• Updated on 5 Oct, 2026 by Paulami Chandra
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The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducted the IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026 on October 4, 2026, in a single shift from 2:00 PM to 5:10 PM. The Phase 2 exam had an objective test followed by a descriptive English test. The total exam duration was 3 hours 10 minutes. The IBPS PO Mains paper 2026 was conducted for candidates shortlisted from the IBPS PO Prelims exam 2026. The recruitment is being conducted for 7,565 Probationary Officer/Management Trainee vacancies under CRP PO/MT-XVI.
Based on the candidate feedback, the IBPS PO Mains 2026 paper was reported to be Moderate to Challenging overall, although the difficulty of the exam varied across sections. The Quantitative / DI section included several manageable sets along with some time-consuming and tricky questions. The Reasoning section was largely considered manageable. The English section was reported to be somewhat lengthy and time-consuming. But the General/Economy/Banking Awareness section included a considerable number of the latest current affairs and banking awareness questions.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026 Highlights
The IBPS PO Phase 2 exam 2026 followed a revised pattern, with 170 objective questions carrying 200 marks and a descriptive English test carrying 25 marks for 2 questions. Candidates who appeared for IBPS PO Mains 2026 at various exam centres across the country have reported that the paper was moderate to difficult overall. This was particularly difficult for Data Analysis and Interpretation, requiring comparatively more effort. The IBPS has revised the IBPS PO vacancy 2026 for IBPS PO/MT-XVI to 7,565 posts.
IBPS PO Mains Good Attempts 2026
The IBPS PO Phase 2 exam 2026 was held on October 4, 2026, and the overall difficulty was reported as moderate to difficult. However, the actual attempt level varied considerably depending on the selection of questions and their accuracy. Candidates have reported that several questions in English, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Quantitative/DI were manageable. This allowed well-prepared candidates to attempt a good number of questions. Some candidates have said that they attempted 24 to 27 questions in Quant, 27 to 33 in English, 24 to 27 in Reasoning, and about 27 to 31 in General Awareness. However, other candidates have attempted a different number of questions in the Phase 2 exam.
Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
The IBPS PO Mains 2026 paper included questions from Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking/Digital/Financial Awareness, English Language, and Data Analysis & Interpretation. Based on candidate exam reviews, the Quantitative/DI section featured multiple DI formats along with arithmetic, quadratic equations, number series, and data sufficiency. Reasoning included input-output and puzzle/seating-based questions, while English featured Reading Comprehension and grammar-based questions. The exact distribution may vary slightly across recalled questions.
English Language Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
The English Language section consisted of 40 questions for 20 marks, with 35 minutes allotted under the revised IBPS PO Mains pattern 2026. Candidate feedback suggested that the section was lengthy and time-consuming, although most questions were manageable. Reading Comprehension formed a significant part of the section, with candidates reporting three RC sets containing approximately 6 to 8 questions; 3 questions were also reported from error detection and grammar-based topics.
Reasoning Ability Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
In the IBPS PO Mains exam, the Reasoning Ability section had 40 questions for 60 marks. Candidate feedback indicated that the section was easy to moderate and mostly manageable. Input-Output was reported as an easy set, while a square seating arrangement involving eight people was also recalled. Candidates also reported questions from different puzzle and seating formats, coding-decoding, logical reasoning, direction, and data sufficiency.
Data Analysis & Interpretation Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
The Data Analysis & Interpretation section of the IBPS PO Mains 2026 consisted of 40 questions carrying 60 marks. Candidate feedback has shown that the section included multiple types of Data Interpretation sets along with quadratic equations, arithmetic, data sufficiency, and number series. Some DI sets were manageable, while the table-based set was reported to be time-consuming.
General/Economy/Banking Awareness Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
The General/Economy/Banking Awareness section contains 50 questions carrying 60 marks. Candidate feedback indicated that the section mostly had direct questions, with emphasis on recent current affairs, particularly in the previous 6 months. One candidate reported attempting around 24 questions. The post-exam reports indicate questions from banking and financial awareness, RBI-related developments, government schemes, the economy, and recent national and international events.
