IBPS SO 2026 Notification: Exam Date, Vacancy, Eligibility, Application Form, Syllabus & Cut Off

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the Specialist Officer (SO) examination every year to recruit eligible candidates for various specialist positions in participating Public Sector Banks. The IBPS SO 2026 recruitment will be conducted under CRP SPL-XVI and offers excellent career opportunities for candidates from IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, Marketing, and Language backgrounds.

As per the IBPS Calendar 2026-27, the IBPS SO 2026 Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 29 August 2026, while the Main Examination will be conducted on 01 November 2026. The detailed notification containing vacancy details, eligibility criteria, application process, and selection procedure is expected to be released on the official IBPS website.

IBPS SO 2026 Exam Overview

IBPS SO 2026 Important Dates

The official exam schedule has already been announced through the IBPS Calendar 2026-27.

Participating Banks

The following Public Sector Banks are expected to participate in the IBPS SO 2026 recruitment process:

1. Bank of Baroda
2. Bank of India
3. Bank of Maharashtra
4. Canara Bank
5. Central Bank of India
6. Indian Bank
7. Indian Overseas Bank
8. Punjab National Bank
9. Punjab & Sind Bank
10. UCO Bank
11. Union Bank of India

Vacancies are distributed among these banks based on their manpower requirements.

IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates must satisfy the prescribed nationality, age limit, and educational qualification requirements before applying.

Nationality

A candidate must be:

• Citizen of India, or
• Subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or
• Tibetan Refugee who migrated before 1 January 1962, or
• Person of Indian Origin migrated from specified countries.

Educational Qualification

Educational qualifications vary according to the post applied for.

IT Officer (Scale-I)

• Four-Year Engineering Degree in:
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Applications
  • Information Technology
  • Electronics & Telecommunications
  • Electronics & Communication
  • Electronics & Instrumentation

OR

• Postgraduate Degree in Computer Science/Computer Applications/IT.

Agricultural Field Officer (AFO)

Bachelor’s Degree in:

• Agriculture
• Horticulture
• Animal Husbandry
• Veterinary Science
• Dairy Science
• Fisheries
• Agricultural Engineering

Rajbhasha Adhikari

Master’s Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at graduation level.

OR

Master’s Degree in Sanskrit with Hindi and English as subjects.

Law Officer

Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) and enrolled as an advocate.

HR/Personnel Officer

Graduate with:

• Two-Year Full-Time PG Degree/Diploma in HR
• Personnel Management
• Industrial Relations

Marketing Officer

Graduate with:

• Two-Year Full-Time MBA
• PGDBM
• PGDM in Marketing

Age Limit

Candidates must have been born between the dates specified in the official notification.

Age Relaxation

IBPS SO Selection Process 2026

The recruitment process consists of three stages.

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination

Qualifying in nature.

Stage 2: Main Examination

Marks obtained are considered for final merit.

Stage 3: Interview

Conducted by participating banks and coordinated by IBPS.

Final Merit Calculation

Final Selection = Mains Score + Interview Score

Weightage:

• Mains Examination: 80%
• Interview: 20%

IBPS SO 2026 Notification PDF

The official notification PDF will be released on the IBPS website. The notification will contain:

• Vacancy details
• Eligibility criteria
• Reservation policy
• Exam pattern
• Syllabus
• Application process
• Important dates
• Salary details

Candidates should download and read the notification carefully before applying.

IBPS SO 2026 Vacancy Details

The official vacancy details have not yet been released by IBPS. Vacancies will be announced along with the detailed notification.

Expected posts include:

IBPS SO Vacancy (Previous Year)

The previous recruitment cycle witnessed vacancies across all specialist officer disciplines.

Exact figures may vary according to recruitment cycle.

IBPS SO Application Form 2026

The application process will be conducted online.

Steps to Apply

1. Visit the official IBPS website.
2. Click on “CRP Specialist Officers XVI”.
3. Register using email ID and mobile number.
4. Fill personal and educational details.
5. Upload photograph and signature.
6. Upload thumb impression and handwritten declaration.
7. Pay the application fee.
8. Submit the form.
9. Download the confirmation page.

Application Fee

IBPS SO Exam Pattern & Syllabus

Preliminary Exam Pattern

For IT Officer, AFO, HR Officer & Marketing Officer

For Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari

Main Examination Pattern

Duration: 45 Minutes

IBPS SO Syllabus 2026

English Language

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze Test
• Para Jumbles
• Error Detection
• Vocabulary
• Fill in the Blanks

Reasoning Ability

• Puzzles
• Seating Arrangement
• Syllogism
• Coding-Decoding
• Blood Relations
• Input-Output

Quantitative Aptitude

• Simplification
• Arithmetic
• Data Interpretation
• Number Series
• Profit & Loss
• Time & Work

General Awareness

• Banking Awareness
• Current Affairs
• Financial Awareness
• RBI Updates
• Government Schemes

Professional Knowledge

Questions are asked from the specific discipline selected by the candidate.

IBPS SO Previous Year’s Cut-Off Marks

Prelims Cut-Off (Previous Cycle)

IT Officer

Agricultural Field Officer

Marketing Officer

Actual cut-offs vary every year depending on vacancies, difficulty level, and candidate performance.

IBPS SO Salary 2026

The basic pay of an IBPS Specialist Officer Scale-I starts at approximately ₹48,480. After including DA, HRA, Special Allowance, and other benefits, the monthly gross salary generally ranges between ₹55,000 and ₹75,000 depending on the place of posting.

Additional benefits include:

• Medical Insurance
• Leave Travel Concession
• Pension Benefits
• Performance Incentives
• Newspaper Allowance
• Furniture Allowance

FAQs

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