IBPS SO Recruitment 2026; The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the IBPS SO Exam every year to select eligible candidates for the post of Specialist Officer (SO) in 11 participating public sector banks across India. Candidates must complete the 3 stages of the selection process—Prelims, Mains, and Interview—to be recruited for SO posts. This is a good opportunity for candidates who want to have a career in the banking sector.
IBPS SO 2026 Notification Out
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the detailed IBPS SO Notification 2026 PDF (CRP SPL-XVI) for 745 vacancies on 30th June 2026, along with the complete exam schedule. These vacancies are for the financial year 2027-28. Banking aspirants should carefully read the notification before applying to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria for their chosen post.
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 | 745 |
| Participating Banks | 11 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Registration Dates | 1st to 21st July 2026 |
| IBPS SO Recruitment Process | Prelims, Main Exams, Interview |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation with a relevant degree |
| Age Limit | 20 to 30 years (as on 01.07.2026) |
| Application Fee | SC/ST/PWD- Rs.175 General and Others- Rs. 850 |
| Pay Scale | Rs. 48480-2000/7-62480-2340/2-67160-2680/7-85920 |
| IBPS Official Website | www.ibps.in |
IBPS SO 2026 Important Dates
The online registration schedule for IBPS SO 2026 has been released by IBPS along with the official notification. Candidates can submit their duly filled application from 1st to 21st July 2026. Candidates must keep important dates in mind to avoid missing any deadlines.
| Activity | Dates |
| IBPS SO Notification | 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 |
| Edit Window for Application Correction | 2 days after registration closes |
| Download Prelims Call Letter | August 2026 |
| Prelims Exam Date | 29th August 2026 |
| Prelims Result Dates | September/October 2026 |
| Download Mains Call Letter | October 2026 |
| Mains Exam Date | 1st November 2026 |
| IBPS SO Interview Dates | November/December 2026 |
| Final Result | January 2027 |
IBPS SO 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 reduced to Rs. 175/- for candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PWD category.
| Category | Application Fee |
| SC/ST/PWD | Rs.175/- (Intimation Charges only) |
| General and Others | Rs. 850/- (App. Fee including intimation charges) |
IBPS SO 2026 Vacancy Details
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has announced 745 vacancies for Specialist Officer posts along with the detailed notification. Under the SO posts, candidates are 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.
| Posts | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Vacancies |
| Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) | 28 | 13 | 51 | 19 | 79 | 190 |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | 08 | 03 | 15 | 06 | 28 | 60 |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 46 | 23 | 82 | 28 | 122 | 301 |
| Law Officer (Scale I) | 14 | 06 | 26 | 10 | 49 | 105 |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | 11 | 06 | 21 | 08 | 43 | 89 |
| Total | 107 | 51 | 195 | 71 | 321 | 745 |
IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria
The IBPS SO eligibility criteria differ for recruiting candidates for different positions. There are three parameters (citizenship, age limit, and educational qualification) that a candidate needs to fulfil to be eligible for IBPS SO Recruitment 2026. The age limit should be between 20 and 30 years for all posts, but the educational qualification varies post-wise.
Citizenship Criteria
A candidate should be
• 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
Educational Qualification (as on 21/07/2026)
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 |
Age Limit (as on 01/07/2026)
A candidate must be at least 20 years old to be eligible for the IBPS SO exam. The maximum age limit is 30 years. The Government of India gives candidates belonging to reserved categories age relaxation. The category-wise age relaxation given to candidates for the post of IBPS SO is discussed below:
- Minimum Age – 20 years
- Maximum Age – 30 years
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) | 5 years |
| Other Backward Class (OBC) | 3 years |
| Person with Disability (PWD) | 10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 5 years |
IBPS PO Selection Process
The IBPS SO recruitment process for selecting specialist officers through IBPS SO 2026 consists of three phases:
- Online Preliminary Exam
- Online Mains Exam
- 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.
How to Apply for IBPS SO 2026?
- Visit the official website of the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) at
www.ibps.in. - Click on “CRP-Specialist Officers” under the Career section and select the new registration link.
- Provide basic details such as name, contact number, email ID, address, etc., and click Save and Next
- Upload your photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
- Select your preferred post(s) — IT Officer, Law Officer, AFO, HR, Marketing, or Rajbhasha — and fill in your educational qualification details.
- Pay the required application fee through online mode (Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking).
- Recheck the application preview carefully for any errors before final submission.
- Click on Final Submit
- Your registration ID and password will be sent via email and SMS for future login.
Important Links
| IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 | NOTIFICATION |
| IBPS SO Recruitment 2026 | APPLY ONLINE |