Descriptive Paper Questions Asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026
The IBPS PO Mains 2026 Descriptive Paper carried 25 marks and was conducted for 30 minutes after the objective tests. Under the revised IBPS PO Mains pattern 2026, candidates had to attempt one Essay of 15 marks and one Comprehension of 10 marks. The previous IBPS PO exam cycle containing the Letter Writing part was replaced by Comprehension.
What Happens After IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026?
After the IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026 was held on October 4, 2026, IBPS will declare the Mains result to shortlist candidates for the next stages of the recruitment process. Candidates who qualify the Phase 2 exam will be called for the Interview. Candidates must also complete the required document-related formalities and produce the original documents during the document verification round. The final selection is based on the Mains and Interview scores, followed by provisional allotment to participating banks.
- IBPS PO Mains Result 2026: IBPS is expected to declare the IBPS PO Mains Result 2026 in November 2026, as per the tentative CRP PO/MT-XVI schedule. Candidates must secure the minimum score set by IBPS in each Mains test as well as the required overall score. Candidates meeting these criteria will be shortlisted for the IBPS PO Interview.
- Personality Test: Candidates shortlisted based on their IBPS PO Phase 2 exam 2026 performance will have to appear for a Personality Test. The test is non-qualifying, meaning its marks are not added to the final merit score. However, appearing in the Personality Test is mandatory for eligibility for the Interview.
- IBPS PO Interview 2026: Candidates who qualify in the IBPS PO Mains exam 2026 and appear for the Personality Test will be called for the Interview stage, which will be conducted by the participating banks and coordinated by the Nodal Bank with the help of IBPS. The IBPS PO Interview 2026 carries 100 marks. The minimum qualifying marks are 40% for General/EWS candidates and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates. Candidates must produce the prescribed original documents during the Interview process.
- Final Merit List: The final merit list will be prepared using the scores obtained in the Online Mains exam and Interview. The weightage of Mains and Interview is 80:20, respectively. Prelims marks and Personality Test marks are not included in the final merit calculation. Candidates must qualify in both the Mains and Interview and secure a sufficiently high combined score to be considered for provisional allotment.
- Provisional Allotment: After the Interview process, candidates who are sufficiently high in the final merit will be provisionally allotted to one of the participating public sector banks. The allotment will be made based on merit-cum-preference, the reservation policy, and the vacancies reported by the participating banks.
IBPS PO Exam Analysis 2026 FAQs
What was the overall difficulty level of the IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026?
The overall difficulty level of the IBPS PO Phase 2 exam 20026 was reported as moderate to difficult based on candidate feedback. The difficulty of the Mains exam varied across sections, with some sections requiring more time because they contained lengthy and calculation-based questions.
How many questions were asked in IBPS PO Mains 2026?
The IBPS PO Mains 2026 objective part consisted of 170 questions carrying 200 marks. It was followed by a Descriptive Paper carrying 25 marks.
Which section was the most difficult in IBPS PO Mains 2026?
The difficulty of the sections varied among candidates. Data Analysis & Interpretation was reported as one of the most challenging sections because DI questions were mostly time-consuming, while the other sections also included some lengthy questions.
What questions were asked in the IBPS PO Mains exam 2026?
Questions were reported from Reading Comprehension, fillers, phrase replacement, error detection, puzzles, seating arrangement, Input-Output, coding-decoding, Data Interpretation, arithmetic, quadratic equations, number series, data sufficiency, current affairs, banking awareness, financial awareness, and RBI-related topics.
Is there negative marking in IBPS PO Mains 2026?
Yes. The objective exam has a negative marking of one-fourth of the marks assigned to the question for each incorrect answer. No marks are deducted for questions left unanswered.
What is the expected IBPS PO Mains Cutoff 2026?
The IBPS PO Mains Cutoff 2026 for the General category is expected to be around 72 to 80 marks out of 225. The estimate is based on the revised IBPS PO Mains exam pattern2026, reported difficulty level, candidate performance, and the previous year's cutoff. In 2025, the General and OBC-NCL Mains cutoff was 75.75 marks, while the EWS, SC and ST cutoffs were 72.50, 59.00 and 51.75 marks, respectively.