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IBPS PO 2021: IBPS PO Prelims 2021 Exam has started today and will be conducted in 4 shifts in exam centres across India. IBPS PO Prelims exam is scheduled on December 4 & 11, 2021, and registered candidates will need to carry thier IBPS PO Admit Card 2021 to the exam centre to be allowed entry for the exam. Candidates appearing for the exam can check the IBPS PO exam analysis for each shift by experts at Embibe. The IBPS PO Prelims exam is scheduled to be conducted 4 times – from 9 to 10 AM, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, 2-3 PM, and 4-5 PM.The IBPS PO Result date will be announced soon after the exam concludes on December 11, 2021.
The exam is conducted every year by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). This article contains all the important details of the IBPS PO 2021 Recruitment process such as eligibility criteria, admit card, result, cut off and more.
| Latest – Check IBPS PO Prelims 2021 Exam Analysis by experts at Embibe Download IBPS PO Prelims Admit Card – Click Here |
IBPS PO 2021 – Key Highlights
Before getting into the details of the Notification, let’s have an overview of the IBPS PO exam as mentioned below:
| Name of the Exam | IBPS PO 2021 – Common Recruitment Process (CRP PO/MT-XI) |
| Conducting Body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Name of Post | IBPS Probationary Officers |
| No. of Participating Banks | 11 Public Sector Banks in India except for SBI |
| Number of Vacancies | 4135 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Mode of Exam | CBT |
| Number of Stages | 1. Prelims 2. Mains 3. Interview |
| Official Website | Ibps.in |
IBPS PO 2021: Important Dates
Candidates can check the important dates for the recruitment process as mentioned below:
| Events | Important Dates |
| Release of Notification | October 19, 2021 |
| Starting Date of Online Application | October 20, 2021 |
| Last Date of Online Application | November 10, 2021 |
| Release of Prelims Admit Card | November 2021 |
| IBPS PO Prelims Exam Date | December 4 & 11, 2021 |
| Declaration of the Prelims Result | To Be Announced |
| Release of the Mains Admit Card | To Be Announced |
| IBPS PO Mains Exam Date | To Be Announced |
| Declaration of Mains Result | To Be Announced |
| Release of the Interview Call Letter | To Be Announced |
| Interview Date | To Be Announced |
| Provisional Allotment | To Be Announced |
Learn IBPS PO Prelims Exam Concepts
IBPS PO 2021 Participating Banks
The participating banks of the IBPS PO 2021 recruitment are tabulated below:
| Bank of Baroda | Canara Bank |
| Indian Overseas Bank | UCO Bank |
| Punjab National Bank | Punjab and Sind Bank |
| Bank of India | Central Bank of India |
| Union Bank of India | Bank of Maharashtra |
| Indian Bank |
IBPS PO Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria to apply for the probationary officer exam:
Nationality
A candidate must be either –
- a Citizen of India or
- a subject of Nepal or
- a subject of Bhutan or
- a Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or
- a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India,
provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
Educational Qualification
Candidates must be a graduate in any discipline from any recognized University.
Age Limit
The minimum age of the candidate for is 20 years. The upper age limit is 30 years for the Unreserved category. Candidates who’re born on or after 2nd August 1990 and not later than 1st August 2000 are eligible for the job.
There is a relaxation of the upper age limit for reserved candidates:
- SC/ST – 5 years
- OBC – NCL – 3 years
- PwD -10 years
- Ex-Serviceman – 5 years
Practice IBPS PO Prelims Exam Questions
IBPS PO Application Form 2021
IBPS PO application form was available online from October 20, 2021, to November 10, 2021. Candidates can apply for the exam only in the online mode. Eligible candidates can apply for the exam through the official website: ibps.in. The steps to apply for the exam are tabulated as under:
| Step 1 | Go to the IBPS official website – ibps.in. |
| Step 2 | Click on the link for “CRP PO/MT”. |
| Step 3 | Click on “Click Here to Apply Online”. |
| Step 4 | Click on “Click Here for New Registration”. |
| Step 5 | Enter your basic information, like Name, Date of Birth, Email ID and Mobile Number and register yourself. |
| Step 6 | The system will generate a Provisional Registration Number and Password for you. Note them down. The Registration Number and Password will also be sent to you via your registered phone number and email ID. Do not delete them. You will require them until the end of the recruitment process. |
| Step 7 | Log in with your Provisional Registration Number and Password, and edit the particulars if necessary. |
| Step 8 | Enter your Personal, Academic and other details. |
| Step 9 | Upload scanned images of your Photograph, Signature, Left Thumb Impression and a hand-written declaration. |
| Step 10 | Pay the application fees. |
| Step 11 | Submit your application. |
| Step 12 | Take a printout of your Online application form for future reference. |
IBPS PO 2021 Application Fees
The application fee can be paid only in the online mode by using:
1. Credit Cards,
2. Debit Cards (RuPay/Visa/Maestro/MasterCard),
3. Internet Banking,
4. Mobile Wallet/Cash Cards,
5. IMPS.
The fees for different categories are tabulated below:
| SC / ST/ PwD Candidates | Rs. 175/- |
| All Others | Rs. 850/- |
The online registration is complete only after the payment of the fees is made.
