IBPS PO 2026 Notification — Exam Date, Vacancy, Eligibility and How to Apply

Every year lakhs of graduates sit for IBPS PO hoping to land a bank job with a decent salary, job security and respect back home. If that sounds like you, here is everything you need to know about IBPS PO 2026 before the notification drops. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection will release the IBPS PO 2026 notification in June 2026 on its official website ibps.in. This year's recruitment is the 16th edition of the exam, officially called CRP PO/MT XVI. Once the notification is out, eligible graduates can apply online for Probationary Officer posts in public sector banks across India. ## Exam Dates — Already Confirmed IBPS announced the exam calendar in January 2026. Mark these dates right now: Prelims Exam: 22 and 23 August 2026 Mains Exam: 4 October 2026 Notification Release: June 2026 Application Start: June 2026 Application Last Date: July 2026 Prelims Admit Card: August 2026 Mains Admit Card: September 2026 Interview: November to December 2026 Final Result: January 2027 ## How Many Vacancies in IBPS PO 2026 The exact number will come with the official notification. Last year IBPS released 5208 vacancies. The year before that it was 6189. So for 2026 you can expect somewhere between 5000 and 5500 posts across 11 public sector banks including Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and others. The good news is that Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra and Canara Bank typically release the highest number of seats, so there are real options even if you have a preference for a specific bank. ## Who Can Apply — Eligibility Education: You need a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Engineering, commerce, arts, science — any stream works. Final year students cannot apply as you need your final marksheet at the time of registration. Age Limit: Minimum 20 years, maximum 30 years as on 1 July 2026. In simple terms, you should have been born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006. Age Relaxation: OBC candidates get 3 years extra SC and ST candidates get 5 years extra PwD candidates get 10 years extra Ex-servicemen get relaxation as per government rules There is no limit on the number of attempts as long as you are within the age limit. ## Application Fee SC, ST and PwD candidates: Rs 175 All others including General and OBC: Rs 850 Payment is online only through debit card, credit card, UPI or net banking ## Salary — What You Will Actually Earn This is where IBPS PO gets really attractive. The starting basic pay is Rs 48,480 per month. After adding House Rent Allowance, Dearness Allowance and other benefits your total in-hand salary comes to roughly Rs 74,000 to Rs 76,000 per month in most cities. As you get promoted the salary grows significantly. ## Selection Process — 3 Stages Stage 1 Prelims: This is an online objective exam of 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes. It covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability. Prelims is qualifying in nature — the marks here are not counted in the final merit. Stage 2 Mains: This is the real battle. Mains has both objective and descriptive sections. The objective part covers Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, English Language, Data Analysis and Interpretation, and General Economy and Banking Awareness. The descriptive part has Letter and Essay Writing. Total marks are 200 and the exam duration is 3 hours 30 minutes. Stage 3 Interview: Candidates who clear Mains are called for a Personality Test and Interview. The final merit is calculated as 80 percent weightage to Mains marks and 20 percent to Interview marks. ## Participating Banks Your score in IBPS PO can get you into any of these 11 public sector 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 and Sind Bank, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India. ## How to Apply for IBPS PO 2026 Step 1: Go to ibps.in and click on CRP PO/MT section Step 2: Register with your basic details and get a registration number Step 3: Fill the application form with your personal and educational details Step 4: Upload your photograph and signature as per the specifications Step 5: Upload your handwritten declaration Step 6: Pay the application fee online Step 7: Submit the form and save the confirmation page Keep your registration number and password safe — you will need them to download your admit card later. ## Documents You Need to Keep Ready Graduation marksheet and degree certificate Class 10 certificate for date of birth proof Caste certificate if applying under reserved category Valid email ID and mobile number Scanned photograph and signature ## Should You Apply for IBPS PO 2026 Honestly, if you have a graduation degree and you are within the age limit, yes you should apply. The application fee is small compared to the opportunity. The salary is better than most private sector jobs at entry level. The job is permanent with good growth. And you get to serve in your home state in most cases. The exam is tough but not impossible. Lakhs appear but the ones who prepare consistently for 3 to 4 months with the right strategy do crack it. Prelims level math and English are not very different from what you studied in school. For latest updates on IBPS PO 2026 notification keep checking examsalert.com and ibps.in. Official Website: ibps.in