0.25) of the marks for a question is deducted for a wrong answer. There is no penalty for unattempted questions.
Syllabus covered — now practise it
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