IBPS SO 2026
Dates, post-wise vacancies, the new exam pattern, pay and eligibility for IBPS SO 2026 (CRP SPL-XVI), taken from the official IBPS notification and notices.
Overview
IBPS SO recruits specialist officers (Scale I) for 11 public sector banks through one common process — online prelims, online mains and a common interview. Each candidate applies for only one of six posts.
| Banks | Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India |
| Application window | 1 – 21 Jul 2026 |
| Prelims | 29 Aug 2026 (calendar) |
| Mains | 1 Nov 2026 (calendar, tentative) |
| Starting basic pay | ₹48,480 (Scale I, up to ₹85,920) |
Latest updates
- 01 Jul: IBPS SO 2026 (CRP SPL-XVI) notification released for six Scale I specialist posts with <strong>745</strong> indicative vacancies.
- 20 Jul: Corrigendum raised the indicative vacancies to <strong>1,035</strong>; registration and fee payment closed on 21 July.
- 27 Aug: Second vacancy update: indicative vacancies now <strong>1,043</strong> (Rajbhasha Adhikari 94 → 102).
- 29 Aug: Online preliminary exam date as per the IBPS tentative calendar 2026-27.
- Next: Prelims result is due in September/October 2026; the Main exam is scheduled for <strong>1 November 2026</strong> in the IBPS calendar (tentative).
General awareness is part of this exam, so keep up with our daily current affairs.
Exam at a glance
- Conducting authority
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
- Exam level
- National
- Vacancies
- IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer,…
- Application fee
- ₹850 (general) · ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD (incl. GST)
- Age limit
- 20 – 30 years (born 2 Jul 1996 – 1 Jul 2006)
- Qualification
- Post-specific degree, age 20–30 (as on 1 Jul 2026)
Important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification & registration open | |
| Registration & fee payment close (Followed by a 2-day edit window (₹200)) | |
| Online preliminary exam (As per IBPS calendar 2026-27) | |
| Prelims result (Tentative; not yet posted on the CRP SPL-XVI page as of 12 Oct) | Sep – Oct 2026Tentative |
| Online main exam (As per IBPS calendar 2026-27 (tentative)) | Tentative |
| Mains result (Tentative) | Nov 2026Tentative |
| Interview (Tentative) | Nov – Dec 2026Tentative |
| Provisional allotment to banks (Tentative) | Jan 2027Tentative |
Syllabus
English Language
- Prelims: 25 Q, 20 min (English medium only)
- Mains: 30 Q, 25 min (qualifying)
Reasoning
- Prelims: 25 Q, 20 min
- Mains: 40 Q, 35 min (qualifying)
Quantitative Aptitude
- Prelims: 25 Q, 20 min
- Mains: 30 Q, 25 min (qualifying)
General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry
- Prelims: 25 Q, 20 min
- Mains: 30 Q, 20 min (qualifying)
Professional Knowledge
- Prelims: 25 Q / 50 marks, 20 min
- Mains (objective): 50 Q / 100 marks — 40 min (IT, AFO, HR, Marketing) or 45 min (Law, Rajbhasha)
- Subject matter follows the post: IT, agriculture, Hindi/official language, law, HR/personnel or marketing
Descriptive Paper
- 2 questions, 25 marks, 30 min
- English descriptive paper for IT, AFO, HR, Marketing and Law
- Professional Knowledge descriptive (English & Hindi) for Rajbhasha Adhikari
IBPS SO 2026 exam pattern
New pattern for 2026: prelims and mains each have four objective tests, plus a descriptive paper in mains. Mains tests other than Professional Knowledge are qualifying; merit is on Professional Knowledge. Final merit = Mains 80 : Interview 20.
