IBPS PO 2026 Notification: Vacancy, Exam Date & Apply Online
IBPS PO 2026 Notification: Vacancy, Exam Date & Apply Online
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has released the IBPS PO 2026 notification, formally CRP PO/MT-XVI, on 1 July 2026, opening the door to Probationary Officer and Management Trainee posts across 11 public sector banks. Registration is live from 1 July to 21 July 2026, so if you are a graduate aiming for a bank officer job, the clock is already running.
The notification lists 6,715 vacancies so far, and that number will rise, since three of the eleven banks have not reported their figures yet. This guide walks through everything the official notification contains: the bank-wise vacancy split, the exam dates, eligibility, the full Prelims and Mains pattern with its negative marking, salary, and how to apply before the 21 July deadline.
Overview Table
Latest Updates
Here is what the fresh notification actually confirms.
- The IBPS PO 2026 notification is out, dated 1 July 2026, for vacancies of the 2027-28 cycle. Online registration runs from 1 July to 21 July 2026.
- The vacancy count stands at 6,715 across eight banks that have reported. Indian Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India are marked "Not Reported," so the total will climb once they submit figures.
- The exam is two-tier and online. Prelims are scheduled for August 2026, Mains for October 2026, with the final result in November and provisional allotment in January 2027.
- This is an all-India recruitment reaching our region directly. Bihar exam cities include Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Arrah, Aurangabad, and Purnea, and Jharkhand cities include Ranchi, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Hazaribagh.
- A single common exam feeds all 11 banks, and you get provisionally allotted to one of them based on merit and your bank preference order.
The takeaway is straightforward. The window is short at three weeks, the vacancy list is still growing, and Prelims are barely a month or so away, so registering early and starting timed practice now both matter.
Important Dates
All dates after registration are tentative as per the IBPS schedule, so keep watching www.ibps.in for confirmed call letter dates.
Vacancy Details
The 6,715 posts announced so far are spread across the reporting banks as below. Remember, three banks have yet to declare, so treat this as an indicative, growing list.
Category-wise, the 6,715 posts break down into 2,719 Unreserved, 1,816 OBC, 1,009 SC, 502 ST, and 669 EWS, with reserved slots for candidates with benchmark disabilities as well.
Eligibility Criteria
Two things decide whether you can apply: your age and your degree.
On age, you must be between 20 and 30 years as on 1 July 2026, meaning born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006, both inclusive. Upper-age relaxation is 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC non-creamy-layer, 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities, and 5 years for ex-servicemen.
On qualification, you need a Degree, that is graduation, in any discipline from a University recognised by the Government of India, with the result declared on or before 21 July 2026. You must hold a valid mark-sheet or degree certificate on the day you register and enter your graduation percentage in the form. On nationality, you must be an Indian citizen, or fall under the other categories the notification specifies with an eligibility certificate.
Application Fee
The fee is payable online only, from 1 July to 21 July 2026.
- ₹175, inclusive of GST, for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates.
- ₹850, inclusive of GST, for all other candidates.
Bank transaction charges for the online payment are borne by the candidate. Payment can be made through debit card, credit card, internet banking, IMPS, cash cards, mobile wallets, or UPI.
Exam Pattern
Selection runs through two online exams, Preliminary and Main, followed by a Personality Test and Interview. Both exams carry negative marking of one-fourth, that is 0.25, of the marks for every wrong answer, with no penalty for a blank.
The Preliminary exam is objective, with 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, and each section separately timed at 20 minutes.
Prelims is only a screening stage. You must clear each test's cut-off, but its marks do not count towards the final merit. The Main exam is where your rank is built. It has an objective part of 170 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, plus a descriptive paper.
The descriptive paper is written in English and may be scored by an automated evaluation system. Because the exam runs in multiple sessions, corrected scores are normalised using the equi-percentile method, and only the Main exam marks count towards shortlisting for the interview.
Selection Process
The journey has five stages: Online Preliminary, Online Main, Personality Test, Common Interview, and Provisional Allotment.
Prelims screen you for the Mains. The Mains decide your merit. The Personality Test is non-qualifying but mandatory to appear for the interview. The interview carries 100 marks, with a minimum qualifying of 40 percent, relaxed to 35 percent for SC, ST, OBC, and PwBD candidates. The final score combines your Main exam and interview in an 80 to 20 weightage. Based on merit and your bank preference, you are then provisionally allotted to one of the 11 banks in January 2027, as an all-India cadre officer who may be posted anywhere in India.
Salary
The IBPS PO post sits on a starting basic pay of ₹48,480 per month, rising through the pay scale over the years. On top of the basic, an officer is eligible for Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and other allowances and perquisites as per the rules of the participating bank they join. The in-hand pay therefore rises well above the basic once these are added, and the exact figure depends on the bank and the posting city. It is a respected officer-grade banking career with strong pay, allowances, and growth.
