IBPS RRB PO 2026 Eligibility: Birth Dates, Relaxation, Local Language

Age limits: 2026 against 2025

Both dates are inclusive. The upper limits apply as printed to General and EWS candidates; other categories get the relaxations below.

Age relaxation

The SC, ST and OBC relaxation is allowed cumulatively “together with only one of the remaining categories”, so an OBC candidate with a benchmark disability gets 3 + 10 = 13 years, but a PwBD ex-serviceman cannot add both. The table below turns that into the earliest birth date allowed for each officer post (our arithmetic; the latest date never moves).

Education and experience, as on 21 September 2026

For Scale I the requirement is simply a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, with no minimum percentage. IBPS gives preference to degrees in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture, Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation, Information Technology, Management, Law, Economics or Accountancy, and working knowledge of computers is “desirable”. Scale II General Banking Officer needs a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% plus two years as an officer in a bank or financial institution; Scale III needs the same degree plus five years as an officer. The six Scale II specialist posts instead have their own qualifications (for example a Law degree, CA, or an MBA) and experience in that field — two years as an advocate or bank Law Officer for Law, one year as a Chartered Accountant for CA. The Scale II and III guide in this series covers each stream.

The result must have been declared on or before 21.09.2026, and the proof is the date on the mark sheet or provisional certificate. Percentages are not rounded: IBPS says 59.99% is treated as less than 60%, and the same logic makes 49.99% less than 50% for the posts that need 50%. If your university awards a CGPA, you must convert it to a percentage by the university’s own rule and bring proof of that rule to document verification.

Nationality

A candidate must be a citizen of India; a subject of Nepal or of Bhutan; a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently; or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam intending to settle permanently in India. Everyone outside the first group needs a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India in their favour. IBPS also asks candidates to produce documents supporting their nationality, along with category, age and qualification, when called.

The local-language rule and the 28 RRBs

For Officer Scale I and Office Assistant, proficiency in the local language prescribed by the participating RRB is an essential qualification. A candidate who studied that language in standard VIII or above at a Government-recognised board or school, or holds a certificate to that effect, is treated as proficient. A candidate who does not meet this at selection is given six months from joining to acquire it, which the RRB’s board can extend within its rules but not beyond the probation period. Scale II and Scale III have no such requirement in the notification.

The test medium is a separate choice from the local language: it is the language you read the question paper in. Twelve of the 28 offer only English and Hindi, and sixteen add at least one regional language (our count from the table); the regional options differ from the local-language list in places — Karnataka and Maharashtra add Konkani to the medium, while Assam’s Bodo and Bengali and West Bengal’s Nepali are local languages but not test media.

Fee and the one-post rule

Fees include GST. The ex-serviceman concession to ₹175 applies only to Office Assistant; an ex-serviceman applying for an officer post pays ₹850 unless also SC, ST or PwBD. Do not register more than once for the officer cadre: applications for more than one officer post are summarily rejected, and where a candidate submits multiple applications for a cadre IBPS keeps only the latest valid completed one and the fee paid for the others “will stand forfeited”. Fees are not refunded.

What is the age limit for IBPS RRB PO 2026?

Above 18 and below 30 as on 01.09.2026: born between 02.09.1996 and 01.09.2008 for General and EWS candidates.

What is the upper age limit for OBC in RRB PO 2026?

Three years more: an OBC (NCL) Scale I candidate may have been born as early as 02.09.1993 (our arithmetic).

Can I apply for both Scale I and Scale II in IBPS RRB 2026?

No. Only one officer post may be applied for; applications for more than one are summarily rejected, and fees paid on extra registrations are forfeited. Office Assistant is a separate application.

Is there a minimum percentage for RRB PO Scale I?

No. Any bachelor’s degree qualifies for Scale I. Scale II and III need 50% in most streams.

Do I need to know the local language for RRB PO?

Yes for Scale I: proficiency in the RRB’s local language is essential, shown by study in standard VIII or above, or acquired within six months of joining.

What is the qualification cut-off date for CRP RRBs-XV?

Your result must be declared on or before 21.09.2026. The extension to 27.09.2026 changed only the registration window, as far as its text shows.

How many RRBs are in IBPS RRB 2026?

Twenty-eight participating RRBs after the 2025 amalgamation — one each for 26 states plus Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry in Table A.

Do ex-servicemen pay ₹175 for RRB officer posts?

No. The ₹175 fee for ex-servicemen applies only to Office Assistant. Officer posts charge ₹175 only to SC, ST and PwBD candidates.