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IBPS SO 2026 Notification, Exam Date, Online Form

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The IBPS SO examination is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit eligible candidates for Specialist Officer (SO) posts in the participating Public Sector Banks. The IBPS SO 2026 Notification will be released in June 2026 at www.ibps.in.  The selection process for the IBPS SO exam comprises the prelims, mains, and Interview. Candidates can refer to the article for details information regarding the recruitment drive. The posts under the Specialist Officer posts are mentioned below:

  1. Agriculture Field Officer
  2. Marketing Officer (Scale I)
  3. HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)
  4. IT Officer (Scale I)
  5. Law Officer (Scale I)
  6. Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)

IBPS SO Notification 2026 

The detailed IBPS SO Notification 2026 will be released by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) in June 2026 at its official website, i.e., www.ibps.in. The banking aspirants who wish to apply for IBPS SO Vacancy can go through the last year's notification PDF to ensure their eligibility and know other details. 

IBPS SO Notification PDF (Last Year)- Click to Download 

IBPS SO 2026- Summary

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection provides a good opportunity for graduate candidates willing to join the banking sector in the role of Specialist Officer (SO). The selection process for the IBPS SO 2026 exam comprises the Prelims, Mains, and Interviews. The candidates who qualify for the online examinations will be further considered for the final interview process. The aspirants interested in the exam must be familiar with the IBPS SO details, which are mentioned below.

IBPS SO Recruitment 2026- Overview
OrganisationInstitute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
CadreSpecialist Officer (SO)
PostsAgriculture Field Officer (AFO), HR/Personnel, IT Officer, Law Officer, Marketing, Rajbhasha
Exam LevelNational
VacancyTo be Notified
Participating Banks11
Mode of ApplicationOnline
Registration DatesTo be Announced
IBPS SO Recruitment ProcessPrelims, Main Exams, Interview
Education QualificationGraduates or relevant degree
Age Limit20 years to 28 years
Application FeeSC/ST/PWD- Rs.175
General and Others- Rs. 850
IBPS Official Websitewww.ibps.in

IBPS SO 2026- Important Dates

The online registration scheduled for IBPS SO 2026 will be released by IBPS along with the IBPS SO Notification 2026. As the notification will be released, the important dates for the IBPS SO Exam 2026 will also be updated here.

IBPS SO 2026- Important Dates
ActivityDates
IBPS SO Notification 2026June 2026
Online Registration Starts--
Last Date to Apply Online --
Last Date to Pay Fee--

IBPS SO Vacancy 2026

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) will announce the vacancies for the recruitment of Specialist Officer posts along with the notification. Under the SO posts, candidates will be recruited for 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) posts/. Check Category-wise and post-wise IBPS SO Vacancy released last year from the table below. 

IBPS SO Vacancy (Last Year)
PostsSCSTOBCEWSURVacancies
Agriculture Field Officer (AFO)46238213128310
HR/Personnel010002010610
IT Officer3014532086203
Law Officer070314052756
Marketing52269435143350
Rajbhasha100319073978
Total 14669264814291007
IBPS SO Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Bank of Maharashtra120621083380
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Indian Overseas Bank120621083380
Punjab National Bank2111401562150
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total46238231128310
IBPS SO HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Bank of Baroda01--02010610
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total01--02010610
IBPS SO Law Officer Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Bank of Maharashtra040208031330
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Central Bank of India030106021325
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total070314052756
IBPS SO IT Officer (Scale I) Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Bank of India--------0303
Bank of Maharashtra120621083380
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Indian Overseas Bank030105020920
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab National Bank1507271041100
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total3014532086203
IBPS SO Marketing Officer (Scale I) Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab National Bank52269435143350
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total52269435143350
IBPS SO Rajbhasa Adhikari (Scale I) Vacancy (Last Year)
Participating BanksSCSTOBCEWSGeneralTotal
Bank of Baroda030106021123
Bank of India----01----01
Bank of Maharashtra01--02010610
Canara BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Central Bank of India030105020920
Indian Overseas Bank020103010714
Indian BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab & Sind BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Punjab National Bank01--02010610
UCO BankNRNRNRNRNRNR
Union Bank of IndiaNRNRNRNRNRNR
Total3014532086203

IBPS SO 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The IBPS SO eligibility criteria are different for recruiting candidates to different positions for which the candidates are selected through IBPS SO 2026 Exam. There are three parameters (citizenship, age limit, and educational qualification) that a candidate needs to fulfil to be eligible for IBPS SO Recruitment 2026.

