According to the official IBPS Exam Calendar 2026 released by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), the IBPS SO 2026 Preliminary Exam is scheduled for 29 August 2026, followed by the Mains Exam on 1 November 2026. Aspiring candidates are eagerly anticipating the official notification, expected to be released in June 2026.
The IBPS SO recruitment process consists of three rigorous stages: the Preliminary Exam, the Mains Exam, and a Personal Interview. Key specialist roles included in this recruitment are outlined below:
- Agriculture Field Officer
- Marketing Officer (Scale I)
- HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)
- IT Officer (Scale I)
- Law Officer (Scale I)
- Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)
The IBPS SO examination is conducted annually to select qualified candidates for various Specialist Officer (SO) positions within participating Public Sector Banks. This article serves as your comprehensive guide to navigating the entire recruitment drive successfully.
IBPS SO 2026 Exam- Overview
| IBPS SO Recruitment 2026- Overview | |
| Organisation | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Cadre | Specialist Officer (SO) |
| Posts | Agriculture Field Officer (AFO), HR/Personnel, IT Officer, Law Officer, Marketing, Rajbhasha |
| Exam Level | National |
| Vacancy | To be Notified |
| Participating Banks | 11 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Registration Dates | June-July 2026 |
| IBPS SO Recruitment Process | Prelims, Main Exams, Interview |
| Education Qualification | Graduates or relevant degree |
| Age Limit | 20 years to 28 years |
| Application Fee | SC/ST/PWD- Rs.175 General and Others- Rs. 850 |
| IBPS Official Website | www.ibps.in |
Important Dates
The online registration process for IBPS SO 2026 will commence alongside the release of the official notification PDF. Important exam dates have already been announced by the IBPS board and are detailed below.
| Activity | Dates |
| IBPS SO Notification | June 2026 |
| Online Registration Starts | June 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | July 2026 |
| Last Date to Pay Fee | -- |
| Prelims Exam Date | 29th August 2026 |
| Mains Exam Date | 1st November 2026 |
IBPS SO 2026 Exam Dates Released
The authorities have unveiled the annual IBPS Exam Calendar 2026, confirming the schedule for the upcoming recruitment. The Preliminary Exam is set for 29th August 2026, while the Mains Exam will be conducted on 1st November 2026.
Participating Banks
A total of 11 public sector banks are participating in the 2026 IBPS SO recruitment process; the details of these institutions are provided below:
- 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
IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria
The IBPS SO eligibility criteria vary depending on the specific position. Candidates must meet three core parameters: citizenship, age limit, and educational qualification to qualify for the 2026 recruitment. While the age requirement is generally 20 to 30 years, specific educational qualifications are strictly post-dependent.
Citizenship Criteria
To be eligible for the exam, a candidate must be:
• A citizen of India
• A subject of Nepal
• A Tibetan refugee who migrated to India before 1st January 1962 with the intent to settle permanently
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya,
United Republic of Tanzania, Namibia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, or Vietnam.
Educational Qualification
IBPS SO recruits candidates for several specialized roles, including IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer.
| S No. | Name of the Post | Educational Qualification |
| 1. | I.T. Officer (Scale I) | 1)Four years engineering/Technology degree in Computer Science/IT/Computer Application/Electronics and Communication Engineering/Electronics and Telecommunication/ Electronics and Instrumentation OR 2) Post Graduate Degree in Computer Science/IT/Computer Application/Electronics and Communication Engineering/Electronics and Telecommunication/ Electronics and Instrumentation OR Graduates having passed DOEACC ‘B’ level exam |
| 2. | Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I) | 4 years graduation degree in agriculture/ Horticulture/ Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ dairy Science/ Agricultural engineering/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Agri Marketing and cooperation/ Co-Operation and Banking/ Agro-Forestry |
| 3. | Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Post Graduate in Hindi with English as a subject at the graduation or degree level OR Post Graduate Degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as a subject at graduation level |
| 4. | Law Office (Scale I) | A bachelor’s degree in Law and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council |
| 5. | HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | Graduate and Full Time Post Graduate Degree or Full time Diploma in Personnel Management/ Industrial Relation/ HR/ HRD/ Social Work/ Labour Law |
| 6. | Marketing Officer (Scale I) | Graduate and Full-Time MMS (Marketing)/ MBA (Marketing)/Full time PGDBA/ PGDBM with specialization in Marketing |
Age Limit
A candidate must be at least 20 years old to appear for the exam, with a maximum age limit of 30 years. Government-mandated age relaxations apply to reserved categories. Details regarding these relaxations are provided below.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) | 5 years |
| Other Backward Class (OBC) | 3 years |
| Person with Disability (PWD) | 10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 5 years |
| Person ordinarily domiciled in the Jammu and Kashmir province during the period 1.01.1980 and 31.12.1989 | 5 years |
| Person affected by the 1984 riots | 5 years |
Q. Can final-year students apply for IBPS SO 2026?
Ans. No. Candidates are required to have completed their prescribed educational qualifications by the application deadline to be considered eligible.Q. Is the Prelims score included in the final merit list?
Ans. No. The Preliminary stage is strictly qualifying in nature. The final selection is based solely on the combined scores of the Mains exam and the Interview.
IBPS PO Selection Process
The IBPS SO 2026 recruitment process is conducted in the following three distinct phases:
- Online Preliminary Exam
- Online Mains Exam
- Interview Process
Candidates must successfully clear both the Preliminary and Mains examinations to qualify for the interview round. Final appointment letters are issued to those who excel in all three stages.
IBPS SO 2026 Notification PDF
The comprehensive IBPS SO 2026 Notification PDF will be officially published by IBPS in June 2026 at www.ibps.in. All banking aspirants are strongly advised to thoroughly review the notification before submitting their applications.
