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IBPS PO (Bank Probationary Officer)

Prelims blueprint, Do-or-Die topic matrix, quick-revision cards and timed practice for the public sector bank PO exam, on one page.

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)24 practice MCQs with solutionsMarking: +1 / -0.25 / 0
Prelims
100 MCQs, 100 marks, 60 minutes, online (qualifying only)
Sections and timing
English 30 Qs / 30 marks, Quant 35 Qs / 30 marks, Reasoning 35 Qs / 40 marks; 20 minutes each, locked
Mains (2026)
170 objective Qs for 200 marks in 160 min (Reasoning, Banking & Economy Awareness, English, Data Analysis) plus a 25-mark descriptive test in 30 min
Interview
100 marks; final merit = Mains 80% + Interview 20% (Prelims marks are not counted)
Eligibility
Graduate in any discipline; age 20 to 30 years (relaxation for reserved categories)
2026 cycle (CRP PO/MT-XVI)
Prelims 22-23 Aug 2026, Mains 4 Oct 2026, interviews Nov-Dec 2026
SBI PO?
A separate exam run by SBI with its own notification; its Prelims is similar (English, Quant, Reasoning) but check its own pattern

In the objective tests, one fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer; a blank costs nothing. The real paper has 5 options per question. In Prelims, English carries 30 marks for 30 questions (+1 / -0.25), but Quant carries 30 marks for 35 questions and Reasoning 40 marks for 35 questions, so per-question marks there are not exactly 1 and the penalty scales with them. Each section has its own cut-off plus an overall cut-off, so you must clear all three sections.

How to Crack: Strategic Blueprint

Pick where you are. Each plan is built around past papers, a formula diary and honest mock analysis.

Prelims is a speed test: build basic maths, puzzle-solving and reading speed before you worry about Mains.

  1. 1Spend the first 4 weeks on fundamentals: tables to 30, squares to 30, cubes to 20, percentage-fraction conversions, and the basic arithmetic chapters.
  2. 2Solve 2 reasoning puzzle sets and 1 DI set every single day; together they are about half of Prelims.
  3. 3Read one editorial daily and do one RC with a timer; English is the section where most first-timers miss the sectional cut-off.
  4. 4From week 6, take one full Prelims mock every 2 days, strictly in 20-minute locked sections.
  5. 5Start banking and economy current affairs only after Prelims basics are in place, about 6-8 weeks before Mains.

Topper-grade short notes

Puzzle pattern log

For each puzzle type (floor, box, month-date, circular, parallel rows) keep one page with the grid you draw, the order in which you use clues, and the time you took. Solving the same type 20 times is what makes 5 questions take 5 minutes.

Speed-maths sheet

One sheet of tables, squares, cubes, fraction-percent pairs (1/8 = 12.5%) and approximation tricks. Revise it for 10 minutes every morning; Prelims Quant is mostly calculation speed.

Error and skip notebook

After every mock, note each wrong or slow question with the reason: concept gap, silly error or poor choice to attempt. The 'poor choice' column is what improves your score fastest in a 20-minute section.

Word bank in context

Write new words with the sentence where you read them and one synonym. RC vocabulary, word usage and fillers all test meaning in context, so the sentence matters more than a dictionary line.

Ideal self-study day

  1. 6:00 - 6:30Speed-maths sheet: tables, squares, approximation drills
  2. 6:30 - 7:30Reasoning: two timed puzzle sets plus one inequality or syllogism set
  3. 7:30 - 8:00Newspaper editorial, note 5 words in context
  4. 8:00 - 8:30Breakfast and a short walk
  5. 9:00 - 11:00Quant: one new arithmetic topic, then 2 DI sets with a timer
  6. 11:30 - 12:30English: one RC, para jumbles and error detection
  7. 14:00 - 15:00Full Prelims mock (alternate days) or a 20-minute sectional test
  8. 15:00 - 16:00Mock analysis: fill the error and skip notebook
  9. 18:00 - 19:00Banking, economy and current affairs (Mains and interview prep)
  10. 21:00 - 21:30Revise the day's notes and plan tomorrow; sleep by 22:30

Topic Weightage & Do-or-Die Matrix

Estimates from shift-wise analyses of IBPS PO Prelims 2024-2026 by TIME (time4education) and PracticeMock; IBPS does not publish weightage.

Where your marks come from (estimate)

English Language30 marks
~20
~6
~4
Quantitative Aptitude30 marks
~20
~9
Reasoning Ability40 marks
~26
~10
Must-DoMediumLow priority

Must-do topics carry roughly 66 of 100 marks. Master these with high accuracy and clearing every sectional cut-off becomes routine, before you touch the low-priority list.

IBPS does not publish topic weightage; these are estimates from shift-wise analyses of the 2024-2026 Prelims and the mix changes from shift to shift.

🔴 Must-Do · High weightage

  • Reading Comprehension (including vocabulary in context)8-10 QsOne passage with 8-10 questions in every 2024-2026 shift; the single biggest block in English.
  • Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement4-5 QsA 5-6 sentence para-formation set appears in almost every shift; one correct order unlocks all questions.
  • Error Detection / Grammatically Correct Sentences3-5 QsTests subject-verb agreement, tenses, prepositions and articles; fast marks if grammar rules are clear.
  • Fillers and Cloze Test (single and double blanks)3-6 QsAsked as single fillers, double fillers or a 5-6 blank cloze in nearly every shift.

🟡 Medium · Scoring

  • Word Swap / Word Rearrangement3-4 QsRegular new-pattern question: find words that must be interchanged to make the sentence correct.
  • Phrase Replacement / Sentence Improvement3-4 QsReplace a bold phrase with the correct one; common in 2026 shifts.

