IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2021: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) will release the IBPS PO Notification on the official website very soon. According to the IBPS calendar, the prelims exam will be conducted on October 9,10, 16, and 17, 2021 whereas, the main exam is scheduled for November 27, 2021. Having a thorough knowledge of the IBPS PO syllabus and IBPS exam pattern will help candidates to have a clear idea about the kind of questions being asked, marking scheme, time duration, total marks, mode, and medium of the exam. IBPS PO Prelims and Mains exams have different IBPS PO paper patterns. Both the exams will be conducted in Computer Based Mode.
IBPS has released a new exam pattern for IBPS PO Exam. This exam pattern will be followed for IBPS PO 2021 as well. IBPS PO 2021 Exam will be conducted in three phases: Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam and Interview Process. Final selection for provisional allotment will be made based on the marks scored by the candidates in Mains and Personal Interview. There is separate sectional timing for each section in both preliminary and main exams. We have provided detailed information on IBPS PO 2021 exam pattern and marking scheme in this article. Read on to find out.
Pro Tip: Embibe offers interactive mock tests for IBPS PO exam. We use the world’s most intelligent AI-based educational platform & offer calibrated feedback based on your performance & guarantees improvement in days.!!
Table of Contents
IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2021: Overview
Before getting into the details of IBPS PO exam pattern 2021, let us have a look at the overview of the IBPS PO Exam Pattern. The IBPS PO Recruitment is conducted in three stages. Candidates need to clear all the stages in order to get selected for the post of Probationary Officer. Check the stage-wise selection process as mentioned below:
| Stage | Type | Marks |
| Prelims | Objective | 100 |
| Mains | Objective / Descriptive | 225 |
| Personal Interview | Face to Face Interview | 100 |
Also, Check
| IBPS PO Apply Online | IBPS PO Mock Test |
| IBPS PO Preparation | IBPS PO Books |
| IBPS PO Salary | IBPS PO Study Material |
| IBPS PO Syllabus | IBPS PO Cutoff |
IBPS PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2021
IBPS PO Prelims exam is the first stage of the selection process. The prelims exam is qualifying in nature and is conducted just to select candidates for the Mains exam. The marks scored in the Prelims exam will not be considered to prepare the final merit list. In order to pass the IBPS PO preliminary examination and to move further to the Mains exam, candidates must ensure they clear the sectional and overall cutoff scores as set by IBPS. Candidates can check the IBPS PO Paper Pattern for prelims as mentioned below:
| Sections | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
- The total time duration to complete the test is 1 hour. Also, each section is separately timed. 20 minutes is allocated to complete each section.
- There are three sections in the prelims exam namely; English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability.
- There is separate sectional timings for each section.
- One mark will be awarded for every correct answer.
- For every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted for the wrong answer.
- The exam paper will be set in English and Hindi (Except for the English language).
- All the questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
- Candidates will have to meet both sectional and overall cutoff to qualify for the Mains exam.
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2021
Candidates who qualify for the sectional and overall cutoff of IBPS PO Prelims will be eligible to appear for the Mains exam. IBPS PO Cutoff for Mains exam will depend on the number of vacancies available. Prior to the completion of the interview process, scores obtained in the online Main examination will not be shared with the candidates shortlisted for the Interview. The total number of questions and the maximum marks for each section of the IBPS PO Main exam are tabulated below:
| Sections | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| English Language | 45 | 60 | 40 Minutes |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | 45 | 40 | 45 Minutes |
| Reasoning and Computer Aptitude | 35 | 60 | 60 Minutes |
| General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness | 35 | 40 | 35 Minutes |
| Total in Objective Test | 155 | 200 | 3 Hours |
| English Language (Letter Writing and Essay) | 2 | 25 | 30 Minutes |
| Grand Total | 157 | 225 | 3 Hour 30 Minutes |
Important Points:
- The maximum time to complete the test is 3 hours 30 minutes with a sectional time limit.
- There are four sections in the main exam namely; English language, Data Analysis & Interpretation, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, and General Awareness.
