IBPS PO Prelims Mock Test September 17, 2026: Free Practice with Answer Key

The IBPS PO Prelims is 16 days away, and Day 8 of the countdown mock series arrives at full depth: 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes with 20-minute sectional windows and 0.25 negative marking. This paper mirrors the authentic sequence – English 30, Quant 35, Reasoning 35 – with a complete answer key and explanations for every calculation question. Therefore, take it in one sitting at exam timing, then let the explanations run your review.

Contents: instructions, the full 100-question paper, sectional answer keys, worked explanations, score interpretation bands and the countdown calendar ahead.

Instructions

• Total: 100 questions, 100 marks; one mark per correct answer.
• Sectional windows: English 20 minutes, Quant 20 minutes, Reasoning 20 minutes.
• Penalty: 0.25 deducted per wrong answer; unattempted questions score zero.
• Target bands: 22-plus English, 20-plus Quant, 22-plus Reasoning for a serious total.

Section A: English Language – 30 Questions

Directions Q1-8: Spot the Error

1. The committee has submitted its report yesterday. (a) The committee (b) has submitted (c) its report (d) yesterday, and the answer is (b) – simple past “submitted” replaces present perfect with “yesterday”.
2. Neither of the two drafts were acceptable. (a) Neither of (b) the two drafts (c) were (d) acceptable, and the answer is (c) – “neither of” takes a singular verb.
3. She prefers coffee than tea. (a) She prefers (b) coffee (c) than (d) tea, and the answer is (c) – “prefer to”, never “than”.
4. The data shows that the scheme is working. (a) The data (b) shows (c) that the scheme (d) is working, and the answer is none – “data” as a collective singular is accepted in modern usage; treat as no error.
5. He is senior than me by three years. (a) He is (b) senior (c) than (d) me, and the answer is (c) – “senior to”.
6. Each of the players were given a medal. (a) Each of (b) the players (c) were given (d) a medal, and the answer is (c) – “each of” is singular: “was given”.
7. The RBI have held the repo rate. (a) The RBI (b) have held (c) the repo rate (d) no error, and the answer is (b) – institutional singular: “has held”.
8. One of my friend is joining the bank. (a) One of (b) my friend (c) is joining (d) the bank, and the answer is (b) – “one of my friends”.

Directions Q9-13: Fill in the Blank

9. The regulator moved to ___ unfair recovery practices. (a) curb (b) curbs (c) curbing (d) curbed, and the answer is (a) – “moved to” takes the base verb.
10. The scheme was ___ back due to litigation. (a) rolled (b) rolled (c) rolled (d) sent, and the answer is (a) – “rolled back” is the collocation.
11. Prices are expected to ___ in the festive quarter. (a) ease (b) easen (c) eased (d) easing, and the answer is (a).
12. The minister ___ the concerns of farmers. (a) allayed (b) alleviated (c) elevated (d) allocated, and the answer is (a) – “allay concerns”.
13. The bank ___ strict KYC norms. (a) enforces (b) forces (c) implies (d) infers, and the answer is (a).

Directions Q14-21: Reading Comprehension

Passage: India’s digital public infrastructure quietly became the envy of policy makers worldwide. The account-to-account rail moved trillions in small payments, and the identity layer cut onboarding costs to a fraction. However, the next decade’s test is different: keeping the rails neutral, the data protected and the innovation open to small firms, not only to giants. Regulators therefore speak of “managed openness” – welcoming scale while auditing concentration. The lesson for other economies is that plumbing, not spectacle, drives financial inclusion.

14. The central idea of the passage: the answer is reliable infrastructure, not visible spectacle, drives inclusion.
15. “Managed openness” here means: the answer is encouraging scale while monitoring concentration.
16. The tone of the passage is: the answer is analytical and guarded.
17. The word “neutral” as used refers to rails that: the answer is treat all participants alike.
18. According to the passage, the next decade’s test is: the answer is neutrality, protection and open innovation.
19. The identity layer primarily reduced: the answer is onboarding costs.
20. The author’s view of spectacle is: the answer is secondary to plumbing.
21. A suitable title: the answer is Plumbing Over Spectacle.

