IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025, Check Prelims & Mains Revised Section Wise Detailed Pattern

IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the IBPS PO exam every year. This exam selects the best candidates for the Probationary Officer (PO) post in public sector banks. The IBPS PO 2025 notification has been relaesed on their official website In a significant update, the Prelims exam pattern has changed: there are now three sections—English (30 Qs, 30 marks), Quantitative Aptitude (35 Qs, 30 marks), and Reasoning Ability (35 Qs, 40 marks)—each section carrying 20 minutes, totaling 60 minutes. The Mains exam has also been updated. It now includes 145 objective questions (200 marks across separately timed Reasoning, QA/DI, GA, and English) and an additional Descriptive Paper (Essay & Letter) worth 25 marks in 30 minutes, making the total exam duration 3 ½ hours. So, it is very important to understand the latest exam pattern for both Prelims and Mains before you start your preparation. The IBPS PO selection process has three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. As per the IBPS Official Calendar, the IBPS PO Prelims exam will be conducted on the 17th, 23rd, and 24th August 2025. The IBPS PO mains exam will be held on 12th October 2025.  In this article, we have shared the complete and updated IBPS PO 2025 exam pattern. Keep reading to check all the important details for each stage of the exam.

Study Resources Based On the Latest Pattern

IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025

IBPS PO Notification 2025 will be relaesed soon on their official website released on their official website. Currently, IBPS has introduced new changes in the IBPS PO Exam date 2025 released by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. So, you should start your exam preparation based on revised exam pattern. The IBPS PO 2025 exam is conducted in three stages: preliminary exam, main exam, and interview process. Candidates who clear all these phases are selected for probationary officer posts.

IBPS PO Exam Pattern: Overview

The Institute of Banking and Personnel Selection (IBPS) will soon release the IBPS PO 2025 notification.
It will be available on the official website: www.ibps.in. This notification will have all the important details about the exam. The IBPS PO selection process has three stages:

• Prelims Exam
• Mains Exam
• Interview Round

Candidates must clear all three stages to get selected. Check out the table below for more details:

IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025 for Prelims, Mains and Interview

The IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2025 consists of prelims, mains, and an interview. The IBPS PO prelims exam includes three sections: Numerical Ability, Reasoning, and English Language. The mains exam has five sections: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General Economy & Banking Awareness, and English Language. Candidates who review the IBPS PO exam details should also check the complete selection process to ensure their final selection as an IBPS PO.

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2025

Duration: 1 hour

Sections:

• English Language: 30 questions (30 marks)
• Quantitative Aptitude: 35 questions (30 marks)
• Reasoning Ability: 35 questions (40 marks)

Total Questions: 100

Total Marks: 100

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.

IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Duration: 3 hours + 30 minutes for the descriptive test.

Sections:

• Reasoning & Computer Aptitude: 40 questions, 60 marks, 50 minutes
• General/Economy/Banking Awareness: 35 questions, 50 marks, 25 minutes
• English Language: 35 questions, 40 marks, 40 minutes
• Data Analysis & Interpretation: 35 questions, 40 marks, 40 minutes
• English Language (Descriptive): 2 questions (Letter Writing & Essay), 25 marks, 30 minutes

Total Questions: 145

Total Marks: 225

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.

IBPS PO Interview Exam

Weightage: 100 marks

Qualifying Marks: 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwD)

Focus: Personality, communication skills and knowledge about banking

IBPS PO Prelims Exam Marks and Time

• The IBPS PO Prelim Exam is an online test with 20 minutes allocated for each of the 3 sections
• There will be a total of 100 multiple-choice questions in the prelims exam.
• Candidates must qualify in each of the three sections by securing the minimum cut-off marks to be issued by IBPS.

NOTE: The negative marking, where 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer.

IBPS PO Prelims Total Marks

The IBPS PO Prelims Exam is conducted for a total of 100 marks. It consists of three sections: English Language (30 questions, 30 marks), Quantitative Aptitude (35 questions, 35 marks), and Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 40 marks). Each section is allotted 20 minutes, making the total duration 60 minutes. Each correct answer carries 1 mark, while 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer as negative marking. The prelims are qualifying in nature, and marks are not considered for final merit. Candidates must clear the sectional and overall cut-offs to be shortlisted for the mains examination.

IBPS PO Mains Number of Questions, Marks, and Time Duration

This is the Second Stage of the IBPS PO 2025 selection process. The IBPS will conduct a descriptive paper in the mains exam for the Probationary Officer post.

• There will be five sections for the Mains Exam: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General Economy & Banking Awareness English Language
• The IBPS PO Mains Exam will have a total of 200 MCQs with a total duration of 3 Hours.

IBPS PO Mains Total Marks

The IBPS PO Mains exam consists of 200 objective marks and 25 descriptive marks, totaling 225 marks. The objective section includes four sections: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (60 marks), General/Economy/Banking Awareness (50 marks), English Language (40 marks), and Data Analysis & Interpretation (50 marks), with a total duration of 3 hours. Additionally, the Descriptive Paper tests English Language (Essay & Letter Writing) for 25 marks, with a 30-minute time limit. Each section in the objective test has a separate timing. Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for wrong answers. Final selection depends on mains and interview scores combined.

Penalty For Wrong Answer

There will be a penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty to arrive at the corrected score. If a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.

Personality Test For IBPS PO

Candidates who qualify in the Main examination will be called for a Personality Test (self-report). Personality profiles of the candidates will be placed before the Interview panel. The Personality Test will be non-qualifying in nature. However, appearing in the Personality Test will be mandatory for being eligible to appear for the Interview process.

IBPS PO Interview Process 2025

The final stage of IBPS PO is the Interview Process, conducted by participating organisations and coordinated by Nodal Banks in each State/UT, involving a panel that will assess the candidate’s qualifications, personality, and suitability for a career in banking Jobs.

IBPS PO Preparation Tips

Introduction Exam Pattern & Syllabus- Before starting preparation, candidates fully understand the exam pattern and syllabus of both the prelims and main exams. Know the important topics of each subject.

Regular Revision- Candidates should give a separate time for the revision of each section so that they can do the revision well. Regular revision helps retain information for a long period.

Daily Read Newspapers: For the General Awareness section, stay updated with the latest news, especially related to the banking and financial sector. Read newspapers, magazines, and use a mobile dedicated to current affairs.

Regular Mock Tests: Take a regular full-length mock test series to boost your confidence in the actual exam.

Solve Previous Year Question Paper: Candidates should solve the IBPS PO Previous Year question paper and know important topics for the IBPS PO 2025 exam.

What do you think you should do to improve your score?

The new exam pattern revealed: It will be stated in the exam paper that all the questions will either carry 1 mark or 2 marks. So, now, you’ll be sure of the questions having 2 marks or 1 mark. Since these questions are divided into 2 sections, it’d be easy for you to identify & answer these questions. Thus, you can maximise your score by answering or marking all those 2-mark questions first that you think you know best. To ensure a good performance, keep taking IBPS PO Mains 2025 Mock Tests to give your best in the Mains exam and come out successful in the very first attempt.

How IBPS PO Exam Pattern Helps Aspirants in Preparing Well for Exams?

The IBPS PO exam pattern helps aspirants prepare strategically by providing a clear structure of the exam. It consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Knowing the number of questions, marking scheme, and time limits for each section enables candidates to plan time management and prioritize subjects. The sectional timing and cut-offs encourage balanced preparation. Understanding the pattern also aids in practicing mock tests effectively, simulating real exam conditions. With a defined roadmap, aspirants can focus on strengthening weak areas, building speed and accuracy, and ultimately boosting their confidence to perform well in the actual examination.

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