IBPS SO Recruitment 2026: Notification, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Dates, Eligibility & Selection Process
The IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 is conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit Specialist Officers (Scale I) in Public Sector Banks. The selection process includes Prelims → Mains → Interview, with post-wise professional knowledge tests. Candidates are selected for posts like IT Officer, AFO, Law Officer, HR, Marketing & Rajbhasha Adhikari.
IBPS SO 2026
Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
Exam Name | IBPS SO 2026 |
Conducting Body | IBPS |
Posts | SO Scale I |
Selection Stages | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
Exam Mode | Online |
Participating Banks | 11 PSBs |
Job Location | Pan India |
Salary | ₹48,480 Basic + Allowances |
What is IBPS SO Recruitment?
The Common Recruitment Process is a centralized exam to recruit Specialist Officers in participating Public Sector Banks. Unlike Clerk or PO, IBPS SO tests domain-specific knowledge, making it a high-skill, high-respect banking role.
Posts Under IBPS SO 2026
Sr. No | Post Name |
|---|---|
1 | IT Officer (Scale I) |
2 | Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) |
3 | Rajbhasha Adhikari |
4 | Law Officer |
5 | HR/Personnel Officer |
6 | Marketing Officer |
Participating Banks in IBPS SO 2026
Bank Name |
|---|
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 2026 Important Dates (Expected)
Activity | Tentative Schedule |
|---|---|
Online Registration | July 2026 |
Fee Payment | July 2026 |
Prelims Exam | 29 August 2026 |
Prelims Result | September 2026 |
Mains Exam | 1 November 2026 |
Interview | Dec 2026 – Jan 2027 |
Provisional Allotment | Jan–Feb 2027 |
IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026
Preliminary Examination
For Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari
Test | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 min |
Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
Total | 150 | 125 | 2 Hours |
For IT / AFO / HR / Marketing
Test | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 min |
Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
Total | 150 | 125 | 2 Hours |
📌 Sectional cut-off applies.
Main Examination
For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer
Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
For the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari
Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 45 | 60 | English & Hindi | 30 minutes |
Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | — | English & Hindi | 30 minutes |
Interview Process
- Total Marks: 100
- Minimum Qualifying:
- General: 40%
- SC/ST/OBC/PwBD: 35%
- Final Weightage:
- Mains: 80%
- Interview: 20%
IBPS SO Syllabus 2026 (Post-wise)
IT Officer – Mains
- DBMS
- Networking
- OS
- OOPs
- Software Engineering
- Data Structures
Agriculture Field Officer
- Agronomy
- Soil Science
- Animal Husbandry
- Govt Agriculture Schemes
Marketing Officer
- Marketing Management
- Branding
- Sales Strategy
- Market Research
Law Officer
- Banking Laws
- SARFAESI Act
- NI Act
- Consumer Protection Act
HR Officer
- HRM
- Industrial Relations
- Performance Management
Rajbhasha Adhikari
- Hindi Grammar
- Translation
- Essay & Letter Writing
Salary Structure – IBPS SO
Component | Amount |
|---|---|
Basic Pay | ₹48,480 |
Gross Salary | ₹70,000+ |
Benefits | DA, HRA, Medical, Pension |
Eligibility Criteria (Snapshot)
Age Limit
- 20 to 30 Years (Relaxation as per norms)
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (AS ON 21.07.2026):
Post | Required Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
I.T. Officer (Scale I) | 4-year Engineering/Technology Degree in: Computer Science / Computer Applications / IT / Electronics / Electronics & Telecom / Electronics & Comm. / Electronics & Instrumentation OR - Postgraduate in: Electronics / Electronics & Telecom / Electronics & Comm. / Electronics & Instrumentation / Computer Science / IT / Computer Applications OR - Graduate with DOEACC ‘B’ level certification |
Agricultural Field Officer | 4-year Degree (Graduation) in: Agriculture / Horticulture / Animal Husbandry / Veterinary Science / Dairy Science / Fishery Science / Pisciculture / Agri. Marketing & Cooperation / Co-operation & Banking / Agro-Forestry / Forestry / Agricultural Biotechnology / Food Science / Agriculture Business Management / Food Technology / Dairy Technology / Agricultural Engineering / Sericulture / Fisheries Engineering |
Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Postgraduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at Graduation level OR - Postgraduate in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the degree level |
Law Officer (Scale I) | Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) AND - Enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council |
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | Graduate and Two Years Full Time Post Graduate degree or Two Years Full time Post Graduate diploma in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/ HR / HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law.* |
Marketing Officer (Scale I) | Graduate and Two Years Full time MMS (Marketing)/ Two Years Full time MBA (Marketing)/ Two Years Full time PGDBA / PGDBM/ PGPM/ PGDM with specialization in Marketing * |
* In case of dual specialisations, one of the fields of specialisation should be in the field prescribed. In case of major/ minor specialisations, major specialisation should be in the stream prescribed. Candidates having PG Degree (MMS or MBA)/PG Diploma with more than two specialisations are not eligible to apply.
** Candidates should ensure that the educational qualification possessed by them shall be as per the prescribed educational qualifications mentioned in the notification and they fulfill the above eligibility criteria. No equivalent educational qualification shall be considered as eligible by IBPS or Participating Banks.
Note: All the educational qualifications mentioned should be from a University/ Institution/ Board recognised by Govt. Of India/ approved by Govt. Regulatory Bodies and the final result should have been declared on or before 21.07.2026.
Is IBPS SO Worth It?
✔ High salary
✔ Specialist role (less transfers)
✔ Better work-life balance than PO
✔ Faster domain growth
⚠ Limited vacancies
⚠ Tough professional paper
Common Mistakes Aspirants Make
- Ignoring Professional Knowledge
- Studying Prelims too much
- Not revising banking awareness
- Skipping mock tests
Beginner Doubts (Quick Answers)
- Can freshers apply? → Yes (if degree eligible)
- Is maths tough? → Moderate (Prelims only)
- Is interview tough? → Domain-based
FAQs
- IBPS SO full form?
→ Institute of Banking Personnel Selection – Specialist Officer - Is IBPS SO tougher than PO?
→ Domain-wise yes, overall no - Can engineers apply?
→ Yes (IT Officer) - Is interview compulsory?
→ Yes
Important Official Links
- IBPS Official Website: https://www.ibps.in