IBPS Just Opened 6,715 Probationary Officer Posts — And the Count Could Still Rise

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released its CRP PO/MT-XVI notification for 2026, announcing 6,715 indicative vacancies for Probationary Officer and Management Trainee posts across 11 public sector banks, excluding SBI.

That figure is already around 1,500 higher than last year’s cycle — and it may climb further. Indian Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India have listed their vacancies as ‘Not Reported’ in this notification, meaning the final total will only be confirmed once those three banks submit their numbers. The notification also sets aside PwBD reserved seats: 73 for hearing impairment, 70 for orthopedic disability, 67 for visual impairment, and 77 for intellectual disability.

Graduate candidates in any discipline, aged between 20 and 30 years as on 1 July 2026, can apply online at ibps.in from 1 July to 21 July 2026. Age relaxation applies for SC/ST (5 years), OBC non-creamy layer (3 years), PwBD (10 years), and Ex-servicemen (5 years). The application fee is ₹850 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.

Selection runs through four stages — a qualifying Preliminary Examination, an Online Main Examination combining objective and descriptive sections, a mandatory (though non-qualifying) Personality Test, and a Common Interview worth 100 marks. The final merit list combines Main Examination and Interview scores in an 80:20 ratio, followed by medical fitness and document verification.

IBPS has revised the Main Exam pattern for this cycle: the objective paper now runs to 170 questions for 200 marks (up from 145 questions previously), covering Reasoning Ability, General/Banking/Digital Awareness, English Language, and Data Analysis & Interpretation, within an unchanged 160-minute duration. The notification has also dropped the Credit History/CIBIL Score clause that appeared in earlier cycles.

Selected candidates start on a basic pay of roughly ₹48,480 a month, with gross monthly earnings — including Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and other bank-specific benefits — estimated between ₹88,000 and ₹92,000 depending on posting location. Prelims are tentatively set for 22-23 August 2026, with Mains to follow on 4 October 2026.