The Intelligence Bureau’s ACIO recruitment is one of the most popular graduate-level central government exams in the country. The 2025 cycle, with a record 3,717 posts, wrapped up in June 2026, and aspirants are now waiting for the next notification. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming IB ACIO 2026/27 exam, along with the dates, pattern and cut-offs of previous years.

What is the IB ACIO Exam?

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India’s internal intelligence agency and comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Every recruitment cycle, MHA conducts an exam to recruit Assistant Central Intelligence Officers Grade-II/Executive, commonly called ACIO. It is the entry-level officer post in the Bureau. Any graduate between 18 and 27 years of age can apply, and selection happens in three stages: an objective test, a descriptive test and an interview.

Exam at a glance

IB ACIO 2026/27 Notification: Latest Update

As of November 2026, MHA has not released the new notification. The previous cycle ended with the final result on 3 June 2026, and the next notification is expected around January 2027. If the new cycle follows the same gaps as earlier years, the schedule should look roughly like this:

Expected schedule for IB ACIO 2026/27

Expected Vacancies

Around 1,900 to 2,000 vacancies are expected this time. That is about half of last year’s record intake but similar to the 2020-21 cycle. The exact category-wise numbers will be known only when the official notification is out. Here is how the vacancies were distributed in earlier cycles:

Category-wise vacancies in previous cycles

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility rules have stayed the same over the last few cycles, so the 2026/27 notification is likely to follow the 2025 criteria given below.

How to Apply

The application is filled online only. Keep a working email ID and mobile number ready, since your login details are sent there.

1. Go to mha.gov.in or www.ncs.gov.in and open the IB ACIO application link.
2. Register with your basic and contact details. You will receive an Application Sequence Number and password by SMS and email.
3. Log in again, fill in your category and qualification details, and choose five exam centre cities.
4. Upload a recent colour passport-size photograph (100 to 200 KB) and your signature (80 to 150 KB) in JPG format.
5. Pay the fee online or through SBI challan and submit the form. Only one application is allowed, and it cannot be edited after submission.

Application fee (as per the 2025 notification)

Job Profile and Salary

An ACIO works on both field and desk assignments. The role is mainly about collecting and reporting information related to internal security, while action on the ground is usually taken by the police and other agencies. A typical ACIO’s work includes:

• Collecting intelligence through sources and keeping a watch on assigned people, groups or places
• Writing reports and briefing senior officers
• Coordinating with state police, central forces and the district administration
• Verification and security clearance work, and inputs for VIP security

Officers can be posted anywhere in India, including state capitals, border districts, sensitive areas, immigration check-posts and IB headquarters.

Salary structure

Selection Process and Exam Pattern

Selection takes place in three tiers. Tier I filters candidates for Tier II, and the combined Tier I and Tier II marks decide who is called for the interview.

Marks and qualifying rules for each tier

The final merit list is prepared by adding the marks of all three stages: Tier I (out of 100), Tier II (out of 50) and the interview (out of 100). Selected candidates then go through character and antecedent verification and a medical examination.

Tier I: Objective Test

Tier I has 100 multiple-choice questions divided equally among five sections. One-fourth of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer. There is no sectional cut-off, and since the exam runs in several shifts, scores are normalised.

Tier II: Descriptive Test

Tier II is a one-hour written paper of 50 marks. Its pattern was changed in the 2025 cycle: the essay now carries fewer marks, précis writing has been dropped, and two long-answer questions have been added.

Tier III: Interview

The interview carries 100 marks. The board looks at your personality, general awareness, alertness, communication and overall suitability for intelligence work.

Past Exam Dates

Looking at earlier cycles gives a fair idea of how long the whole process takes. Apart from the COVID-affected 2020-21 cycle, the recruitment has usually been completed in 10 to 13 months.

Previous Year Cut-offs

IB does not release scorecards, so cut-offs are worked out from the marks of shortlisted candidates. For 2015 and 2017 a single figure is widely reported. From 2020-21 onwards Tier I has been held in multiple shifts with normalisation, so the later years are shown as a range. The last column gives our expected range for 2026/27, keeping in mind the rising trend and the smaller number of posts.

Tier I cut-off (out of 100)

In Tier II, the 2017 cut-off was 30 for UR, 25 for OBC and 20 for SC/ST (out of 50). Since 2020-21, the qualifying mark has been a flat 17 out of 50 for every category.

To be on the safer side in Tier I next time, aim for roughly 65+ (UR), 60+ (EWS), 58+ (OBC), 52+ (SC) and 48+ (ST).

How the Exam Has Changed Over the Years

• 2017:Tier I was a single-day offline paper with no normalisation, and Tier II had category-wise cut-offs.
• 2020-21:Tier I moved to a computer-based test held over three days, the EWS quota was introduced, and the COVID-19 pandemic stretched the cycle to about 16 months.
• 2023-24:Only 995 posts were notified, the smallest intake in recent years.
• 2025-26:The biggest recruitment so far with 3,717 posts, a revised Tier II paper, and the processing charge raised from Rs. 450 to Rs. 550.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

• Your Tier I marks matter twice: first for shortlisting and again in the final merit list.
• Negative marking can pull your score down quickly, so focus on accuracy rather than attempting everything.
• All five Tier I sections carry equal marks, so don’t leave any one of them weak.
• Start writing practice early for Tier II. One essay, one comprehension and two long answers in 60 minutes is a tight paper.
• Rely only on the MHA website for notices. IB never asks for money in exchange for a job.

We will update this page as soon as MHA releases the official IB ACIO 2026/27 notification.

IB ACIO Coaching in Delhi