Requirement Of Scanned Documents
While applying for the exam, candidates will have to upload scanned images of their Photograph, Signature, Left Thumb Impression and a Hand-Written Declaration. The requirement for each of these are as described here:
Photograph: It should be a recent passport-sized colour photo. The dimension of the Photograph should be 200 pixels X 230 pixels and the size of the Photograph should be 20-50 kb.
Attempt IBPS PO Prelims Exam Mock Tests
Signature, Left Thumb Impression, and Hand-Written Declaration: The signature of the candidate should be in black ink on white paper. Left Thumb Impression should be in black or blue ink on white paper. Hand-Written Declaration should be written in English with black ink on white paper. The dimension of these documents should be 140 pixels x 60 pixels and the size should be 10-20 kb.
IBPS PO Exam Pattern & Selection Process
IBPS PO Prelims exam is scheduled to be conducted on December 4 and 11, 2021 (revised). IBPS PO is a three-tier exam, i.e. selection of Probationary Officers is conducted in three stages as under:
Stage I: Preliminary Exam
Stage II: Main Exam
Stage III: Personal Interview
The Prelims and Mains are conducted Online and the Personal Interview is conducted Face-to-Face.
IBPS PO Preliminary Exam Pattern
The prelims are conducted only to shortlist candidates for the Main exam. It is an Objective Test consisting of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). The different sections of the Prelims along with the number of questions, maximum marks and time duration for each section are tabulated below:
| Sections | Total Number Of Questions/Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| English Language | 30/30 | 20 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35/35 | 20 mins |
| Reasoning Ability | 35/35 | 20 mins |
| Total | 100/100 | 60 mins or 1 hour |
As you can see, the Prelims exam is separately timed, that is, candidates will have to finish each of the three sections within the allocated time. Candidates must clear the minimum cutoff marks for each section (sectional cutoff) as well as the overall or total qualifying marks (overall cutoff) in order to appear for the Main exam.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern
The Main exam has both Objective and Descriptive tests. The number of candidates that are selected for the IBPS PO Mains exam are normally ten times the number of vacancies for a particular year. In the case of 2021, the number of vacancies is 4135, so the number of possible selections for the Mains exam will be close to 41,000. The different sections of these tests along with the number of questions, marking scheme and time duration are tabulated below:
| Sections | Total Number Of Questions/Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| English Language | 35/40 | 40 mins |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | 35/60 | 45 mins |
| Reasoning and Computer Aptitude | 45/60 | 60 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40/40 | 35 minutes |
| Total in Objective Test | 155/200 | 3 hours |
| English Language (Letter Writing and Essay) | 2/25 | 30 mins |
| Grand Total | 157/225 | 3 hours and 30 mins |
The main exam is separately-timed.
In both Prelims and Mains, there is a penalty or negative marking for wrong answers. For every incorrect answer, 0.25 per cent of the marks assigned to the question will be deducted.
IBPS PO Personal Interview & Final Selection
Only candidates who clear the Main exam will be called for a Personal Interview. The total marks for the Personal Interview round are 100 and the minimum qualifying marks is 35 per cent for SC/ST/PwD candidates and 40 per cent for others.
The final merit list will be compiled based on the marks secured by the candidates in the Mains and Personal Interview. 80 per cent weightage will be given to Mains while Personal Interview will have 20 per cent weightage.
IBPS PO 2021 Syllabus
As can be seen above, the three sections of Prelims are there in the Mains as well. The syllabus for these three sections is the same for both stages. Additionally, the Main exam has Computer Aptitude (merged with Reasoning), General Awareness and Descriptive Test (Essay and Letter Writing).
