How it's calculated
Unattempted questions score zero. Fractions are kept exact and the total is rounded once, to two decimals.
Estimate only. Official results, marks and eligibility are decided by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Verify on the official website.
Worked example: IBPS PO Main Examination (Objective)
Reasoning: 32 right, 4 wrong; General / Economy / Banking Awareness (including Digital, Financial Awareness and RBI circulars): 40 right, 5 wrong; English Language: 32 right, 4 wrong; Data Analysis & Interpretation: 32 right, 4 wrong. Total: 155 out of 200.
IBPS PO 2026 exam pattern and marking
IBPS PO Main Examination (Objective)
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Wrong answer | Max marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 1.5 | −3/8 | 60 |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness (including Digital, Financial Awareness and RBI circulars) | 50 | 1.2 | −3/10 | 60 |
| English Language | 40 | 0.5 | −1/8 | 20 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 1.5 | −3/8 | 60 |
The four objective tests are 170 questions for 200 marks, separately timed at 35 to 45 minutes each. The notification gives each test's maximum and its question count but never the marks for one question, so the figures here are the maximum divided by the count — our division, on the assumption that questions within a test carry equal marks. Each one comes out a figure a notice could plausibly print: 1.5, 1.2, 0.5 and 1.5. A Descriptive Paper of 2 questions for 25 marks follows in 30 minutes; it is written, not objective, carries no penalty and is not scored here. Marks obtained in the Main examination alone decide the shortlist and the final merit, and the Main exam and interview are weighted 80:20.
Using your score
- Count right and wrong answers from the official answer key for a reliable score.
- Marks per question are the test maximum divided by its number of questions. The notification gives both figures but not the division, so that step is ours and it assumes every question in a test carries equal marks.
- Each test is separately timed — 35 minutes for Awareness and English, 45 for Reasoning and Data Analysis — so time left over in one test cannot be spent on another.
- Sectional cut-offs apply: a candidate needs a minimum score in each test of the Main exam as well as a minimum total, both decided by IBPS after the exam.
- The penalty is a quarter of the marks assigned to that question, so it differs by test: 3/8 for Reasoning and Data Analysis & Interpretation, 3/10 for Awareness and 1/8 for English Language. A blank answer costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the negative marking in IBPS PO 2026?
IBPS PO Main Examination (Objective): +1.5 for a right answer, −3/8 for a wrong one; +1.2 for a right answer, −3/10 for a wrong one; +0.5 for a right answer, −1/8 for a wrong one.
What are the total marks in IBPS PO Main Examination (Objective)?
200 marks: Reasoning (40 questions), General / Economy / Banking Awareness (including Digital, Financial Awareness and RBI circulars) (50 questions), English Language (40 questions), Data Analysis & Interpretation (40 questions).
Is an unattempted question marked negatively?
No. Only wrong answers carry a penalty. A question left blank scores zero.
How do I count my right and wrong answers?
Compare your responses with the official answer key published by the exam body. Count only the questions you marked: those matching the key are right, the rest are wrong.
Why is there no IBPS PO prelims calculator here?
Because the notification does not give enough to calculate it honestly. Quantitative Aptitude is 35 questions for 30 marks and Reasoning Ability 35 for 40, and IBPS never prints what one question is worth. Either a quant question carries 6/7 of a mark, or it carries 1 mark and the raw score out of 35 is scaled to 30. The two give different scores, and a calculator that picked one without saying so would be guessing. The Main exam does not have this problem: every test there divides into a plain figure.
Do IBPS PO prelims marks count towards the final merit list?
No, and the notification says so in capitals: marks obtained in the Online Main Examination only will be considered for shortlisting for the personality test and interview and also for final merit listing. The Preliminary exam decides who sits the Main exam and nothing more, which is why the Main exam is the one worth calculating.
How does the Main exam score become my final score?
It does not directly. Scores from different sessions are normalised by the equi-percentile method, and the final score combines the Main examination and the interview in a ratio of 80:20, with the interview out of 100 and a minimum of 40% (35% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates). The figure this page gives is your raw objective score before any of that.
Is the 25-mark descriptive paper included?
No. It is 2 questions in 30 minutes, written rather than objective, and carries no negative marking, so there is nothing to work out from an answer key. It is marked separately, possibly by an automated scoring mechanism, and is additional to the 200 objective marks.