IBPS SO 2026 Exam Schedule Released for 1035 Specialist Officer Posts – Prelims on 29 August, Mains on 1 November

IBPS SO 2026 Exam Dates Announced

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the exam schedule for the Specialist Officer (Scale I) recruitment under CRP SPL-XVI. A total of 1035 vacancies will be filled across IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, Marketing, and Rajbhasha cadres in participating public sector banks.

The online application window is now closed. Candidates who applied can download their admit card before the preliminary examination. The Prelims is scheduled to be held on 29 August 2026 and the Mains on 1 November 2026. Interview and provisional allotment will follow as per the official calendar.

Important Dates

Vacancy Details (Revised)

Eligibility at a Glance

Applicants must be between 20 and 30 years of age as of 1 July 2026. Age relaxation is available for SC/ST (5 years), OBC (3 years), PWD (10 years), Ex-Servicemen (5 years) and riot-affected persons (5 years). The required qualification depends on the post: IT Officer needs an engineering/PG degree in computer-related fields or DOEACC B level; AFO needs a 4-year degree in agriculture or allied sciences; Law Officer needs an LLB and Bar Council enrolment; HR/Personnel Officer requires a PG diploma/degree in HR-related subjects; Marketing Officer needs an MBA or equivalent in marketing; and Rajbhasha Adhikari needs a PG degree in Hindi or Sanskrit with corresponding language conditions.

Selection Process

The selection includes three stages: Preliminary Exam (qualifying), Mains Exam (merit-based), and Interview. Final merit is prepared with 80% weightage to Mains and 20% to Interview, followed by document verification.

Exam Pattern

Prelims are conducted online with 100 questions for 125 marks in 80 minutes. For IT, AFO, HR and Marketing posts, the paper has English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and Professional Knowledge. For Law and Rajbhasha posts, General Awareness replaces Quantitative Aptitude. Negative marking is 0.25 marks per wrong answer.

Mains has 150 objective questions for 200 marks, plus a descriptive paper of 25 marks. English, Reasoning and (for certain posts) Quantitative Aptitude or General Awareness sections are qualifying. Professional Knowledge with 50 questions for 100 marks decides merit. Duration is 155 minutes.

Salary and Perks

Selected candidates receive a starting basic pay of Rs. 48,480 with an attractive pay scale, along with DA, HRA, special allowance and other bank benefits.

Application Fee

General and OBC candidates pay Rs. 850, while SC/ST/PWD candidates pay Rs. 175 as intimation charges. Payment can be made online via card, UPI or net banking.

How to Apply

1. Visit the IBPS official website and click the CRP SPL-XVI link.
2. Register by entering basic details to get Registration Number and Password.
3. Complete the application with personal, academic, and communication details.
4. Upload scanned photograph and signature.
5. Pay the fee online and submit.
6. Save and print the confirmation page.

Participating Banks

Banks such as 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 are part of this recruitment.

Preparation Tips

Focus on speed for Prelims, in-depth preparation for Professional Knowledge in Mains, and communication skills for the Interview. Solving previous year papers will help you understand the pattern and difficulty level.