The IBPS SO IT Officer 2026 (Scale I) exam is a premier recruitment process for IT professionals in Public Sector Banks. The 2026 cycle tentatively features 203 vacancies for IT Officers. The exam involves a Prelims (Aug 29, 2026) and Mains (Nov 1, 2026) focusing on IT expertise, offering a high-salary, permanent, and stable government banking career
Before you begin your preparation for the IBPS SO IT exam, it is essential to go through the detailed IBPS SO IT exam syllabus. As the questions asked will be mainly from Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English Language and your own Subject i.e. IT, you should be aware of what to study and focus on. Given below is the detailed IBPS SO IT Officer 2026 exam syllabus.
| Category | Topics | Key Focus Areas | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programming | C, Pascal, COBOL, Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) | Syntax, loops, functions, OOP concepts (Inheritance, Polymorphism) | Medium |
| Data Structures | Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees | Time complexity, operations, traversal | High |
| Database Management | DBMS, Relational Database, SQL | Normalization, queries, keys, joins | High |
| Operating Systems | Process Management, Memory Management | Scheduling, deadlocks, paging | Medium |
| Computer Networks | Data Communication, Networking | OSI Model, TCP/IP, protocols | Medium |
| Software Engineering | SDLC, System Design | Agile, Waterfall, testing methods | Medium |
| Computer Architecture | CPU, Memory, Instruction Sets | Registers, ALU, pipelining | Medium |
| File Structures | File Organization, Indexing | Sequential & direct access methods | Low |
| Emerging Tech | Intelligent Systems, MIS | Basics of AI, decision systems | Low |
| Miscellaneous | Numerical Computing, Finance on Computers | Basic calculations, applications | Low |
The IBPS SO exam pattern for the Information Technology stream includes three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. In these stages, candidates are evaluated based on their knowledge and expertise in the IT domain.
However, it's essential to note that the IBPS SO IT exam consists of a negative marking system, where 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer, while unattempted questions will not receive any marks.
Aspirants should be cautious and precise while attempting the exam to maximize their scores. The IBPS SO IT exam pattern consists of the following stages as mentioned below.
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
The Preliminary Examination for the IT Officer (Scale I) post comprises three objective tests, conducted online in a total duration of 120 minutes:
English Language
– 50 questions for 25 marks
– 40 minutes
– English medium only
Reasoning
– 50 questions for 50 marks
– 40 minutes
– Bilingual (English & Hindi)
Quantitative Aptitude
– 50 questions for 50 marks
– 40 minutes
– Bilingual (English & Hindi)
In all, you face 150 questions carrying 125 marks. Sectional cut-offs apply - candidates must secure the minimum IBPS-decided marks in each of the three tests to be shortlisted for the Online Main Examination
| S. No. | Name of test | Medium of Exam | No. of questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | English | 50 | 25 | 40 Minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | English & Hindi | 50 | 50 | 40 Minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | English & Hindi | 50 | 50 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 2 Hours | ||
The Main Examination for the IT Officer (Scale I) post consists of a single Professional Knowledge paper covering core IT topics such as networking, security, databases, and software development.
This paper comprises 60 objective questions carrying 60 marks in total. You will have 45 minutes to complete it, and the test is bilingual (English & Hindi).
Candidates must secure the minimum cut-off marks decided by IBPS to be shortlisted for the Common Interview. Any change in this structure will be intimated through the official IBPS website.
| Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
The IBPS SO notification 2026 provides all the important details regarding the vacancies through the recently released notification. Aspirants hoping to appear in the IBPS SO IT exam this year can begin preparing for the exam immediately.
