IBPS SO Notification 2026: 1,035 Revised Vacancies, Exam Date Out

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the revised IBPS SO Vacancy 2026 for the Common Recruitment Process (CRP SPL-XVI). As per the latest vacancy update issued on 20 July 2026, the total vacancies have been revised from 745 to 1,035 after Indian Bank reported vacancies across multiple Specialist Officer posts. Eligible candidates who have not yet applied should note that the IBPS SO Apply Online window closes tomorrow, i.e., 21 July 2026. Candidates can submit their application through the official IBPS website before the registration window closes. The recruitment is being conducted for six Specialist Officer posts—IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer (AFO), Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer—for vacancies of the 2027-28 recruitment cycle. 

IBPS SO Notification 2026: Latest Update

IBPS has issued a revised vacancy notice dated 20 July 2026, increasing the total Specialist Officer vacancies to 1,035. The revision includes additional vacancies reported by Indian Bank, while UCO Bank and Union Bank of India are yet to report their vacancies, indicating that the vacancy count may be revised again in the future. Candidates are advised to complete their applications before 21 July 2026, which is the last date for online registration. 

Download IBPS SO Notification 2026 PDF

IBPS SO Schedule 2026

The official schedule announced by IBPS is provided below.

IBPS SO 2026 Exam Overview

The IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) Examination is a national-level banking recruitment examination conducted every year to recruit specialist officers in various public sector banks participating in the Common Recruitment Process (CRP SPL-XVI). Candidates are selected through a three-stage selection process consisting of the preliminary examination, mains examination, and interview.

IBPS SO Participating Banks

The following public sector banks are participating in IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI recruitment:

• 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

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IBPS SO Apply Online Link 2026

The IBPS SO Apply Online process is currently active on the official website. Candidates have only one day left to complete their registration as the application window closes on 21 July 2026. Interested candidates should complete the registration, upload documents, and pay the application fee before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues. 

IBPS SO Apply Online 2026 Link

Revised IBPS SO Vacancy 2026

IBPS has revised the Specialist Officer vacancies from 745 to 1,035 through the vacancy update issued on 20 July 2026. The increase is mainly due to the addition of vacancies by Indian Bank across multiple Specialist Officer posts. However, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India have still not reported their vacancies, so the final vacancy count may increase further.

IBPS SO AFO Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) vacancy has been revised from 190 to 370 after Indian Bank reported 180 vacancies. Bank of Baroda continues to offer 100 vacancies, followed by Bank of Maharashtra (90) and Indian Bank (180). UCO Bank and Union Bank of India are yet to report their vacancies.

IBPS SO HR/Personnel Officer Scale I Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The HR/Personnel Officer vacancy remains unchanged at 60. Bank of Baroda contributes 50 vacancies, while Bank of Maharashtra offers 10. Indian Bank has reported no vacancies for this post.

IBPS SO IT Officer Scale I Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The IT Officer vacancies have increased from 301 to 376 with the addition of 75 vacancies by Indian Bank. Bank of India remains the largest recruiter with 110 vacancies, followed by Punjab National Bank (100) and Indian Bank (75).

IBPS SO Law Officer Scale I Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The Law Officer vacancies have increased from 105 to 125 after Indian Bank added 20 vacancies. Canara Bank and Central Bank of India continue to offer 30 vacancies each.

IBPS SO Marketing Officer Scale I Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The Marketing Officer post, which earlier had no vacancies, has now been revised to 10 vacancies after Indian Bank reported openings. This is the first bank to announce Marketing Officer vacancies in the current recruitment cycle.

IBPS SO Rajbhasha Adhikari Scale I Vacancy (CRP SPL-XVI) – Revised

The Rajbhasha Adhikari vacancies have increased from 89 to 94 after Indian Bank added 5 vacancies. Central Bank of India remains the largest recruiter with 31 vacancies, followed by Canara Bank with 20.

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What are the eligibility criteria for IBPS SO?

The IBPS SO eligibility criteria include nationality, age limit, and educational qualification. Only those candidates who meet the criteria as of the date mentioned in the notification will be eligible to apply.

What is the selection process for IBPS SO?

The IBPS SO selection process consists of three stages – Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination, and Interview. Only those candidates who qualify each stage will be shortlisted for final appointment.

What is the exam pattern for the IBPS SO exam?

The IBPS SO Exam Pattern under CRP SPL-XVI has been revised. The preliminary exam now also carries a professional knowledge section for all posts, in addition to the existing mains structure.

Prelims Exam Pattern for IT Officer, AFO, HR/Personnel Officer & Marketing Officer:

This is a 100-question, 125-mark objective test to be completed in 80 minutes. Unlike earlier recruitment cycles, the preliminary exam now tests candidates on English language, reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and a post-specific professional knowledge section, as detailed below:

Prelims Exam Pattern for Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari:

For Law Officers and Rajbhasha Adhikari, the Quantitative Aptitude section is replaced with General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry. The overall structure- 100 questions, 125 marks, and 80 minutes, remains the same as above:

Main Exam Pattern for IT Officer, AFO, HR/Personnel Officer & Marketing Officer:

Candidates who clear the prelims move on to the online main examination. For these four posts, it is a 150-question, 200-mark test spread across 125 minutes, with professional knowledge carrying the highest weightage in the paper:

Main Exam Pattern for Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari:

Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari candidates face an additional Descriptive Paper after the objective Main exam, which takes the total exam time to 155 minutes and total marks to 225:

Note: There is a penalty of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer in the objective tests (both Prelims and Mains). No penalty applies for unattempted questions.

Syllabus for IBPS SO Exam

The IBPS SO syllabus includes three main sections in Prelims (now alongside professional knowledge) and a specialized professional knowledge test in Mains. The syllabus differs according to the post. Check the IBPS SO Syllabus below for prelims and mains:

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus

Candidates appearing for the IBPS SO Preliminary Examination will be tested on reasoning ability, English language, quantitative aptitude/general awareness, and a post-specific professional knowledge section.

IBPS SO Professional Knowledge (Post-wise) Syllabus

Apart from the preliminary subjects, candidates must prepare for the professional knowledge section, which now appears in both Prelims and Mains based on the specific domain chosen by the candidate.

Check post-wise IBPS SO Salary

IBPS SO Exam Cut Off 2026

The IBPS SO Cut-Off will be released post-exam and will depend on several factors such as difficulty level, number of vacancies, and overall performance of candidates. Separate cut-offs will be released for each stage and category.