IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025: Detailed Exam Format for Prelims and Mains Exams
IBPS PO exam pattern comprises three important rounds, which are IBPS PO prelims, mains, and interviews. It is necessary for candidates to prepare for the exam keeping the IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern in mind
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025: The exam authority releases the exam pattern along with the official notification. The IBPS PO exam pattern is prescribed by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The paper comprises three prominent phases: Prelims, Mains, and Interviews. Each year, Probationary Officers and Management Trainees are selected through this mode of examination to work in IBPS PO participating banks. It is also called the Common Recruitment Process (CRP), and candidates from all over the country sit for the examination with the hope of being recruited as a Probationary Officer.
Students need to prepare for the examination, keeping the IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern in mind. As mentioned earlier, the examination has three phases, and a candidate needs to perform exceptionally well in all the phases. If one meets the IBPS PO cut-off for prelims he/she will be selected for IBPS PO mains. After one obtains a valid score in Mains, he/she will be called for a personal interview round. The final selection is done on the basis of the candidate’s performance in the mains and interviews.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025
Every year, a notification PDF is released on the official website of IBPS, which has all the details about the recruitment process. The document reveals relevant information that gives interested candidates better clarity. IBPS has announced that the IBPS PO Prelims was conducted on August 17, 23 and 27, 2025, while IBPS PO Mains will be held on October 12, 2025. The notification includes the exam pattern and syllabus, but till then, applicants can check this article out for their reference.
The table below presents the highlights of the IBPS PO exam pattern-
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Name of the Examination |
IBPS PO 2025 |
|
Phases |
Prelims, Mains, Interview |
|
Exam Conducting Body |
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, IBPS |
|
Type of Examination |
Public |
|
Mode of the Examination |
Online for Prelims Online/offline for Mains Offline for Interview |
|
Marks Segregation |
Prelims- 100 marks Mains- 200 marks Descriptive test- 25 marks Interview- 100 marks |
|
Subjects covered in all Phases |
Prelims- Three subjects (Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English language) Mains- Five subjects (Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Computer Aptitude, General Awareness, English Language) Plus a descriptive test Interview- Undefined |
|
Final Selection Process |
On the basis of Mains and Interview in a ratio of 80:20 |
|
Language of Examination |
English or Hindi The English section will only be in English. |
|
Duration of Examination |
1 hour for Prelims 3 hours 30 minutes for Mains |
The exam pattern has been analysed in detail for candidates for a better understanding.
IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2025
This is the first phase of the examination, which has three sections. A specific duration has been dedicated to each section, and if the candidate fails to finish the paper within that duration, their answers will not be accepted.
|
Sections |
Total Questions |
Duration |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
35 |
20 minutes |
|
Reasoning Ability |
35 |
20 minutes |
|
English Language |
30 |
20 minutes |
|
Total |
100 |
60 minutes |
Quick Highlights
- There are a total of three sections in the examination, i.e, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language.
- Each correct question carries a +1 mark, and the wrong question has 0.25 negative marks.
- The mode of examination is online.
- The duration of the examination is approximately 1 hour (60 minutes).
- The questions will be in an objective (MCQ) pattern, wherein 5 options will be given, of which 1 option will be correct.
- The English section will only be in English, while the other two sections will be in both English and Hindi.
Candidates who meet the cut-off for this paper will be eligible to appear for the IBPS PO Main Exam.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2025
This is the second and more comprehensive phase of the examination. When compared to the Prelims round, this phase has an additional two sections, namely Computer Aptitude and General Awareness. Only candidates who meet the cut-off for Prelims are the eligible ones for this round.
|
Section |
Marks |
Questions |
Duration |
|
English Language |
40 |
35 |
40 Minutes |
|
Data Analysis and Interpretation |
60 |
35 |
45 Minutes |
|
General Awareness Related to Economy and Banking |
40 |
40 |
35 Minutes |
|
Reasoning and Computer Aptitude |
60 |
45 |
60 Minutes |
|
Essay and Letter Writing |
25 |
2 |
30 Minutes |
|
Total |
225 |
157 |
3 Hours 30 Minutes |
Quick Highlights
- There are a total of five sections in the examination, which are: Essay & Letter Writing, Reasoning, Computer Aptitude, General Awareness, Data Analysis & Interpretation, and the English language.
- One-fourth of the marks are deducted for the wrongly selected answers.
- IBPS PO Main will be conducted in both online and offline modes.
- Candidates will get 3 hours and 30 minutes to solve the paper (3 hours for objective paper and 30 minutes for descriptive paper).
- There will be 155 multiple-choice questions and 2 written questions. Each question will have 5 options, wherein only 1 option will be correct.
- There will be an overall and a sectional cut-off.
Candidates who meet the required cut-off for this round will be eligible to appear for the IBPS Interview.
IBPS PO Interview 2025
Candidates who have qualified for the IBPS Mains will be eligible to appear for the personal interview round. The interview carries 100 marks and will carry 20% weightage in the final result.
This round is significant as, through this, the candidate’s communication skills and overall personality are evaluated. The final merit list is prepared by assessing the candidate’s performance in the Mains examination and the interview round.
The IBPS PO combined score will be declared based on scores obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination and Interview in the ratio of 80:20.
After the interview round ends, provisional allotment will be done as per the vacancies in different banks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Between SBI PO and IBPS PO, which one is more difficult to crack?
According to the analysis done by various aspirants and experts, SBI PO is more time-consuming due to its lengthy Data Interpretation questions. Hence, when compared with IBPS PO, SBI PO is more difficult to crack.
Is there any negative marking in IBPS PO?
Yes, both Prelims and Mains have a negative marking system. In Prelims, each correct question carries a +1 mark and the wrong question will face 0.25 negative marks, whereas, in Mains, one-fourth of marks are deducted for the wrongly selected answers.
Which mode is the examination conducted in?
Prelims is conducted in an online mode while Mains can be both online and offline. The interview round will be in an offline mode.
What are the minimum marks a candidate should have to qualify for Prelims?
Every year, IBPS releases a cut-off which is both overall and section-wise. According to the cut-off, students are selected for the next round.
How many sections are there in the IBPS PO Prelims exam?
In IBPS PO Prelims, there are a total of three sections namely the English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Logical Reasoning.
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