IB ACIO Exam Analysis 2025, 17 September Shift 1 Questions Asked

The IB ACIO Exam 2025 continued with its next session on 17 September 2025, and thousands of candidates appeared in the first shift. As one of the most competitive government exams, it assesses candidates across reasoning, aptitude, language skills, and general awareness. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the 17 September Shift 1 exam, including difficulty level, good attempts, and section-wise review.

IB ACIO Exam Analysis 2025, 17 September Shift 1

The first shift of the exam maintained a balanced paper pattern, with questions covering both conceptual clarity and application-based problem-solving. Reasoning and Numerical Aptitude sections carried moderate weight with some tricky questions. English, Current Affairs, and General Studies were more direct but required strong preparation to score well.

IB ACIO Exam Analysis 2025, 17 September Shift 1: Difficulty Level

The overall difficulty level of the exam was Easy to Moderate. While reasoning had a mix of easy and puzzle-based questions, the numerical aptitude section included a few lengthy problems. The exam serves as a crucial step for aspirants aiming to join India’s Intelligence Bureau as Assistant Central Intelligence Officers.

IB ACIO Exam Analysis 2025, 17 September Shift 1: Section-wise Analysis

The paper was well-balanced across sections, ensuring no single area was overly difficult. Candidates who managed time effectively could attempt all parts comfortably.

Reasoning/Logical Aptitude

The Reasoning Ability section was of Easy to moderate level, with a balanced mix of puzzles, Seating arrangement, syllogisms, and coding-decoding. Questions on syllogisms were straightforward, while coding-decoding was of average. Apart from these, candidates faced a few questions from direction and distance and blood relation, both of which were manageable. Some analytical reasoning and assertion-based questions added a slightly time-consuming element, but overall, the section remained scoring for well-prepared candidates.

Numerical Aptitude

The difficulty level of the section was Moderate to slightly tricky. A significant portion of the questions came from arithmetic, with topics such as profit and loss, percentage, ratio, and data interpretation being widely covered. In particular, profit and loss contributed around 7–8 questions, making it the dominant area. The data interpretation sets were calculation-intensive, requiring additional time and accuracy. Apart from arithmetic, there was also 1 question from algebra, adding to the overall mix of topics.

English Language

The English section was easy to moderate, giving candidates a good opportunity to score. Grammar-based questions were straightforward, while the comprehension passage tested basic understanding. Vocabulary was also tested with synonyms and antonyms. Idioms and prepositions were included, making the section a mix of reading and grammar skills.

Topic-wise Weightage:

• Reading Comprehension (Passage): 1 Set Included with direct questions
• Synonyms & Antonyms: 4 questions
• Idioms/Phrases: 3 questions
• Prepositions: Few questions asked
• Grammar-based Questions: Straightforward and scoring

Current Affairs & General Studies Analysis

The Current Affairs and General Studies section was diverse in nature, covering topics from history, polity, economy, geography, awards, and recent developments. The questions were designed to test both static knowledge and awareness of ongoing national and international issues, making this section moderate in difficulty but requiring wide preparation.

Questions Asked:

• Akbar’s Din-e-Ilahi
• Battle of Haldighati
• Padma Vibhushan related question
• 10.1% growth related
• Poverty related question
• India maintained its FY 2025–26 fiscal deficit target at 4.4% of GDP
• Padma Bhushan related question
• 1991 Industrial reforms
• Tokyo, Japan
• Madan Mohan Malviya related question
• Dolphin density in Bihar
• Thar Desert ranking in India
• Teacher App launched by whom?
• Fundamental Rights – Article 32
• Vice President voting related question
• Northern Plain related question