The Citizenship Criteria for a candidate to be eligible for IBPS SO 2026 exam is discussed below:

Citizenship Criteria• A resident of India
• A subject of Nepal
• Tibetan refugees who came to India before 1st January 1962 and have planned to settle in India permanently
• A subject of Indian Origin migrated from Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, 
United Republic of Tanzania, Namibia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Vietnam

IBPS SO Educational Qualifications

IBPS SO recruits candidates for various posts like that of I.T. Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer etc. 

S No.Name of the PostEducational 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

IBPS SO Age Limit

A candidate is required to be a minimum of 20 years old to be eligible for the IBPS SO exam. The maximum age limit is 30 years. Candidates belonging to reserved categories are given age relaxation by the Government of India. The category-wise age relaxation given to candidates for the post of IBPS SO is discussed below:

S NoCategoryAge Relaxation
1.Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST)5 years
2.Other Backward Class (OBC)3 years
3.Person with Disability (PWD)10 years
4.Ex-Servicemen/Commissioned Officers including ECOS (Emergency Commissioned Officers)/ SSCOs (Short Service Commissioned Officers) who have rendered at least 5 years military service and have been released on completion of Assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within 1 year from last date of receipt of application) otherwise than by the way of dismissal/discharge on the account of misconduct/inefficiency/physical disability attributable to military service5 years
5.Person ordinarily domiciled in the Jammu and Kashmir province during the period 1.01.1980 and 31.12.19895 years
6.Person affected by 1984 riots5 years

IBPS SO 2026 Online Application

The online application process for the IBPS SO 2026 exam will start after the release of the Notification at the official website www.ibps.in. Candidates who are interested and eligible can apply for IBPS SO vacancies from the official website Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). 

IBPS SO 2026 Application Fee

A candidate is required to pay Rs. 850/- (General and OBC) as his/her application fee for the IBPS SO 2026 exam. The same amount is narrowed down to Rs. 175/- for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD category. 

S No.CategoryApplication Fee
1SC/ST/PWDRs.175/- (Intimation Charges only)
2General and OthersRs. 850/- (App. Fee including intimation charges)

IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 Selection Process

The IBPS SO Recruitment process to select Specialist officers through IBPS SO 2026 is done in three phases:

1. Online Preliminary Exam

2. Online Mains Exam

3. Interview Process

A candidate must qualify for both the preliminary exam and the main exam to proceed to the interview round. The candidates selected after the interview round are given the appointment letter.

IBPS SO 2026 Exam Pattern

IBPS will be following the below-detailed exam pattern for shortlisting eligible candidates for IBPS SO 2026 Exam. The previous year, IBPS introduced separate sectional timing for each section in the preliminary exam. Let's have a look at the revised IBPS SO Exam Pattern.

The preliminary exam will be a qualifying phase for the mains and candidates will have to meet the cut-offs of prelims to be eligible to appear for the Mains exam.

IBPS SO 2026 Prelims Exam Pattern: There are two patterns for IBPS SO prelims examination for different posts. There is a sectional cut-off and candidates have to clear all the sections in order to clear the preliminary exam of IBPS SO 2026.

For the post of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer:

S No.Name of TestsNo. of QuestionsMaximum MarksMedium of ExamDuration
1English Language5025English40 minutes
2Reasoning5050English and Hindi40 minutes
3Quantitative Aptitude5050English and Hindi40 minutes
Total150125 120 minutes

For the post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:

S No.Name of TestsNo. of QuestionsMaximum MarksMedium of ExamDuration
1English Language5025English40 minutes
2Reasoning5050English and Hindi40 minutes
3General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry5050English and Hindi40 minutes
Total150125 120 minutes

Read Detailed IBPS SO 2026 Exam Pattern

IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus

IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus is designed separately for Rajsabha Adhikari and Other Specialist Officers. The IBPS Specialist Officer syllabus is designed separately for Preliminary Exam and Mains Exam. It is necessary for all the candidates applying for IBPS SO 2026 Exam to once go through the syllabus to prepare judiciously for this exam.

Apart from the major three sections of English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning,a candidate is required to be fluent in his/her area of expertise or the Specialization Subjects.

Let’s have a look at the detailed syllabus of the IBPS SO 2026 exam:

Reasoning AbilityEnglish LanguageQuantitative AptitudeGeneral Awareness
  1. Seating Arrangements
  2. Puzzles
  3. Inequalities
  4. Syllogism
  5. Input-Output
  6. Data Sufficiency
  7. Blood Relations
  8. Order and Ranking
  9. Alphanumeric Series
  10. Distance and Direction
  11. Verbal Reasoning
  1. Cloze Test
  2. Reading Comprehension
  3. Spotting Errors
  4. Sentence Improvement
  5. Sentence Correction
  6. Para Jumbles
  7. Fill in the Blanks
  8. Para/Sentence Completion
  1. Number Series
  2. Data Interpretation
  3. Simplification/ Approximation
  4. Quadratic Equation
  5. Data Sufficiency
  6. Mensuration
  7. Average
  8. Profit and Loss
  9. Ratio and Proportion
  10. Work, Time and Energy
  11. Time and Distance
  12. Probability
  13. Relations
  14. Simple and Compound Interest
  15. Permutation and Combination
  1. Current Affairs
  2. Banking Awareness
  3. GK Updates
  4. Currencies
  5. Important Places
  6. Books and Authors
  7. Awards
  8. Headquarters
  9. Prime Minister Schemes
  10. Important Days

