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 has released the IBPS SO Notification 2026 PDF on 30th June 2026 along with complete details. The IBPS SO online registration process for 745 SO vacancies will begin on 1st July 2026 at the official website www.ibps.in. The IBPS SO 2026 (CRP SPL-XVI) prelims exam will be conducted on 29th August 2026.
Candidates can refer to the article for details information regarding the recruitment drive. The posts under Specialist Officer posts are mentioned below:
- Agriculture Field Officer
- Marketing Officer (Scale I)
- HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)
- IT Officer (Scale I)
- Law Officer (Scale I)
- Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)
IBPS SO Notification 2026
The detailed IBPS SO Notification 2026 (CRP SPL-XVI) has been released by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) on 30th June 2026 at its official website i.e. https://ibps.in. The banking aspirants who wish to apply for IBPS SO Vacancy 2026 should go through the complete notification PDF to ensure their eligibility and know other details information. The direct link to download the notification PDF is also shared here.
IBPS SO 2026 Notification Details: – Click Here
IBPS SO 2026 Notification PDF – Download Now
IBPS SO 2026 Apply Online – Click Here
IBPS SO 2026- Exam Summary
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is providing 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 | |
| Organisation | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Cadre | Specialist Officer (SO) |
| Posts | Agriculture Field Officer (AFO), HR/Personnel, IT Officer, Law Officer, Marketing, Rajbhasha |
| Exam Level | National |
| Vacancy | 947 |
| Participating Banks | 11 |
| Registration Dates | 1st to 21st July 2026 |
| IBPS SO Recruitment Process | Prelims, Main Exams, Interview |
| Education Qualification | Graduates or relevant degree |
| Age Limit | 20 years to 28 years |
| Application Fee | SC/ST/PWD- Rs.175 General and Others- Rs. 850 |
| IBPS Official Website | www.ibps.in |
IBPS SO Exam Date 2026 Out
The new IBPS SO Exam Date 2026 for prelims and main exams has been released along with the revised Calendar. The IBPS SO Prelims exam will be conducted on 29th August 2026, and the Mains exam for prelims-qualified candidates will be conducted on 1st November 2026. The details regarding the exam will be released along with the admit card.
IBPS SO 2026 – Important Dates
The online registration scheduled for IBPS SO 2026 has been released by IBPS along with the IBPS SO Notification 2026 on 30th June 2026. Candidates can start submitting their IBPS SO 2026 Application Form 2026 from 1st July 2026 onwards, and the application link will remain active till 21st July 2026. Let’s have a look at the important dates for the IBPS SO Exam 2026.
| IBPS SO 2026- Important Dates | |
| Activity | Dates |
| IBPS SO Notification 2026 | 30th June 2026 |
| Online Registration Starts | 1st July 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 21st July 2026 |
| Last Date to Pay Fee | 21st July 2026 |
| IBPS SO Admit Card 2026 | August |
| IBPS SO Preliminary Exam Date 2026 | 29th August 2026 |
| IBPS SO Mains Exam Date 2026 | 1st November 2026 |
IBPS SO Vacancy 2026
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has announced a total of 947 vacancies for the recruitment of Specialist Officer posts. 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 2026 details from the table below.
| IBPS SO Vacancy 2026 | ||||||
| Posts | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Vacancies |
| Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) | 28 | 13 | 51 | 19 | 79 | 190 |
| HR/Personnel | 08 | 03 | 15 | 06 | 28 | 60 |
| IT Officer | 46 | 23 | 82 | 28 | 122 | 301 |
| Law Officer | 14 | 06 | 26 | 10 | 49 | 105 |
| Marketing | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rajbhasha | 11 | 06 | 21 | 08 | 43 | 89 |
| Total | 107 | 51 | 195 | 71 | 321 | 947 |
INDENT FOR SPECIALIST OFFICER FOR THE YEAR 2027-28
AGRICULTURAL FIELD OFFICER (SCALE-I)
| SR. NO. | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | 15 | 7 | 27 | 10 | 41 | 100 |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | 13 | 6 | 24 | 9 | 38 | 90 |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 28 | 13 | 51 | 19 | 79 | 190 |
HR/PERSONNEL OFFICER (SCALE-I)
| SR. NO. | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | 7 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 22 | 50 |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 8 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 28 | 60 |
IT OFFICER(SCALE-I)
| SR. NO. | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 16 | 8 | 29 | 11 | 46 | 110 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | 8 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 21 | 50 |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 25 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 15 | 8 | 27 | 10 | 40 | 100 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 46 | 23 | 82 | 28 | 122 | 301 |
LAW OFFICER (SCALE-I)
| SR. NO. | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 30 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 30 |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 25 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 14 | 6 | 26 | 10 | 49 | 105 |
RAJBHASHA ADHIKARI (SCALE-I)
| SR. NO. | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 20 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 31 |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 11 | 6 | 21 | 8 | 43 | 89 |
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 limi,t and educational qualification) that a candidate needs to fulfill 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 Post | Educational 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 (01/07/2026)
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. A candidate must have been born not earlier than 02.07.1996 and not later than 01.07.2006 (both dates inclusive). 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 No | Category | Age 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 service | 5 years |
| 5. | Person ordinarily domiciled in the Jammu and Kashmir province during the period 1.01.1980 and 31.12.1989 | 5 years |
| 6. | Person affected by 1984 riots | 5 years |
IBPS SO 2026 Online Application
The online application process for the IBPS SO 2026 exam will start from 1st July 2026 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). To avoid last-minute technical glitches, candidates have to submit their duly filled application forms much before the last date, which is 21st July 2026. Click on the link below to check the IBPS SO Apply Online details.
IBPS SO 2026 Apply Online – Click Here
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. | Category | Application Fee |
| 1 | SC/ST/PWD | Rs.175/- (Intimation Charges only) |
| 2 | General and Others | Rs. 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 Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 50 | 25 | English | 40 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes | ||
For the post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:
| S No. | Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 50 | 25 | English | 40 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| 3 | General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | English and Hindi | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes | ||
IBPS SO 2026 Participating Banks
A total of 11 banks are participating in this year’s 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
FAQs
Q1. When did IBPS SO 2026 Notification release?
30th June 2026
Q2. What is the selection process for the IBPS SO Exam 2026?
Prelims → Mains → Interview (80:20)
Q3. What are the IBPS SO 2026 exam dates?
Prelims: 29 Aug
Q4. What is IBPS SO?
Domain specialist exam for PSU banks
Q5. How many vacancies are there in IBPS SO 2026?
745 vacancies
Q6. How is the IBPS SO final result prepared?
Mains 80% + Interview 20%
Q7. What is the salary of an IBPS SO?
₹48,480 basic
Q8. Can final-year students apply for IBPS SO 2026?
No — degree must be complete by 21 July 2026
Q9. How many posts are covered under IBPS SO Recruitment?
6 posts (IT, Law, HR, AFO, Marketing, Rajbhasha)
Q10. How many banks participate in IBPS SO recruitment?
11 PSU banks