IBPS PO Mains Admit Card 2026: Exam on 4 October, Call Letter Expected Late September
IBPS PO Mains (CRP PO/MT-XVI) will be held on 4 October 2026 for 7,565 vacancies, with the call letter expected in the last week of September. Download steps, ID rules, the 225-mark exam pattern and last-two-week preparation notes.
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IBPS PO Mains 2026: Exam on 4 October
The IBPS PO Mains examination (CRP PO/MT-XVI) is scheduled for 4 October 2026, as per the official IBPS Calendar 2026-27. The call letter is expected in the last week of September 2026.
This is the second phase of the recruitment for 7,565 Probationary Officer and Management Trainee vacancies in participating public sector banks.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam | IBPS PO Mains, CRP PO/MT-XVI |
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Exam date | 4 October 2026 |
| Call letter | Expected last week of September 2026 |
| Vacancies | 7,565 |
| Login | Registration / Roll Number + Password or Date of Birth |
| Official website | ibps.in |
Who Gets the Mains Call Letter
Only candidates who qualified the prelims held on 22 and 23 August 2026 can download the mains call letter. If you have not yet seen your prelims result, check ibps.in first, the result status is being reported differently by different websites, and the mains call letter follows it.
There is no city intimation slip for IBPS mains. The call letter itself carries your centre address.
How to Download the Call Letter
- Go to ibps.in.
- Open the CRP PO/MT-XVI section.
- Click Download Online Main Examination Call Letter.
- Enter your Registration Number or Roll Number and your Password or Date of Birth (dd-mm-yy), plus the captcha.
- Download the PDF and print it.
- Download the information handout published alongside it.
Call letters are never sent by post or email. Download it yourself from the portal.
What to Carry
- Printed call letter with a photograph affixed as instructed
- Information handout / ID proof handout
- One original photo ID plus a photocopy, Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport, driving licence, or an employer or bank attested ID
- The same passport photographs used in the application
- A pen
Aadhaar or biometric capture and photo matching are done at the centre. Entry is not allowed once the reporting window closes, and the gate-closing time is printed on your call letter.
Exam Pattern
The mains has two parts, taken in one sitting.
Objective Paper (official IBPS Information Handout, CRP-PO/MTs-XVI)
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 min |
| General / Economy / Banking / Digital / Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 | 35 min |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 min |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 min |
| Total | 170 | 200 | 160 min |
- Each test is separately timed; an on-screen calculator is allowed in Data Analysis & Interpretation
- Negative marking: 0.25 mark per wrong answer
Descriptive Paper
- 2 questions, Essay and Comprehension, typed on the computer
- 25 marks, 30 minutes
Total: 225 marks.
The descriptive paper is where many candidates lose the final margin. It is typed, not handwritten, so typing speed and structure matter as much as content.
What Comes After the Mains
Shortlisted candidates go to the interview, and the final merit is prepared from the mains and interview scores in the ratio prescribed by IBPS. Prelims marks do not count towards the final merit, they only decide who reaches the mains.
Preparation Notes for the Last Two Weeks
- Sectional timing means you cannot rescue a weak section later. Practise each section within its own time slot.
- Data Analysis and Interpretation in the mains is significantly harder than in the prelims, practise caselets and data sufficiency, not just simple tables.
- For General, Economy and Banking Awareness, focus on the last six months of banking and economy news, RBI policy decisions, and budget terms.
- Write at least five full descriptive papers on the computer under a 30-minute clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. When is the IBPS PO Mains 2026 exam? 4 October 2026.
Q2. When will the call letter be released? Expected in the last week of September 2026. IBPS has not announced an exact date.
Q3. Is there a city intimation slip for mains? No. The centre details are on the call letter itself.
Q4. What login details do I need? Registration or roll number with your password or date of birth.
Q5. How many marks is the mains? 225 in total, 200 for the objective paper and 25 for the descriptive paper.
Q6. Is there negative marking? Yes, 0.25 mark per wrong answer in the objective paper.
Q7. How many vacancies are there? 7,565 PO/MT posts across participating public sector banks.
Conclusion
The IBPS PO Mains on 4 October 2026 is the stage that decides the merit list, since prelims marks are discarded. Download the call letter as soon as it appears in the last week of September, check the centre address early, and spend the remaining days on sectional practice and the descriptive paper.
Disclaimer: The exam date is confirmed from the official IBPS Calendar 2026-27. The call letter release date is expected, not officially announced. Confirm everything on ibps.in, including your prelims result status.