Apart from these subjects, candidates are required to have Professional Knowledge in his/her area of expertise as well. The detailed syllabus is discussed below:

PostsSyllabus
IT Officer (Scale-I)
  1. Database Management System
  2. Data Communication and Networking
  3. Operating System
  4. Software Engineering
  5. Data Structure
  6. Computer Organization and Microprocessor
  7. Object-Oriented Programming
Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I)
  1. Basics of Crop production
  2. Horticulture
  3. Seed Science
  4. Agronomy and Irrigation
  5. Agricultural Economics
  6. Agricultural Practices
  7. Soil resources
  8. Animal Husbandry
  9. Agroforestry
  10. Ecology
  11. Government Schemes
Marketing Officer (Scale-I)
  1. Basics of Marketing Management
  2. Brand Management
  3. Advertising
  4. PR
  5. Sales
  6. Retail
  7. Business Ethics
  8. Market Segmentation
  9. Market research and forecasting demand
  10. Product Life Cycle
  11. Corporate Social Responsibility
  12. Service Marketing
  13. Marketing Strategies
Law Officer (Scale-I)
  1. Banking Regulations
  2. Compliance and Legal Aspects
  3. Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange
  4. Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act
  5. Consumer Protection Act
  6. SARFAES
  7. Banking Ombudsman Scheme
  8. Laws and Actions with the direct link to Banking Sector
  9. Bankers Book Evidence Act
  10. DRT Act
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I)
  1. Human Resource Development
  2. Business policy and strategic analysis
  3. Transnational Analysis
  4. Training and Development
  5. Recruitment and Selection
  6. Rewards and Recognition
  7. Industrial Relations
  8. Business Policy and Strategic Analysis
  9. Grievance and Conflict Management
  10. Performance Management and Appraisal

IBPS SO Syllabus and Exam Pattern- Click to Check

IBPS SO 2026 Admit Card

The IBPS SO 2026 admit card will be released 10 to 15 days before the exam date. The admit cards for IBPS SO Prelims, Mains, and Interview will be released separately at www.ibps.in. The Admit card for the Preliminary Exam will be released for candidates who have applied and the Mains will be out for the candidates who have qualified for the preliminary test.

IBPS SO Exam 2026 Result

The IBPS SO Result 2026 will be released after each phase of the exam has been successfully conducted. A cumulative score of the mains exam and the interview process is considered to prepare the final merit list of selected students. The Prelims exam is qualifying to shortlist candidates for Mains Exam. The merit list is prepared in descending order of marks obtained by candidates. Candidates who make it to the merit list will be given the appointment letter by the Bank of the candidate’s choice.

IBPS SO Exam Cut-Off 2026

The IBPS SO Cut Off 2026 will be released after each phase of the examination has been conducted. The cut-off for the IBPS SO preliminary exam will be released first followed by the cut-off for the main exam. Candidates can evaluate their selection chances by matching their score with the cut-off marks released by IBPS for IBPS SO Exam.

Let’s have a look at previous years’ Prelims cut-off for the IBPS SO Exam:

IBPS SO Prelims Cut off 2025
PostsSCSTOBCEWSURHIOCVIID
I.T. OFFICER58.2548.6358.255558.2521.6346.3842.6336.13
AGRICULTURAL FIELD OFFICER50.1345.6350.1350.1350.1325.8837.7539.6323.88
HR/PERSONNEL 62.6362.6362.6362.6362.6331.3819.7525.13NA
MARKETING OFFICER21.7517.2518.1327.6327.6321.7520.5023.3835.18
RAJBHASHA ADHIKARI16.631116.6316.6316.6325.7518.8842.2513.75
LAW OFFICER42.6334.7543.2544.6346.8820.252523.1323

IBPS SO 2026 Participating Banks

A total of 11 banks will be participating in 2026 IBPS SO recruitment process which are as follows:

  • 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

Click to check IBPS SO Previous Year Cut-Off

IBPS SO Previous Year Question Papers - Click to Check

IBPS AFO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

FAQs

Ans. IBPS Specialist Officers (SO) 2026 Notification will be released in June 2026.

Ans. The selection process for the IBPS SO Exam 2026 will include an online preliminary exam, online mains exam, and interview process.

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