What is IBPS PO?
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection runs a common process for Probationary Officer and Management Trainee vacancies reported by participating public sector banks. IBPS conducts selection and provisional allotment; the allotted bank controls appointment, training, posting, pay and service conditions.
Current CRP PO/MT-XVI recruitment
CRP PO/MT-XVI is for vacancies of 2027-28 and lists 6,715 indicative vacancies. The original notification opened registration on 1 July 2026, and the official application closure was later extended to 26 July 2026. The notification gives month-level tentative stages: preliminary examination in August, main examination in October, interviews in November/December 2026 and provisional allotment in January 2027.
Eligibility and age
Graduation in any discipline is required, and the result must have been declared by the notified application cutoff. A candidate awaiting the qualifying result at that cutoff is not eligible.
Age: 20 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026.
Major upper-age relaxations: SC/ST 5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years and eligible ex-servicemen/commissioned officers 5 years. Other notified categories retain their exact official conditions.
Selection process
Candidates pass the preliminary examination, main objective and descriptive tests, a mandatory but non-qualifying Personality Test, and an interview. Preliminary scores are not added to final merit. Main and interview scores are combined in an 80:20 ratio for provisional allotment.
Preliminary examination pattern
| Section | 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 |
Main examination pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Economy / Banking / Digital / Financial Awareness | 50 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 160 minutes |
| Descriptive: Essay and Comprehension | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Negative marking
Each wrong objective answer attracts a penalty of one-fourth, or 0.25, of the marks assigned to that question. There is no penalty for an unanswered question.
Syllabus and preparation scope
The notification defines broad tested areas rather than a complete micro-topic syllabus. Prepare English comprehension and usage; quantitative aptitude and data interpretation; reasoning; banking, economy, financial and digital awareness including relevant RBI material; and descriptive essay/comprehension writing.
Pay, role and progression
A PO/MT enters an officer pipeline in the allotted bank and may work across branch operations, customer service, credit, compliance, business development and supervisory assignments. The CRP notice does not publish one common salary because participating banks appoint under their own scales and settlements. Posting, probation, transfers and promotion rules therefore depend on the allotted bank.
Frequently asked questions
Does IBPS PO have an interview? Yes.
Do preliminary marks count in final merit? No.
Can final-year students apply? Only if the graduation result is declared by the notification's cutoff and documentary proof is available.
Is the Personality Test part of final marks? It is mandatory but described as non-qualifying; main and interview scores form final merit.