IBPS PO 2026 marks the 16th edition of one of India’s largest banking recruitment drives, with the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection officially releasing its notification for 6,715 Probationary Officer and Management Trainee vacancies across 11 public sector banks. Conducted under the Common Recruitment Process banner as CRP PO/MT-XVI, this year’s cycle brings a revised exam pattern with more questions in the Mains stage, alongside an expanded provision for candidates with disabilities. Online registration for IBPS PO 2026 is open from July 1 to July 21, 2026, with the Preliminary exam scheduled for August 22–23, 2026 and the Mains exam on October 4, 2026.
Since IBPS PO recruitment has run continuously since 2011, IBPS PO 2026 carries forward a well-established Common Recruitment Process structure while introducing meaningful updates for this cycle, most notably, the Mains exam now includes 170 objective questions instead of the previous count, redistributed across Reasoning, General/Banking/Digital Awareness, English, and Data Analysis sections. With probationary officer roles offering a starting in-hand salary in the ₹74,000–₹76,000 range, competition for these 6,715 seats is expected to be intense.
IBPS PO 2026 Notification
The detailed IBPS PO 2026 notification was released on July 1, 2026, on the official IBPS website (ibps.in), following an initial notification window announced on June 30, 2026. It confirms 6,715 vacancies for Probationary Officer/Management Trainee posts across 11 participating public sector banks, with online registration open through July 21, 2026.
Key Changes in IBPS PO 2026
- Mains exam question count increased — this cycle’s Mains paper now carries 170 objective questions across four sections (Reasoning: 40, General/Banking/Digital Awareness: 50, English: 40, Data Analysis: 40) for a total of 200 marks.
- A new PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) clause has been added to this year’s eligibility framework, expanding provisions for candidates with disabilities.
IBPS PO 2026 Exam Highlights
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Organisation | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Post Name | Probationary Officer / Management Trainee |
| Exam Name | CRP PO/MT-XVI |
| Total Vacancies | 6,715 |
| Participating Banks | 11 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Registration Window | July 1–21, 2026 |
| Selection Stages | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
| Minimum Qualification | Graduation |
| Age Limit | 20 to 30 years |
| Approximate Starting Salary | ₹74,000–₹76,000 |
| Official Website | ibps.in |
IBPS PO 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Window Notification | June 30, 2026 |
| Detailed Notification Released | July 1, 2026 |
| Online Registration Starts | July 1, 2026 |
| Online Registration Ends | July 21, 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | July 21, 2026 |
| Pre-Exam Training | August 2026 |
| Prelims Exam | August 22–23, 2026 |
| Prelims Result | September 2026 |
| Mains Exam | October 4, 2026 |
| Mains Result | November 2026 |
| Personality Test | November 2026 |
| Interview | November/December 2026 |
| Final Result | January 2027 |
IBPS PO Vacancy 2026: Bank-Wise and Category-Wise Breakdown
Of the 6,715 total vacancies confirmed so far, three participating banks — Indian Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India — have not yet reported their individual figures, meaning the final total could rise once those numbers are added.
| Bank | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | General | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of Baroda | 285 | 142 | 513 | 190 | 770 | 1,900 |
| Bank of India | 75 | 37 | 135 | 50 | 203 | 500 |
| Bank of Maharashtra | 165 | 82 | 297 | 110 | 446 | 1,100 |
| Canara Bank | 225 | 112 | 405 | 150 | 608 | 1,500 |
| Central Bank of India | 75 | 37 | 135 | 50 | 203 | 500 |
| Indian Overseas Bank | 84 | 41 | 148 | 54 | 223 | 550 |
| Punjab National Bank | 76 | 38 | 136 | 50 | 204 | 504 |
| Punjab & Sind Bank | 24 | 13 | 47 | 15 | 62 | 161 |
| Total (reported banks) | 1,009 | 502 | 1,816 | 669 | 2,719 | 6,715 |
Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra currently carry the largest confirmed vacancy shares among reporting banks.
IBPS PO Vacancy Expected
| Year | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 6,715 |
| 2025 | 6,189 |
| 2024 | 5,973 |
| 2023 | 3,284 |
| 2022 | 8,432 |
This year’s confirmed count is already the highest since 2022, and given three banks’ figures remain unreported, the final 2026 total may climb further.
IBPS PO 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification (as on July 21, 2026)
A graduation degree in any discipline from a university recognized by the Government of India is the baseline requirement, and candidates holding an equivalent qualification recognized by the central government are also eligible. You must hold a valid mark sheet or degree certificate confirming graduate status — including the percentage secured — at the time of registration.