The IBPS PO syllabus for each of the sections are as under:
IBPS PO Syllabus For English Language
Your knowledge of English grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary is tested in this section. The various topics included in this section are as under:
| 1. Reading Comprehension |
| 2. Basic English Grammar – Tenses, Articles, Prepositions, Subject-Verb Agreement, Parts of Speech, etc. |
| 3. Vocabulary – Antonyms and Synonyms |
| 4. Sentence Completion |
| 5. Para Jumbles |
| 6. Spell Checks |
| 7. Error Spotting |
| 8. Cloze Test |
| 9. Phrases and Idioms |
| 10. Fill in the Blanks |
IBPS PO Syllabus For Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis & Interpretation
Your analytical and Mathematical skills are tested here. The syllabus is based on basic, high school level Mathematics. The various topics included in this section are as under:
| 1. Number Series |
| 2. Number System |
| 3. Simplification |
| 4. Time and work |
| 5. Profit and Loss |
| 6. Percentage |
| 7. Time, Speed and Distance |
| 8. Ratio and Proportion |
| 9. Quadratic Equations |
| 10. Average |
| 11. Simple and Compound Interest |
| 12. Surds and Indices |
| 13. Permutation and Combination |
| 14. Probability |
| 15. Mensuration |
| 16. Pipes and Cisterns |
| 17. Boats and Streams |
| 18. Mixtures and Alligations |
| 19. Data Interpretation – Tables, Pie Charts, Bar Graphs, Line Graphs, etc. |
IBPS PO Syllabus For Reasoning Ability
Your ability to think critically and logically are tested in this section. The various topics that are included in this section are as under:
| 1. Syllogism |
| 2. Order and Ranking |
| 3. Classification |
| 4. Puzzle |
| 5. Blood Relations |
| 6. Statement and Argument |
| 7. Circular and Linear Sitting Arrangements |
| 8. Assertion and Reasoning |
| 9. Statement and Assumption |
| 10. Coding and Decoding |
| 11. Alpha-Numeric Series |
| 12. Coded Inequalities |
| 13. Data Sufficiency |
| 14. Directions and Distance |
| 15. Analogy |
IBPS PO Syllabus For Computer Aptitude
Your basic Computer skills are tested here. The topics in this section are tabulated below:
| 1. Computer Fundamentals and Terminologies, Input & Output Devices, Hardware & Software, Memory & Storage, etc. |
| 2. Operating System (OS) |
| 3. Generations of Computer |
| 4. Keyboard Shortcuts |
| 5. MS Office – MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, etc. |
| 6. Internet and Networking |
| 7. Basic security Concepts |
| 8. Computer Abbreviations |
| 8. Database Management |
IBPS PO Syllabus For General / Banking Awareness
Your General Knowledge, current affairs and knowledge of banking are tested here. The various topics that are included here are as under:
| 1. Current Affairs – Sports, Technology, Books and Authors, Awards, National and International Events, Defence, Summits, etc. |
| 2. Indian Geography |
| 3. Indian History |
| 4. Indian Constitution |
| 5. Culture |
| 6. Indian Economy & Business |
| 7. Financial Awareness (Railway Budget, Union Budget, etc.) |
| 8. Banking Awareness – History of Banking, RBI Guidelines, Financial Institutes in India, Banking Terms, Abbreviations, Etc. |
IBPS PO Syllabus For Descriptive Test (English Language)
The Descriptive Test of English Language consists of Letter Writing and Essay. Usually, business or official letters are asked. For the essay, any relevant social, economic, political or cultural topic is asked.
IBPS PO Books
The best books for IBPS PO for each of the sections are as under:
IBPS PO Books For English Language
| Book Name | Author |
| English Grammar | Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| Objective English | S.P Bakshi |
IBPS PO Books For Quantitative Aptitude
| Book Name | Author |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Arun Sharma |
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh Kumar Verma |
IBPS PO Books For Reasoning Ability
| Book Name | Author |
| Analytical Reasoning | MK Pandey |
| Test of Reasoning | Edgar Thorpe |
| Modern Approach to Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
IBPS PO Books For Computer Aptitude
| Book Name | Author |
| Objective Computer Awareness | Somya Ranjan Behera |
| Lucent’s Computer | Rani Ahilya |
IBPS PO Books For General Awareness
| Book Name | Author |
| Banking and Economic Awareness | Rakesh Kumar |
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | Lucent |
| Banking, Financial & General Awareness | I K Pavel |
IBPS PO 2021 Admit Card
IBPS PO Admit Card will be issued separately for each stage of the exam. The admit card for Prelims will be generated for all the candidates who have successfully registered for the exam. IBPS PO Prelims Admit Card is available currently for download at the official website – ibps.in. For Mains, The call letter will be generated only for those candidates who clear the Prelims. Likewise, for the Personal Interview round, the hall ticket will be issued only for those candidates who clear the Main exam.
