IBPS PO 2026: Notification, Eligibility, Exam Pattern & Salary

What is IBPS PO?

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) runs a Common Recruitment Process (CRP) for Probationary Officers and Management Trainees on behalf of public sector banks. One exam and one interview lead to provisional allotment in one of 11 participating banks, such as Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India. The 2026 cycle is CRP PO/MT-XVI.

Eligibility

Education: a degree in any discipline from a recognised university, held on the last day of registration (21.07.2026 for this cycle).

Age: 20 to 30 years as on 01.07.2026. The usual relaxation applies: 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer), 5 years for SC/ST and 10 years for PwBD, with others listed in the notification.

Exam pattern

Prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, with 20 minutes each for English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability. Candidates must clear sectional and overall cut-offs.

Mains has an objective test of 170 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, followed by a descriptive English test (essay and letter) for 25 marks in 30 minutes. The objective test covers Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language and Data Analysis & Interpretation.

Each wrong answer in the objective tests costs one-quarter of the marks for that question.

Interview carries 100 marks. The minimum qualifying score is 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD). Final merit combines Mains and Interview in an 80:20 ratio. Prelims marks are not counted.

Salary

A Probationary Officer starts in Junior Management Grade Scale-I with a basic pay scale of ₹48,480 to ₹85,920. Dearness allowance, HRA or leased accommodation, special allowance and other bank benefits are added, so the gross pay is much higher than the basic.

Vacancies

IBPS has published 7,565 indicative vacancies as on 27.08.2026. The figure is provisional and can change; one bank had not reported its numbers at that time.