Introduction

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has invited online applications for the Common Recruitment Process for Specialist Officers (CRP SPL-XVI), covering vacancies for the year 2027-28 in 11 Participating Public Sector Banks. A total of 745 vacancies have been indicated across six Specialist Officer posts: IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer. The online application window closes today, 21 July 2026 — candidates who haven't applied yet should complete their application without delay.

Important Highlights

Field Details
Organization Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Posts IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer (all Scale-I)
Total Vacancies 745 (indicative, per Annexure I of the official notification)
Recruitment Cycle CRP SPL-XVI, vacancies for 2027-28
Application Mode Online
Pay Scale Basic ₹48,480–2000/7–62,480–2340/2–67,160–2680/7–85,920
Category Public Sector Bank (Specialist Officer cadre)
Official Website www.ibps.in

Important Dates

Event Date
Online registration & fee payment window 01 July 2026 to 21 July 2026
Application edit window 2 days after registration closes (date to be notified on IBPS website)
Call letter download — Preliminary exam August 2026
Online Preliminary Examination August 2026
Preliminary result September/October 2026
Call letter download — Main exam October 2026
Online Main Examination November 2026
Main exam result November 2026
Interview November/December 2026
Provisional allotment January 2027

Application Fee

Category Fee (inclusive of GST)
SC / ST / PwBD ₹175
All other candidates ₹850

Age Limit & Educational Qualification (as on 01.07.2026 / 21.07.2026)

Age: Minimum 20 years, Maximum 30 years (born between 02.07.1996 and 01.07.2006). Age relaxation: SC/ST 5 years, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) 3 years, PwBD 10 years, certain Ex-Servicemen 5 years.

Post Minimum Educational Qualification
IT Officer 4-year Engineering/Technology degree in Computer Science/IT/Electronics or related field, OR PG degree in relevant field, OR Graduate with DOEACC 'B' level
Agricultural Field Officer 4-year degree in Agriculture/Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/Veterinary Science/Dairy/Fishery Science or related agricultural field
Rajbhasha Adhikari PG degree in Hindi with English as a subject at graduation, OR PG in Sanskrit with English & Hindi as subjects at graduation
Law Officer Bachelor's Degree in Law (LL.B) and enrolled as an advocate with a Bar Council
HR/Personnel Officer Graduate + 2-year full-time PG degree/diploma in Personnel Management/IR/HR/HRD/Social Work/Labour Law
Marketing Officer Graduate + 2-year full-time MMS/MBA/PGDBA/PGDBM/PGPM/PGDM with Marketing specialization

Vacancy Details (by Post)

Post Total Vacancies (Indicative)
IT Officer 301
Agricultural Field Officer 190
Law Officer 105
Rajbhasha Adhikari 89
HR/Personnel Officer 60
Marketing Officer 0 (nil vacancies indicated this cycle)
Total 745

Vacancies are indicative and subject to revision based on actual requirements reported by the Participating Banks.

Selection Process

  1. Online Preliminary Examination — Objective test covering English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Professional Knowledge (100 questions, 125 marks, 80 minutes). For Law Officer/Rajbhasha Adhikari, General Awareness (Banking) replaces Quantitative Aptitude.
  2. Online Main Examination — Objective section (150 questions, 200 marks, 125 minutes) plus a Descriptive Paper (English) of 25 marks in 30 minutes; total 225 marks in 155 minutes. All sections except Professional Knowledge are qualifying only — final merit is based on Professional Knowledge scores.
  3. Interview — Conducted by the Participating Banks and coordinated by the Nodal Bank.
  4. Provisional Allotment — Based on merit and bank preference, expected January 2027.

Negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer in objective tests; no penalty for unattempted questions.

How to Apply

  1. Visit the official IBPS website, www.ibps.in.
  2. Find the link for CRP SPL-XVI recruitment.
  3. Register with a valid personal mobile number and email ID.
  4. Fill in personal, educational, and category details carefully.
  5. Upload photograph, signature, and other required documents per specifications.
  6. Select your post of choice — only one application per candidate is allowed.
  7. Pay the applicable examination fee online (₹175 or ₹850 depending on category).
  8. Review and submit the application before the closing date.
  9. Save/print the application confirmation for your records.

Official Links

Link URL
Apply Online www.ibps.in (CRP SPL-XVI application link)
Official Notification (Full PDF) https://www.ibps.in/wp-content/uploads/Detailed-Notification-CRP-SPL-XVI_Final_V1_30.06.2026.pdf
Official Website www.ibps.in

FAQs

Q1. What is IBPS CRP SPL-XVI 2026? It is the Common Recruitment Process conducted by IBPS for Specialist Officer posts (2027-28 vacancies) across 11 Participating Public Sector Banks.

Q2. What is the last date to apply for IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI 2026? The online application and fee payment window closes on 21 July 2026.

Q3. How many total vacancies are there in IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI 2026? 745 vacancies are indicated across six Specialist Officer posts, as per Annexure I of the official notification.

Q4. What is the application fee for IBPS SO 2026? ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates and ₹850 for all other candidates, inclusive of GST.

Q5. What is the age limit for IBPS SO CRP SPL-XVI 2026? Candidates must be between 20 and 30 years of age as on 01.07.2026, with relaxation available for reserved categories.

Q6. What is the selection process for IBPS Specialist Officer recruitment? Selection involves an Online Preliminary Examination, an Online Main Examination (objective + descriptive), and an Interview.

Q7. When will the IBPS SO Preliminary exam be conducted? The Preliminary Examination is tentatively scheduled for August 2026, per the official notification.