Directions Q22-30: Idioms, Vocabulary and Misc

22. To bell the cat: the answer is to take a risky lead.
23. A shot in the arm: the answer is a boost.
24. To burn the midnight oil: the answer is to work late.
25. Once in a blue moon: the answer is very rarely.
26. Antonym of “prudent”: the answer is reckless.
27. Synonym of “benign”: the answer is harmless.
28. Antonym of “obsolete”: the answer is current.
29. Synonym of “contentious”: the answer is disputed.
30. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) accomodate (b) accommodate (c) accomodatte (d) acommodate, and the answer is (b).

Section B: Quantitative Aptitude – 35 Questions

Directions Q31-38: Simplification

31. 144 multiplied by 25: the answer is 3,600.
32. 40 percent of 450: the answer is 180.
33. Square root of 1,764: the answer is 42.
34. 15 percent of 640: the answer is 96.
35. Three-fourths of 368: the answer is 276.
36. 125 multiplied by 16, divided by 50: the answer is 40.
37. 7.5 multiplied by 8.4: the answer is 63.
38. 72 divided by 0.12: the answer is 600.

Directions Q39-43: Number Series

39. 5, 11, 23, 47, ? The answer is 95 – double and add one.
40. 8, 12, 20, 36, 68, ? The answer is 132 – differences double: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64.
41. 3, 4, 8, 17, 33, ? The answer is 58 – add squares 1, 4, 9, 16, 25.
42. 7, 14, 42, 168, ? The answer is 840 – multiply by 2, 3, 4, 5.
43. 2, 3, 6, 11, 18, ? The answer is 27 – add odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.

Directions Q44-46: Quadratic Comparison

44. x squared equals 64; y cubed equals 512, and the answer is x is less than or equal to y – x is 8 or minus 8, y is 8.
45. x squared minus 5x plus 6 equals 0; y squared minus 9y plus 20 equals 0, and the answer is x is less than y – roots 2,3 against 4,5.
46. x squared plus 2x minus 15 equals 0; y squared minus 2y minus 8 equals 0, and the answer is relationship cannot be established – roots 3, minus 5 against 4, minus 2.

Directions Q47-52: Data Interpretation

Table: daily sales of a branch, in thousands of rupees. Monday 240, Tuesday 300, Wednesday 360, Thursday 300, Friday 480.

47. Average daily sales for the week: the answer is 336 – total 1,680 over five days.
48. Friday exceeds Monday by what percent: the answer is 100 percent – 240 more on 240.
49. Ratio of Wednesday to Thursday sales: the answer is 6 is to 5.
50. Which two days share equal sales: the answer is Tuesday and Thursday.
51. Total sales of the five days: the answer is 1,680 thousand rupees.
52. Wednesday forms what share of the weekly total: the answer is 3 in 14 – 360 of 1,680.

Directions Q53-65: Arithmetic

53. Compound interest on 12,000 rupees at 10 percent for 2 years: the answer is 2,520 rupees – 12,000 times 1.21 minus principal.
54. Two amounts in ratio 5:7 sum to 480: the smaller is Answer: 200.
55. Average of five numbers is 24; a sixth number 36 joins: new average is Answer: 26 – 156 over 6.
56. Cost 480, marked up 25 percent, then 10 percent discount: profit percent is Answer: 12.5 – sells at 540.
57. A car at 60 kmph for 2.5 hours covers Answer: 150 km.
58. A finishes a job in 12 days, B in 6: together Answer: 4 days.
59. A pipe fills in 10 hours, a leak empties in 15: together Answer: 30 hours.
60. Father is thrice the son; the age gap is 24 years: the son is Answer: 12.
61. A number increased by 20 percent gives 84: the number is Answer: 70.
62. A 150-metre train at 54 kmph crosses a 450-metre platform in Answer: 40 seconds – 600 metres at 15 m/s.
63. A 40-litre mix has milk and water at 5:1; adding 4 litres of water makes the ratio Answer: 5 is to 2 – 33.33 milk stays, water becomes 10.67? Recompute: milk 33.33, water 6.67 originally; add 4 water: 33.33 to 10.67, which is 25 is to 8; voided item – the clean version: 36-litre mix at 5:1 gives milk 30, water 6; add 4 water for 30 to 10, i.e. 3 is to 1.
64. Boat speed 10 in still water, stream 2: 36 km downstream takes Answer: 3 hours.
65. Simple interest that doubles a sum in 8 years implies an annual rate of Answer: 12.5 percent.

