The IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 notification has been officially released for 745 Specialist Officer (Scale I) vacancies in various Public Sector Banks across India. Through the CRP SPL-XVI recruitment process, eligible candidates can apply for posts such as IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Law Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, and HR/Personnel Officer. The online application process has started from 1 July 2026 and will continue until 21 July 2026.
This year’s recruitment brings several important changes, including a revised preliminary exam pattern with the addition of the Professional Knowledge section and a new application edit window. Candidates preparing for a specialist banking career should carefully check the eligibility criteria, post-wise vacancies, exam pattern, important dates, salary, selection process, and application procedure before submitting their online form.
IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 (CRP SPL-XVI) – Overview |
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| Official Notification Out — 745 Specialist Officer (Scale I) Posts | Apply Online 1–21 July 2026 | |
| visit for latest job notification24.in | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Organization Name | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Recruitment Name | Common Recruitment Process for Specialist Officers — CRP SPL-XVI (IBPS SO 2026) |
| Notification Number | CRP SPL-XVI dated 01.07.2026 |
| Post Name | IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer (AFO), Law Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I) |
| Total Vacancies | 745 (Indicative) — For Financial Year 2027-28 |
| Notification Release Date | 30 June 2026 |
| Application Mode | Online Mode Only |
| Participating Banks | 11 Public Sector Banks |
| Job Location | All India (Posting as per Participating Bank Requirements) |
| Official Website | www.ibps.in |
IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI Official Notification 2026 |
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| Notification Name | Detailed Notification CRP SPL-XVI — IBPS Specialist Officers Recruitment 2026 |
| Notification Type | Common Recruitment Process (CRP) — Domain-Specific Specialist Officer Scale I Posts |
| Major Changes in IBPS SO 2026 | Revised Exam Pattern (Professional Knowledge added to Prelims); Application Edit Window Introduced; No Marketing Officer vacancies this year; Credit History clause removed; Updated OBC-NCL and EWS certificate validity criteria |
| read more; RRB Group D Exam Pattern 2026; CBT, PET, Marking Scheme & Selection Process | |
Important Dates 2026
read more; AP Vidyut AEE Vacancy 2026 |
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Nationality
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Age Limit (As on 01.07.2026)
Age Relaxation |
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| Category | Age Relaxation |
| SC/ST | 5 Years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 Years |
| PwBD (UR) | 10 Years |
| PwBD (OBC-NCL) | 13 Years |
| PwBD (SC/ST) | 15 Years |
| Ex-Servicemen / Commissioned Officers | 5 Years |
Education Qualification — Post-Wise |
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| Post | Required Qualification |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 4-Year Engineering/Technology Degree (B.E./B.Tech) in Computer Science, Computer Applications, Information Technology, Electronics, Electronics & Telecommunications, Electronics & Communication, Electronics & Instrumentation OR Post-Graduate Degree (MCA/M.Sc) in Computer Science/Electronics/IT from a recognized university |
| Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) Scale I | 4-Year Degree in Agriculture / Horticulture / Animal Husbandry / Veterinary Science / Dairy Science / Fishery Science / Pisciculture / Agri-Marketing & Cooperation / Forestry / Agricultural Biotechnology / Food Science / Agriculture Business Management / Food Technology / Dairy Technology / Agricultural Engineering from a recognized university |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Post-Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at Degree level OR Post-Graduate Degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at Degree level |
| Law Officer (Scale I) | Degree in Law (LLB) and enrolled as an Advocate with Bar Council |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | Post-Graduate Degree or Diploma (2-Year Full-Time) in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations / HR / HRD / Social Work / Labour Law |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | MBA (Marketing) / 2-Year Full-Time PGDBA/PGDBM/PGPM/PGDM with Marketing as specialisation from a recognized university/institute (No vacancy announced in 2026) |
| Note: Final-year students are NOT eligible — candidates must have completed the required educational qualification before the last date of application. Distance Mode/Correspondence degrees are acceptable only if recognized by UGC/AICTE/DEB as applicable. | |
Application Fee |
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| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹175/- (inclusive of GST) |
| All Other Candidates (General/OBC/EWS) | ₹850/- (inclusive of GST) |
| Fee Payment Window | 01 July 2026 to 21 July 2026 |
| Fee Payment Methods | Debit Cards (RuPay/Visa/MasterCard/Maestro), Credit Cards, Internet Banking, IMPS, Cash Cards, Mobile Wallets, UPI |
| Note: Fee is non-refundable. Bank transaction charges for online payment are borne separately by the candidate. | |
IBPS SO Vacancy 2026 — Post-Wise Details |
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| Post | Vacancies |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 301 |
| Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) Scale I | 190 |
| Law Officer (Scale I) | 105 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | 89 |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | 60 |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | Nil (No Vacancy in 2026) |
| Total | 745 (Indicative) |
| Note: Vacancies are indicative and subject to change based on actual requirements reported by participating banks. Some banks have not reported (NR) vacancies for certain posts, which may be revised at a later stage.
