IBPS SO Previous Year Question Papers
IBPS releases no question paper, and the 2026 pattern changed. Practise to the new format.
IBPS does not release IBPS SO question papers. Its own FAQ says that, as policy, it does not provide the answer sheet, the question paper or the answer key. Every IBPS SO previous year paper you find online is a memory-based reconstruction or a mock.
There is a second reason to be careful with old papers. The 2026 notification, CRP SPL-XVI, changed the exam. Professional Knowledge now appears in Prelims, and Mains now has English, Reasoning and a descriptive paper as well. Papers from earlier cycles were built for a different structure.
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What IBPS publishes and what it does not
Notification
Published by IBPS?
Yes
Use it for
Eligibility per post, the exam structure, marks and timing
Information Handout
Published by IBPS?
Yes, with the call letter
Use it for
Detailed information about the exam you are sitting
Mock link
Published by IBPS?
Yes, when call letters are issued
Use it for
Seeing the on-screen test interface before the exam
Question paper, answer sheet, answer key
Published by IBPS?
No, as IBPS policy
Use it for
Not available from IBPS
| Item | Published by IBPS? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Yes | Eligibility per post, the exam structure, marks and timing |
| Information Handout | Yes, with the call letter | Detailed information about the exam you are sitting |
| Mock link | Yes, when call letters are issued | Seeing the on-screen test interface before the exam |
| Question paper, answer sheet, answer key | No, as IBPS policy | Not available from IBPS |
Why older papers fit the 2026 exam poorly
From the SPL-XV and SPL-XVI notifications.
Prelims
SPL-XV (previous cycle)
3 tests, 150 questions, 2 hours
SPL-XVI (2026)
4 tests, 100 questions, 80 minutes
Professional Knowledge in Prelims
SPL-XV (previous cycle)
None
SPL-XVI (2026)
25 questions for 50 marks
Mains
SPL-XV (previous cycle)
One Professional Knowledge paper
SPL-XVI (2026)
English, Reasoning, a third test and Professional Knowledge, plus a descriptive paper
Mains Professional Knowledge
SPL-XV (previous cycle)
60 questions, 45 minutes (Rajbhasha differs)
SPL-XVI (2026)
50 questions for 100 marks
| SPL-XV (previous cycle) | SPL-XVI (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims | 3 tests, 150 questions, 2 hours | 4 tests, 100 questions, 80 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge in Prelims | None | 25 questions for 50 marks |
| Mains | One Professional Knowledge paper | English, Reasoning, a third test and Professional Knowledge, plus a descriptive paper |
| Mains Professional Knowledge | 60 questions, 45 minutes (Rajbhasha differs) | 50 questions for 100 marks |
Using past papers by post
Topic feel still carries over. The format does not.
- check_circleIT Officer: the eligible degrees are computer science, IT and electronics, so those core subjects are the paper's ground. Use old questions to check topic coverage, then practise at the new 50-question Mains length.
- check_circleAgricultural Field Officer: eligible degrees range from agriculture and horticulture to veterinary, dairy and fishery science. Old sets help with recall across that range, not with timing.
- check_circleLaw Officer: banking and commercial law questions follow statutes, so check any remembered answer against the current text of the Act, since amendments change answers.
- check_circleHR/Personnel and Marketing Officer: Quantitative Aptitude now appears in Mains as well as Prelims, so aptitude practice matters for these posts beyond the first stage.
- check_circleRajbhasha Adhikari: the descriptive Professional Knowledge paper is in English and Hindi. Practise translation and drafting by writing, not by reading old questions.
Data interpretation and arithmetic in the exam style. No signup.
How the exam tests this
In SPL-XVI Prelims, Professional Knowledge gives two marks a question across 25 questions in 20 minutes, the heaviest marks in the paper. The trap is spending those 20 minutes on two hard questions. With one quarter of the marks lost for each wrong answer, skipping a question you are unsure of is often the better choice.
Each Prelims test has its own minimum. Candidates who prepare only their professional subject from old papers can fail English or Reasoning, which now also appear in Mains.
A past-paper routine that works without real papers
- 1
Read the current notification first
Note your post's tests, marks and minutes. Practise to that, not to an old paper's layout.
- 2
Map your degree subjects to Professional Knowledge
The notification gives no topic list for Professional Knowledge, so your degree's core subjects are your syllabus. List them and check which you have not revised.
- 3
Take timed tests at the new length
Do 25-question, 20-minute sets for Prelims and 50-question sets for Mains Professional Knowledge, scored with the quarter-mark penalty.
- 4
Use memory-based papers for topic feel only
Read a couple near the end of preparation to see which areas came up. Do not score or time yourself on them.
Leaked papers are a trap
IBPS does not release question papers, so a file sold as a leaked IBPS SO paper is a memory-based set or made up. The notification lists leaking, or helping to leak, a question paper or answer key among the unfair means that can end a candidature.
FAQs
Does IBPS release IBPS SO previous year question papers?expand_more
No. IBPS's FAQ says that as policy it does not provide the question paper, answer sheet or answer key. It publishes the notification and an Information Handout with each call letter.
Are old IBPS SO IT Officer papers still useful?expand_more
For topic coverage, yes. For format, no: SPL-XVI moved Professional Knowledge into Prelims and changed Mains to 50 Professional Knowledge questions plus English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and a descriptive paper.
Is there an official IBPS SO mock test?expand_more
IBPS makes a mock link available when it issues call letters. It shows the test interface, so you know how to answer and move between questions on screen.
Does IBPS publish an answer key for IBPS SO?expand_more
No. IBPS states it does not provide the answer key. You see your scores through your login when results are out.
Next steps
Take a full IBPS SO mock testPrelims plus your stream's Professional Knowledge paper.