BankingCentral

IBPS Probationary Officer (PO)

IBPS PO exam recruits Probationary Officers for 11 public sector banks in India (excluding SBI). It is one of the most sought-after banking exams offering a stable career with good salary, perks, and growth opportunities. POs are the backbone of banking operations and can rise to the position of General Manager.

Official Website →

Conducting Body

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection

Frequency

Once a year

Vacancies

3,000–6,000 posts annually

Salary Range

₹36,000 – ₹63,840 per month

1Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university. Computer literacy is desirable. Working knowledge of the Official Language of the State/UT is required.

Age Limit & Relaxation

Minimum: 20 years · Maximum: 30 years

Category	Relaxation
General	No relaxation
OBC	+3 years
SC/ST	+5 years
PwBD	+10 years
Ex-Servicemen/Disabled Ex-SM	+5 years (Ex-SM), +10 years (Disabled Ex-SM)

2Exam Pattern

Preliminary Exam

MCQ (Objective) – Sectional Timing – Negative 0.25

Total Marks

100

Duration

1 hour (20 min per section)

English Language (30 Qs)

Quantitative Aptitude (35 Qs)

Reasoning Ability (35 Qs)

Mains Exam

MCQ – Descriptive English (Letter + Essay – 25 marks) also included

Total Marks

200

Duration

3 hours (sectional timing applies)

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (45 Qs – 60 marks)

English Language (35 Qs – 40 marks)

Data Analysis & Interpretation (35 Qs – 60 marks)

General/Economy/Banking Awareness (40 Qs – 40 marks)

Interview

Personal Interview

Total Marks

100

Duration

15-20 minutes

Banking knowledge, Communication, Personality, General Awareness

3Detailed Syllabus

1Quantitative Aptitude / Data Interpretation

Simplification, Approximation, Number Series

Data Interpretation – Tables, Charts, Graphs, Caselets

Percentage, Average, Ratio & Proportion

Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest

Time & Work, Pipe & Cistern

Speed, Distance & Time, Boats & Streams, Trains

Permutation & Combination, Probability

Mensuration, Data Sufficiency

2Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

Seating Arrangement (Linear, Circular, Square)

Puzzles (Floor, Box, Scheduling)

Syllogisms, Coding-Decoding

Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order & Ranking

Inequality (coded), Machine Input-Output

Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning

Computer – Hardware, Software, Networking basics, OS, MS Office, Internet

3English Language

Reading Comprehension (2-3 passages)

Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks

Para Jumbles, Sentence Rearrangement

Error Detection, Sentence Improvement

Word Usage, Vocabulary-based questions

Descriptive Writing – Letter writing (formal) and Essay (250 words)

4General/Banking/Economy Awareness

Banking – RBI policies, Banking terms, Types of accounts, NPA, Basel norms

Financial Awareness – Budget, Financial institutions, Insurance, Stock Market

Current Affairs – Last 6 months, National & International

Static GK – Countries, Capitals, Currencies, Awards, Important Days

Government Schemes – Flagship programs, Financial inclusion schemes

4Study Plan

Month 1: Start with Quant basics – Number series, Simplification, Percentage, Ratio. Begin daily current affairs reading.

Month 2: Advanced Quant – DI (all types), Time & Work, CI/SI. Start Reasoning – Seating Arrangement, Puzzles.

Month 3: Complete Reasoning – Syllogisms, Coding, Blood Relations. English – RC practice and Grammar.

Month 4: Banking Awareness deep dive – RBI policies, banking terms, financial awareness. Computer basics.

Month 5: Daily mock tests. Analyze every test thoroughly. Focus on improving speed and accuracy.

Month 6: Revision + 2 mocks per day. Practice descriptive English (letter and essay writing daily).

5Best Books

Book	Author	Subject	Free
Quantitative Aptitude for Banking	Arun Sharma	Quant	Buy online
A New Approach to Reasoning	B.S. Sijwali & Indu Sijwali	Reasoning	Buy online
Objective English for Competitive Exams	Hari Mohan Prasad	English	Buy online
Banking Awareness	Arihant Publications	Banking	Buy online
Computer Knowledge for Bank Exams	Kiran Prakashan	Computer	Buy online

6Free Resources

🌐website

IBPS Official Mock Tests

Free official mock tests released before every exam

🌐website

Oliveboard Free Mocks

Free mock tests and daily practice questions

🎥youtube

Adda247 Banking

Free banking exam preparation videos

🎥youtube

Study Smart (Testbook)

Free video classes for banking exams

🌐website

RBI Official Website

For banking awareness – RBI policies, monetary policy, and reports

🌐website

GK Today

Daily current affairs and banking awareness articles

💡Expert Tips

1Sectional timing is the key challenge – practice each section strictly within the time limit.

2For Reasoning, puzzles and seating arrangements carry 60-70% marks. Master them first.

3Read The Hindu editorial daily for English and banking awareness simultaneously.

4For DI, learn to approximate. Most banking DI questions can be solved faster with estimation.

5Practice descriptive writing daily – even 10 minutes of letter/essay practice helps.

6Keep a banking awareness notebook – note every RBI policy change, merger, and new scheme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which banks recruit through IBPS PO?

IBPS PO recruits for 11 public sector banks including Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Bank, and Punjab & Sind Bank. SBI has its own separate exam.

Is there a descriptive paper in IBPS PO Mains?

Yes, IBPS PO Mains includes a descriptive English paper of 25 marks where you need to write a letter (formal/informal) and an essay. This is conducted immediately after the objective test and lasts 30 minutes.

Can I apply if I have backlogs?

You need a completed graduation degree at the time of applying. If you have cleared all backlogs and received your degree/provisional certificate, you are eligible.