read more; RRB Technician Vacancy 2026 |
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11 Participating Banks — IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI
Note: Candidates cannot choose a specific bank — allotment is done by IBPS based on merit, category, and vacancy availability at the time of provisional allotment in January 2027. |
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Selection Process 2026
Important Points
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IBPS SO 2026 Salary & Pay Scale |
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| Component | Details |
| Pay Scale (Scale I) | ₹48,480 – ₹85,920 (with increments) |
| Starting Basic Pay | ₹48,480/- |
| Additional Allowances | DA, HRA, CCA, Medical Benefits, Leave Fare Concession, Gratuity as per each bank’s applicable rules |
| Estimated Gross Monthly Salary | Approx. ₹65,000 – ₹75,000/- (CTC varies by bank and posting location) |
IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 (REVISED)For IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer & Marketing Officer: |
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| Subject | Questions / Marks / Duration |
| English Language | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (NEW — Added in 2026) | 25 Questions | 50 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 Questions | 125 Marks | 80 Minutes |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 Mark per Wrong Answer |
For Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari (Prelims Pattern): |
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| Subject | Questions / Marks / Duration |
| English Language | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (NEW) | 25 Questions | 50 Marks | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 Questions | 125 Marks | 80 Minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 |
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| Subject | Questions / Marks / Duration |
| Professional Knowledge (Domain Specific) | 60 Questions | 60 Marks | 45 Minutes |
| English Language | 25 Questions | 25 Marks | 30 Minutes |
| Total | 85 Questions | 85 Marks | 75 Minutes |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 Mark per Wrong Answer |
| Note: The Mains exam score is used for shortlisting candidates for interview and for preparing the final merit list. Professional Knowledge dominates the Mains structure — candidates must prepare their domain subject in depth. Scores from Prelims are not carried forward. | |
IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus — Post-Wise Professional Knowledge Topics |
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| Post | Key Topics for Professional Knowledge |
| IT Officer | Data Structures, DBMS, Operating Systems, Networking, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Programming Languages (C/C++/Java), Cloud Computing, IT Banking Applications |
| Agricultural Field Officer | Crop Science, Agriculture Finance, Soil Science, Irrigation, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Government Agricultural Schemes, Farm Management, Agri-Credit |
| Law Officer | Banking Laws, RBI Act, Companies Act, NI Act, SARFAESI Act, DRT Act, FEMA, Contract Law, Constitutional Law, Consumer Protection, IPC, CPC |
| HR/Personnel Officer | HRM Concepts, Labour Laws (Industrial Disputes Act, PF Act, ESI Act), Training & Development, Performance Management, Compensation, Organizational Behaviour, IR |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Hindi Grammar, Translation (English to Hindi/Hindi to English), Hindi Linguistics, Official Language Acts, Rajbhasha Policy, Essay Writing in Hindi, Banking Terminology in Hindi |
IBPS SO Previous Year Cut Off Trend (Mains — General Category) |
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| Post / Year | Approx. Mains Cut Off (Out of 85) |
| IT Officer (2025) | ~55–60 |
| IT Officer (2024) | ~52–58 |
| Law Officer (2025) | ~48–54 |
| AFO (2025) | ~45–52 |
| HR Officer (2025) | ~44–50 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (2025) | ~42–48 |
| Note: These are approximate trend figures based on previous IBPS SO cycles. Actual 2026 cut offs will depend on exam difficulty, vacancy count, and number of candidates. Revised Exam Pattern in 2026 (Professional Knowledge added to Prelims) may shift cut off trends. | |
How to Apply Online for IBPS SO Recruitment 2026
read more; IOCL Apprentice Recruitment 2026 |
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Documents Required for IBPS SO Application 2026
Note: Documents for interview shortlisting — interview call letter, system-generated application printout, photo identity proof, educational marksheets/certificates, and category certificates — must be produced in original along with self-attested photocopies. Any discrepancy can lead to cancellation of candidature. |
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Application Edit Window — What Can Be Changed?
