IBPS AFO Exam Analysis 2025: The IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 was held on 30th August 2025. As expected, the paper had four sections – English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and Professional Knowledge. Candidates found the overall level of the exam to be moderate, with English being the easiest and Reasoning the toughest part of the paper. Below, we have shared a detailed shift-wise analysis along with important takeaways that will help aspirants appearing in the upcoming shifts and preparing for the Mains exam.
IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 Exam Pattern
Before moving to the analysis, it is important to recall the exam pattern of IBPS AFO Prelims. The paper consisted of 200 questions carrying 200 marks, divided into four sections. Each section had a fixed time limit of 40 minutes.
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 min |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 75 | 40 min |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 min |
IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 Shift 1 – Overall Analysis
The first shift of IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 was found to be balanced in terms of difficulty. While English offered scoring opportunities, the Reasoning section turned out to be time-consuming. Quantitative Aptitude was manageable with a mix of arithmetic and data interpretation. Professional Knowledge tested candidates' understanding of agriculture basics and government schemes.
Overall Difficulty Level: Moderate
Easiest Section: English Language
Toughest Section: Reasoning Ability
Good Attempts: 125–140
Download IBPS AFO Interview Questions & Prep Guide
Section Wise IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 Analysis
To understand the overall performance of the exam, it is important to break down each section separately. The section-wise analysis highlights the difficulty level, type of questions, and areas where most candidates scored well or struggled. This helps aspirants appearing in upcoming shifts to identify the exam trend and prepare accordingly.
1. English Language
The English section was the simplest part of the paper and gave candidates a chance to maximize their attempts. Most of the questions were straightforward, focusing on grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary. Many candidates attempted more than 35 questions with good accuracy.
Topics Covered:
- Reading Comprehension (agriculture-related passage)
- Cloze Test
- Sentence Rearrangement
- Error Detection
- Fill in the Blanks
Good Attempts: 35–40
2. Quantitative Aptitude
The Quantitative Aptitude section was of easy to moderate level and mainly centered on Data Interpretation (DI). Around 20–25 questions were DI-based, presented in various formats like caselets, pie charts, line graphs, and tables. The arithmetic part had questions from standard topics, which were not very lengthy but required careful calculation.
Topics Covered:
- Data Interpretation (Caselet, Pie Chart, Line Graph, Tabular DI)
- Profit & Loss
- Ratio & Proportion
- Time & Work
- Percentage
- Simple & Compound Interest
Good Attempts: 28–32
3. Reasoning Ability
Reasoning was the most challenging section of the exam. The majority of the questions were from puzzles and seating arrangements, which consumed a lot of time. Apart from puzzles, there were questions from inequality, coding-decoding, and blood relations, which were relatively easier but fewer in number. Candidates had to be smart in selecting the right sets of puzzles to solve.
Topics Covered:
- Puzzles (Linear, Circular, Floor-Based, Box-Based)
- Blood Relations
- Inequality
- Syllogism
- Coding-Decoding
- Direction Sense
Good Attempts: 25–28
4. Professional Knowledge (Agriculture)
This section tested candidates on their subject knowledge of agriculture and allied topics. The difficulty level was moderate. Questions were spread across agronomy, soil science, horticulture, and current agricultural schemes. Those with conceptual clarity in agriculture basics found this section manageable.
Topics Covered:
- Agronomy (crops, irrigation methods, fertilizers)
- Soil Science (types of soil, soil properties, soil fertility)
- Horticulture (fruits, vegetables, plantations)
- Animal Husbandry
- Agriculture Current Affairs
- Government Schemes (PMFBY, KCC, Soil Health Card, etc.)
Good Attempts: 35–40
IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 Shift 1 Difficulty Level
Good attempts and difficulty level give a clear idea of how the exam was structured and what could be considered a safe number of attempts. These factors are important for predicting cut-offs and for helping candidates evaluate their own performance in Shift 1.
| Section | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|
| English Language | Easy | 35–40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Easy to Moderate | 28–32 |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate–Difficult | 25–28 |
| Professional Knowledge | Moderate | 35–40 |
| Overall | Moderate | 125–140 |
Attempt Free IBPS AFO Mock Test
IBPS AFO Prelims 2025 Shift 1 vs Shift 2
The second shift of the IBPS AFO Prelims exam was also rated moderate overall. However, there were slight differences in the difficulty level of some sections compared to Shift 1.
| Section | Shift 1 Level | Shift 2 Level |
|---|
| English Language | Easy | Easy |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Easy to Moderate | Moderate (lengthy DI) |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate–Difficult |
| Professional Knowledge | Moderate | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate | Moderate to Slightly Tough |
Key Takeaways for IBPS AFO Mains Preparation
The Prelims exam acts as a filter for Mains, but the real test of knowledge happens in the Mains stage. Analyzing the Prelims gives us insights into the examiner's focus areas and helps identify the sections that are likely to carry more weight in Mains. These takeaways will guide candidates on how to approach their preparation in the limited time before the next stage.
- Reasoning & Quantitative Aptitude: Expect puzzle-heavy reasoning and DI-focused quant in the Mains as well. Daily practice is important.
- English Language: This section remains a scoring opportunity. Focus on Reading Comprehension and grammar rules.
- Professional Knowledge: The deciding section. Revise agriculture basics thoroughly and stay updated with government schemes and agriculture current affairs.
- Time Management: Prioritize accuracy over guesswork. Avoid spending too much time on a single puzzle or DI set.
Candidates who will be appearing for the mains stage are advised to take IBPS AFO Online Coaching Classes for a better preparation.
