IBPS SO 2026 Application Form OPEN at ibps.in: 745 Vacancies for CRP SPL‑XVI ‑ Post‑Wise Eligibility, IT Officer, Law, HR, Agriculture, Rajbhasha, Revised Exam Pattern, Apply by July 21
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has officially released the IBPS SO Notification 2026 for the Common Recruitment Process CRP SPL‑XVI and activated the online application form from today, July 1, 2026. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has released the IBPS SO Notification 2026 on 30 June 2026 for the recruitment of 745 Specialist Officer vacancies under CRP SPL‑XVI in participating Public Sector Banks. The online application process will be open from 1 July for posts including IT Officer, AFO, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari.
This is the 16th edition of the IBPS Specialist Officer recruitment. The Prelims and Mains Exam Pattern has been revised. The Prelims will be held on 29th August 2026, and the Mains is scheduled for 1st November 2026. The IBPS SO 2026 application window closes on July 21, 2026.
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| DetailInformation | |
| Notification Released | June 30, 2026 |
| Notification Number | CRP SPL‑XVI |
| Total Vacancies | 745 (Tentative) |
| Application Opens | July 1, 2026 |
| Application Closes | July 21, 2026 |
| Prelims Exam Date | August 29, 2026 |
| Mains Exam Date | November 1, 2026 |
| Interview | November‑December 2026 |
| Participating Banks | 11 Public Sector Banks |
| Official Website | ibps.in |
| Age Limit | 20 to 30 years as on July 1, 2026 |
| Exam Pattern | Revised for both Prelims and Mains |
IBPS SO 2026 Post‑Wise Vacancy Distribution
IBPS has announced a total of 745 Specialist Officer (Scale I) vacancies for recruitment in participating public sector banks. The maximum vacancies are available for the IT Officer post (301), followed by Agriculture Field Officer (190) and Law Officer (105).
| Post NameVacancies | |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 301 |
| Agriculture Field Officer (Scale I) | 190 |
| Law Officer (Scale I) | 105 |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | 60 |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | 60 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | 29 |
| Total | 745 |
IT Officer is the most sought‑after post in IBPS SO with the highest vacancy count of 301 this year. Agriculture Field Officer and Law Officer together account for nearly 40% of the remaining vacancies.
IBPS SO 2026 Participating Banks
Participating banks include Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India.
IBPS SO 2026 Post‑Wise Educational Qualification
Each Specialist Officer post requires a specific professional degree or qualification. Here is the post‑wise eligibility:
| PostEducational Qualification Required | |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | B.E./B.Tech in Computer Science/IT/Electronics, or Post Graduate in Computer Science/IT/MCA from a recognised university |
| Agriculture Field Officer (Scale I) | 4‑year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/Veterinary Science/Agricultural Engineering/Fishery Science/Pisciculture/Agri Marketing and Cooperation/Cooperation and Banking/Agro‑Forestry/Forestry/Agricultural Biotechnology/Food Science from recognised university |
| Law Officer (Scale I) | Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB) from a recognised university with a minimum of 50% marks; enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | Degree in any discipline with Post Graduate Degree or Diploma in Personnel Management/Industrial Relations/HR/HRD/Social Work/Labour Law from a recognised university |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | Graduate Degree in any discipline with MBA in Marketing or 2‑year full‑time Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from a recognised institution |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Post Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the degree level, or Post Graduate Degree in Sanskrit with Hindi and English as subjects at the degree level |
IBPS SO 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Nationality:
Candidates must be Indian citizens or qualify under IBPS nationality conditions similar to those prescribed for IBPS PO recruitment.
Age Limit:
The Minimum age required is 20 Years and the Maximum Age is 30 Years as on 01 July 2026. Age relaxation is applicable for SC/ST (5 years), OBC‑NCL (3 years), PwBD (10 years for General, 13 for OBC, 15 for SC/ST), and Ex‑Servicemen as per Government of India rules.
IBPS SO 2026 Application Fee
| CategoryApplication Fee | |
| General / EWS / OBC | Rs 850 (including intimation charges) |
| SC / ST / PwBD | Rs 175 (intimation charges only) |
Payment can be made through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, IMPS, UPI, or e‑Wallets.
How to Apply for IBPS SO 2026 at ibps.in
Candidates can follow these steps to complete the IBPS SO 2026 online application:
- Visit the official IBPS website at www.ibps.in
- On the homepage, click on the link titled "CRP SPL‑XVI" under the "Common Recruitment Process" or "Specialist Officers" section
- Click on "Apply Online"
- Click on "Click Here for New Registration"
- Fill in your Name, Phone Number, and Email ID (make sure all of these are valid). Once the registration process is over, a Unique Reg ID and Password will be sent via the same Email ID and phone number you just provided.
- Log in again using your Registration ID and Password
- Fill in the complete application form: Personal Details, Educational Qualification, Post Applied For, Category, and Exam Centre Preference
- Upload the scanned Photograph, Signature, and other required documents in the prescribed format and size
- Pay the application fee online
- Review all details carefully before submitting
- Submit the application form and download the confirmation page
- Take a printout of the confirmation for future reference
IBPS SO 2026 Selection Process
The IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026 consists of three stages: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Interview. The Preliminary Exam is qualifying in nature, while the marks obtained in the Main Exam and Interview are used for the final merit list.
