IBPS PO 2026: Complete Guide to CRP PO/MT-XVI
Last updated: 2026-11-13 · MockMentor
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) runs one common exam to recruit Probationary Officers and Management Trainees (PO/MT) for 11 public sector banks. The 2026 cycle is called CRP PO/MT-XVI (Common Recruitment Process, sixteenth round), and it fills vacancies for the year 2027-28. Candidates who clear the process are allotted to one of the banks on merit and their stated preference.
IBPS PO 2026 status (13 November 2026): registration ran from 1 to 21 July 2026. Prelims were held in August and Mains in October 2026. As per IBPS's schedule, the Mains result and the personality test fall in November 2026, interviews in November and December 2026, and provisional allotment to banks in January 2027.
IBPS PO 2026 at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Process | CRP PO/MT-XVI, for vacancies of 2027-28 |
| Participating banks | 11 public sector banks |
| Vacancies in the notification | 6,715 (indicative; three banks had not reported) |
| Age | 20 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026, with relaxations |
| Qualification | Graduation in any discipline, result declared by 21 July 2026 |
| Selection | Prelims, Mains (objective + descriptive), personality test, interview |
| Final merit | Mains 80% + interview 20% |
| Basic pay | ₹48,480 – 2,000/7 – 62,480 – 2,340/2 – 67,160 – 2,680/7 – 85,920 |
| Application fee | ₹850 (₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD), GST included |
The 11 participating banks
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.
SBI is not part of this process. It holds its own exam: see our SBI PO guide.
How selection works
- Prelims: 100 questions in 60 minutes across English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. You must clear a cut-off in each of the three sections.
- Mains: an objective test of 200 marks in 160 minutes, followed by a descriptive paper (essay and comprehension) of 25 marks in 30 minutes. There is a cut-off in each test and in the total.
- Personality test: a self-report test. It is not scored, but you must take it to be called for interview, and the report goes to the interview panel.
- Interview: 100 marks, conducted by the participating banks. The minimum is 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD).
- Provisional allotment: Mains and interview are combined in an 80:20 ratio, and candidates are allotted to banks on merit and preference.
See the full syllabus and exam pattern.
Guide pages
- 2026 notification and exam dates
- Eligibility and age limit
- Syllabus and exam pattern
- Salary and pay scale
- Vacancy by bank and category
- Cut-off: previous years and how it is set
Preparing for IBPS PO with RBI Grade B in mind
The Mains General / Economy / Banking Awareness section now names RBI circulars in its title, and the descriptive paper is based on economic and social issues, banking trends and current events. That overlaps heavily with RBI Grade B Phase 2 preparation, so one set of notes can serve both. Our SBI PO GD topics post covers the banking themes that interview panels also ask about.
Source: IBPS: Detailed Notification for CRP PO/MT-XVI, dated 30 June 2026.