The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the IBPS PO Mains Examination. It is one of India’s most competitive examinations, and the candidates with a good familiarity with the IBPS PO Mains exam pattern have high chances of acing the examination.
In recent times there is a hike in the number of applicants who are registering for the Probationary Officers (PO) examinations. Only when you have a clear idea about the syllabus and exam patterns will it be easier to face the examination and secure a good score.
Preparation
The syllabus for the IBPS PO Mains Examination is relatively easy. But, the drawback is the limited time and the high number of applicants who appear in it. So, it is better always to be prepared at the earliest stage.
Here you will find the IBPS PO Mains exam pattern for the Mains.
IBPS PO Exams
The IBPS PO examination is divided into two sections, one is the Preliminary exam, and the other is the Mains. The Prelims generally consist of one objective type paper with three sections and a total of 100 questions.
The three sections include aptitude, reasoning, and the English language. The exam will take place for 60 minutes, with 35-30 questions in each section. The exam is conducted in online mode at specific exam centres throughout India.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern
IBPS PO Mains is the second exam in the series, after the Prelims. Once the Prelims are over, the cut-off marks will be released, and the candidates who meet the requirements are only eligible for the Mains.
The Mains exam contains two papers. One is an Objective Type test, and the other is a Descriptive Test. According to the IBPS PO Mains exam pattern, the Objective test consists of four sections, and the Descriptive comes with one.
The table below shows the exam pattern for the IBPS PO mains:
| Test | Sections | Marks | Time | No. of questions |
| Descriptive Test | Language- English | 25 | 30 min | 2 |
| Objective Test | Computer Aptitude & Reasoning | 60 | 60 min | 45 |
| English | 40 | 40 min | 35 | |
| Data Analysis | 60 | 45 min | 35 | |
| General, Economy & Banking Awareness | 40 | 35 min | 40 |
Once you complete the test, the results for the Mains examination will be released within a month.
Some points you have to know before you take up the IBPS PO Mains Exam are,
- According to the recent updates, the exam’s total time has been increased to 3 hours and 30 minutes. In this, a solid 40 minutes is allotted to the Objective Test.
- The Descriptive Test requires efficiency in the English language. And the questions will be mostly related to current affairs and news. The marks will be provided based on the correctness in grammar usage and relevance in content.
- When it comes to marking, every incorrect answer has a negative marking of 25% of the marks allotted to the question originally. There are no negative marks for questions that are left unanswered.
If you are an aspirant for the Probationary officer position, then study the previous exam question papers and have a clear idea of the exam pattern before taking it up.
