SarwaSamadhan

IBPS PO Prelims 2026 pattern: why Quant and Reasoning carry different marks

आईबीपीएस पीओ प्रीलिम्स 2026 पैटर्न: क्वांट और रीज़निंग के अलग-अलग अंक

In the 2026 IBPS PO prelims, 35 Quant questions carry 30 marks while 35 Reasoning questions carry 40. See the full pattern, what each question is worth, and how to use your 20 minutes per section.

2026 आईबीपीएस पीओ प्रीलिम्स में 35 क्वांट प्रश्न 30 अंक के और 35 रीज़निंग प्रश्न 40 अंक के हैं। पूरा पैटर्न और समय की रणनीति।

Prelims pattern

  1. English Language: 30 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes
  2. Quantitative Aptitude: 35 questions, 30 marks, 20 minutes
  3. Reasoning Ability: 35 questions, 40 marks, 20 minutes
  4. Total 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, with a cut-off in every section
  5. Negative marking: one-fourth of the question's marks for each wrong answer

What each question is worth

English: 1 mark (−0.25). Quant: 30 ÷ 35 ≈ 0.86 marks (−0.21). Reasoning: 40 ÷ 35 ≈ 1.14 marks (−0.29). A correct Reasoning answer is worth about a third more than a Quant one, so in a tight 20 minutes a fast, accurate Reasoning attempt pays off most.

Using 20 minutes per section

  1. Reasoning: start with inequalities, syllogism and short puzzles; leave one long puzzle for the end.
  2. Quant: simplification and approximation first, then quadratic equations, then data interpretation.
  3. English: skim the reading passage questions first, then grammar and vocabulary.
  4. Clear each section's cut-off before chasing a high score in one section.

Sources

Last updated 15 October 2026. Always check the official notification for your exam.