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IBPS PO last 3 years exam analysis (2023–2025): section-wise trends, difficulty level, safe attempts, topic weightage & strategy roadmap.

IBPS PO Exam Analysis: Prelims & Main,: Complete Trend, Questions Asked, Difficulty Level & Good Attempts

Year-wise difficulty trends, topic weightage, safe attempts, section analysis & a smart preparation blueprint based on 2023–2025 papers.

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IBPS PO Exam Analysis: Prelims & Mains, Topic-Wise Questions, Difficulty, Good Attempts

IBPS PO exam analysis shows prelims difficulty generally remains moderate with puzzles and seating arrangement dominating reasoning, arithmetic and DI dominating quant, and RC and grammar dominating English. Mains exam remains moderate to difficult with Data Analysis and Banking Awareness deciding final merit. Based on recent trends, prelims good attempts range between 60-75 while mains good attempts range between 55-75 depending on difficulty. Candidates should focus on puzzle selection, DI accuracy and strong current affairs preparation.


IBPS PO 2026 Expected Good Attempt

Expected Prelims Good Attempts

Section

Expected

English

22-27

Reasoning

25-30

Quant

20-25

Overall

63-77


Expected Mains Good Attempts

Section

Expected

Reasoning

20-26

GA

14-20

English

18-23

Data Analysis

11-16

Overall

60-78

IBPS PO 2025 Exam Analysis

Official Exam Dates

Stage

Date

Prelims

17 August 2025

Prelims

23 August 2025

Prelims

24 August 2025

Mains

12 October 2025


IBPS PO Prelims 2025

17 August 2025

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts Comparison

Shift

English Attempts

English Difficulty

Reasoning Attempts

Reasoning Difficulty

Quant Attempts

Quant Difficulty

Overall Attempts

Overall Difficulty

Shift 1

22–25

Easy-Moderate

23–26

Moderate

20–24

Moderate

65–71

Moderate

Shift 2

24–26

Easy-Moderate

22–27

Moderate

21–25

Moderate

67–72

Moderate

Reasoning Ability – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Floor Based Puzzle

5

5

Box Puzzle

5

5

Circular Seating

5

0

Linear Seating / Parallel Row

5

5

Month Puzzle

5

5

Selection Puzzle

0

5

Syllogism

3

3

Inequality

3

3

Blood Relation

2

3

Direction

2

3

Coding / Alphanumeric

3

2

Order Ranking

2

0

Pair Formation

0

1

Odd One Out

0

0

Meaningful Word

0

0

Total

35

35

Quantitative Aptitude – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Caselet DI

5

0

Table DI

5

5

Double DI

0

5

Arithmetic

10

10

Number Series

5

5

Quadratic Equation

5

5

Approximation

3

5

Quantity Comparison

2

0

Total

35

35

English Language – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Reading Comprehension

10

10

Cloze Test

5

5

Error Detection

5

5

Para Jumble / Sentence Rearrangement

5

5

Word Usage

3

0

Fillers

2

0

Word Swap

0

3

Phrase Usage / Phrase Replacement

0

2

Total

30

30


23 August 2025

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts Comparison

Shift

English Attempts

English Difficulty

Reasoning Attempts

Reasoning Difficulty

Quant Attempts

Quant Difficulty

Overall Attempts

Overall Difficulty

Shift 1

20–22

Moderate

24–26

Moderate

21–23

Moderate

65–71

Moderate

Shift 2

24–25

Easy-Moderate

26–28

Moderate

21–23

Moderate

71–76

Moderate

Shift 3

21–23

Easy-Moderate

27–29

Moderate

22–24

Moderate

71–74

Moderate

Shift 4

20–23

Easy-Moderate

24–27

Moderate

20–22

Moderate

65–72

Moderate

Reasoning Ability – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Parallel Row Puzzle

5

0

0

0

Year Puzzle

5

0

0

5

Floor / Floor-Flat Puzzle

0

5

5

0

Box Puzzle

5

0

0

5

Month Puzzle

5

5

5

5

Seating Puzzle

0

0

5

5

Post Puzzle

0

5

0

0

Selection Puzzle

0

5

5

0

Uncertain Seating / Uncertain Puzzle

3

0

0

3

Comparison Puzzle

0

3

0

0

Syllogism

3

3

3

3

Inequality

3

0

4

3

Blood Relation

2

3

3

0

Direction

0

3

3

3

Coding

4

0

0

0

Pair Formation

0

1

1

0

Meaningful Word

0

0

1

0

Odd One Out

0

1

0

0

Miscellaneous

0

0

0

3

Total

35

35

35

35

Quantitative Aptitude – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Approximation