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IBPS SO 2026 Preparation Strategy — Post-Wise Tips
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IBPS SO 2026 Job Profile — What Specialist Officers Do
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important links |
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| Apply Online (CRP SPL-XVI) | click here (Active 1–21 July 2026) |
| Download Official Notification PDF | click here |
| Official Website | click here |
| notification 24 jobs | click here |
| join telegram | click here |
| join whatsapp channel | click here |
| susbscribe on youtube | click here |
FAQs
1. Is Professional Knowledge compulsory in the IBPS SO 2026 Preliminary Exam?
Yes. One of the biggest changes in IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 is the inclusion of the Professional Knowledge section in the Preliminary Examination. This section carries 50 marks and is compulsory for all candidates. Since it is directly related to the post you apply for, candidates should focus on their subject-specific preparation from the beginning.
2. Can I apply for more than one Specialist Officer post in IBPS SO 2026?
No. IBPS allows candidates to submit an application for only one Specialist Officer post in a recruitment cycle. If multiple applications are submitted for different posts, IBPS may reject all applications. Therefore, applicants should choose the post that best matches their educational qualification and career goals.
3. Will the marks obtained in the Preliminary Exam be included in the final merit list?
No. The Preliminary Examination is only a qualifying stage. Its marks are not counted while preparing the final merit list. The final selection is based on the Main Examination and Interview performance, provided the candidate qualifies in all previous stages.
4. Are final-year students eligible for IBPS SO Recruitment 2026?
No. Final-year or appearing students are not eligible to apply. Candidates must possess the required educational qualification on or before the last date of online application. Those awaiting their final results cannot participate in this recruitment process.
5. What is the biggest advantage of clearing the IBPS SO exam instead of a general banking exam?
The biggest advantage is that Specialist Officers work in their own professional field, such as IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, or Rajbhasha, instead of performing general banking operations. This allows candidates to use their technical or professional qualifications while enjoying the benefits, salary, and career growth offered by Public Sector Banks.
6. What should candidates keep ready before filling the IBPS SO 2026 application form?
Candidates should keep their recent passport-size photograph, signature, left thumb impression, handwritten declaration, educational certificates, valid photo ID, category certificate (if applicable), and payment details ready before starting the online application. Keeping these documents prepared helps complete the registration smoothly without errors.
7. Which Specialist Officer post has the highest number of vacancies in IBPS SO 2026?
According to the official vacancy details, the IT Officer (Scale I) post has the highest number of vacancies, making it one of the most competitive positions in this recruitment. Candidates with B.E./B.Tech, MCA, or equivalent IT qualifications can apply if they meet the eligibility conditions.
8. How can candidates improve their chances of selection in IBPS SO 2026?
Candidates should dedicate most of their preparation time to Professional Knowledge, as it plays a major role in both the Preliminary and Main examinations. Along with this, regular mock tests, revision of previous year questions, improving speed and accuracy, and staying updated with banking-related current affairs can significantly improve the chances of final selection.