The admit card is an important document without which candidates will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. Once the admit cards are issued, candidates will be notified through their registered email ID and mobile number. Candidates will then have to download their admit cards from the official website of IBPS. They have to log in using their Provisional Registration Number and Password/Date of Birth and download their admit card.
IBPS PO Preparation 2021
Preparation for the Probationary Officer exam needs one to be methodical and serious. Most of the topics included in the syllabus are of class 10 level. But the syllabus is vast and the exam is highly competitive. So, you need to plan your preparation in a smart manner so that you can finish the whole syllabus as early as possible in the most efficient manner.
Start off with the basics – understand the theory behind the concepts is it related to Quantitative Aptitude, English Language or Reasoning Ability. Then memorize the formulas, steps to solve questions, various rules, etc. Going through the example problems will give you an idea about how to approach the problems. For General Awareness, Computer Aptitude, and English Language Descriptive Test, you need extensive reading. You also need to solve as many practice questions as possible. Once the whole syllabus is finished, you need to take IBPS PO previous year papers and IBPS PO mock tests. This will help you in getting used to the exam pattern, difficulty level, type of questions asked, etc. You will also identify your weaknesses – topics that you need to work on – after the tests. You should then work on improving them.
It is to be noted that time management plays a crucial role in the Probationary Officer exam. So, apart from improving your conceptual knowledge and problem-solving abilities, you need to work on your speed, ability to select the right questions to answer, and overall test-taking strategy as well.
IBPS PO Previous Year Papers
Taking IBPS PO previous year papers for Prelims and Mains exam will help you get an idea about the nature of the exam, the type of questions asked, and their difficulty level:
| IBPS PO Sample Paper 2020 in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Sample Paper 2020 in Hindi | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Prelims 2019 Question Papers with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Mains 2019 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Prelims 2018 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Mains 2018 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Prelims 2017 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Mains 2017 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Prelims 2016 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Prelims 2015 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
| IBPS PO Mains 2015 Question Paper with Solutions in English | DOWNLOAD PDF |
IBPS PO 2021 Cutoff
As mentioned above, there are two types of IBPS PO cutoff for both Prelims and Mains: Sectional and Overall. Candidates will have to clear both the cutoffs in order to appear for the following stage of the selection process. The IBPS PO cut off changes every year based on:
- The number of vacancies,
- Total number of candidates appearing for the exam,
- Difficulty level of the overall paper as well as each section, etc.
Once the exam is conducted, IBPS will announce the IBPS PO cut off marks based on all the factors mentioned above. You can, however, check out the IBPS PO previous year cutoff to get an idea.
IBPS PO 2020-21 Prelims Cut-Off (Category-wise)
| Category | Cut Off Marks |
| General | 58.75 |
| OBC | 58.50 |
| SC | 51 |
| ST | 43.5 |
| EWS | 57.75 |
| HI | 19.75 |
| OC | 46 |
| VI | 54.25 |
| ID | 21.75 |
IBPS PO 2021 Result
IBPS PO Result will be declared separately for each stage on the official website. Once the result is declared, candidates will have to log in to their account using their Registration Number (generated at the time of online registration) and Date of Birth to see the result. Also Check, Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank Assistant complete details.
IBPS PO 2021: FAQs
| Q1. When is the IBPS PO 2021 Exam scheduled to be conducted? A. The online preliminary examination is scheduled to be conducted on December 4 & 11, 2021. |
| Q2. When is IBPS PO 2021 official notification released? A. Yes, The official notification has been released by the IBPS on 19th October 2021. |
| Q3. What is the IBPS PO salary? A. The Initial Basic Salary of a probationary Officer is 36,000 |
| Q4. Can Engineering graduates apply for IBPS PO Exam? A. Yes. Any candidate with a graduation degree can apply for the Probationary Officer exam. |
| Q5. Is the IBPS PO exam 2021 Bilingual? A. Yes, IBPS PO Exam is bilingual, i.e. available in both English and Hindi. |
| Q6. Is there any Negative Marking in the IBPS Management Trainee exam? A. Yes, one-fourth of the total marks allotted for that question will be deducted for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains exams. |
| Q7. Are there fixed timings for each section in the Probationary Officer? A. Yes, Both in Prelims & Mains Exams, each section has separate timing. |
We hope this article on IBPS PO 2021 helps you. Make sure you take the Bank Mock Test Series of Embibe as you prepare for the exam. Also, unlock Embibe’s Advanced Test Analysis to get detailed feedback on your tests.
Embibe wishes you all the best!!
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