5

5

5

5

Quadratic Equation

5

0

0

0

Line DI

5

0

5

5

Table DI

5

5

0

5

Caselet DI

5

0

4

5

Double DI

0

5

0

0

Wrong Number Series

0

4

0

5

Q1–Q2 / Quantity Comparison

0

5

3

0

Mixed DI

0

0

5

0

Arithmetic

10

11

13

10

Total

35

35

35

35

English Language – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Reading Comprehension

10

8

8

9

Cloze Test

0

6

0

0

Error Detection

5

4

5

5

Para Jumble / Sentence Rearrangement

5

5

6

5

Fillers

5

0

4

3

Word Swap

3

3

3

5

Phrase Replacement / Phrase Usage

2

2

0

2

Column Based

0

2

0

0

Word Usage

0

0

2

1

Miscellaneous

0

0

2

0

Total

30

30

30

30


24 August 2025

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts Comparison

Shift

English Attempts

English Difficulty

Reasoning Attempts

Reasoning Difficulty

Quant Attempts

Quant Difficulty

Overall Attempts

Overall Difficulty

Shift 1

25

Easy-Moderate

28

Moderate

22

Moderate

75

Moderate

Shift 2

23–25

Easy-Moderate

23–27

Moderate

18–20

Moderate

59–70

Moderate

Shift 3

22–24

Easy-Moderate

28–30

Moderate

18–20

Moderate

68–74

Moderate

Shift 4

16–20

Easy-Moderate

23–28

Moderate

17–21

Moderate

56–69

Moderate

Reasoning Ability – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Parallel Row

5

0

0

0

Post Puzzle

5

0

5

0

Year Puzzle

5

0

0

5

Floor Puzzle

5

0

5

0

Day Puzzle

0

5

0

0

Circular Seating

0

5

5

5

Sequence Puzzle

0

0

5

0

Box Puzzle

0

5

0

5

Uncertain Seating

3

0

0

0

Selection Puzzle

0

5

0

0

Syllogism

3

3

3

4

Inequality

3

3

0

0

Blood Relation

0

3

0

0

Direction

3

3

0

0

Coding

0

0

5

5

Comparison

0

0

3

3

Pair Formation

0

1

1

1

Meaningful Word

0

1

1

1

Miscellaneous

3

1

0

0

Total

35

35

35

35

Quantitative Aptitude – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Approximation

5

5

5

3

Quadratic Equation

3

0

0

0

Bar DI

5

0

5

6

Table DI

5

5

0

0

Caselet DI

5

0

5

0

Line DI

0

5

5

0

Pie DI

0

0

0

6

Series

2

0

0

0

Missing Number Series

0

5

5

5

Q1–Q2

0

2

0

3

Arithmetic

10

13

10

15

Total

35

35

35

38 reported breakup

English Language – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Reading Comprehension

8

8

10

9

Cloze Test

0

6

5

6

Error Detection

5

5

5

4

Para Jumble / Rearrangement

5

4

4

3

Fillers

3

0

0

0

Word Swap

3

3

0

0

Word Replacement

3

0

0

0

Word Usage

3

2

2

2

Column / Match the Column

0

1

0

2

Miscellaneous

0

1

4

4

Total

30

30

30

30


IBPS PO Mains 2025

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts

Section

Questions

Good Attempts

Difficulty

Reasoning

40

18–23

Moderate

General Awareness

35

11–15

Moderate

English

35

17–22

Moderate

Data Analysis

35

9–13

Difficult

Overall

145

55–73

Moderate-Difficult

Reasoning – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Circle Seating

5

Parallel Row

5

Designation Puzzle

5

Linear Seating

5

Input Output

5

Coding

3

Critical Reasoning

5

Data Sufficiency

2

Miscellaneous

5

Total

40

Data Analysis – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Table DI

6

Bar DI

5

Caselet DI

3

Pie Chart

4

Series

2

Quadratic

3

Arithmetic DI

5

Data Sufficiency

3

Miscellaneous

4

Total

35

English – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Reading Comprehension

