Alerts and Updates for IBPS RRB Officer (Scale-I/II/III)
IBPS RRB Officer (Scale-I/II/III): the dates, the paper structure, what has actually been notified, with a source link on every claim.
Updated : 1 day ago
View Complete ArticleIBPS RRB Officer at a glance
| Stage | What it is | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officer Scale I preliminary | Reasoning (40 marks) and Quantitative Aptitude (40 marks) | 80 | 45 minutes |
| Officer Scale I main | Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, English or Hindi, Computer Knowledge | 200 | 120 minutes |
| Officer Scale II General Banking Officer | Single examination, five sections | 200 | 120 minutes |
| Officer Scale II Specialist | Single examination, six sections including Professional Knowledge | 200 | 150 minutes |
| Officer Scale III | Single examination, same five-section pattern as Scale II General Banking Officer | 200 | 120 minutes |
| Interview (all officer scales) | Minimum 40 per cent, 35 per cent for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD | 100 | Not stated |
One fourth, or 0.25, of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer, and nothing is deducted for a question left blank. For Officer Scale I only the marks of the online main examination count towards the interview shortlist and the final merit list, and the final score combines examination and interview in the ratio 80:20 for the officers cadre.
Dates and windows
| What | When | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online registration | 1 September to 21 September 2026 | Closed |
| Reported extension of the application window | To 27 September 2026, reported by Adda247 | Reported |
| Pre-examination training | November 2026 | Awaited |
| Officer Scale I preliminary examination | November or December 2026 officially; 21 and 22 November 2026 reported | Reported |
| Officer Scale I main, and the Scale II and III single examination | December 2026 to February 2027 officially; 20 December 2026 reported | Reported |
| Interviews | January or February 2027 | Awaited |
| Provisional allotment | February or March 2027 | Awaited |
The notification gives its schedule in months, not dates, and describes it as tentative; the day-level dates above are reported by Careers360 and Adda247 and are not confirmed by IBPS. The IBPS registration site shows the closure of registration as 21 September 2026, so treat the 27 September extension as reported until it appears on ibps.in.
What this means for your preparation
The CRP RRBs XV application window has run its course and the examination itself is still pencilled in by month rather than by date. That leaves roughly two months to a preliminary paper, and the way this exam is scored decides how to spend them.
The Scale I preliminary is a gate, not a score
The notification states that marks obtained only in the online main examination are considered for shortlisting for interview and for the final merit list. The preliminary exists to get you through and nothing more, so a comfortable clearance earns no credit later. Time spent pushing a prelim score well past the cut-off is time taken from the paper that actually decides the result.
Scale II and Scale III have no preliminary at all
Officer Scale II and Officer Scale III are decided by a single examination of 200 marks followed by an interview. Scale II General Banking Officer and Scale III sit five sections in 120 minutes; Scale II Specialist sits six sections in 150 minutes, the extra one being Professional Knowledge. If you are applying at these scales there is nothing to warm up on, because the first paper is the one that counts.
A quarter mark comes off every wrong answer
One fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer, and nothing is deducted for a blank. On the 80-mark Officer Scale I preliminary that is 0.25 gone per mistake, against a cut-off set by vacancies. The discipline that pays is eliminating options before you mark: a question you cannot narrow down at all is the one case where leaving it blank is defensible.
Every section is separately timed
The preliminary gives 25 minutes to reasoning and 20 to quantitative aptitude. The Officer Scale I main gives 30 minutes each to reasoning, quantitative aptitude and the language paper, and 15 minutes each to general awareness and computer knowledge. You cannot carry unused time from a section you find easy into one you do not, so mock practice has to run under the section clock, not a single two-hour timer.
The interview is both a hurdle and a fifth of the score
The interview carries 100 marks with a minimum of 40 per cent, or 35 per cent for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates, and the final score combines examination and interview in the ratio 80:20 for the officers cadre. It can therefore end a candidacy outright and it moves the final mark by a fifth, which makes it worth real preparation once the main paper is behind you.
Common questions
Is there negative marking in the IBPS RRB Officer exam?
Yes. For each question answered wrongly, one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. No penalty applies to a question left unanswered. The rule runs through the Officer Scale I preliminary and main papers and the single examination for Officer Scale II and Scale III.
Does the Officer Scale I preliminary score count in the final merit?
No. The CRP RRBs XV notification states that marks obtained only in the online main examination are considered for shortlisting for interview and for final merit listing. The preliminary is a qualifying stage: you have to clear it, but the score itself is not carried into the final list.
Do Officer Scale II and Scale III candidates sit a preliminary exam?
No. Officer Scale II and Officer Scale III are recruited through a single examination of 200 marks followed by an interview. Scale II General Banking Officer and Scale III sit five sections in 120 minutes, while Scale II Specialist sits six sections in 150 minutes, the additional section being Professional Knowledge.
What experience do I need for Officer Scale II and Scale III?
Officer Scale II General Banking Officer requires a bachelor’s degree with at least 50 per cent marks and two years as an officer in a bank or financial institution. Officer Scale III requires a bachelor’s degree with at least 50 per cent marks and a minimum of five years’ experience as an officer in a bank or financial institution.
How much is the IBPS RRB application fee?
Rs 850 for candidates other than SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-servicemen, and Rs 175 for SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-servicemen candidates. Payment is online only. The notification charges the fee per post applied for, so applying at more than one scale means paying more than once.
How much does the interview count towards selection?
The interview carries 100 marks and a candidate must score at least 40 per cent in it, or 35 per cent if they belong to the SC, ST, OBC or PwBD categories. The final score for the officers cadre combines the examination and the interview in the ratio 80:20, so the written paper carries four times the weight.
Is pre-examination training available, and for whom?
Yes, in online mode and to a limited number of candidates. The notification offers it to SC, ST, OBC, Minority Community, Ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates for Office Assistant, and to SC, ST, OBC and Minority Community candidates for Officer Scale I. Its tentative schedule places the training in November 2026.