IBPS SO 2026 Vacancy Details
The IBPS will announce specific vacancy counts for various roles alongside the official notification. These positions include Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I), IT Officer (Scale I), Law Officer (Scale I), and Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I). Please refer to the table below for last year's post-wise and category-wise vacancy data.
| IBPS SO Vacancy (Last Year) | ||||||
| Posts | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Vacancies |
| Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) | 46 | 23 | 82 | 13 | 128 | 310 |
| HR/Personnel | 01 | 00 | 02 | 01 | 06 | 10 |
| IT Officer | 30 | 14 | 53 | 20 | 86 | 203 |
| Law Officer | 07 | 03 | 14 | 05 | 27 | 56 |
| Marketing | 52 | 26 | 94 | 35 | 143 | 350 |
| Rajbhasha | 10 | 03 | 19 | 07 | 39 | 78 |
| Total | 146 | 69 | 264 | 81 | 429 | 1007 |
IBPS SO Application Form
The online application portal for the IBPS SO 2026 exam will open immediately following the release of the official notification on the official website, www.ibps.in. Eligible and interested candidates may submit their applications through the IBPS portal.
Application Fee
The application fee for the IBPS SO 2026 exam is Rs. 850/- for General and OBC category candidates. For candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PWD categories, the application fee is reduced to Rs. 175/-.
| Category | Application Fee |
| SC/ST/PWD | Rs.175/- (Intimation Charges only) |
| General and Others | Rs. 850/- (App. Fee including intimation charges) |
IBPS SO Exam Pattern & Syllabus
The preliminary examination acts as a qualifying hurdle for the Mains. Candidates must achieve the minimum cut-off marks in the Prelims to proceed to the next phase.
IBPS SO 2026 Prelims Exam Pattern
The IBPS SO preliminary exam follows two distinct patterns based on the chosen post. A mandatory sectional cut-off applies, requiring candidates to pass every section individually to qualify for the next stage.
For the posts of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer:
| Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | English | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
For the posts of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:
| Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | English | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
Check Detailed IBPS SO 2026 Mains Exam Pattern
Exam Syllabus
The IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus is tailored differently for Rajbhasha Adhikari and other specialist roles. It is highly recommended that all candidates study the distinct Preliminary and Mains syllabi provided to ensure a structured and effective preparation plan.
Beyond the core sections of English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning, candidates must demonstrate high proficiency in their specific area of professional expertise.
Explore the detailed subject-wise syllabus for the IBPS SO 2026 exam below:
| Reasoning Ability | English Language | Quantitative Aptitude | General Awareness |
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In addition to common aptitude subjects, candidates must have in-depth 'Professional Knowledge' related to their respective fields. The comprehensive syllabus breakdown is as follows:
| Posts | Syllabus |
| IT Officer (Scale-I) |
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| Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I) |
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| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) |
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| Law Officer (Scale-I) |
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| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) |
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Access IBPS SO Previous Year Question Papers Here
Last Year's Cut-Off Marks
The IBPS SO 2026 Cut-Off marks will be published following the conclusion of each examination stage. Preliminary cut-offs are released first, followed by Mains cut-offs. Reviewing these scores helps candidates gauge their performance and competitive standing.
Review the previous years' Prelims cut-off trends for the IBPS SO exam:
| IBPS SO Prelims Cut off 2025 | |||||||||
| Posts | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | HI | OC | VI | ID |
| I.T. OFFICER | 58.25 | 48.63 | 58.25 | 55 | 58.25 | 21.63 | 46.38 | 42.63 | 36.13 |
| AGRICULTURAL FIELD OFFICER | 50.13 | 45.63 | 50.13 | 50.13 | 50.13 | 25.88 | 37.75 | 39.63 | 23.88 |
| HR/PERSONNEL | 62.63 | 62.63 | 62.63 | 62.63 | 62.63 | 31.38 | 19.75 | 25.13 | NA |
| MARKETING OFFICER | 21.75 | 17.25 | 18.13 | 27.63 | 27.63 | 21.75 | 20.50 | 23.38 | 35.18 |
| RAJBHASHA ADHIKARI | 16.63 | 11 | 16.63 | 16.63 | 16.63 | 25.75 | 18.88 | 42.25 | 13.75 |
| LAW OFFICER | 42.63 | 34.75 | 43.25 | 44.63 | 46.88 | 20.25 | 25 | 23.13 | 23 |
Click Here for IBPS SO Previous Year Cut-Off Analysis
FAQs
The official IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) 2026 notification is scheduled for release in June 2026.
The selection process comprises three phases: an Online Preliminary Exam, an Online Mains Exam, and a final Interview round.
The Preliminary exam is set for 29th August 2026, and the Mains exam for 1st November 2026.
IBPS SO is a national-level competitive exam used to recruit specialists in areas such as IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, Marketing, and Rajbhasha across 11 participating public sector banks.
The 2026 vacancy details are pending. For reference, the previous recruitment drive featured 1,007 total vacancies.
The final merit list is determined by combining scores from the Mains exam and the Interview. The Preliminary score is not calculated in the final merit.
Also Read:
- IBPS SO Interview Call Letter 2025 Out: Download Phase 3 Admit Card Link
- IBPS SO 2026 Application Form: Online Registration & Guidelines
- IBPS SO Final Cut Off 2025: Category-Wise Marks for All Streams
- IBPS SO Previous Year Question Papers PDF: Download With Solutions
- IBPS SO Final Result 2025 Declared: Direct Link at ibps.in
- IBPS SO Final Score Card 2025 Released: Download Phase 3 Marks & Scores
- IBPS SO Syllabus 2026 & Exam Pattern: Prelims and Mains Detailed Guide