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How many attempts are allowed in IBPS PO?
The IBPS PO/MT-XVI notification of 2026 does not state any limit on the number of attempts. What stops you from applying is your age: the limit is 20 to 30 years on 1 July 2026, with relaxation for reserved categories.
What the notification says
The 2026 notification does not contain an attempt-limit clause for IBPS PO. Eligibility is decided by nationality, age and education, with no cap on how many times you have appeared in earlier cycles. That is a difference from SBI PO, which counts attempts; see attempts in SBI PO.
The age window is the real limit
For the 2026 cycle the minimum is 20 years and the maximum is 30 years on 1 July 2026, which means you must have been born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006, both dates included.
| Category | Upper-age relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| Persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) | 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen and commissioned officers, including ECOs and SSCOs with 5 years of service | 5 years |
SC/ST/OBC relaxation can be combined with only one of the PwBD or ex-servicemen relaxations. Check the notification's table for your exact case.
What to plan around
Because there is no attempt cap, many aspirants write IBPS PO in several consecutive cycles. Each cycle is a fresh application with a fresh fee, and you start again from the Prelims. Rules can change between cycles, so read the notification each year instead of assuming this year's silence continues. The wider checklist is in the bank exam eligibility guide.
If you are still a final-year student, note that IBPS requires you to be a graduate on the day you register; see final-year students and IBPS PO. The exam stages are in the IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern.
Source
- IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI detailed notification (30 June 2026): age and eligibility clauses.
Read the latest notification before you apply. The bank exam hub links to every exam guide.
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- Bank exam eligibilityBank exam eligibility for IBPS, SBI and RBI: age limits and relaxations, graduation rules for final-year students, attempt limits and local-language tests.
- IBPS PO syllabusIBPS PO syllabus and pattern for the 2026 cycle: prelims and mains tables, descriptive test, Personality Test, interview weightage and commonly tested topics.
- SBI PO attempt limitSBI PO allows 6 attempts for UR/EWS, 9 for OBC and PwBD, and no limit for SC/ST. Only appearing in Mains counts. Rules from the 2026 advertisement.
- Final year students and IBPS PONo. IBPS PO needs you to be a graduate on the day you register, with the result declared by the last date. See how SBI PO and clerk exams differ.
More in Bank exams
- IBPS Clerk: one state onlyIBPS Clerk (CSA) lets you apply for vacancies in one State or UT only. SBI Junior Associate has the same rule. How to choose your state wisely.
- IBPS PO Mains 2026 dateIBPS scheduled the PO/MT-XVI Mains for 4 October 2026 in its tentative calendar. See the Mains pattern and the later stages, with dates marked tentative.
- IBPS Clerk salaryIBPS Clerk (Customer Service Associate) starts at a basic pay of ₹24,050 in a scale ending at ₹64,480. See the scale, the SBI clerk comparison and caveats.
- IBPS vs SBIIBPS runs one common exam for 11 public sector banks; SBI hires for itself. Compare the 2026 PO and clerk exams, selection weightage and eligibility.
- IBPS Clerk Mains 2026 dateIBPS Clerk (CSA-XVI) Prelims is tentatively on 10 and 11 October 2026 and the Mains on 27 December 2026. See the pattern and what follows.
- Interview for IBPS ClerkThere is no interview for IBPS Clerk (CSA). Selection is on Mains marks, followed by a language test where needed. See the stages and other no-interview posts.
- IBPS Clerk local language testIBPS Clerk (CSA) requires proficiency in the local language of your state. You are exempt only if your Class 10 or higher mark-sheet shows you studied it.
- IBPS Clerk is now CSAIBPS now recruits clerks as Customer Service Associate (CSA). The 2026 Mains has 160 questions and no Computer Aptitude section. Old patterns are outdated.