IBPS SO Mains Exam 2026: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) will conduct the Specialist Officer (SO) Mains Examination 2026 on November 1, after declaring the preliminary examination results on October 15.
Candidates shortlisted under CRP SPL-XVI can appear for the Mains examination without submitting a fresh application. IBPS has specified a single registration process covering both preliminary and main examinations.
According to the recruitment notification, IBPS is scheduled to release Mains call letters in October. The exact release date has not been specified.
Eligible candidates must visit ibps.in, open the CRP Specialist Officers XVI section and download their call letters using the login credentials requested on the portal.
The revised Mains examination comprises 150 objective questions carrying 200 marks, followed by a descriptive paper worth 25 marks. The total examination duration is 155 minutes.
For IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer, the objective sections cover English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and Professional Knowledge.
For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari, General Awareness with special reference to Banking replaces Quantitative Aptitude.
The descriptive paper carries 25 marks. It is conducted in English for most posts, while Rajbhasha Adhikari candidates take a Professional Knowledge descriptive test in English and Hindi.
IBPS states that all tests except Professional Knowledge are qualifying in nature, with merit determined by Professional Knowledge scores.
Carry the Mains call letter and original valid photo ID.
Bring the authenticated preliminary examination call letter and stamped ID-proof copy.
Report before the time specified on the call letter; late entry is prohibited.
Follow the examination centre's instructions and prohibited-item guidelines.
Candidates should regularly check the official IBPS website for call letter updates and the examination information handout.