11

Cloze Test

6

Fillers

4

Match the Column

5

Word Rearrangement

2

Incorrect Sentence

2

Jumbled Sentence

2

Miscellaneous

3

Total

35

General Awareness – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Current Affairs

18–20

Banking Awareness

7–8

Economy

4

Static GK

3

Total

35


IBPS PO 2024 Exam Analysis

Official Exam Dates

Stage

Date

Prelims

19 October 2024

Prelims

20 October 2024

Mains

30 November 2024


IBPS PO Prelims 2024

19 October 2024

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts Comparison

Shift

English Attempts

English Difficulty

Reasoning Attempts

Reasoning Difficulty

Quant Attempts

Quant Difficulty

Overall Attempts

Overall Difficulty

Shift 1

22–26

Easy-Moderate

24–27

Moderate

20–23

Moderate

65–71

Moderate

Shift 2

21–23

Easy-Moderate

25–28

Moderate

22–24

Moderate

66–71

Moderate

Shift 3

23–25

Easy-Moderate

25–29

Moderate

20–22

Moderate

65–69

Moderate

Shift 4

25–28

Easy-Moderate

19–22

Moderate

23–25

Moderate

66–70

Moderate

Reasoning Ability – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Age Puzzle

5

0

0

0

Box Puzzle

5

5

0

5

Linear Seating

5

0

0

0

Circular Seating

5

0

0

5

Floor Flat Puzzle

0

5

5

0

Parallel Row Seating

0

5

5

0

Year Puzzle

0

0

5

5

Day Puzzle

0

0

5

0

Comparison Puzzle

3

0

0

0

Selection Puzzle

0

5

0

3

Syllogism

3

3

3

3

Inequality

3

3

3

3

Blood Relation

3

3

0

0

Direction

0

3

3

3

Coding

5

0

0

0

Pair Formation

1

1

1

0

Odd One Out

1

1

0

0

Meaningful Word

1

1

1

0

Miscellaneous

0

0

0

3

Total

35

35

35

35

Quantitative Aptitude – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Approximation

5

5

4

5

Number Series

5

0

5

5

Table DI

5

5

6

5

Bar DI

5

0

0

5

Double DI

0

6

0

0

Caselet DI

0

4

0

0

Line DI

0

0

5

0

Quantity Comparison

0

0

4

0

Arithmetic

10

10

11

10

Quadratic

5

5

0

5

Total

35

35

35

35

English Language – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Reading Comprehension

10

8

10

10

Cloze Test

5

6

5

5

Error Detection

5

3

5

5

Para Jumble / Sentence Rearrangement

5

5

5

5

Word Usage

3

3

3

2

Fillers

2

0

2

0

Misspelt Words

0

5

0

0

Phrase Replacement

0

0

0

3

Total

30

30

30

30


20 October 2024

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts Comparison

Shift

English Attempts

English Difficulty

Reasoning Attempts

Reasoning Difficulty

Quant Attempts

Quant Difficulty

Overall Attempts

Overall Difficulty

Shift 1

22–26

Easy-Moderate

24–26

Moderate

20–24

Moderate

66–76

Moderate

Shift 2

22–25

Easy-Moderate

23–26

Moderate

20–23

Moderate

65–74

Moderate

Shift 3

18–22

Moderate

21–23

Moderate

18–20

Moderate

63–65

Moderate

Shift 4

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Reasoning Ability – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Category Puzzle

5

5

0

0

Selection Puzzle

5

5

0

0

Sequence Puzzle

5

5

0

3

Designation Puzzle

0

0

0

5

Square Seating

0

0

0

5

Month Puzzle

0

0

0

5

Box Puzzle

0

0

0

5

Week Puzzle

0

0

5

0

Ordering Puzzle

0

0

3

0

Blood Relation

3

3

4

0

Direction

3

3

5

0

Syllogism

3

3

4

4

Inequality

3

3

3

0

Coding

5

5

5

5

Number Pair

0

0

1

0

Pair Formation

1

1

1

1

Meaningful Word

1

1

1

1

Odd Word

1

1

0

1

Miscellaneous

0

0

3

0

Total

35

35

35

35

Quantitative Aptitude – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Missing Number Series

