IBPS PO 2017: Exam pattern, books and study materials

IBPS Probationary Officer (PO) Examination is easily the largest and the most popular banking recruitment examination in India. IBPS which stands for Institute of Banking Personnel Selection provides recruitment solutions to many public sector banks, Cooperative banks, Insurance companies, Rural Banks, Government departments and private players as well. The primary objective of IBPS is to evaluate and select the right skilled personnel for different client organizations.

For the year 2017 IBPS has announced IBPS PO examination dates and other details. The online registration was open from 16^th August 2017 and the last date for registration was September 10^th 2017. Eligible candidates who have applied online will now prepare, download their admit cards and then appear for preliminary and main examination for recruitment of3, 562 probationary officers (PO) in various public sector banks.

IBPS PO Examination Syllabus
IBPS examination syllabus is similar to SBI PO examination syllabus. IBPS PO preliminary exam syllabus comprises of following subjects Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Analysis and English Language. Whereas the main examination includes detailed knowledge of Logical Reasoning, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, General Knowledge and Computer Aptitude.

IBPS PO Preliminary Examination
The IBPS PO preliminary examination is of 100 marks, has a time duration of 60 minutes and is conducted online (computer-based). The exam consists of 3 sections, English language of 30 marks, Numerical ability and Reasoning ability of 35 marks each. Please note that there is negative marking and 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. It is must for a candidate to better the cut off marks in all the 3 sections in order to qualify for the IBPS PO Main examination.

Subject/Topic	No. of Questions	Total Marks
English Language	30	30
Numerical Ability	35	35
Reasoning Ability	35	35
Total	100	100

IBPS PO Main Examination
The IBPS PO main examination is of 225 marks, the time duration for the same is 210 minutes. The examination consists of 5 sections and each section has a specific time limit to complete it. The 5 sections are Reasoning and Computer Knowledge, English Language, Data Analysis and Interpretation, General Economy and Banking Knowledge and English Language - II (Letter Writing and Essay Writing). Below are the details:

Subject/Topic	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Time Duration
Reasoning and Computer Knowledge	45	60	60 minutes
General Awareness/Economy and Banking Knowledge	40	40	35 minutes
English Language	35	40	40 minutes
Data Analysis and Interpretation	35	60	45 minutes
English Language (Letter Writing and Essay Writing)	2	25	30 minutes

IBPS PO Interview
Candidates successful in both the preliminary and the main examination are invited to appear for the personal interview. The personal interview is of100 marks and candidates need to score minimum qualifying marks of 40% to be eligible for recruitment as PO. The minimum qualifying marks is 35% for reserved category candidates (SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates).

IBPS PO Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should hold a graduation degree (such as BA, B.Com BSc, BE) in any discipline from a recognized college or university. Alternatively candidate must have an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution by the Central Government of India.The candidate must have original mark sheet and degree certificate on the exam registration day. It is must for the candidate to possess a working knowledge of computer system as the IBPS PO examinations are conducted online.

IBPS PO Age Eligibility
The candidate applying for IBPS examination should be between the age group of 20-30 years. SC/ST candidate have an age relaxation of 5 years, whereas OBC candidate have 3 years age relaxation.

IBPS PO Examination Preparation
The IBPS Probationary Officer (PO) Examination is a highly competitive examination and requires rigorous preparation and practise. There are many books and tools available that can assist aspiring candidates to prepare for the IBPS PO examination. One of the best tools introduced by Business Standard is the Business Standard General Awareness for IBPS and Bank PO Book. The book consists of 3000 relevant questions covering latest topics such as GST, Budget 2017, Demonetisation and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Alternatively aspiring candidates can also opt for Business Standard Learning solution - IBPS and Bank PO Examination Special Online Module. The module consist of 3000+ questions on General Awareness, Banking and Economy, Sports, Politics and much more.