IBPS PO Prelims 2026 Free Guess Paper

The IBPS PO 2026 notification is out, and the Prelims exam sits close to the SBI PO Prelims on the calendar. Both exams share aspirants, sectional cutoffs, and a tight two-week gap. A wrong topic sequence in the exam hall costs marks that a candidate cannot recover in 60 minutes.

TL;DR

• IBPS PO Prelims 2026 carries 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, split into English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning.
• The exam applies individual sectional cutoffs and an overall cutoff. A candidate must clear both.
• Initial vacancy count for 2026 stands at 6,715+, the highest initial figure among the last six years. The data expects a final count near 7,500+.
• The Prelims stage is qualifying only. Marks from this stage do not add to the final merit list.
• Prelims General category cutoff dropped from 54.25 (2023) to 48.50 (2024), then rose to 49.21 (2025).
• Mains weightage shifted: Data Analysis and Interpretation rose from 50 to 60 marks, while English fell from 40 to 20 marks.

IBPS PO Prelims 2026: Exam Pattern

The IBPS PO Prelims 2026 exam has three sections. Each section carries its own time limit and its own cutoff.

This table shows why English carries the tightest ratio of marks to time. A candidate cannot skip pace management in this section.

The paper applies negative marking. It also applies a sectional cutoff on top of the overall cutoff. A candidate who clears the overall score but misses one sectional score does not qualify. Reasoning carries the highest weight in the Prelims, at 40 marks, so a weak reasoning score pulls down the full paper more than a weak score in the other two sections.

Why the sectional cutoff matters

Many candidates focus only on the overall target score and ignore the section-wise split. The data states that IBPS applies sectional cutoffs across all its exams, and that the sectional cutoff usually sits lower than the overall barrier. A candidate can clear the overall score and still fail on one section. Check each section score against the category-wise sectional cutoff, not only the total.

Expected Exam Date and Vacancy Count

The IBPS PO 2026 notification did not print an exact Prelims date. The published exam calendar places the Prelims on August 22 and 23, 2026. Mains sits on the calendar for October 4, 2026.

Vacancy numbers for IBPS PO 2026:

This table matters because three large banks had not reported their vacancy count at notification time. Final numbers in past years jumped after such banks reported late, so the 2026 count can move up further.

The initial 6,715 figure is the highest initial vacancy count in the last six years of IBPS PO recruitment, based on the data.

IBPS PO Mains 2026: What Changed

The IBPS PO Mains paper carries 200 marks in the objective section plus 25 marks in the descriptive section (Letter Writing and Essay), for a total of 225 marks.

This table matters because a candidate who built a strategy around a strong English section now faces a smaller share of marks there. A candidate strong in Data Analysis and Interpretation now gains more from that strength.

The total number of Mains questions also rose, from 155 last year to 170 this year, while the total mark count for the objective section stayed at 200. This means more questions carry lower per-question value, so speed on shorter questions gains more importance.

Only the Mains score, combined with the descriptive score and the interview score, builds the final merit list. The Prelims score plays no role in final merit.

IBPS PO Cutoff Trend: Prelims (Out of 100, General Category)

This table matters because the cutoff dropped by roughly five marks over three years, then leveled out. A candidate should not plan around the lowest year. Plan around the highest of the last three years plus a safety margin.

2025 Prelims cutoff by category:

This table matters because General, OBC, and EWS candidates shared the exact same clearing threshold in 2025. A candidate from any of these three categories should not expect an easier bar than the others.

IBPS PO Cutoff Trend: Mains (Out of 225)

This table matters because the Mains cutoff rose in each of the last three years, unlike the Prelims cutoff. A candidate needs a rising target, not a flat one, to plan Mains preparation.

