IBPS SO XVI 2026: Specialist Officers, Prelims August, Mains November
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has invited applications for Specialist Officer (Scale I): IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, Indicative, as communicated by participating banks. Bank-wise split is in the detailed notification. Provisional allotment depends on actual vacancies. vacancies, Participating public sector banks. Allotment is provisional and depends on bank and vacancy.. The last date to apply is 21 July 2026. Age is counted as on 1 July 2026. Minimum 20 and maximum 30 years: born not earlier than 02.07.1996 and not later than 01.07.2006. Relaxation: SC/ST 5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years, as per the notice. Details below are from the official notice: Every fact here is from the official IBPS detailed notification CRP SPL-XVI (dated 30.06.2026, ibps.in), read on 21 October 2026. Exam months and the allotment month are as printed; exact exam dates come from IBPS call letters.
- Organization
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
- Post Name
- Specialist Officer (Scale I): IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer
- Total Vacancy
- Indicative, as communicated by participating banks. Bank-wise split is in the detailed notification. Provisional allotment depends on actual vacancies.
- Application Mode
- Online only on ibps.in. Registration ran 1 to 21 July 2026 and is closed.
- Job Location
- Participating public sector banks. Allotment is provisional and depends on bank and vacancy.
- Official Website
- ibps.in
More from Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online registration and fee payment | 1 July 2026 to 21 July 2026 (closed) |
| Preliminary examination | August 2026 (the notice gives the month only) |
| Preliminary result | September or October 2026 |
| Main examination | November 2026 (the notice gives the month only) |
| Interview | November or December 2026 |
| Provisional allotment | January 2027 |
Where things stand
IBPS SO XVI (CRP SPL-XVI) registration closed on 21 July 2026. The preliminary examination is in August 2026, results are due in September or October, and the Main examination is in November 2026. The notice gives months, not exact dates, so take exact dates only from IBPS call letters.
If you are shortlisted for the Main examination, the next weeks decide your Mains score. If you did not appear or were not shortlisted, the same subjects will matter for the next cycle.
Posts
Six Scale I specialist posts are listed: IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer. The vacancies are indicative. The notice gives a bank-wise table, and provisional allotment depends on actual vacancies reported by participating banks.
Age and eligibility
Age as on 1 July 2026: minimum 20 and maximum 30 years. Relaxations: SC and ST 5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years, plus category-specific rules in the notice.
Qualification: each post has its own degree or diploma requirement in the notice's post-wise table. Read that table for your post before applying in future cycles.
Fees
Rs 175 (inclusive of GST) for SC, ST and PwBD. Rs 850 (inclusive of GST) for all others. Bank charges are paid by the candidate.
Prelims pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 minutes |
For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari, Quantitative Aptitude is replaced with General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry (25 questions, 25 marks, 20 minutes).
Each test is separately timed. Candidates must qualify in each test by the cut-off IBPS sets.
Mains pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| General Awareness (banking industry) | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 | 45 minutes |
| Objective total | 150 | 200 | 125 minutes |
| Descriptive English (typed) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Total | 225 | 155 minutes |
Negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer applies to the objective tests. Blank questions carry no penalty.
Final selection
Every Mains test except Professional Knowledge is qualifying. The notice says merit is based on Professional Knowledge scores. Shortlisted candidates face a 100-mark interview, with a minimum of 40 percent (35 percent for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD). The notice gives the final score as an 80:20 ratio of the Online Main examination to the interview. Prelims marks do not count toward the final score.
Your next steps
- Check your status on ibps.in once the prelims result is out.
- Revise your Professional Knowledge subject first. It is the largest Mains section and drives merit.
- Practise the Mains layout with the time limits above. The English test is 25 minutes, and the Professional Knowledge test is 45 minutes.
- Prepare the interview from your own profile and your post's current developments.
The syllabus lists the topics. The practice set gives timed objective questions.
Sources
Official detailed notification, CRP SPL-XVI, dated 30.06.2026, from ibps.in, read on 21 October 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit (as on 1 July 2026. Minimum 20 and maximum 30 years: born not earlier than 02.07.1996 and not later than 01.07.2006. Relaxation: SC/ST 5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years, as per the notice)
| Category | Age Relaxation | Max Age |
|---|---|---|
| General and EWS | Not applicable | 30 years |
| SC / ST | 5 years | 35 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years | 33 years |
| PwBD | 10 years | 40 years |
Educational Qualification
- Degree or diploma in the discipline of the post, as set out in the notification's post-wise eligibility table. Check the clause for your post before applying. Registration is closed, so this is for the next cycle and for your records.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| SC, ST and PwBD | Rs 175 inclusive of GST (as per the notice) |
| All others | Rs 850 inclusive of GST (as per the notice). Bank transaction charges are borne by the candidate. |
How to Apply
- 1Registration is closed. Anyone asking for a fee now is not part of this process.
- 2Log in to ibps.in to check your shortlisting status. Download the call letter for each exam when IBPS releases it. Carry a printed copy and a photo ID.
Frequently Asked Questions
The notice lists six posts: IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer. Vacancies are indicative and provisional. Use the bank-wise table in the notification.
100 questions for 125 marks in 80 minutes. For most posts: English 25 questions (25 marks, 20 minutes), Reasoning 25 (25 marks, 20 minutes), Quantitative Aptitude 25 (25 marks, 20 minutes) and Professional Knowledge 25 (50 marks, 20 minutes). Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari replace Quantitative Aptitude with General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry.
Objective: English 30 questions (30 marks, 25 minutes), Reasoning 40 (40 marks, 35 minutes), General Awareness with banking focus 30 (30 marks, 20 minutes) and Professional Knowledge 50 (100 marks, 45 minutes). Objective total is 150 questions, 200 marks, 125 minutes. Descriptive English: 2 questions, 25 marks, 30 minutes. Total 225 marks in 155 minutes.
Yes. One fourth (0.25) of the marks of a question is deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests. Blank questions carry no penalty.
In Mains, every test except Professional Knowledge is qualifying, and merit is based on Professional Knowledge scores. Candidates must also meet cut-offs, and the notice says the final score is in the ratio 80:20 of the Online Main examination to the interview. The interview carries 100 marks, with a minimum of 40 percent (35 percent for reserved categories).
No. Prelims is a screening stage. Only the Online Main examination and the interview count toward the final score, according to the notice.