If you are preparing for the IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) IT Officer Scale-I Exam 2026, this guide covers everything you need to know. Whether you are a Computer Science graduate or an IT professional, this article explains the latest exam pattern, syllabus, preparation strategy, recommended books, and study plan to help you crack the exam.
IBPS SO IT Officer 2026: Exam Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) IT Officer Scale-I |
| Conducting Body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Post Name | IT Officer (Scale-I) |
| Recruitment Process | CRP SPL-XVI |
| Job Location | Across India |
| Job Type | Permanent Government Bank Job |
| Pay Scale | ₹48,480 – ₹85,920 (Basic Pay) + DA, HRA, Special Allowance & Other Benefits |
| Selection Process | Preliminary Exam → Main Exam → Interview |
| Mode of Examination | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Educational Qualification | B.E./B.Tech in Computer Science, IT, Electronics & Related Branches OR Relevant Postgraduate Degree OR DOEACC ‘B’ Level |
| Age Limit | 20–30 Years |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 Marks for each incorrect answer |
| Official Website | IBPS |
What is IBPS SO IT Officer?
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the Specialist Officer (SO) examination every year to recruit professionals for various specialist roles in public sector banks.
The IT Officer (Scale-I) is responsible for managing the bank’s technology infrastructure, software systems, cybersecurity, networking, databases, and digital banking services.
Selected candidates are posted in participating public sector banks across India.
Participating Banks
The recruitment is conducted for multiple public sector banks, including:
- 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
IBPS SO IT Officer 2026 Vacancy Details
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 122 |
| OBC | 82 |
| SC | 46 |
| ST | 23 |
| EWS | 28 |
| Total | 301 |
Bank-wise Vacancy Details
| Bank | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Bank of India | 110 |
| Punjab National Bank | 100 |
| Central Bank of India | 50 |
| Indian Overseas Bank | 25 |
| Punjab & Sind Bank | 16 |
| Total | 301 |
IBPS SO IT Officer Selection Process
The recruitment process consists of three stages:
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination
Candidates first appear for the online preliminary examination.
Those who qualify the cutoff move to the Main Examination.
Stage 2: Main Examination
The Main examination tests both aptitude and professional knowledge.
Professional Knowledge carries the highest weight and plays the biggest role in final selection.
Stage 3: Interview
Candidates shortlisted after the Main examination are called for an interview conducted by the participating banks.
The final merit list is prepared after combining the Main examination and Interview scores.
IBPS SO IT Officer Preliminary Exam Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 25 | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 25 | 25 | 20 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 20 Minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 Minutes |
Important Points
- Online examination
- Sectional timing
- Sectional cutoff
- Negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer
IBPS SO IT Officer Main Exam Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 40 | 35 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 25 Minutes |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 150 | 200 | 125 Minutes |
Professional Knowledge is the most important section because it carries 100 marks.
Detailed IBPS SO IT Officer Syllabus
English Language
Topics include:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Sentence Improvement
- Para Jumbles
- Fill in the Blanks
- Vocabulary
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Idioms
- One Word Substitution
Reasoning Ability
Prepare the following topics:
- Puzzle
- Seating Arrangement
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relation
- Direction Sense
- Syllogism
- Inequality
- Statement and Assumption
- Statement and Conclusion
- Order and Ranking
- Input Output
- Logical Reasoning
- Alphanumeric Series
Quantitative Aptitude
Arithmetic
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Ratio and Proportion
- Partnership
- Average
- Time and Work
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Mixture and Allegation
- Simple Interest
- Compound Interest
- Ages
Advanced Maths
- Simplification
- Approximation
- Number Series
- Quadratic Equations
- Data Interpretation
- Probability
- Permutation and Combination
- Mensuration
- Statistics
Professional Knowledge Syllabus
This section is the deciding factor in the examination.
Computer Fundamentals
- Computer Architecture
- Memory
- CPU
- Input Devices
- Output Devices
- Number Systems
- Logic Gates
Operating Systems
- Process Management
- Threads
- Scheduling
- Deadlocks
- Paging
- Segmentation
- Virtual Memory
- Linux Basics
- Windows
Data Structures
- Arrays
- Linked Lists
- Stack
- Queue
- Trees
- Binary Search Tree
- Heap
- Graph
- Hashing
Algorithms
- Sorting
- Searching
- Time Complexity
- Space Complexity
- Greedy Algorithms
- Dynamic Programming Basics
- Recursion
Database Management System (DBMS)
- ER Diagram
- SQL Queries
- Joins
- Normalization
- Transactions
- ACID Properties
- Indexing
- Constraints
- Stored Procedures
Computer Networks
- OSI Model
- TCP/IP
- IPv4
- IPv6
- Routing
- Switching
- DNS
- DHCP
- HTTP
- HTTPS
- FTP
- SMTP
- VPN
Programming
Candidates should know the basics of:
- C
- C++
- Java
- Python
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Software Engineering
- SDLC
- Agile
- Waterfall
- Spiral Model
- Testing
- UML
Web Technologies
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- REST API
- HTTP Protocol
Cyber Security
- Firewall
- Malware
- Encryption
- Digital Signature
- Hashing
- SSL
- TLS
- Authentication
- Authorization
- Cyber Attacks
Cloud Computing
Basic understanding of:
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- Virtualization
- Docker
- Kubernetes
Banking Technology
- Core Banking System (CBS)
- UPI
- IMPS
- RTGS
- NEFT
- Digital Banking
- Internet Banking
- NPCI
- Information Security
- RBI Guidelines
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Released | 30 June 2026 |
| Online Application Starts | 1 July 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 21 July 2026 |
| Preliminary Exam | August 2026 |
| Preliminary Result | September/October 2026 |
| Main Exam | November 2026 |
| Main Result | November 2026 |
| Interview | November–December 2026 |
| Final Allotment | January 2027 |
Join For More Updates
| 1. Official Telegram | Click Here |
| 2. Download App | Click Here |
| 3. Download Study Routine App | Click Here |
| 4. CS/IT Job Alert | Click Here |
| 5. Join For Engineering Exam Job Alerts | Click Here |
| 6. DRDO & ISRO Job Alert | Click Here |
| 7. EXAM PYQ PDF | Click Here |
| 8. Placement CS\IT | Click Here |