IBPS RRB PO Syllabus 2026: Prelims, Mains and Interview Pattern
Last updated: 2026-11-13 · MockMentor
RRB PO (Officer Scale I) has three stages: a Prelims, a Mains and an interview. There is no descriptive paper, which sets it apart from IBPS PO and SBI PO. The pattern below is from the CRP RRBs-XV notification.
Prelims pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 45 minutes |
- Each section has its own timer.
- You must clear the cut-off in both sections and rank high enough in the total.
- Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list.
Mains pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 | 15 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 15 minutes |
| English or Hindi language (choose one) | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 minutes |
- Negative marking: a quarter of the marks of a question is deducted for each wrong answer, in both Prelims and Mains.
- Tests other than the language test are offered in English, Hindi and the State languages listed in the notification.
- There is a minimum score in each Mains test.
Interview
- 100 marks. Up to 3 times the State-wise vacancies are called.
- Pass mark: 40%, or 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates.
- Final merit = Mains 80% + interview 20%. You must qualify in both.
Syllabus
IBPS does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. These are the topics that appear regularly.
| Section | Main topics |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Seating arrangement, puzzles, syllogism, inequality, blood relations, direction sense, coding-decoding, order and ranking, data sufficiency |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Simplification and approximation, number series, quadratic equations, data interpretation, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, speed and distance, averages, ratio |
| General Awareness | Current affairs of the last 4 to 6 months, banking and RBI, Government schemes, rural and agricultural finance, budget, static GK |
| Computer Knowledge | Computer basics, hardware and software, MS Office, internet, networking, cyber security, shortcut keys |
| English | Reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting, fillers, para jumbles |
| Hindi | Comprehension, grammar, vocabulary (if you choose Hindi) |
Rural banking topics matter more here than in other PO exams: Kisan Credit Card, priority sector lending, NABARD's role and schemes for farmers. Our agriculture schemes pages cover these.
Frequently asked questions
Is there English in RRB PO Prelims?
No. Prelims has only Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. In Mains you choose English or Hindi.
Is there a descriptive paper in RRB PO?
No. All stages before the interview are objective.
Read next: cut-off and salary.
Source: IBPS: CRP RRBs-XV notification, corrigenda and vacancy update of 25 September 2026.
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