The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released comprehensive guidelines for the IBPS PO 2025 Online Preliminary Examination, according to a report by NDTV. With the preliminary exam dates set for August 17, 23, and 24, featuring four shifts daily, aspiring candidates now have access to detailed exam structure information and sample questions to enhance their preparation strategy.
Eligibility and competition aspects
Before registering for the examination, candidates must verify their compliance with all eligibility requirements outlined in the official notification. Given the highly competitive nature of this banking recruitment process, merely clearing the exam will not suffice for advancement. Success depends on achieving a superior position in the merit rankings to secure consideration for subsequent selection phases.
Exam framework
The preliminary assessment comprises a computer-based objective test worth 100 marks, to be completed within a 60-minute timeframe. The examination is structured across three distinct sections:
English language: 30 questions carrying 30 marks, available exclusively in English with a 20-minute time limit.
Quantitative aptitude: 35 questions worth 30 marks, offered in both English and Hindi languages, also with 20 minutes for completion.
Reasoning ability: 35 questions carrying the highest weightage of 40 marks, available in English and Hindi, with 20 minutes allocated for this section.
Success in the preliminary examination requires meeting sectional cut-off marks established by IBPS for each individual section. Additionally, candidates must achieve the overall cut-off score to qualify for the Main Examination phase. The assessment follows a multiple-choice question format, with each question offering only one correct response option. A negative marking system penalizes incorrect answers with a deduction of 0.25 marks per wrong response.
Practice material
To support candidate preparation, IBPS has released illustrative sample questions spanning all three examination sections. The English Language samples focus on grammatical concepts, vocabulary enhancement, and reading comprehension skills. Quantitative Aptitude examples emphasise mathematical calculations and data interpretation techniques, while Reasoning Ability questions cover analogical thinking, classification methods, and logical relationship analysis.
The sample questions serve as preparatory tools, though actual examination content may differ in complexity and question types.
