[UPDATE] IBPS PO 2026 Prelims Result & Mains Exam Date — 7,565 Posts
IBPS PO 2026 (CRP PO/MT-XVI) — prelims held 22–23 August 2026, result awaited. Mains on 4 October 2026. Vacancies revised to 7,565.
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| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Short Notice | 30 June 2026 | Done |
| Detailed Notification (CRP PO/MT-XVI) | 1 July 2026 | Done |
| Online Registration | 1 July 2026 | Done |
| Last Date to Apply (extended) | 26 July 2026 | Closed |
| Application Correction Window | 29–30 July 2026 | Done |
| Preliminary Examination | 22 & 23 August 2026 | Done |
| Vacancies Revised to 7,565 (UCO Bank +200) | 27 August 2026 | Done |
| Preliminary Result | Expected September 2026 | Active |
| Main Examination | 4 October 2026 | Upcoming |
| Interview | November – December 2026 | Tba |
Who was eligible
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Education | Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a university recognised by the Government of India, held on the cut-off date |
| Age | 20 to 30 years |
| Computer literacy | Operating and working knowledge of computer systems |
| Nationality | Citizen of India, or the other categories specified in the IBPS notification |
Age relaxation — upper limit
- SC / ST — 5 years
- OBC (non-creamy layer) — 3 years
- Persons with Benchmark Disabilities — 10 years
- Ex-servicemen, and candidates affected by the 1984 riots — as per the notification's relaxation table
Unlike IBPS Clerk, the PO cadre carries no local-language eligibility bar at the application stage, and officers are liable to be posted anywhere in India.
How the vacancy figure moved
| Stage | Date | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed notification | 1 July 2026 | 7,365 |
| UCO Bank adds 200 posts | 27 August 2026 | 7,565 |
Participating banks (11)
Bank of Baroda · Bank of India · Bank of Maharashtra · Canara Bank · Central Bank of India · Indian Bank · Indian Overseas Bank · Punjab National Bank · Punjab & Sind Bank · UCO Bank · Union Bank of India
Why a late revision matters to you: vacancies added after the prelims raise the number of candidates called for the Mains, because IBPS shortlists at a multiple of the vacancy count. A 200-post increase does not change your preparation, but it does slightly widen the prelims cut-off.
Selection Process
- Preliminary Examination — held 22 & 23 August 2026 (qualifying only)
- Main Examination — 4 October 2026 (objective + descriptive)
- Interview — 100 marks
- Final merit = 80% Main Exam + 20% Interview, followed by provisional allotment
Preliminary Exam pattern (already held)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Sectional time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Main Exam pattern — 4 October 2026
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes |
| Objective total | 155 | 200 | 180 minutes |
| English — Descriptive (letter & essay) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
- Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer in the objective papers.
- The Mains is a different exam from the prelims. Quantitative Aptitude becomes Data Analysis & Interpretation, Banking Awareness appears for the first time, and a typed descriptive paper is added.
- The descriptive paper is not a formality. It is evaluated only for candidates who clear the objective cut-off, and its 25 marks sit inside the 80% that the Mains contributes to your final merit.
Full Details
Prelims Are Over and the Result Is Awaited — Mains on 4 October 2026, Vacancies Revised Upward to 7,565
The CRP PO/MT-XVI preliminary examination was held on 22 and 23 August 2026 and the result is now awaited, expected during September. Applications closed on 26 July 2026 after an extension, and the vacancy count has since been revised from 7,365 to 7,565 — UCO Bank added 200 posts on 27 August 2026. The Main Examination is fixed for 4 October 2026, which leaves qualified candidates a very short runway.
Quick Highlights Dashboard
| Who is recruiting? | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), for 11 public sector banks |
|---|---|
| Which posts? | Probationary Officer / Management Trainee |
| Recruitment code | CRP PO/MT-XVI |
| How many seats? | 7,565 (revised upward from 7,365) |
| Application window | 1 July 2026 → 26 July 2026 (extended) |
| Application status | 🔴 CLOSED |
| Prelims | Held on 22 & 23 August 2026 — result awaited |
| Mains exam | 4 October 2026 |
| Interview | After the Mains — carries 20% of the final merit |
What has changed
Three things. The notification is no longer pending — it was published on 1 July 2026 after a short notice on 30 June. The vacancy figure is no longer an estimate; it is 7,565 following the UCO Bank revision of 27 August. And the exam itself has moved on: the prelims are behind us, so the live question on this page is the prelims result and the six-week gap before the Mains.
The gap that decides this recruitment
If the prelims result lands in mid-September, qualified candidates get roughly three weeks before the Mains on 4 October. That is not enough time to start Data Analysis & Interpretation or the descriptive paper from scratch. Candidates who expect to clear the prelims should be preparing the Mains syllabus now, before the result confirms it — waiting for the result is the most common way this exam is lost.
Official links
- Check the Prelims Result on the IBPS Portal (ibps.in) — log in with your Registration Number and Password.
- IBPS Official Website (ibps.in) — the Mains call letter and all CRP PO/MT-XVI notices appear here.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Not yet as of 1 September 2026. The prelims were held on 22 and 23 August 2026, and IBPS normally publishes the result three to four weeks after the exam — so September is the realistic window. It appears on your IBPS candidate login, not as a public PDF.
No. The preliminary examination is qualifying only. Your final merit is 80% of your Main Exam score plus 20% of your interview score — the prelims score is discarded entirely once you qualify.
UCO Bank added 200 posts on 27 August 2026, after the preliminary examination had already been held. Participating banks can revise their indents during the cycle, and IBPS shortlists candidates at a multiple of the current vacancy count.
No, and this is where most candidates lose the exam. The Mains is on 4 October 2026 and the result is expected only in September — that leaves roughly three weeks. Data Analysis & Interpretation and the descriptive paper cannot be built from scratch in that time.
Substantially. Quantitative Aptitude is replaced by Data Analysis & Interpretation, a General/Economy/Banking Awareness section is added, Reasoning is combined with Computer Aptitude, and there is a 30-minute typed descriptive paper worth 25 marks. Preparing only prelims material is not enough.
Yes, for candidates who clear the objective cut-off. Its 25 marks sit inside the Main Exam total, which is 80% of your final merit — so a poorly written essay or letter costs you real rank.
Yes. It carries 100 marks and contributes 20% of the final merit, with interviews expected around November–December 2026. The minimum qualifying interview score is set separately, so a strong Mains score cannot compensate for failing to clear the interview cut-off.