Participating Banks
Eleven public sector banks are taking part in CRP PO/MT-XVI: 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, and Union Bank of India. Your order of bank preference is filled in the application form itself, and no change is allowed later, so choose it with care.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted online only at www.ibps.in. The steps:
- Go to www.ibps.in and open the "CRP PO/MT" link, then the online application form.
- Click "New Registration," enter your basic details, and note the provisional registration number and password.
- Upload your photograph, signature, left thumb impression, a handwritten declaration, and your 10th certificate as per the specifications, and capture a live photograph.
- Fill in the full form carefully, since key fields cannot be edited after final submission.
- Pay the fee online, complete the registration, and save a printout of the form and e-receipt.
A two-day edit window opens after registration closes, for corrections. Apply well before 21 July to avoid last-day website load.
Preparation Strategy
With Prelims likely in August, treat the next few weeks as a sprint. A workable plan:
For Prelims, build speed above all, since each section gets just 20 minutes. Drill Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning daily, and keep English steady with reading and grammar. For the Mains, go deeper on Data Analysis and Interpretation and on Banking and Economy awareness, including recent RBI circulars, and practise the descriptive essay and comprehension in English. Above all, respect the one-fourth negative marking by attempting only where you are confident.
First step today: register on www.ibps.in, then sit one full timed Prelims mock and count your accuracy, not just your attempts, because that number shows how negative marking will treat you on exam day.
Important Tips
- Register early on www.ibps.in and do not wait for 21 July, since heavy last-day traffic can block the site.
- Choose your bank preference order carefully in the form, as it cannot be changed later.
- Respect the one-fourth negative marking. A clean skip beats a blind guess.
- Build Prelims speed, since 20 minutes per section rewards fast, accurate solving over deep thinking.
- Keep your graduation mark-sheet ready, since the result must be declared on or before 21 July 2026.
- For the Mains, track banking and economy current affairs and RBI circulars, which the awareness section leans on.
Mock Test and Practice Strategy
A mock you do not analyse is just a timer running in the background. The score is noise, the analysis is the signal. Sit a full-length mock every few days, and after each one, study your wrong-answer pattern closely, because under one-fourth negative marking that pattern quietly decides your net score.
ExamAtlas has free IBPS PO mock tests built to the current Prelims and Mains pattern, with AI analytics that show your accuracy and wrong-answer pattern after each test. If you are also targeting SBI PO, our SBI PO material pairs well, since the two exams share much of the same ground. That analytics breakdown is exactly what tells you whether speed, a weak Data Interpretation set, or banking awareness is costing you marks, while there is still time to fix it.
FAQs
When was the IBPS PO 2026 notification released?
The IBPS PO 2026 notification, CRP PO/MT-XVI, was released on 1 July 2026 by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Online registration is open from 1 July to 21 July 2026 on www.ibps.in, for Probationary Officer posts across 11 public sector banks.
How many vacancies are there in IBPS PO 2026?
The notification announces 6,715 vacancies across eight reporting banks. Three banks, Indian Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India, have not declared their figures yet, so the final total is expected to be higher once they report.
What is the last date to apply for IBPS PO 2026?
The last date to register and pay the fee for IBPS PO 2026 is 21 July 2026. Applications are online only at www.ibps.in. A two-day edit window opens after registration closes for corrections to submitted forms.
What is the age limit for IBPS PO 2026?
The age limit is 20 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026, meaning candidates born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006. Upper-age relaxation applies: 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC non-creamy-layer, and 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities.
What is the IBPS PO 2026 exam pattern?
Prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, with English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning. Mains has 170 objective questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes plus a 25-mark descriptive paper. Both stages carry one-fourth negative marking, and only Mains marks count for merit.
What is the IBPS PO 2026 salary?
The starting basic pay is ₹48,480 per month, plus Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and other allowances as per the participating bank's rules. The in-hand pay rises well above the basic once allowances are added, and varies by bank and posting city.
Is graduation required for IBPS PO 2026?
Yes. You need a Degree in any discipline from a University recognised by the Government of India, with the result declared on or before 21 July 2026. You must hold a valid mark-sheet or degree certificate on the day you register online.
Final Conclusion
The IBPS PO 2026 notification is a clear, time-bound opportunity. With 6,715 vacancies already listed and more to come, a starting basic of ₹48,480, and exam centres right across Bihar and Jharkhand, it is one of the strongest bank officer openings of the year for graduates in our region. The catch is the short three-week window, closing 21 July 2026.
So register early on www.ibps.in, choose your bank preference with thought, and start timed Prelims practice now, since the exam is barely a month away. If you want mocks that match the real pattern, the free IBPS PO mock series on ExamAtlas, with wrong-answer analytics, is a practical way to turn these few weeks into a real shot at an officer's job.