IBPS PO — Complete Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2025

Quick facts

• Prelims: 100 Qs · 100 marks · 60 min (20 min/section)
• Prelims Neg. Marking: −0.25 per wrong
• Mains Objective: 155 Qs · 200 marks · 3 hours
• Mains Descriptive: Letter + Essay · 25 marks · 30 min
• Interview: 100 marks (final: 80% Mains + 20% Interview)
• Starting Salary: ~₹52,000–₹55,000/month (CTC ₹7–8 LPA)
• Age: 20–30 years (OBC +3, SC/ST +5)

About IBPS PO

The IBPS Probationary Officer (PO) / Management Trainee examination recruits Probationary Officers for 11 participating Public Sector Banks including Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, and others. It is one of the most sought-after exams for commerce and non-commerce graduates alike.

IBPS PO has two examination stages plus an interview. Prelims (100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes) covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. Each section has a sectional time limit of 20 minutes. Mains (155 objective + 2 descriptive, 225 marks total) adds Data Analysis & Interpretation and Banking/Economy Awareness.

The final selection uses 80:20 weightage between Mains and Interview. IBPS PO 2025 Prelims memory-based paper (23rd August, Shift 1) with complete solutions is available on Ministry of Papers.

Previous year papers

• IBPS PO Pre 2025 — Memory Based (23 Aug, Shift 1) 2025 - 100 questions

English Language (Prelims: 30 Qs · Mains: 35 Qs)

• Reading Comprehension — 2–3 passages, 10–15 questions total
• Cloze Test — 5–10 blanks in a paragraph
• Error Detection / Sentence Correction
• Fill in the Blanks — Vocabulary-based
• Para Jumbles — Rearranging sentences
• Sentence Connectors, Column Matching, Odd Sentence Out
• Mains only: Descriptive — Formal Letter Writing, Essay (250 words)

Quantitative Aptitude (Prelims: 35 Qs)

• Number Series — Find missing/wrong term
• Simplification & Approximation
• Data Interpretation — Table, Bar, Line, Pie, Radar (5 Qs per set)
• Quadratic Equations
• Arithmetic — Percentage, Profit & Loss, SI/CI, Ratio, Ages, Partnership
• Time-Speed-Distance, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns
• Probability, Permutation & Combination (advanced Mains level)

Reasoning Ability (Prelims: 35 Qs)

• Puzzles — Circular/Linear Seating Arrangement (10–15 Qs per sitting)
• Directions & Distances, Blood Relations
• Coding-Decoding (new pattern — sentence-based)
• Syllogisms, Inequalities
• Data Sufficiency, Input-Output
• Order-Ranking, Alphanumeric Series
• Mains: Critical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning additions

Data Analysis & Interpretation (Mains: 35 Qs · 60 marks)

• Advanced DI — Caselet, Mixed graphs, Missing data tables
• Quantity I vs Quantity II comparison
• Data Sufficiency (quantitative)
• Advanced Arithmetic problems with DI context

General/Economy/Banking Awareness (Mains: 40 Qs · 40 marks)

• Banking System — RBI, functions, monetary policy tools (Repo, Reverse Repo, CRR, SLR)
• Financial Institutions — SEBI, IRDAI, NABARD, SIDBI, NHB
• Government Schemes — PM Jan Dhan, Mudra, Atal Pension, PMSBY, PMJJBY
• International Banking — IMF, World Bank, ADB, NDB, Basel norms
• Indian Economy — GDP, Inflation, Union Budget headlines, 5-year plan legacy
• Current Affairs — Last 6 months appointments, mergers, national/international
• Static Banking GK — Taglines, HQs, founding years of major banks