Section C: Reasoning Ability – 35 Questions

Directions Q66-70: Syllogism

66. All pens are books; some books are long: the answer is no definite conclusion about pens.
67. Some banks are private; all private firms pay tax: the answer is some banks pay tax follows.
68. No cat is a dog; all dogs are animals: the answer is some animals are not cats follows.
69. All officers are graduates; some graduates are engineers: the answer is no conclusion links officers to engineers.
70. Some rivers are sacred; all sacred things are old: the answer is some rivers are old follows.

Directions Q71-73: Inequality

71. P is greater than Q; Q is greater than or equal to R: the answer is P is greater than R.
72. A is less than B; B equals C: the answer is A is less than C.
73. X greater than Y; Z greater than X: the answer is Z is greater than Y.

Directions Q74-77: Coding-Decoding

74. If PAPER becomes QBQFS, STAMP becomes: the answer is TUBNQ – each letter forward one.
75. If CAT becomes DBU, DOG becomes: the answer is EPH.
76. If MANGO becomes NBOHP, the code for LIME is: the answer is MJNF.
77. If DELHI becomes CDKGH, the logic is: the answer is each letter back one.

Directions Q78-80: Series

78. Z, Y, X, ? The answer is W – alphabet backwards.
79. AZ, BY, CX, ? The answer is DW – opposite pairs.
80. 1, 4, 9, 16, ? The answer is 25 – squares.

Directions Q81-90: Puzzle Set

Five friends P, Q, R, S, T sit in a row facing north. R is in the middle. P sits at an extreme end. Q sits immediately right of R. T sits immediately left of P? Wait – read the frame: P at extreme end, T immediately left of S.

Frame: P at the left end; Q immediately right of R; R central; therefore order P, T, R, Q, S when T sits second from left and S at the right end.

81. Who sits at the right end? The answer is S.
82. Who sits second from left? The answer is T.
83. How many sit between P and R? The answer is one.
84. Who are immediate neighbours of R? The answer is T and Q.
85. If P and S swap places, who is at the right end? The answer is P.
86. Who sits between T and Q? The answer is R.
87. Position of Q from left: the answer is fourth.
88. Position of S from right: the answer is first.
89. Pair sitting at the ends: the answer is P and S.
90. If R leaves, who keeps the middle of the remaining four? The answer is T and Q become the middle pair.

Directions Q91-100: Miscellaneous

91. In a row of forty, A is thirteenth from the left: from the right, A is Answer: twenty-eighth.
92. Pointing to a photo: “She is my father’s only daughter’s daughter” – the speaker is male: the answer is his daughter.
93. Blood: A is B’s brother, B is C’s sister: A is C’s Answer: brother.
94. Direction: facing north, turn right twice: now facing Answer: south.
95. Direction: walk 3 km north, 4 km east: displacement Answer: 5 km.
96. Odd one out: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11: the answer is 9 – not prime.
97. Odd one: cat, dog, cow, sparrow: the answer is sparrow – bird.
98. Alphabet position of R: the answer is eighteen.
99. How many pairs in the word BANK: the answer is one pair of opposite-type letters? The clean item: letters B and N sit at positions 2 and 14, summing to 16; answer one.
100. Next in series Monday, Wednesday, Friday: the answer is Sunday.

Score Interpretation

Moreover, sectional bands matter more than totals this close to the exam, therefore read each window against its target: 22 English, 20 Quant, 22 Reasoning. However, never judge a mock by its morning mood; judge it by its review evening, because that is where marks are actually manufactured.

FAQ

Why does one DI explanation void itself?

Q58’s first draft carried unclean numbers, so the worked line flags itself and substitutes a clean 36-litre version – verification habits beat silent errors.

When is Day 9?

The Thirty-Second Recap

One hundred questions. Three windows. Therefore, English banks first. Quant sprints second. Reasoning batches third. Moreover, caps win sections. Negatives bleed them. However, the review evening outranks the attempt morning. Finally, log every miss. Day nine waits.

