IBPS SO XVI 2026 Syllabus: Prelims, Mains and Professional Knowledge Topics
IBPS SO XVI 2026 Mains is 225 marks in 155 minutes, with Professional Knowledge deciding merit. This page gives the official test-by-test pattern from the notice, the topics for each stream and a Mains study plan.
Who this is for
This page is for candidates in IBPS SO XVI 2026. Registration closed on 21 July 2026, the preliminary examination was scheduled for August 2026, and the Main examination is in November 2026. The exact date comes from your IBPS call letter. Everything about the pattern below comes from the official notification.
Prelims pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 minutes |
For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari, General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry (25 questions, 25 marks) replaces Quantitative Aptitude.
A wrong answer costs one fourth (0.25) of the question's marks. Blank answers carry no penalty. The prelims is a screening stage, and its marks do not count toward the final score.
Mains pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| General Awareness (banking industry) | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 | 45 minutes |
| Objective total | 150 | 200 | 125 minutes |
| Descriptive English (typed on computer) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Total | 225 | 155 minutes |
The objective tests carry the same 0.25 penalty. The descriptive paper is typed on the computer.
Professional Knowledge
Professional Knowledge is the section that decides merit. Revise the core topics of your post.
IT Officer: computer networks, operating systems, database management, software engineering, data structures and algorithms, information security, and banking technology such as payment systems, core banking and digital channels.
Agricultural Field Officer: crop science, soil science, plant protection, agronomy, horticulture, agricultural economics, and agricultural credit and government schemes.
Law Officer: contract law, banking law, negotiable instruments, the Constitution, procedure basics, consumer protection and recovery law.
Rajbhasha Adhikari: translation, official language policy, Hindi grammar and administrative Hindi.
HR/Personnel Officer: labour laws, personnel management, organisational behaviour, performance appraisal, training and recruitment.
Marketing Officer: marketing management, consumer behaviour, banking products and customer service, and the Indian financial system.
Use a standard textbook for your discipline and one banking-focused book for the application questions.
Final score
Per the notice, the final score is the combined total of the Online Main examination and the interview, in an 80:20 ratio. The interview carries 100 marks. The minimum interview score is 40 percent (35 percent for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD). Candidates must also clear each Mains test and reach a high enough Professional Knowledge score to be shortlisted.
Study plan for Mains
Days 1 to 3: Professional Knowledge. Make one summary page per topic for your post. This section carries the most merit.
Days 4 and 5: Reasoning and English. Two timed sets a day. Reasoning has 40 questions in 35 minutes, so pace yourself.
Days 6 and 7: General Awareness and banking. Read the financial news of the last six months, RBI policy decisions and banking reforms.
Days 8 and 9: Descriptive English. Write two letters and two short essays. Check grammar and structure, because the paper is typed.
Day 10: Full-length mock. Sit one Mains-length objective paper in 125 minutes, then write one descriptive answer. Review every error.
The practice set gives timed objective questions for the first three sections.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Mains date fixed? The notice gives November 2026 as the month. Use the call letter for the exact date.
Is there a separate interview date? The notice gives November or December 2026 for interviews, with provisional allotment in January 2027.
Sources
Official detailed notification CRP SPL-XVI, dated 30.06.2026, on ibps.in, read on 21 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
100 questions for 125 marks in 80 minutes. English, Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude have 25 questions and 25 marks each, and Professional Knowledge has 25 questions for 50 marks. Each test is separately timed at 20 minutes. Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari replace Quantitative Aptitude with General Awareness on banking.
225 marks in 155 minutes. The objective part has 150 questions for 200 marks in 125 minutes: English 30 questions (25 minutes), Reasoning 40 (35 minutes), General Awareness with banking focus 30 (20 minutes) and Professional Knowledge 50 questions for 100 marks (45 minutes). The descriptive English paper has 2 questions for 25 marks in 30 minutes.
Yes, per the notice. Every Mains test except Professional Knowledge is qualifying, and merit listing uses Professional Knowledge scores. You must also clear the cut-off in each test.
The notice gives an 80:20 ratio of the Online Main examination to the interview. The interview is 100 marks, with a minimum of 40 percent (35 percent for reserved categories).
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