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (August 29, 2026)
The Prelims for IBPS SO 2026 is qualifying in nature. Pattern for IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer:
| SectionQuestionsMarksTime | |||
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 110 minutes |
Pattern for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:
| SectionQuestionsMarksTime | |||
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 110 minutes |
Stage 2: Main Examination (November 1, 2026)
The Main Exam tests Professional Knowledge relevant to the specific Specialist Officer post:
| PostMain Exam Structure | |
| IT Officer | Professional Knowledge (IT) — 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes |
| Agriculture Field Officer | Professional Knowledge (Agriculture) — 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes |
| Law Officer | Professional Knowledge (Law) — 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes |
| HR/Personnel Officer | Professional Knowledge (HR) — 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes |
| Marketing Officer | Professional Knowledge (Marketing) — 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Professional Knowledge (Hindi language) — different pattern |
Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains.
Stage 3: Interview
After Mains, shortlisted candidates are called for a Personal Interview. The final merit is based on combined Mains + Interview performance in the ratio specified in the notification.
IBPS SO 2026 Salary Structure
The salary for IBPS SO Scale I posts follows the same pay scale as IBPS PO:
| ComponentDetails | |
| Starting Basic Pay | Rs 48,480 per month |
| Pay Scale | Rs 48,480 — 2000/7 — 62,480 — 2340/2 — 67,160 — 2680/7 — 85,920 |
| Approximate In‑Hand (Metro City) | Rs 73,000 to Rs 78,000 per month |
| Allowances | DA, HRA, Special Allowance, CCA, Medical Benefits |
IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus by Post
IT Officer: Computer Science fundamentals, Networking (OSI model, TCP/IP, protocols), Operating Systems, Data Structures and Algorithms, DBMS, Software Engineering, Programming languages (C, Java, Python), Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Fintech developments.
Agriculture Field Officer: Agronomy, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture Economics, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Government Agriculture Schemes (PM Kisan, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, eNAM), Agricultural Finance.
Law Officer: Indian Contract Act, Negotiable Instruments Act, Banking Regulation Act, RBI Act, Consumer Protection Act, Code of Civil Procedure, Evidence Act, Constitutional Law, Law of Torts, Banking laws.
HR/Personnel Officer: Industrial Relations, Labour Laws, Training and Development, Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management, Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, Provident Fund and ESIC provisions.
Marketing Officer: Marketing Management, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Management, Digital Marketing, Market Research, Sales Management, Banking Products and Services Marketing.
Rajbhasha Adhikari: Hindi language proficiency, Hindi Literature, Translation (Hindi to English and English to Hindi), Official Language policies, Rajbhasha guidelines and implementation.
IBPS SO 2026 Important Dates Summary
| EventDate | |
| Notification Released | June 30, 2026 |
| Online Application Opens | July 1, 2026 |
| Online Application Closes | July 21, 2026 |
| Prelims Admit Card | August 2026 |
| Prelims Examination | August 29, 2026 |
| Prelims Result | September to October 2026 |
| Mains Admit Card | October 2026 |
| Mains Examination | November 1, 2026 |
| Interview | November to December 2026 |
| Provisional Allotment | January 2027 |
IBPS SO vs IBPS PO: Which Is Right for You?
| FeatureIBPS POIBPS SO | ||
| Vacancies 2026 | 6,715 | 745 |
| Qualification | Any Graduation | Specific Professional Degree |
| Mains Exam | General Banking + Reasoning | Specialized Professional Knowledge |
| Career Growth | Generalist Banking Career | Specialist Domain Expert |
| Competition | Very High | Relatively Lower |
| Salary | Same Starting Pay | Same Starting Pay |
IBPS SO is ideal for candidates who hold professional degrees in IT, Law, Agriculture, HR, or Marketing and want to leverage their specialization in banking. IBPS PO is broader and suits general graduates who want a pan‑India banking career with diverse responsibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions on IBPS SO 2026
Q. When was the IBPS SO 2026 notification released?
The IBPS SO Notification 2026 was released on 30 June 2026 for the recruitment of 745 Specialist Officer vacancies under CRP SPL‑XVI.
Q. How many vacancies are there in IBPS SO 2026?
This year, 745 vacancies are announced for Specialist Officer posts across various participating public sector banks.
Q. Which post has the maximum vacancies in IBPS SO 2026?
The maximum vacancies are available for the IT Officer post (301), followed by Agriculture Field Officer (190) and Law Officer (105).
Q. What is the age limit for IBPS SO 2026?
The minimum age required is 20 years and the maximum age is 30 years as on July 1, 2026.
Q. When is the IBPS SO 2026 Prelims exam?
The Prelims will be held on 29th August 2026.
Q. When is the IBPS SO 2026 Mains exam?
The Mains exam is scheduled for 1st November 2026.
Q. Is the Prelims exam in IBPS SO qualifying?
The Preliminary Exam is qualifying in nature, while the marks obtained in the Main Exam and Interview are used for the final merit list.
Q. What is the application fee for IBPS SO 2026?
The application fee is Rs 850 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and Rs 175 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
For the official IBPS SO 2026 notification PDF, application form link, admit card, and exam schedule, keep visiting www.ibps.in.
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