Computer Literacy
Since the exam and much of the job itself are conducted digitally, working knowledge of computer systems is a mandatory expectation for all applicants.
Nationality Requirements
Eligible applicants must be one of the following:
- A citizen of India
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan
- A Tibetan refugee who arrived in India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanent settlement
- A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) who migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or specified East African nations with the intention of permanent settlement in India
Applicants under categories 2, 3, or 4 must hold a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.
Age Limit (as on July 1, 2026)
Candidates must be between 20 and 30 years old — born no earlier than July 2, 1996, and no later than July 1, 2006.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| Persons with Disabilities (PWD) | 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen | 5 years |
Number of Attempts
There’s no fixed cap on how many times a candidate can attempt the IBPS PO exam — you may reapply every year the exam is conducted, provided you remain within the applicable age limit.
IBPS PO 2026 Online Application Process
Registration is open exclusively through the official IBPS website (ibps.in) from July 1 to July 21, 2026. To complete your application, you’ll need:
- A valid email ID
- A scanned photograph and signature in the prescribed size and format
- Payment of the applicable application fee, made entirely online
The application process is considered complete only after submitting the form along with the required fee, uploaded photograph, signature, and the IBPS PO handwritten declaration.
IBPS PO 2026 Application Fee
| Category | Application Fee (Inclusive of GST) |
|---|---|
| SC/ST/PWD | ₹175 |
| General and Others | ₹850 |
Fees, once paid, are non-refundable and cannot be carried forward to any other exam or selection cycle.
About the IBPS PO Common Recruitment Process
Probationary Officers and Management Trainees are hired annually through IBPS’s Common Recruitment Process, which began in 2011, making the 2026 cycle its 16th edition, officially designated CRP PO/MT-XVI. Public sector banking has remained an attractive career path in India due to its combination of competitive salary, job security, structured career growth, and reasonable work-life balance.
The recruitment infrastructure itself traces back to 1975, when the Government of India established the Personnel Selection Services (PSS) to standardize hiring for probationary officers and clerks across public-sector banks; this body was reorganized into IBPS in 1984 under a Reserve Bank of India mandate.
Participating Banks in IBPS PO 2026
The following 11 public sector banks are recruiting through this year’s Common Recruitment Process:
- Punjab National Bank
- Union Bank of India
- Bank of India
- Indian Bank
- Canara Bank
- Indian Overseas Bank
- Central Bank of India
- UCO Bank
- Bank of Baroda
- Punjab & Sind Bank
- Bank of Maharashtra
IBPS PO 2026 Selection Process
Selection unfolds across three sequential stages, and candidates must clear each one to advance:
- Online Preliminary Examination — IBPS shortlists a defined number of candidates per category for the Mains stage based on this qualifying round.
- Online Mains Examination — Candidates must clear both sectional and overall cut-offs to become eligible for the interview stage.
- Interview — Conducted by the participating banks and coordinated by a Nodal Bank in each state/UT with IBPS’s support.
After the interview, IBPS declares the final result based on combined Mains and Interview performance, followed by provisional allotment to specific banks based on candidates’ preferences submitted during application. Once provisional allotment is complete, IBPS’s role concludes — individual banks then handle joining formalities and procedures directly with selected candidates.
IBPS PO 2026 Exam Pattern
This cycle introduces separate sectional timing within the Preliminary exam, and the overall structure remains a two-tier written test (Prelims and Mains) followed by a face-to-face interview.
Prelims Exam Pattern
The Preliminary exam consists of 100 objective questions worth 100 marks total, with a 20-minute time allocation per section and a combined duration of 60 minutes. A negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for each wrong answer, and candidates must clear the cut-off in all three sections individually to qualify for Mains.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Mains Exam Pattern (Revised for 2026)
This year’s Mains paper carries 170 objective questions for 200 marks, distributed as follows:
- Reasoning — 40 questions
- General/Banking/Digital Awareness — 50 questions
- English Language — 40 questions
- Data Analysis — 40 questions
Interview Round
Candidates who clear Mains are called for a face-to-face interview carrying a maximum of 100 marks. The minimum qualifying score is 40% for General category candidates and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates. The interview typically runs 15–20 minutes, with a panel assessing candidates on general awareness, banking sector knowledge, current affairs, and personal background. Professional attire, confidence, and having all required documents on hand are standard expectations.
How the Final IBPS PO Merit List Is Calculated
- Prelims marks are not counted toward your final score — this stage is purely qualifying, determining only who advances to Mains.