2025 Mains cutoff by category:

Target Score: What the Data Suggests

Based on the three-year cutoff pattern, the source material sets these target scores for the 2026 cycle:

• Prelims: score 60 plus out of 100. This sits about 11 marks above the 2025 General cutoff and covers a harder paper.
• Mains: score 85 plus out of 225 (objective plus descriptive). This sits about 9 marks above the 2025 General cutoff, to leave room for interview-stage scrutiny.
• Descriptive paper: score 15 plus out of 25. The descriptive section draws its topics from current affairs, banking trends, and workplace ethics.

A candidate should attempt 60 or more questions in the Prelims to reach a net score of 60, once wrong answers and negative marking reduce the raw attempt count.

Section-Wise Attempt Sequence for Prelims

The data recommends a fixed order per section, built around one rule: spend the first minute on a full question preview before writing a single answer.

Reasoning (35 questions, 40 marks)

1. Solve Inequality questions first. These carry the lowest error risk.
2. Solve Miscellaneous questions next - Odd One Out, Statement-Conclusion, Word Formation.
3. Solve Blood Relation and Direction and Distance questions.
4. Move to easy puzzle sets: square or circular seating, and simple box-based arrangements.
5. Save year-based or two-variable puzzles for last. These carry the highest error rate.

Why this matters: the data reports that puzzle-arrangement questions took up more than 80% of the Reasoning section in a recent SBI PO Prelims paper, and many candidates got stuck by starting with the hardest puzzle set first.

English (30 questions, 30 marks)

1. Solve spelling-error questions first.
2. Solve phrase replacement questions next.
3. Solve grammar error-detection questions.
4. Solve cloze test questions.
5. Solve reading comprehension after 8 to 10 minutes, once other topics build attempt confidence.
6. Solve sentence rearrangement last. This topic carries the highest time cost per question.

Why this matters: starting with reading comprehension often traps candidates in a slow first two to three minutes, which then creates time pressure for the rest of the section.

Quantitative Aptitude (35 questions, 30 marks)

1. Solve approximation and simplification questions first.
2. Solve missing number series questions next.
3. Solve easy arithmetic word problems - mensuration, averages, simple profit-and-loss.
4. Solve the easiest Data Interpretation set (pie chart or simple bar graph before line-and-table combinations).
5. Solve a second, harder Data Interpretation set.
6. Solve caselet questions last, since these carry the highest time cost.
7. Use remaining time for moderate-level arithmetic word problems.

Preparation Tools and Practice Resources

The data points to two recurring preparation habits that support the sectional-cutoff and speed targets above:

• Daily full-length mock tests, plus one extra sectional mock focused on the candidate’s weakest section.
• Chapter-wise practice books that separate content across four exam levels: Clerk Prelims, PO Prelims, Clerk Mains, and PO Mains.

Common Questions

Is the IBPS PO Prelims score counted in the final merit list? No. The Prelims stage is qualifying only. Only the Mains score and the interview score build the final merit list.

Does IBPS PO Prelims 2026 apply a sectional cutoff? Yes. A candidate must clear the cutoff for English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning individually, along with the overall cutoff.

How many vacancies are open for IBPS PO 2026? The initial count stands at 6,715+. The data expects the final count to reach 7,500+ once all reporting banks confirm their numbers.

What is a safe target score for IBPS PO Prelims 2026? Based on the three-year cutoff trend, aim for 60 or more marks out of 100.

When is the IBPS PO Mains 2026 exam? The published calendar places it on October 4, 2026, roughly six weeks after the Prelims stage.

Closing Analysis

The IBPS PO cutoff pattern over the last three years shows two separate trends. The Prelims cutoff eased, from 54.25 in 2023 to 49.21 in 2025. The Mains cutoff climbed, from 63 in 2023 to 75.75 in 2025. This means the real competition in the IBPS PO cycle has moved from the Prelims stage to the Mains stage.

A candidate who clears the Prelims with a narrow margin now faces a Mains paper with a rising cutoff and a changed mark distribution, where Data Analysis and Interpretation and General Awareness now outweigh English. The practical response is to build the Prelims score above the 60-mark target, not just above the previous cutoff, and to start Mains-level Data Interpretation practice before the Prelims exam, not after it.