5

5

0

0

Approximation

5

5

5

5

Table DI

5

5

5

0

Bar DI

5

5

5

0

DI Combined

0

0

0

10

Arithmetic

10

10

13

10

Quadratic

5

5

0

5

Partnership

0

0

1

0

Compound Interest

0

0

1

0

Series

0

0

0

5

Total

35

35

35

35

English Language – All Shifts Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Shift 1

Shift 2

Shift 3

Shift 4

Reading Comprehension

10

10

10

10

Cloze Test

5

5

5

6

Error Detection

5

5

5

5

Para Jumble

5

5

5

0

Word Usage

3

3

3

0

Fillers

2

2

2

0

Word Arrangement

0

0

0

4

Phrase Replacement

0

0

0

5

Total

30

30

30

30


IBPS PO Mains 2024

Section-Wise Difficulty and Good Attempts

Section

Questions

Good Attempts

Difficulty

Reasoning

40

21–23

Moderate

General Awareness

35

17–19

Moderate

English

35

23–26

Moderate

Data Analysis

35

14–15

Moderate-Difficult

Overall

145

75–79

Moderate-Difficult

Reasoning – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Machine Input Output

4

Reverse Syllogism

2

Uncertain Seating

4

Data Sufficiency

3

Coded Blood Relation

2

Word Formation

1

Meaningful Word

1

Alphanumeric Series

2

Logical Reasoning

4

Puzzle Sets

17

Total

40

Data Analysis – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Probability DI

5

Bar Graph

6

Pie Chart

4

Data Sufficiency

3

Mixture

2

Quadratic

2

Number Series

3

Table DI

6

Train Problem

1

Miscellaneous

3

Total

35

English – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Reading Comprehension

12

Cloze Test

5

Error Detection

5

Fillers

4

Sentence Correction

3

Para Jumble

3

Miscellaneous

3

Total

35

General Awareness – Topic-Wise Questions

Topic

Questions

Current Affairs

20

Banking Awareness

7

Economy

4

Static GK

4

Total

35


IBPS PO Exam Analysis FAQs

1. What is the difficulty level of the IBPS PO exam?

The IBPS PO exam is usually moderate in Prelims and moderate to difficult in Mains. Prelims generally becomes tricky because of puzzles in Reasoning and DI/arithmetic in Quant, while Mains becomes tougher because of Data Analysis, Banking Awareness, and time pressure.

2. What are good attempts in IBPS PO Prelims?

Good attempts in IBPS PO Prelims generally remain in the range of 60 to 75, depending on the shift difficulty, number of puzzle sets, and toughness of Quant.

3. What are good attempts in IBPS PO Mains?

Good attempts in IBPS PO Mains usually remain in the range of 55 to 76, depending on the difficulty of Data Analysis, Reasoning, and General Awareness.

4. Is IBPS PO Prelims tougher than IBPS Clerk Prelims?

Yes, in most cases IBPS PO Prelims is tougher than IBPS Clerk Prelims, especially in the level of puzzles, arithmetic, and overall time pressure.

5. Which section is the most difficult in IBPS PO Prelims?

For most candidates, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude are the toughest sections in IBPS PO Prelims. Reasoning is puzzle-heavy, and Quant often includes time-consuming DI and arithmetic questions.

6. Which section is the most difficult in IBPS PO Mains?

In IBPS PO Mains, Data Analysis & Interpretation is usually the most difficult section. It often decides the overall attempt level and final score quality.

7. Which topics are most asked in IBPS PO Reasoning?

The most frequently asked Reasoning topics in IBPS PO are:

  • Puzzles
  • Seating Arrangement
  • Syllogism
  • Inequality
  • Blood Relation
  • Direction
  • Coding-Decoding
  • Pair Formation

8. Which topics are most asked in IBPS PO Quant?

The most repeated Quant topics in IBPS PO are:

  • Arithmetic
  • Data Interpretation
  • Approximation
  • Number Series
  • Quadratic Equation
  • Quantity Comparison
  • Caselet DI
  • Table/Bar/Line DI

9. Which topics are most asked in IBPS PO English?

The most asked English topics in IBPS PO are:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Cloze Test
  • Error Detection
  • Para Jumble
  • Sentence Rearrangement
  • Word Swap
  • Word Usage
  • Fillers

10. Does every IBPS PO shift have the same difficulty level?

No, all shifts do not have the same difficulty level. Some shifts are more scoring, while some are more time-consuming due to tougher puzzles, DI sets, or English question framing.

