IBPS RRB Officer Scale I (RRB PO) Exam Pattern 2026
The full IBPS RRB Officer Scale I (RRB PO) exam pattern for 2026 — 3 stages, with the sections, question count, marks, duration and negative marking for each, as set by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). Then take a free IBPS RRB Officer Scale I (RRB PO) mock in the real pattern below.
Preliminary Examination (screening only)
- Mode
- Online (Computer Based Test) at IBPS-designated centres
- Sections
- Reasoning · Quantitative Aptitude
- Questions
- 80 multiple-choice questions (40 Reasoning + 40 Quantitative Aptitude)
- Marks
- 80 marks (1 mark per question)
- Duration
- 45 minutes COMPOSITE TIMING — candidates can move between the two sections freely. (Note: Officer Scale I RRB Prelims uses composite timing unlike IBPS PO which uses sectional timing.)
- Negative marking
- 0.25 mark deducted per wrong answer; no penalty for unattempted questions
Prelims is a screening test ONLY — marks do NOT carry forward to Mains merit. Candidates must clear both an overall cutoff and a sectional cutoff for each of the two sections. Roughly 10 times the state-wise vacancies are shortlisted for Mains. Recent General-category sectional cutoffs have hovered in the 18-26 range per section out of 40.
Main Examination (Officer Scale I — Single Examination)
- Mode
- Online (Computer Based Test)
- Sections
- Reasoning · Computer Knowledge · General Awareness · English Language OR Hindi Language (candidate's choice) · Quantitative Aptitude
- Questions
- 200 multiple-choice questions (Reasoning 40 + Computer 40 + GA 40 + English/Hindi 40 + Quant 40)
- Marks
- 200 marks (Reasoning 50 + Computer 20 + GA 40 + English/Hindi 40 + Quant 50)
- Duration
- 120 minutes (2 hours) COMPOSITE TIMING for the full paper
- Negative marking
- 0.25 mark deducted per wrong answer; no penalty for unattempted questions
Mains is the MERIT-DECIDING paper (subject to interview). Candidates must clear sectional cutoffs for each of the five sections in addition to overall cutoff. The language section is candidate-choice between English and Hindi — selected at application stage and locked thereafter. General Awareness for RRB skews towards rural banking, NABARD, agricultural finance and Priority Sector Lending alongside standard banking awareness.
Personal Interview
- Mode
- Offline, in-person at the participating RRB's nominated centre
- Sections
- Rural banking knowledge · Agricultural credit and NABARD · Personal background · Why RRB / why this state · Local language test (formal verification)
- Questions
- Open-ended panel interview by a board of 4-5 members from the participating RRB
- Marks
- 100 marks (qualifying minimum: 40% General / 35% reserved)
- Duration
- Typically 15-25 minutes per candidate
- Negative marking
- Not applicable
Final merit list is computed on an 80:20 weightage — Mains 80% + Interview 20%. Interview is conducted by the participating RRBs themselves, with the Sponsor Bank's representative present. The local language test is conducted at the interview stage — a candidate who cannot demonstrate reading-writing-speaking proficiency in the opted state's official language is disqualified at this stage.
You know the pattern — now practise in it.
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