Bank of Baroda PO

Bank of Baroda PO is the entry route to Junior Management Grade Scale I officer posts at Bank of Baroda, one of India's large public sector banks. In the latest cycle, Bank of Baroda recruits Probationary Officers through the IBPS Common Recruitment Process for Probationary Officers and Management Trainees (CRP PO/MT-XVI), where it is one of 11 participating banks. This page explains how that route works, what the 2026 cycle looks like and how to prepare.

Many older pages still describe a Manipal-linked PG Diploma in Banking and Finance route for this exam. We checked this, and the details are below. Read the section on the recruitment route first, then use the tables for dates, vacancies, eligibility, pattern and syllabus. Figures marked tentative or indicative come from the schedule and bank-wise allocation reported around the notification and can change.

Table of Contents

How Bank of Baroda PO Recruitment Works Now

The Manipal route and the current route are different, so it helps to separate them.

• Current route: Candidates apply once through IBPS for the PO/MT recruitment, take the common Prelims and Mains, and then face the Personality Test and Interview. Banks then allot candidates from the final merit list. Bank of Baroda appears in the list of participating banks in the recent IBPS PO notifications.

• Older Manipal route: In earlier years, Bank of Baroda ran its own PO recruitment tied to admission to a banking programme at the Baroda Manipal School of Banking. That programme was a nine-month on-campus Post Graduate Certificate in Banking and Finance, followed by on-the-job training and a diploma. The cycles we could trace for that route date from 2017 and 2018.

• Nitte: We found no official evidence of a Nitte-linked route for Bank of Baroda PO.

We found no Probationary Officer or PG Diploma notification for the bank on its careers page when we checked in October 2026. Treat any page that still quotes Manipal programme fees or a bank-run PO exam date as outdated, and confirm every detail on the official Bank of Baroda careers page and the IBPS website.

Bank of Baroda PO at a Glance

Notification Overview

The IBPS notification for CRP PO/MT-XVI was reported on 30 June 2026, with online registration opening on 1 July 2026. Reports differ by a day on the notification date and on the last registration date, so the notification PDF on the IBPS website is the reference to trust.

Two things stand out in this cycle. First, Bank of Baroda has the largest reported share of posts among the participating banks. Second, secondary sources report a revised marks and question split in the Prelims and Mains. Older pages may still show the earlier pattern, so follow the official notification.

Important Dates

Tentative dates come from the notification schedule and can change. Track the official IBPS website and your registered email for call letters and result updates.

Vacancy Details

IBPS reports a combined requirement of about 6,715 posts across the 11 participating banks, though one source quotes a different total. For Bank of Baroda, the allocation is reported as about 1,900 posts.

These figures are indicative, come from a single secondary report and may be revised. Confirm the final split in the official notification.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

You need a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification. Your final result must be declared on or before the date given in the notification. The registration closing date, reported as 21 July 2026, is the reference. Final-year students without a result by that date are not eligible.

Age limit

The age limit is 20 to 30 years as on the reference date in the notification, reported as 1 July 2026. That means a date of birth between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006, both included.

Other conditions

Candidates must meet the nationality rules in the notification. Check the full conditions on the Bank of Baroda PO eligibility page before you apply.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee is non-refundable. Because applications go through IBPS, you apply once for the common process and indicate Bank of Baroda among your bank preferences where the form allows it.

1. Register on the IBPS website with a valid email address and mobile number.

2. Fill in your personal, educational and category details accurately.

3. Upload your photograph, signature, thumb impression and handwritten declaration in the format specified.

4. Pay the fee online.

5. Preview, submit and save a copy of the confirmation.

Common reasons for rejection include a mismatched name or date of birth, a degree result not declared by the cut-off date, and unreadable uploads. Keep your documents ready before you start.

Exam Pattern

The process has three steps: online Prelims, online Mains and a Personality Test with Interview.

Prelims

The Prelims is a 60-minute online test of 100 questions with three sections of 20 minutes each: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability. It is qualifying in nature, so marks do not count towards final merit, but you must clear the sectional and overall cut-offs.

Mains

The Mains has an objective test and a descriptive test. Secondary sources report the objective test for this cycle as 170 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, covering Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General, Economy and Banking Awareness, English Language and Data Analysis and Interpretation. The descriptive test has two questions (essay and letter) for 25 marks in 30 minutes.

Wrong answers in the objective papers carry a penalty of one fourth of the marks. What this means for you:

• Prelims is a gate: Aim to clear it comfortably, then move your effort to Mains.

• Mains decides merit: Only Mains and Interview marks count in the final merit list.

• Guessing has a cost: Attempt only the questions where you can eliminate options with confidence.

Older pages may still show a Bank of Baroda specific 165-question paper with a 150-minute duration, which belongs to the earlier Manipal route. Follow the official notification, and see the detailed Bank of Baroda PO exam pattern page for the stage-wise tables.

Syllabus Summary

IBPS names the tests but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The summary below is a working checklist built from the structure of the tests and questions asked in earlier cycles. Use it as a guide, not as an official list.

Open the full Bank of Baroda PO syllabus for topic lists by section.

Selection Process

1. Prelims: Online, qualifying, with sectional cut-offs.

2. Mains: Online objective and descriptive tests. Only candidates who clear the objective cut-off have the descriptive paper evaluated.

3. Personality Test: A self-report assessment reported as non-qualifying but mandatory before the Interview.

4. Interview: Scored out of 100 marks, with a minimum qualifying mark reported as 40 percent (35 percent for reserved categories).

5. Final merit and allotment: Mains and Interview carry reported weights of 80 and 20. Banks are then allotted according to merit, preference and vacancies.

The earlier Manipal route used a psychometric test and a group discussion. The IBPS route does not mention a group discussion in the sources we checked.

Salary and Career Growth

The in-hand figure is not official, and it varies by city, allowances and deductions. Probationary Officers move up the officer grades through promotions and internal assessments, and can progress to branch head and senior management roles over time.

How to Prepare

Start with the pattern, then build speed in the Prelims sections while you strengthen the Mains-only areas.

• Prelims: Practise English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning in 20-minute sectional blocks.

• Mains: Add Data Analysis, Computer Aptitude and Banking Awareness, and write at least two essays or letters each week.

• Daily habit: Read one business newspaper section and note banking news in a monthly file.

• Final phase: Take full-length tests, review them the same day and revise from an error log.

Cut-Off Reference

Cut-offs are set stage by stage and change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. See the Bank of Baroda PO cut off page for how the cut-offs work.