The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) announces notification for each of the positions, exam format, various topics and subjects covered in various papers, distribution of marks across each topic, recommendation of books, tips to prepare and an event calendar.
The syllabus gives information on the topics covered in each of the sections. Candidates preparing for the IBPS PO exam should carefully understand the syllabus and structure of the exam and get clarity on how much time they should spend on each of the topics to cover the syllabus before appearing for the exam.
The IBPS PO exam is divided into three phases.
Candidates who pass the IBPS PO preliminary exams are invited to the main recruitment exams. The invitation will take the form of a call letter, which candidates can obtain from the IBPS official website. Candidates should remember and keep their registration number and password handy to view and download their admit card and carry the printout along with them to the exam centre.
Based on the performance in the mains exam, candidates will be invited for a personal interview again in the form of an admit card (Call Letter). Final selection depends on how candidates score in their main exam papers and interviews. We will discuss the syllabus for the preliminary and main exams here in detail. The exam papers and their formats will explain the total number of questions, total marks, exam duration, and what topics are covered in each of the exam papers.
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection announces examination pattern that explains exam structure, distribution of marks across topics, exam duration, total marks, topics covered in syllabus, and recommended resources like books, author, and publications to help candidates refer them to prepare for the exam and secure best score in prelims, mains and interview to achieve probationary officer / management trainee position across India.
IBPS PO preliminary exam is an online multiple-choice question with each paper of 1 hour duration. The paper is distributed in three sections – English literature for 30 marks, numerical ability for 35 marks and reasoning ability with 35 marks with total marks of 100 and total questions 100.
Each section should be completed in 20 minutes. There will be negative marking in IBPS PO preliminary exam 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer attempted. Candidates should clear the paper with cut off marks in each 3 sections to qualify for IBPS PO mains exam.
| S.No. | Test Name(Objective Type) | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| S. No. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Examination | Time Allotted |
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (Section A and Section B) |
45 | 60 | English & Hindi | 60 minutes |
| 2 | English Language (Section A and Section B) |
35 | 40 | English only | 40 minutes |
| 3 | Data Analysis and Interpretation (Section A and Section B) |
35 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
| 4 | General, Economy/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 35 minutes |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 180 minutes | ||
| English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) | 02 | 25 | English | 30 minutes | |
| Total | 157 | 225 | 3 hours 30 minutes | ||
IBPS PO preliminary examination Syllabus consists of three main sections
The topics covered in each of these sections are explained below:
IBPS PO preliminary exam has English language section and has topics listed below
IBPS PO preliminary exam has section called Quantitative Ability and has topics listed below
Reasoning is one of the section in IBPS PO preliminary exam syllabus that has following topics and subjects:
IBPS PO Mains exam is divided into following five sections:
IBPS PO Mains exam hold importance as the score obtained by candidates in IBPS PO Mains exam and interview plays a decisive role in final selection for the post of probationary officer. These papers are descriptive in nature.
The syllabus of Mains exam per each of these topic/subjects are listed below:
Candidates are expected to have ability to communicate and write letters of their own as a part of English Language test.
The recommended learning resources for the IBPS PO examination prepares candidates for subjects and topics listed in the syllabus. The books contains topics well explained, easy to understand and subjects covered as needed in the syllabus.
The list of topics for IBPS PO preparation as per subjects are below.
Reasoning ability is the topic that is included in Mains exam syllabus with another subject – computer aptitude. Candidates should prepare separately for the subject. The best books referred for the subject are listed below.
The subjects and topics covered for the English language covered in IBPS PO examination are listed below
Common for probationary officers and management trainees, Quantitative Aptitude section has a topics that are covered in various publications, reviews and discussions, the list of topics covered under quantitative aptitude are shown below
Syllabus on Computer Aptitude is not that extensive, candidates should be able to understand various activities and tools that can be carried out with use of computer in modern office environment is explained in these books
The topic and subject needs candidates to be proactive and prepare the content that requires reading newspapers, publications and discussions on current events by economic and political experts. The questions asked in this section may contain current affairs topics within last 3 to 4 months from the exam. Some of the important resources and books on above subject/topics are listed below.
| Sections | Books for IBPS PO |
| English Language | Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal |
| Reasoning Ability | Modern Approach to Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal New Approach to Reasoning Verbal & Non-Verbal (Arihant) by BS Sijwali Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey |
| General Awareness | Banking and Economic Awareness by Rakesh Kumar Banking, Financial & General Awareness by I K Pavel |
One of the toughest tests used to choose POs for the many banks across the nation is the IBPS PO exam. IBPS PO and other bank exams are not so simple to pass. The number of applicants who pass the IBPS PO exam is significantly lower than the number of applicants who fail.
IBPS PO Salary will start at Rs 36,000 with a Rs 980 annual raise for the following 7 years, then go on to a basic of Rs 42,860 with a Rs 1,145 annual raise for the following 2 years, and so forth.
The syllabus for IBPS PO exam 2022 is divided into three different stages as listed below:
– IBPS PO prelims
– IBPS PO mains
– IBPS PO interview
IBPS PO prelims exam has one paper of duration 1 hour with total of 100 marks and total of 100 questions. The paper has three sections:
– English Language
– Quantitative Aptitude
– Reasoning Ability
IBPS PO mains exam has two papers of descriptive type as explained below:
First paper is of duration 3 hours with total of 200 marks and 155 questions. The paper has four sections:
– Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
– General/Economy/Banking Awareness
– English Language
– Data Analysis & Interpretation
Second paper in English language of 30 minutes on letter writing & essay of 25 marks and 2 questions.
The IBPS PO interview is of 100 marks. The minimum qualifying marks for interview is 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWBD candidates)
The weightage/ratio of IBPS PO online Main exam and interview is 80:20 respectively.
Candidates should qualify above cut off marks in mains & interview tests (qualifying exams) to be selected for probationary officer/management trainee position.