- Candidates must clear both Mains and Interview cut-offs separately to remain eligible for the final merit list.
- The final score combines Mains and Interview marks in an 80:20 weightage ratio, respectively.
- This combined score, calculated out of 100, determines each category’s final merit ranking, with top-ranked candidates in each category receiving selection.
IBPS PO 2026 Syllabus
Prelims Syllabus
- Reasoning: logical reasoning, alphanumeric series, ranking/direction/alphabet tests, data sufficiency, coded inequalities, seating arrangement, puzzles, tabulation, syllogism, blood relations, input-output, coding-decoding
- Quantitative Aptitude: simplification, profit and loss, mixtures and allegations, simple and compound interest, surds and indices, work and time, time and distance, mensuration (cylinder, cone, sphere), data interpretation, ratio and proportion, percentage, number systems, sequence and series, permutation, combination and probability
- English Language: reading comprehension, cloze test, para jumbles, multiple meaning/error spotting, fill in the blanks, paragraph completion
Mains Syllabus (2026 Update)
Building on the Prelims foundation, Mains adds General/Banking/Digital Awareness (covering current banking developments, financial news, and digital banking concepts) and Data Analysis (a more advanced, data-interpretation-heavy version of quantitative reasoning) as distinct sections.
IBPS PO 2026 Salary Structure
The initial in-hand salary for an IBPS Probationary Officer ranges from approximately ₹74,000 to ₹76,000 per month, inclusive of dearness allowance, special allowances, and other standard benefits. The underlying basic pay scale follows the structure: ₹48,480–2000/7–62,480–2340/2–67,160–2680/7–85,920.
IBPS PO 2026 Exam Centres
The exam is conducted online across numerous centres nationwide, and candidates indicate their preferred centres while filling out the application form. However, IBPS reserves the right to allot an alternate centre if seats aren’t available at a candidate’s preferred choice, and candidates cannot request centre changes after allotment — IBPS retains sole authority over adding or removing exam centres.
IBPS PO 2026 Pre-Exam Training
As per Government of India guidelines, Nodal Banks and participating organizations may arrange pre-examination training for SC/ST and religious minority community candidates at designated centres. This training is offered at numerous locations across North, South, East, and West India, including cities like Lucknow, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, among many others — candidates should check the official notification for the complete, current list of training centres.
IBPS PO Prelims Cut-Off (Previous Year)
| Category | Cut-Off (Out of 100) |
|---|---|
| General | 49.21 |
| SC | 45.96 |
| ST | 40.96 |
| OBC-NCL | 49.21 |
| EWS | 49.21 |
Section-Wise Cut-Off (Previous Year)
| Section | Maximum Marks | Cut-Off (General) | Cut-Off (SC/ST/OBC/PwD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 4.25 | 6.25 |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 5.50 | 9.75 |
| English Language | 30 | 9.75 | 13.25 |
These figures are useful as a benchmark for setting realistic preparation targets, though each year’s actual cut-off depends on that cycle’s difficulty level and applicant pool.
Important Links
| IBPS Official Website | www.ibps.in |
| Home Page | cbtexams.in |
FAQs
How many vacancies are there in IBPS PO 2026?
IBPS has confirmed 6,715 vacancies across 11 participating public sector banks, though this figure may still rise since three banks haven’t yet reported their individual numbers.
What is the last date to apply for IBPS PO 2026?
Online registration closes on July 21, 2026, which is also the last date to pay the application fee.
What is the age limit for IBPS PO 2026?
Candidates must be between 20 and 30 years old as of July 1, 2026, with standard age relaxation applicable for reserved categories.
What changed in the IBPS PO 2026 exam pattern?
The Mains exam now includes 170 objective questions (Reasoning: 40, General/Banking/Digital Awareness: 50, English: 40, Data Analysis: 40) for 200 marks, along with a newly added PwBD eligibility clause.
What is the expected salary for IBPS PO 2026?
The approximate starting in-hand salary ranges from ₹74,000 to ₹76,000 per month, inclusive of dearness and special allowances.
Is there an interview in the IBPS PO selection process?
Yes. After clearing Prelims and Mains, candidates attend a face-to-face interview worth 100 marks, with a minimum qualifying score of 40% for General category and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates.
How is the final IBPS PO merit list calculated?
The final score combines Mains and Interview marks in an 80:20 ratio. Prelims marks are used only for qualification and are not counted toward the final merit score.
How many times can I attempt the IBPS PO exam?
There is no fixed limit on attempts — you can apply every year the exam is conducted, as long as you remain within the applicable upper age limit for your category.