Prelims – IT, AFO, HR, Marketing
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 |
| Reasoning | 25 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 125 |
- Duration <b>80 min (20 min per test)</b>
- Negative marking <b>−¼ of the question's marks</b>
- Qualifying <b>Cut-off in each of the 4 tests</b>
Prelims – Law, Rajbhasha
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 |
| Reasoning | 25 | 25 |
| General Awareness (Banking Industry) | 25 | 25 |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 125 |
- Duration <b>80 min (20 min per test)</b>
- Negative marking <b>−¼ of the question's marks</b>
- Qualifying <b>Cut-off in each of the 4 tests</b>
Mains – IT, AFO, HR, Marketing
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 |
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 50 | 100 |
| Descriptive Paper (English) | 2 | 25 |
| Total | 152 | 225 |
- Objective <b>125 min (25 + 35 + 25 + 40)</b>
- Descriptive <b>30 min</b>
- Interview <b>100 marks · 80:20 weightage</b>
Mains – Law, Rajbhasha
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 |
| General Awareness (Banking Industry) | 30 | 30 |
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 50 | 100 |
| Descriptive — Law: English paper; Rajbhasha: Professional Knowledge (English & Hindi) | 2 | 25 |
| Total | 152 | 225 |
- Objective <b>125 min (25 + 35 + 20 + 45)</b>
- Descriptive <b>30 min</b>
- Interview <b>100 marks · 80:20 weightage</b>
IBPS SO 2026 eligibility
| Age limit | 20 – 30 years (born 2 Jul 1996 – 1 Jul 2006) |
| Age reference date | 1 July 2026 |
| Relaxation | SC/ST +5 · OBC (NCL) +3 · PwBD +10 · ex-servicemen / commissioned officers incl. ECOs/SSCOs +5 |
| IT Officer | 4-year B.E./B.Tech in CS/CA/IT/Electronics/E&TC/E&C/E&I, or PG in those subjects, or graduate with DOEACC 'B' level |
| Agricultural Field Officer | 4-year degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Dairy, Fishery, Agri. Engineering or other listed fields |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | PG in Hindi with English at graduation, or PG in Sanskrit with English and Hindi at graduation |
| Law Officer | LL.B and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council |
| HR/Personnel Officer | Graduate + 2-year full-time PG degree/diploma in Personnel Management, IR, HR, HRD, Social Work or Labour Law |
| Marketing Officer | Graduate + 2-year full-time MMS/MBA (Marketing) or PGDBA/PGDBM/PGPM/PGDM with Marketing specialisation |
| Qualification date | Result declared on or before 21 July 2026; no equivalent qualifications accepted |
| One post only | Candidates can apply for only one post; multiple applications are rejected |
| Application fee | ₹850 (general) · ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD (incl. GST) |
| Interview qualifying | 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD) |
IBPS SO 2026 vacancies
Indicative vacancies for 2027-28 (updated 27 Aug 2026): IT Officer 376 · Agricultural Field Officer 370 · Law Officer 125 · Rajbhasha Adhikari 102 · HR/Personnel Officer 60 · Marketing Officer 10. By category: UR 445 · OBC 276 · SC 152 · EWS 96 · ST 74. Union Bank of India has not reported vacancies.
| Year | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| '25 | 1,007 |
| '26 | 1,043 |
2026 = CRP SPL-XVI updated Annexure I as on 27.08.2026 (sum of the six post-wise tables; IBPS prints no grand total). The 1 Jul 2026 notification listed 745 and the 20 Jul update 1,035. 2025 = CRP SPL-XV notification (indicative), sum of post-wise totals. Allotment depends on the actual vacancies banks report.
IBPS SO salary by pay level
Scale I pay as given in the notification, plus allowances and perquisites as per the rules of the participating bank.
| Pay level | Pay scale | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Scale I | ₹48,480 – ₹85,920 (basic) | IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer |
Frequently asked questions
When is the IBPS SO 2026 Mains exam?
The IBPS tentative calendar 2026-27 lists the Specialist Officers Main exam on <strong>1 November 2026</strong>. The notification says the Mains result is due in November 2026 and interviews in November–December 2026.
How many vacancies are there in IBPS SO 2026?
<strong>1,043</strong> indicative vacancies (updated 27 Aug 2026): IT Officer 376, Agricultural Field Officer 370, Law Officer 125, Rajbhasha Adhikari 102, HR/Personnel Officer 60 and Marketing Officer 10. Allotment depends on actual vacancies reported by banks.
Has the IBPS SO exam pattern changed in 2026?
Yes. Prelims now has four tests including Professional Knowledge (100 Q, 125 marks, 80 min), and Mains has four objective tests (150 Q, 200 marks) plus a 25-mark descriptive paper. In 2025 Mains tested Professional Knowledge only.
What is the IBPS SO age limit?
20 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026 (born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2006). SC/ST get 5 years of relaxation, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years and PwBD 10 years.
Can I apply for more than one IBPS SO post?
No. A candidate can apply for only one of the six posts; multiple applications are summarily rejected.
Is there negative marking in IBPS SO?
Yes. One-fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests of both prelims and mains. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
What is the IBPS SO salary?
All six posts are Scale I with a basic pay scale of ₹48,480–₹85,920, plus allowances and perquisites as per the rules of the bank you join.
Important links
- IBPS official websiteOfficial
- Official notice: Detailed-Notification-CRP-SPL-XVI Final V1 30.06.2026Official
- Official notice: PO SPL Combined Window CRP-XVIOfficial
- Official notice: Corrigendum-CRP-SPL-XVI Vacancy Update 20.07.2026Official
- Official notice: Annexure-I Updated As-on-20.07.2026Official
- Official notice: Notice-clarification-for-PwDOfficial
- Official notice: SPL Annexure-I Updated As-on-25.08.2026Official
- Official notice: Corrigendum-CRP-SPL-XVI Vacancy Update2Official
- Official notice: Detailed-Notification-CRP-SPL-XV 15.7.25Official
- Official notice: IBPS CALENDAR 2026-27 finalOfficial
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