Aspirants need to check all the important details regarding the IBPS SO IT Officer exam vacancies 2026. The IBPS IT Officer vacancies are usually divided between the General and Reserved categories. Here's the distribution of vacancies for last year:
- SC: 25 vacancies
- ST: 12 vacancies
- OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): 45 vacancies
- EWS: 16 vacancies
- Unreserved (UR): 72 vacancies
- Total vacancies: 170
Horizontal reservations for the IT Officer stream:
- Hearing Impairment (HI): 2
- Other Disabilities (OC): 2
- Visual Impairment (VI): 2
- Intellectual Disability (ID): 1
| S.NO | BANK | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | TOTAL | Out of Which (PwBD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HI | OC | VI | ID | ||||||||
| 1 | BANK OF BARODA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 2 | BANK OF INDIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | BANK OF MAHARASHTRA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 4 | CANARA BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 6 | INDIAN BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | PUNJAB & SIND BANK | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 9 | PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK | 22 | 11 | 40 | 15 | 62 | 150 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | UCO BANK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | UNION BANK OF INDIA | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| TOTAL | 25 | 12 | 45 | 16 | 72 | 170 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
The IBPS SO recruitment 2026 is a good chance to work in the Government sector. IBPS SO notification includes vacancies for various streams and IT Officer is one such post covered under it. As an IBPS Specialist Officer in the IT stream, you will handle a variety of tasks. Some of the responsibilities that an I.T. Officer (Scale I) need to perform are given below.
- Provide data maintenance and support
- Hardware, network security
- Troubleshooting hardware/software faults
- Replacing parts as required and providing support, including procedural documentation
- Resolve queries related to ATM, Internet and mobile banking
It is advisable to go through the IBPS SO IT Officer exam eligibility 2026 before completing your application procedure for the IBPS SO IT exam. The IBPS SO IT exam eligibility criteria include nationality, educational qualification, age limit and age relaxation details. You can check the IBPS SO IT exam eligibility criteria 2026 below.
You must satisfy one of the following:
- A four-year Engineering/Technology degree in Computer Science, Computer Applications, Information Technology, Electronics (or Electronics & Telecom/Communication/Instrumentation)
- A postgraduate degree in Electronics (or Electronics & Telecom/Communication/Instrumentation), Computer Science, Information Technology or Computer Applications
- A graduate who has passed the DOEACC ‘B’ level course
All qualifications must be from a university/institution/board recognised by the Government of India or approved by regulatory bodies, with final results declared on or before 28 July 2025. Detailed educational criteria for IBPS SO 2026 is provided below.
| Post Code | Name of the Post | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | I.T. Officer (Scale-I) |
|
The IBPS SO IT Exam is a competitive banking exam conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit IT Officers (Specialist Officers) in public sector banks.
IBPS conducts this exam for multiple public sector banks like:
As an IT Officer, you may:
Government banking job
Good salary + perks
Stable career in IT + banking sector
Step 1: Visit Official Website
- Go to: https://www.ibps.in
- Click on “CRP Specialist Officers” section on the homepage
Step 2: New Registration
- Click on “Apply Online for IBPS SO”
- Select “New Registration”
- Enter basic details:
Name
Mobile number
Email ID
- You’ll receive a Registration Number & Password
Step 3: Fill Application Form
Log in using your credentials and fill:
- Personal details
- Educational qualifications (IT degree details)
- Work experience (if any)
- Choose IT Officer (Scale I) as post
- Select preferred exam centers
Step 4: Upload Documents
Upload scanned copies of:
- Passport-size photo
- Signature
- Thumb impression
- Handwritten declaration
Make sure they follow IBPS size & format rules.
Step 5: Preview & Verify
- Carefully check all details
- No changes allowed after final submit
Step 6: Pay Application Fee
- Pay online via:
Debit/Credit Card
Net Banking / UPI
- Typical fee:
- General/OBC: ₹850 (approx)
- SC/ST/PwBD: ₹175 (approx)
Step 7: Final Submit
- Click Submit
- Download & print:
Application form
Fee receipt
Important Tips
- Use a valid email & mobile number
- Keep scanned documents ready beforehand
- Apply before last date (no extension usually)
- Use a laptop/desktop for smoother form filling
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