IBPS SO 2026, Exam Date, Notification, Selection Process, Exam Pattern & Eligibility

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has announced the IBPS SO 2026 exam dates, setting the stage for the upcoming Specialist Officer recruitment cycle. With the exam schedule now officially confirmed, aspirants can expect the IBPS SO 2026 notification to follow as per the standard timeline. This announcement brings clarity on key aspects such as eligibility criteria, selection process, and exam pattern, which are crucial for targeted preparation.

IBPS SO 2026

The IBPS SO 2026 recruitment will be conducted to fill Specialist Officer positions across participating public sector banks in various streams such as IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, and Marketing. The selection process is expected to follow the standard three-stage structure consisting of Prelims, Mains, and Interview, with each stage playing a vital role in the final selection. The exam pattern will assess both professional knowledge and general aptitude, making stream-specific preparation essential for aspirants.

Also Read, IBPS SO Final Result 2025-26

IBPS SO 2026 Exam: Summary

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) organizes the annual recruitment exam for Specialist Officer (SO) roles across public sector banks. To help candidates get ready for the IBPS SO 2026 Exam, detailed information about the recruitment process is provided below.

IBPS SO 2026 Notification

The IBPS SO 2026 notification will be released in June 2026 on the official website www.ibps.in. This exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit candidates for Specialist Officer (SO) posts in participating public sector banks. Candidates can check eligibility, exam pattern, and selection process, and prepare accordingly once the notification is out.

IBPS SO Notification PDF: (Previous Year Notification)

IBPS SO Exam Date 2026

As per the schedule, the Prelims exam will be conducted on 29th August 2026, marking the first stage of the selection process. Candidates who qualify for the Prelims will appear for the Mains exam on 1st November 2026, which focuses heavily on professional knowledge related to the chosen specialization. With these dates confirmed, aspirants can now plan subject-wise preparation, revision cycles, and mock tests in a more structured and exam-oriented manner.

IBPS SO Vacancy

The upcoming IBPS SO 2026 recruitment is expected to include vacancies for roles such as IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Rajbhasha Officer, and Marketing Officer. These positions offer excellent opportunities for career growth and skill development, providing a strong pathway for advancement within the organisation.

IBPS SO 2026 Application Fees

As per the IBPS, the expected application fee for IBPS SO 2026 is Rs. 850 for General and OBC candidates and Rs. 175 for SC/ST/PWD candidates. The payment of application fees will be done through online mode. Candidates should refer to the official notification once released for the exact category-wise fee details.

IBPS SO 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates interested in IBPS SO 2026 must check the eligibility criteria, which include several factors such as age, educational qualifications, and other requirements. The exact cut-off date for eligibility will be mentioned in the official IBPS SO 2026 notification once it is released.

IBPS SO Educational Qualification

The minimum Education Qualification required to apply for the IBPS SO Exam are given below. As specified in the PDF, the educational qualification will be considered as on the last date to apply online for IBPS SO.

Important Note:

For posts other than IT Officer Scale I: Candidates should have a Certificate/Diploma/Degree in computer operations/ Language/ should have studied Computer / Information Technology as one of the subjects in the High School/ College/ Institute.

IBPS SO Age limit

Applicants can refer to the minimum and maximum age limit that one should possess at the cut-off date.

• Minimum age limit: 20 years
• Maximum age limit: 30 years

Age Relaxation of Upper Age Limit:

IBPS SO Nationality

A candidate must be either –

1. a Citizen of India or
2. a subject of Nepal or Bhutan or
3. a Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 to permanently settle in India or
4. a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

IBPS SO 2026 Selection Process

The selection for Specialist Officer posts in participating banks will follow a three-stage process:

• Online Prelims Exam: This is the first stage, which tests candidates on Reasoning, English Language, and Quantitative Aptitude. Only those who qualify in this stage will proceed to the next.
• Online Mains Exam: The second stage focuses on job-specific knowledge relevant to the specialist role, such as IT, Marketing, HR, Finance, or other positions. Performance in the Mains determines eligibility for the interview.
• Interview: The final stage evaluates candidates’ overall suitability, domain expertise, and communication skills. The final selection is based on performance in both the Mains and Interview.

IBPS SO 2026 Exam Pattern

The IBPS SO 2026 exam pattern is structured to assess candidates’ aptitude and professional knowledge for various Specialist Officer roles in participating banks. The Preliminary Exam evaluates candidates on general aptitude and reasoning skills, while the Mains Exam focuses on role-specific professional knowledge. Finally, shortlisted candidates will be called for an Interview, which carries significant weight in the final selection.

a) Preliminary Exam (Phase I):

For the post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:

For the post of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer:

b) Mains Examination (Phase II):

For the post of Law Office, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer:

For the post of Rajbhasha Adhikari:

Note – There will be a negative mark of 0.25 for each question marked wrongly (in both Pre & Mains Examination)

c) Interview:

The total marks allotted for the Interview are 100.

Candidates who will be shortlisted in the Online Main Examination will subsequently be called for an Interview to be conducted by the Participating Banks and coordinated by the Nodal Banks in each State/ UT with the help of IBPS.

IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus

To start preparation on the right track, candidates should first be familiar with the IBPS SO 2026 Syllabus and Exam Pattern. For the Preliminary Exam, aspirants are expected to prepare for subjects such as Reasoning Ability, English Language, General Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude. In the Mains Exam, candidates’ professional knowledge will be assessed based on their specific Specialist Officer stream. The detailed IBPS SO Syllabus 2026 for all stages is provided in the table below.

Apart from these subjects, the candidate is required to have professional knowledge in his/her area of expertise as well. The detailed syllabus is discussed below:

IBPS SO 2026 Salary

Public Sector Banks offer an attractive salary to candidates selected for the Specialist Officer positions. The overall IBPS SO salary includes basic pay, allowances, and other perks. While the exact pay scale for 2026 will be confirmed in the official notification, the current structure provides a net salary of approximately Rs. 55,000–Rs. 60,000 per month.

IBPS SO Cut Off

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection releases the IBPS SO Cut off after each phase to let candidates sit in the phase phase. Cut Off is the minimum mark to clear the exam.

IBPS SO 2026 Participating Banks

A total of 11 public sector banks are expected to participate in the IBPS SO 2026 Common Recruitment Process for Specialist Officers. While some banks will announce vacancies for various posts immediately, others may release their vacancy details in the coming weeks. The list of participating banks for IBPS SO 2026 will be updated once the official notification is released.