IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026: Prelims and Mains Guide

The IBPS SO exam pattern for CRP SPL-XVI has two online stages, Preliminary and Main, followed by an interview. Prelims is a qualifying test of 100 questions and 125 marks in 80 minutes. Main is a 150-question objective exam of 200 marks plus a descriptive paper of 25 marks. Final merit combines the Main exam and the interview in the ratio 80:20.

This pattern is very different from the previous cycle, when Prelims had three tests in two hours and Main was a single 60-mark Professional Knowledge test. This page explains each stage, the marking scheme, what the numbers mean for your time and how final merit works.

Table of Contents

• IBPS SO exam pattern at a glance

• Prelims pattern

• Main pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Interview

• Final merit

• Time management

• Older pages and the official source

IBPS SO exam pattern at a glance

Prelims pattern

There are two Prelims formats, depending on the post. Each test has its own 20-minute duration in the notification, so plan your pace test by test.

IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer

Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari

The structure is the same, but General Awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry (25 questions, 25 marks, 20 minutes) replaces Quantitative Aptitude.

Candidates must qualify in each of the four tests by securing the minimum cut-off marks decided by IBPS. IBPS then shortlists an adequate number of candidates in each category for Main.

Main pattern

IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer

Law Officer

General Awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry (30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes) replaces Quantitative Aptitude, and Professional Knowledge (Objective) gets 45 minutes. The Descriptive Paper is in English, with 2 questions for 25 marks in 30 minutes. The total is 225 marks in 155 minutes.

Rajbhasha Adhikari

The objective tests match the Law Officer structure. The descriptive paper is a Professional Knowledge Descriptive Paper in English and Hindi, with 2 questions for 25 marks in 30 minutes. The total is again 225 marks in 155 minutes.

In the Main exam, all tests except Professional Knowledge are qualifying in nature, and merit listing is done on the basis of candidates' scores in Professional Knowledge. For Rajbhasha Adhikari, check the information handout on ibps.in for how the descriptive paper marks are treated.

Marking scheme and negative marking

There is a penalty for wrong answers in the objective tests of both Prelims and Main. For each wrong answer, one fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. A question left blank carries no penalty.

Scores from different sessions, if the exam runs in more than one, are normalised using the equi-percentile method, and calculations use scores up to two decimal places.

What the pattern means for you

• Professional Knowledge is worth the most per minute: In Prelims it is 40 percent of the marks in 25 percent of the time. In Main it is the only test that decides merit.

• Every test has its own cut-off: A weak score in English or Reasoning can end your attempt even if your Professional Knowledge score is high.

• A wrong guess costs more in Professional Knowledge: You lose 0.5 marks for a wrong answer there, against 0.25 elsewhere, so guess only when you can remove at least two options.

• Time per question is tight: Prelims gives about 48 seconds per question in every test, and Main gives roughly 50 to 54 seconds, so practise with sectional timers.

Interview

Candidates shortlisted from Main are called to a common interview conducted by the participating banks. The interview carries 100 marks. The minimum qualifying mark is 40 percent, or 35 percent for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates. Candidates must qualify in both the Main exam and the interview, and rank high enough in merit to be considered for provisional allotment.

Final merit

The relative weightage of the Online Main exam and the interview is 80:20. The combined final score is based on the Main exam score and the interview score. Prelims marks are used only to shortlist candidates for Main, and are not added to the final score. Provisional allotment to a bank then depends on merit, category and the actual vacancies reported by the banks.

Time management

1. Set a pace for each test: Aim for about 48 seconds a question in Prelims, and check your progress at the halfway mark of each 20-minute test.

2. Skip long puzzles early: In Reasoning, leave heavy multi-variable puzzles for the end of the test.

3. Attempt Professional Knowledge by confidence: Answer sure questions first, then return to doubtful ones.

4. Plan the descriptive paper: Spend a few minutes outlining before writing in the 30-minute descriptive paper.

Older pages and the official source

Older pages may still show the earlier 150-question, two-hour Prelims or the single 60-mark Main test, so follow the official notification. The detailed structure is in Section D of the CRP SPL-XVI notification, and IBPS says any change will be announced on its website.