IBPS has released the official notification for CRP SPL-XVI (Specialist Officers) on 01.07.2026, and the IBPS AFO exam pattern has been revised for this cycle. The Preliminary exam now carries a Professional Knowledge section, and the Main exam has been restructured with higher marks and an added Descriptive Paper. Candidates who have already applied for IBPS AFO 2026 or are planning to apply are advised to note these changes and begin their preparation accordingly. Understanding the revised exam pattern is a crucial part of an effective preparation strategy, as it helps candidates gauge the difficulty level of the exam and identify which sections carry more weightage.
Revised IBPS AFO Exam Pattern 2026
The revised IBPS AFO exam pattern includes 2 online objective phases followed by an interview. Phase 1 (Preliminary) now consists of 100 objective-type questions across English language, reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and professional knowledge, carrying a total of 125 marks, to be completed in 80 minutes. Phase 2 (Main) consists of 150 objective-type questions worth 200 marks (125 minutes) plus a descriptive paper of 25 marks (30 minutes), taking the main exam total to 225 marks in 155 minutes. There is a penalty of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in the objective papers. Candidates shortlisted in Mains are then called for a common interview worth 100 marks.
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IBPS AFO Revised Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
As per the revised pattern, the IBPS AFO Prelims Exam now includes 4 sections: English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Professional Knowledge (newly added to Prelims). This is the first screening stage, and candidates must qualify in each of the four sections by securing the minimum cut-off marks decided by IBPS to be shortlisted for the mains exam.
- All questions are of the objective type.
- Exam duration is 80 minutes.
- There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
- Exam is conducted online.
- Medium: English language is in English only; reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and professional knowledge are in English and Hindi.
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 minutes |
IBPS AFO Revised Mains Exam Pattern 2026
The IBPS AFO Mains exam has been significantly revamped and now runs for 155 minutes in total (up from the earlier 45-minute Professional Knowledge-only paper). Candidates who clear the Prelims move on to the Mains exam, which now tests English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Professional Knowledge (Objective), followed by a Descriptive Paper. As per the revised IBPS AFO exam pattern:
- English language, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude are qualifying in nature only.
- Final merit listing for Mains is based solely on the Professional Knowledge (Objective) score.
- A 0.25 mark negative marking applies to each incorrect answer in the objective papers.
- Conducted online.
| Test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 50 | 100 | 40 minutes |
| Sub-Total (Objective) | 150 | 200 | 125 minutes |
| Descriptive Paper (English) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Grand Total | — | 225 | 155 minutes |
Check the IBPS AFO Syllabus
Is there any interview in IBPS AFO?
Yes, there is a final common interview round in the IBPS AFO exam, conducted by the participating banks and coordinated by the nodal bank. Candidates who clear the Mains exam will be shortlisted for the interview round, which assesses candidates' communication skills, subject knowledge, and personality traits. The revised weightage between Mains and Interview remains 80:20.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Weightage (Mains + Interview) | 80:20 |
| Qualifying Marks (General) | 40% |
| Qualifying Marks (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD) | 35% |
Candidates must carry original documents and self-attested photocopies for verification at the time of the interview.
Is there negative marking in the IBPS AFO exam?
Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. Both the Prelims and Mains objective papers under the revised IBPS AFO exam pattern follow this negative marking scheme. The descriptive paper and interview stage do not carry negative marking.
- Each question in the prelims and mains objective papers carries proportionate marks as shown in the tables above.
- For every incorrect answer, 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted.
- No penalty for unanswered/blank questions.
- The final merit list is prepared based on mains (professional knowledge score) + interview only; prelims are qualifying in nature.
| Stage | Maximum Marks | Weightage in Final Merit | Negative Marking |
|---|
| Prelims | 125 | Qualifying Only | Yes (–0.25 per wrong answer) |
| Mains (Objective + Descriptive) | 225 | 80% (based on Professional Knowledge score) | Yes, in objective section only |
| Interview | 100 | 20% | No |
Minimum Qualifying Marks for Interview Round:
Candidates are advised to attempt only those questions they are confident about to avoid negative marking and to focus especially on professional knowledge, since it alone determines the mains merit score.
| Category | Minimum Qualifying % |
|---|
| General | 40% |
| SC/ST/OBC/PwBD | 35% |
Check IBPS AFO Cut Off
