IBPS PO Answer Key 2026: Report Question, Scores & Marking

IBPS has not released an answer key for any stage of CRP PO/MT-XVI, and the notification dated 01.07.2026 sets out no answer-key or objection procedure. Instead, IBPS publishes a "Process for Arriving at Scores" note explaining how candidates' scores were calculated, as it did for the Preliminary Examination scheduled for 22 and 23 August 2026. For the Main Examination of 4 October 2026, the notification says scores will not be shared with shortlisted candidates until the interview process is complete.

Can you challenge a question in IBPS PO 2026?

There is no fee-based challenge window. The only route IBPS describes for flagging a question is inside the exam itself. The 2026 Preliminary Information Handout and Main Information Handout both state that a "Report Question" button is available on screen if a candidate wishes to report an issue in any question. Queries and complaints about the process go through cgrs.ibps.in, the grievance portal named on the notification.

IBPS PO marking scheme: how to work out your score

Both objective stages use the same penalty: for each wrong answer, one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted to arrive at the corrected score, and a question left blank carries no penalty.

• Preliminary (100 marks, 60 minutes): English Language has 30 questions for 30 marks, Quantitative Aptitude 35 questions for 30 marks, and Reasoning Ability 35 questions for 40 marks, each timed separately at 20 minutes.
• Main (200 marks objective, 160 minutes): Reasoning has 40 questions for 60 marks; General/Economy/Banking/Digital/Financial Awareness including RBI circulars, 50 for 60; English Language, 40 for 20; and Data Analysis & Interpretation, 40 for 60. An in-built on-screen calculator is permitted only in Data Analysis & Interpretation. The Descriptive Paper adds 2 questions for 25 marks in 30 minutes and may be evaluated by an automated scoring mechanism.
• Sectional qualifying: you must clear a cut-off in each of the three Preliminary tests. In the Main you need a minimum score in each test and a minimum total to be shortlisted for the Personality Test and interview.

Your raw count will not match IBPS's figure exactly. The CRP PO/MT-XVI Preliminary scoring note says corrected scores were equated across sessions "to take care of the minor difference in difficulty level", then rounded to two decimal places. The notification says scores from different sessions are normalised by the equi-percentile method. The same note lists the sectional and total cut-offs IBPS applied to the Preliminary scores.

What happens after the Main Examination?

Only Main Examination marks count for shortlisting and final merit. The interview carries 100 marks, with a minimum of 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD), and the Main and interview are weighted 80:20 for the combined final score. The notification also says interview scores of candidates who fail to reach the minimum will not be disclosed. In CRP PO/MT-XV, the provisional allotment notice of 15.01.2026 listed the category-wise maximum and minimum combined scores out of 100.

IBPS PO answer keys and score notes in past cycles