- For every incorrect answer, 1/4th of the marks will be deducted.
- The Main exam comprises objective type and descriptive type of questions.
- The objective type carries 200 marks whereas, the descriptive type is 25 marks.
- The total time duration for the objective paper is 3 hours and the descriptive paper is 30 minutes.
- The number of questions asked in an objective paper is 155 whereas a descriptive paper comprises 2 questions (Letter writing and Essay Writing).
IBPS PO Interview Exam Pattern 2021
Candidates qualifying for the main exam will be called for the interview round. The Personal Interview will be conducted by the participating organizations separately in coordination with the Nodal bank of each state IBPS. A separate admit card will be issued to eligible candidates for the interview. The centre, venue, date, and time of the interview will be informed on the candidate’s admit card. Candidates are required to download an interview call letter from the official website. The Personal Interview will be conducted for 100 marks. The qualifying marks for Personal Interview is 35 percent for SC/ST/PwD candidates and 40 percent for others.
Note that the final selection of candidates will be based on their performance in both Mains and Personal Interview. The weightage (ratio) of the Online Main Exam and the Interview will be 80:20 respectively. Candidates must score as high as possible in both Main and Personal Interview in order to ensure provisional allotment.
Candidates can check the list of documents produced at the time of interview as mentioned below:
- Printout of the valid Interview Call Letter.
- Proof of Date of Birth (Birth Certificate issued by the Competent Municipal Authorities or SSLC/ Std. X Certificate with DOB).
- Photo ID proof
- Marksheet or educational certificates.
- Caste certificate if applicable
- Income certificate if applicable
IBPS PO Marking Scheme 2021
It is necessary to clear the cut-off in all 3 sections to qualify for the IBPS PO Main exam. For every incorrect answer, 1/4th of the marks allotted to the question will be deducted. However, there is no penalty for questions not attempted. Whereas the types of questions are concerned, the IBPS PO Mains exam has both objective and descriptive papers. Also, note that the negative marking scheme is only applicable to the objective questions.
FAQs Regarding IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2021
The frequently asked questions on IBPS PO exam pattern 2021 are mentioned below:
| Q. When will IBPS PO prelims and main exam be conducted? A. According to the official notification, the IBPS PO prelim exam will be conducted on October 9,10, 16, and 17, 2021 whereas, the main exam scheduled for November 27, 2021. |
| Q. Is there any sectional cut-off in IBPS PO Mains? A. Yes, similar to the IBPS PO Preliminary examination, Mains will also have a sectional cutoff. |
| Q. Do I have to clear the cut-off marks of each section for both Prelims and Mains in order to qualify for the next round? A. Yes, candidates have to clear the cut-off marks of all the three sections of the Prelims to appear for the Main exam. Likewise, candidates have to clear the cut-off marks of all the five sections of the Main exam to appear for the Personal Interview. |
| Q. Is there any negative marking in the IBPS PO exam? A. Yes, there is 1/4th of the marks deducted for every wrong answer. |
| Q. Do I get a provisional allotment if I clear the Main exam? A. No, candidates clearing the Main exam will become eligible to appear for the Personal Interview. Candidates need to clear the Personal Interview as well and secure a top rank in the merit list in order to get provisional allotment. |
| Q. What is the total marks allotted for the IBPS PO interview? A. The maximum mark allotted for IBPS PO Interview is 100 marks. |
You have to be thorough with the IBPS PO exam pattern as well as the IBPS PO Syllabus in order to finish each and every topic properly. Solve as many IBPS PO practice questions as possible in a time-bound manner. Also, once you have finished the whole syllabus, take free IBPS PO Mock Tests on Embibe.com platform and learn from your mistakes to improve your score.
We hope this detailed article on the IBPS PO Exam Pattern 2021 helps you in your preparation. If you have any confusion regarding IBPS PO Exam Pattern, please comment below and we will help you out.
Embibe wishes all the very best to IBPS PO aspirants.
799 Views