🟢 Low priority · Lengthy

  • Word Usage and Phrasal Verbs1-3 QsOne word used in 2-3 sentences; check which uses are correct. Small but quick if your vocabulary is good.
  • Column-based / Match the Columns0-1 QOccasional sentence-joining question across 2-3 columns.
  • Spelling Errors / Inappropriate Words0-4 QsAppears in some shifts only; easy if you read carefully.

English Language Quick-Revision Cards

Quick on-screen revision cards for the must-do topics. Copy them into your own revision notebook.

Subject-verb agreement

  • Either/Neither ... or/norVerb agrees with the nearer subject: Neither the clerk nor the officers were late.
  • Each / Every / One ofSingular verb: Each of the branches has a manager. One of the loans is overdue.
  • Along with / as well asVerb follows the first subject: The manager, along with his staff, was present.
  • The number of vs A number ofThe number of accounts is rising (singular). A number of accounts are dormant (plural).

💡 Cross out everything between the subject and the verb, then check agreement.

Tense and conditional rules

  • Hardly / ScarcelyHardly had + V3 ... when ...: Hardly had he arrived when it rained.
  • No soonerNo sooner had + V3 ... than ...: No sooner had she left than the phone rang.
  • Since / forSince + point of time (since 2020); for + period (for three years), with present perfect.
  • If clausesIf + past, would + V1 (If I had money, I would invest). If + had V3, would have V3.

💡 When a sentence starts with Hardly, Scarcely or No sooner, check the inversion and the partner word first.

Prepositions often tested

  • Comply with, consist of, abide by, prefer A to B, superior to, senior to, junior to
  • Accused of, charged with, independent of, dependent on, insist on, refrain from
  • Discuss (no 'about'), enter (no 'into' for a place), request (no 'for' as a verb)

💡 Learn these as fixed pairs; error-detection questions reuse them often.

Para jumble method

  • Opening lineIntroduces a subject without pronouns like 'this', 'they', 'however' at the start.
  • PairsFind a mandatory pair: a noun, then the sentence using 'it/this/such' for it.
  • ConnectorsHowever / But → contrast with the previous line. Therefore / Thus → result. Also / Moreover → addition.
  • Closing lineOften a conclusion: thus, hence, in short, or a future outlook.

💡 Fix the first sentence and one pair, then check the options; you rarely need the full order.

Reading comprehension approach

  • Step 1Read the questions first (not options) to know what to look for.
  • Step 2Read the passage once, noting the main idea of each paragraph in 3-4 words.
  • Inference questionsThe answer must follow from the text; reject options that add new facts or extreme words (always, never, only).
  • VocabularyReplace the word in the sentence with each option and choose the one that keeps the meaning.

💡 In a 20-minute section, keep about 8 minutes for the RC and do it last or first, but never in the middle.

Banking and economy words seen in RC

  • Liquidity: how easily assets can be turned into cash
  • Inflation: general rise in prices; deflation: general fall in prices
  • Fiscal deficit: government spending above its non-borrowed income
  • Robust = strong, buoyant = rising, sluggish = slow, volatile = unstable, prudent = careful

💡 Many PO passages are on the economy, health or the environment; these words recur.

Commonly confused words

  • Affect (verb) vs effect (noun); principal (main, or capital sum) vs principle (rule)
  • Stationary (not moving) vs stationery (paper items); loose vs lose
  • Complement (complete) vs compliment (praise); lapse (to end, or a slip) vs elapse (time passes)

💡 These pairs are frequent in word usage and spelling-error questions.

English Language MCQ Practice Arena

Tap an option: it locks, turns green or red, and the full solution opens. Your attempts stay on this device.

Attempted 0/8✓ 0✗ 0Score 0
Q1 / 8Reading ComprehensionMediumPYQ-style (concept asked repeatedly in IBPS PO Prelims)

Passage: When small businesses cannot get loans from banks, many turn to informal lenders who charge very high interest. Digital lending platforms promised to change this by using data such as mobile payments to judge a borrower. Early results are mixed. Credit has reached many first-time borrowers, but some apps have pushed loans aggressively and recovered them through harassment. Regulators have since tightened rules on how such apps can lend and collect. The lesson is not that technology failed, but that faster credit needs equally strong protection for borrowers. Which of the following best captures the author's view?

Exam Day Hacks & Reasoning

The negative-marking maths

On a 1-mark question with 5 options and a 0.25 penalty, a blind guess averages 1/5 × 1 − 4/5 × 0.25 = 0 marks: pure risk, no gain. Cut it down to 2 options and a guess averages 0.5 × 1 − 0.5 × 0.25 = +0.375. Guess only after eliminating at least 2 options. The same ratio holds in Quant and Reasoning, because the penalty is one fourth of whatever that question carries.

20 minutes per section, no switching

Each section has its own 20-minute timer and you cannot go back to a section once its time is over. Unused minutes in English do not carry over to Quant, so plan each section as a separate mini-exam.

Clear every sectional cut-off

A huge Reasoning score does not save a weak English score: each section has a cut-off. Aim for safe accuracy in your weakest section first, then push attempts in your strongest one.

Order inside each section

English: fillers, error detection and word swap first, then para jumble, RC last. Quant: approximation and series first (about 30 seconds each), then the easiest DI set, then arithmetic. Reasoning: inequalities, syllogism, blood relations and direction first, then 2-3 puzzles you can finish fully.

Choose puzzles, do not fight them

Read the first 2 lines of each puzzle and start the one with direct clues (fixed positions). A finished 5-question puzzle beats two half-solved ones. If a puzzle has no fixed starting clue after 2 minutes, move on.