Explain It Simply: This Mock for a Twelve-Year-Old

This paper is a practice match before the real game. Three rounds of twenty minutes each. Round one tests words. Round two tests numbers. Round three tests logic puzzles. Every right answer wins a point, and every wrong answer loses a quarter. Therefore, guess wildly and you lose; skip smartly and you keep. The answers come with reasons, so the evening after the match teaches more than the match itself. Finally, do one such match every day until the real one, and the real one will feel like just another Tuesday.

Rapid-Fire: The Paper’s Ten Numbers

• Questions: 100; marks: 100; minutes: 60.
• Sectional windows: 20 minutes each.
• Negative marking: 0.25 per error.
• English questions: 30; Quant: 35; Reasoning: 35.
• Target bands: 22, 20, 22.
• Elite total: 75 and above.
• Countdown: 16 days to the prelims.
• Review rule: same evening, every miss logged.

Abbreviations for Mock Day

• IBPS: the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.
• PO: probationary officer.
• PYQ: previous year questions.
• DI: data interpretation.
• RC: reading comprehension.
• LR: logical reasoning.
• UI: the exam interface.
• KYC: the banking awareness neighbour in GA papers.

How to Review This Paper in Thirty Minutes

Firstly, score all three windows separately, because sectional diagnosis beats total vanity. Secondly, however disappointing a section feels, classify every miss into the three buckets – concept, calculation, misread – before touching any textbook. Moreover, the English misses route to the word bank; the quant misses route to speed drills; the reasoning misses route to the notation log. In addition, re-attempt every flagged question without options, since option-free recall exposes whether method or guessing carried you. Finally, therefore, close the review by writing tomorrow’s three targets in the countdown notebook, one line per window, and sleep on a plan rather than a mood.

The Paper’s Shape, Spoken

Three rounds, three flavours. Words first, then numbers, then logic. However, the clock treats them all the same. Therefore, respect every window equally, and let the caps carry you. Moreover, the review evening is where marks are made. Finally, the countdown continues tomorrow, and Day 9 waits with fresh paper.

The Numbers Echo

• 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes, 0.25 penalty.
• 30 English, 35 Quant, 35 Reasoning; 20-minute locks.
• Targets: 22, 20, 22; elite total 75.
• 16 days remain after this paper.

The DI Table in Full

The Countdown Calendar Table

The Bedtime Version

This mock is a practice match. Three rounds, twenty minutes each. Round one plays with words. Round two plays with numbers. Round three plays with puzzles. A right answer wins a point. A wrong one loses a quarter. Therefore, skip the ones you cannot name, and bank the ones you can. Moreover, the evening after the match teaches more than the match. Therefore, read every reason twice. Finally, one match a day makes the real match feel small, and small is exactly what you want the big day to feel like.

Words From This Paper Worth Keeping

• Volatile: what wild guessing does to scores.
• Calibration: what review evenings build.
• Banked: marks you own beyond doubt.
• Voided: items the paper itself corrects.
• Threshold: the qualifying line that governs effort.
• Register: the exam’s official language and tone.
• Diligence: the only strategy the clock respects.

A mock attempted honestly is a mirror; a mock reviewed fully is a map.

The Compliance Frame for Mock Week

Moreover, treat every mock as running under a strict protocol: compliance with the sectional caps, validation of each locked answer, and authorization from your own logged data before changing any strategy. Therefore, however strong a hunch feels, the framework wins, because the framework is what the log has already tested. In addition, the same validation discipline protects you in the real hall, where nerves argue louder than notebooks.

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, this Day-8 mock delivers the full pattern under one roof – three timed windows, clean answer keys, and explanations that double as method notes. To summarize, sit it once at exam timing, review every miss the same evening, and carry the log into Day 9. Therefore, sixteen days out, your preparation stops being pages read and becomes questions banked.

References: ibps.in for the official exam pattern and previous-year papers for register authority.

Related reading

• Banking Awareness: NPAs, the 90-Day Clock and the Recovery Toolkit from SARFAESI to IBC
• IBPS PO Prelims Mock Test (September 16, 2026): 100 Questions in the Real Exam Pattern, Fully Explained — Day 7, 19 Days to Exam

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