11. Why does IBPS PO good attempt vary from shift to shift?

Good attempts vary because the number and complexity of puzzles, DI sets, and English question patterns change across shifts. Time pressure also differs from one shift to another.

12. Is puzzle selection important in IBPS PO Prelims?

Yes, puzzle selection is extremely important. Candidates who waste time on difficult puzzle sets often lose attempts in other easy questions.

13. Is arithmetic more important than DI in IBPS PO Prelims?

Both are important, but arithmetic usually has a bigger scoring role because it appears consistently in almost every shift and forms the base of many DI questions too.

14. Is English the scoring section in IBPS PO?

For many candidates, yes. English is often the most stable scoring section in IBPS PO Prelims, especially if the candidate has good reading speed and grammar accuracy.

15. How many puzzles are usually asked in IBPS PO Prelims?

Usually, 4 to 5 puzzle/seating arrangement sets are seen in IBPS PO Prelims, though the exact number can vary by shift.

16. How many DI sets are usually asked in IBPS PO Prelims?

Usually, 2 to 3 DI sets are asked in IBPS PO Prelims, along with arithmetic, approximation, number series, or quadratic questions.

17. What is the safest strategy in IBPS PO Prelims?

The safest strategy is:

  • Attempt English smartly and quickly
  • Select only doable puzzles in Reasoning
  • Prioritize easy arithmetic and DI in Quant
  • Avoid getting stuck on one tough set

18. Is IBPS PO Mains more about accuracy than attempts?

Yes, IBPS PO Mains is heavily accuracy-driven. Blind attempts can hurt score badly because sectional level is higher and negative marking matters more.

19. How important is General Awareness in IBPS PO Mains?

General Awareness is very important in IBPS PO Mains because it can become a high-return scoring section if current affairs and banking awareness are prepared properly.

20. Does IBPS PO Mains include Banking Awareness?

Yes, IBPS PO Mains includes Banking Awareness, Economy Awareness, Current Affairs, and Financial Awareness within the General Awareness section.

21. Is there sectional timing in IBPS PO exam?

Yes, both IBPS PO Prelims and Mains have sectional timing. Candidates must manage each section within its fixed time window.

22. Which year had tougher IBPS PO Mains – 2024 or 2025?

Based on trend comparison, both years were in the moderate to difficult range, but 2025 Mains appears slightly more pressure-oriented because of tougher Data Analysis and lower comfortable attempt range.

23. Which year had more scoring IBPS PO Prelims – 2024 or 2025?

Both years were moderate overall, but some 2025 shifts were more scoring in English and Reasoning, while some 2024 shifts looked more balanced. Final comparison depends on the specific shift.

24. Are topic-wise question counts in IBPS PO officially released?

No. IBPS does not officially release shift-wise topic distribution. These topic-wise question counts are based on post-exam candidate memory and consolidated analysis.

25. Can students rely on IBPS PO exam analysis for preparation?

Yes, IBPS PO exam analysis is very useful for preparation because it helps candidates understand:

  • topic priority
  • shift difficulty trend
  • good attempts
  • section strategy
  • repeated question patterns

26. What is the biggest mistake students make in IBPS PO Prelims?

The biggest mistake is spending too much time on one difficult puzzle or DI set and missing easier questions in the same section.

27. What is the biggest mistake students make in IBPS PO Mains?

The biggest mistake in Mains is poor section selection, especially in Data Analysis and Reasoning, where difficult questions consume too much time.

28. Is IBPS PO exam analysis useful for 2026 aspirants?

Yes, the 2024 and 2025 exam analysis is highly useful for 2026 aspirants because it shows the latest trend in:

  • puzzle dominance
  • arithmetic weightage
  • DI pattern
  • English question types
  • mains difficulty trend

29. What should students focus on after reading IBPS PO exam analysis?

Students should focus on:

  • puzzle selection
  • arithmetic speed
  • DI accuracy
  • RC reading speed
  • banking awareness preparation
  • mock test review

30. What is the overall trend of IBPS PO exam in the last two years?

The overall trend of the last two years shows:

  • Prelims: moderate, puzzle-heavy, arithmetic + DI driven
  • Mains: moderate to difficult, Data Analysis and GA decisive
  • English: consistently scoring if accuracy is good


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