IBPS/SBI PO — 3 stages:
1. Prelims (100 marks, 1 hour):
English Language: 30 questions, 20 min
Quantitative Aptitude: 35 questions, 20 min
Reasoning Ability: 35 questions, 20 min
2. Mains (200 marks + 25 marks descriptive, 3 hours 30 min):
Reasoning & Computer: 45 questions, 60 min
English Language: 35 questions, 40 min
Data Analysis & Interpretation: 35 questions, 45 min
General Economy & Banking Awareness: 40 questions, 35 min
English Letter & Essay Writing: 25 marks, 30 min
3. Interview: 100 marks (final = 80% Mains + 20% Interview)
Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer in objective
QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE KEY TOPICS:
Number System: LCM/HCF, remainders, divisibility tests
Percentages: change%, profit/loss%, simple/compound interest
Ratio & Proportion: mixture/alligation, partnership
Time-Speed-Distance: relative speed, trains, boats
Time & Work: pipe-cistern, combined work
DI (Data Interpretation): bar/pie/line/table — 15-20 questions in mains
Simplification/Approximation: BODMAS, quick calculation
Quadratic Equations: two equations, find roots, compare x and y
REASONING ABILITY KEY TOPICS:
Puzzles & Seating Arrangements: ~15-20 questions per set
Inequality: direct and coded
Syllogism: some/all/no conclusions
Blood Relations, Directions, Input-Output
Coding-Decoding, Order & Ranking
ENGLISH LANGUAGE KEY TOPICS:
Reading Comprehension: 10-15 questions per passage
Error Spotting, Sentence Rearrangement (Para Jumbles)
Fill in the Blanks, Cloze Test, Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms)
BANKING AWARENESS:
RBI functions, monetary policy, repo rate, reverse repo, CRR, SLR
Types of banks: commercial, cooperative, RRBs, payment banks, small finance banks
Recent government schemes: PM Jan Dhan, Mudra, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti
Current affairs: last 6 months banking and finance news
IBPS PO PRELIMS: English(30) + Quant(35) + Reasoning(35) = 100 marks, 1 hour
NEGATIVE MARKING: -0.25 per wrong answer — do not guess randomly
DI: 15-20 marks in mains — practice daily, high-scoring if fast
BANKING AWARENESS: RBI rates | types of banks | government schemes | 6-month current affairs
PUZZLE SETS: most important in reasoning — practice minimum 3 sets daily
MAINS DESCRIPTIVE: 250-word essay + 150-word letter — practise format
