IBPS PO (Probationary Officer / Management Trainee)
What is IBPS PO, who can apply, and how do the prelims, mains, personality test and interview lead to a public sector bank officer post?
IBPS PO is the Common Recruitment Process (CRP) run by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to fill Probationary Officer and Management Trainee posts in participating public sector banks. It runs once a year: an online preliminary exam, an online main exam with a descriptive paper, a personality test, a common interview held by the banks, and then provisional allotment to one bank on merit and preference. This page follows IBPS's notification for CRP PO/MT-XVI (vacancies of 2027-28), dated 1 July 2026.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 January 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
Registration for CRP-XVI closed on 21 July 2026. The notification gives tentative months for each later stage (main exam October 2026, interviews November or December 2026, allotment January 2027); check ibps.in for the current position.
Exam at a glance
- Conducted by
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), for the participating public sector banks[1]
- Participating banks (CRP-XVI)
- Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India[1]
- Education
- A degree in any discipline, with the result declared by 21 July 2026[1]
- Age limit
- 20 to 30 years on 1 July 2026 (born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006)[1]
- Stages
- Preliminary exam, Main exam (with a descriptive paper), Personality Test, Interview, provisional allotment[1]
- Indicative vacancies (2027-28)
- 6,715 reported by eight banks; three banks had not reported[1]
- Application fee
- Rs 850 (Rs 175 for SC, ST and PwBD), including GST[1]
- Starting basic pay
- Rs 48,480 a month on the scale 48480-2000/7-62480-2340/2-67160-2680/7-85920, plus the bank's allowances[1]
Final score: main exam 80, interview 20
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
You must clear a cut-off in each of the three tests. English Language is in English; the other tests are in English and Hindi.[1]
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Economy / Banking / Digital / Financial Awareness, including RBI circulars | 50 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 minutes |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 160 minutes |
| Descriptive paper (Essay and Comprehension), in English | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Each objective test has a minimum score, and there is a minimum total. A wrong objective answer costs one fourth (0.25) of that question's marks, in the prelims and the mains; a question left blank costs nothing.[1]
You need a degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, with the final result declared by 21 July 2026, and you must hold the marksheet or degree certificate on the day you register. You enter your graduation percentage, to two decimals, in the form. If your university gives a CGPA, you convert it by the university's own rule and bring proof of that rule to the interview.
The age band is 20 to 30 years on 1 July 2026. The upper limit is relaxed by 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer) and 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities, with other relaxations listed in the notification.
Indian citizens can apply, as can subjects of Nepal and Bhutan and some other groups the notification lists, who need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.[1]
- Preliminary exam: a screening test. Clearing the cut-off in each test gets you to the mains.
- Main exam: these marks, not the prelims, decide the shortlist for the next stages and count in the final merit list.
- Personality Test: a self-report test. It does not decide pass or fail, but you must take it to be called for the interview, and your profile goes to the interview panel.
- Interview: 100 marks, held by the participating banks and coordinated by a nodal bank in each state or region. The minimum is 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD).
- Final score: main exam and interview in the ratio 80:20. Ties go to the older candidate.
- Provisional allotment to one bank on merit and the bank preferences you gave in the application form.
Source[1]
Selected candidates are provisionally allotted to one of the participating banks as Probationary Officer or Management Trainee, based on the vacancies the banks actually report for 2027-28. The vacancies in the notification are indicative, and IBPS may keep a reserve list of about 20 percent of the vacancies in each category.
Allotment is not an offer of employment. The bank verifies your documents and identity and makes the final decision. Once you are allotted, IBPS will not change the bank, and if you don't take up the bank's offer you lose your chance in this process. The CRP-XVI list expires one year after provisional allotment, or earlier if a fresh allotment is made.[1]
- 1 to 21 July 2026: online registration and fee payment.
- August 2026: preliminary exam (tentative).
- October 2026: main exam (tentative).
- November 2026: main exam result and personality test; interviews in November or December 2026 (tentative).
- January 2027: provisional allotment (tentative).
- Before you apply: work out your graduation percentage exactly as the notification describes, and decide your bank order. Both are fixed once the edit window closes.
- Between prelims and mains: prepare the descriptive paper (essay and comprehension) along with the objective tests. Only mains marks carry into the merit list.
Source[1]
Tips and tricks
- Calculate your graduation percentage the way the notification says: total marks in all subjects and all semesters, divided by the total maximum, times 100, with fractions ignored. 59.99% counts as less than 60%.[1]
- Decide your bank order carefully before you submit. It cannot be changed, and refusing the allotted bank's offer ends your chance in this round.[1]
- Practise writing an essay and a comprehension answer in English to time. The descriptive paper gives you 30 minutes for both.[1]
Questions people ask
What is the age limit for IBPS PO?
For CRP PO/MT-XVI, 20 to 30 years on 1 July 2026, so you must be born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006. SC and ST candidates get 5 more years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 and PwBD 10.[1]
Can final-year students apply for IBPS PO?
Only if the final result is declared by the date in the notification (21 July 2026 for CRP-XVI). You must hold the marksheet or degree certificate on the day you register.[1]
Do prelims marks count in the final IBPS PO result?
No. The prelims only shortlist candidates for the mains. The final score combines the main exam and the interview in the ratio 80:20.[1]
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes. In the objective tests of both the prelims and the mains, a wrong answer loses one fourth (0.25) of the marks for that question. Unanswered questions lose nothing.[1]
What is the personality test in IBPS PO?
A self-report test for candidates who clear the mains. It is not a pass-or-fail stage, but you must take it to be called for the interview, and the panel sees your personality profile.[1]
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Official and partner links
Sources
- Notification CRP PO/MT-XVI: Common Recruitment Process for Probationary Officers/Management Trainees in Participating Banks (Vacancies of 2027-28), dated 01.07.2026, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Important dates, Introduction, sections A, B.I, B.II, B.V, C, D, E, F, G, J, K and Annexure I (pp. 1-33). Accessed 17 October 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 17 October 2026.