IBPS PO Interview: What Is Asked, How It Is Marked and How to Prepare

The interview is the last stage of IBPS PO, and it carries a 20% weight in your final score. This guide explains how the interview works under the CRP PO/MT-XVI notification (vacancies of 2027-28), what panels typically ask, and how to prepare in the time between the Mains result and your interview date.

The rules in the first two sections come from the official IBPS notification for CRP PO/MT-XVI, listed under Sources. The section on what is asked is general guidance based on how bank interviews usually run, not a list of fixed questions.

How the IBPS PO interview works

Candidates who are shortlisted in the Online Main exam are first called for a Personality Test. This is a self-report test. It is non-qualifying, but you must take it to be eligible for the interview, and your personality profile is placed before the interview panel. IBPS says it may be held in proctored mode or at identified exam centres.

After that, shortlisted candidates are called for the interview itself.

A few points worth noting:

• Prelims marks do not count. Only Main exam marks are used for shortlisting, and only Main exam and interview scores make up the final merit list.
• Your Mains score stays hidden until the interview process is over. IBPS does not share Main exam scores with shortlisted candidates before then, so you walk in without knowing your exact position.
• If you fall below the interview cutoff, your interview score is not disclosed.
• Tentative timing. The notification's schedule lists the Personality Test for November 2026, interviews for November/December 2026 and provisional allotment for January 2027. Check ibps.in for the actual dates.

For the full Mains structure, including the descriptive paper, see the IBPS PO mains exam pattern and syllabus.

What is asked in the IBPS PO interview

There is no published syllabus for the interview. Broadly, a panel is trying to judge whether you can work as an officer: talk to customers, handle staff, follow rules and make sensible decisions. In practice, questions tend to fall into a few broad areas.

These are typical areas, not a fixed list. Some panels spend most of the time on your background; others focus on banking. Expect follow-up questions on anything you mention, including hobbies. If you say you read, be ready to name and discuss a recent book.

How to prepare: a practical plan

The notification's tentative schedule puts the Mains result in November 2026 and interviews in November/December 2026, so you may have only a few weeks. A simple plan:

1. Fix your introduction first. Cover your name, education, hometown and one or two points about yourself. Keep it short and natural. Do not memorise it word for word.
2. Revise banking basics. Make a list of 40 to 50 common terms (repo rate, CRR, SLR, NPA, KYC, priority sector lending, UPI and so on) and practise explaining each in two or three sentences.
3. Build a current affairs file. Focus on banking, the economy and government schemes from the last few months.
4. Practise situational answers. Write down five or six banking situations and how you would respond. Discuss them with a friend or a family member.
5. Revise your graduation subject. Panels sometimes test whether you actually understood your degree.
6. Take mock interviews. Ask a working banker, a teacher or a friend to question you. Record yourself if you can, and watch for filler words, speed and posture.
7. Prepare your "why banking" answer. It is commonly asked. Give a reason that is true for you.

On the day

• Reach the venue early. Your centre, date and time are on the call letter, and requests to change them are not entertained.
• Wear clean, formal clothes that you are comfortable in.
• Listen to the full question before answering. If you do not know something, say so plainly. A guess that turns out wrong often leads to harder follow-ups.
• Keep answers short and to the point, and let the panel lead.

Documents to carry

The notification says documents must be produced in original along with self-attested photocopies, arranged in order. Without valid documents, you may not be allowed to sit the interview and your candidature can be cancelled. IBPS also says candidates must upload soft copies (PDF) of their documents through a link on its website. The list includes:

• Printout of the valid interview call letter
• System-generated printout of your CRP PO/MT-XVI online application form
• Proof of date of birth (birth certificate from the competent authority, or Class 10 certificate with date of birth)
• Photo identity proof, with a photocopy, in the same name as on the call letter
• Graduation mark sheets or certificates, with proof that the result was declared on or before 21.07.2026
• Caste certificate in the prescribed format for SC, ST and OBC candidates
• Income and Asset Certificate for EWS candidates
• Disability certificate for PwBD candidates, and scribe details if you used a scribe
• For ex-servicemen, the service or discharge book and related proof
• A No Objection Certificate in original if you work in a government, quasi-government or public sector body, including nationalised banks
• Experience certificates, if applicable, and any other document supporting your eligibility

Ration cards and learner's driving licences are not accepted as photo ID. Read the full list in the notification, and follow any further instructions on your call letter.

Before you get there

The interview only comes after Prelims and Mains. If you are preparing for the next cycle, start with IBPS PO Full Mock 1, free to see where you stand in each section. More mocks and guides are on the IBPS PO page.