IB ACIO 2026: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility & Latest Update
IB ACIO (Assistant Central Intelligence Officer Grade-II/Executive) recruitment is conducted for the Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs. As of 23 September 2026, the MHA archive checked for this page does not list a fresh ACIO-II/Executive 2026 notification. The latest completed cycle is 2025, whose final result was published on 3 June 2026. Until a new notice is issued, the 2025 structure is the latest confirmed reference for the IB ACIO exam and IB ACIO syllabus.
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Latest status
2025 cycle completed
The final result for ACIO-II/Exe Exam 2025 was posted by MHA on 3 June 2026.
No fresh 2026 ACIO-II/Exe notice found
Checked against the MHA “What’s New” archive on 23 September 2026.
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Latest Status
Exam Pattern
Syllabus
Eligibility
Preparation
Coaching
FAQs
IB ACIO Exam 2026: Latest Recruitment Status
The broad search term IB ACIO often brings together recruitment updates, eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus. The important distinction for 2026 is that the last confirmed ACIO-II/Executive recruitment cycle has already concluded. The MHA archive lists the 2025 Tier-I result, Tier-II result and final result, but the archive checked for this page does not show a new 2026 ACIO-II/Exe notification.
For preparation, that means the sensible reference point is the 2025 recruitment pattern. Do not treat old 2020 or 2021 pages as current. When a new MHA notice is released, vacancy numbers, dates, cut-offs, fees or the pattern should be rechecked before being shown as current.
Latest vacancies
3,717
ACIO-II/Executive 2025
Qualification
Graduation
Equivalent degree accepted
Age reference
18–27 years
As on 10 Aug 2025; relaxations applied
Pay level
Level 7
₹44,900–1,42,400 + admissible allowances
Source check: Ministry of Home Affairs recruitment/result archive. View MHA updates.
IB ACIO Selection Process
The latest confirmed ACIO-II/Executive process uses three stages. Tier I is the objective screening test, Tier II is descriptive, and shortlisted candidates then face the interview. Final merit is based on combined performance, subject to the conditions in the recruitment notice.
Tier I — Objective Exam
100 multiple-choice questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes. The paper is divided equally across Current Affairs, General Studies, Numerical Aptitude, Reasoning/Logical Aptitude and English Language. The 2025 notification applied 0.25 negative marking for each wrong answer.
Tier II — Descriptive Exam
A 50-mark descriptive paper completed in 60 minutes. The latest confirmed structure used an essay, English comprehension and two long-answer questions on current affairs, economics and socio-political issues.
Tier III — Interview
Candidates shortlisted after Tier I and Tier II are called for the interview. The 2025 interview carried 100 marks.
IB ACIO Exam Pattern
The IB ACIO exam pattern is important because Tier I rewards both accuracy and speed: 100 questions must be handled in one hour, with a penalty for wrong answers. Tier II is not an MCQ extension of Tier I; it requires written responses.
IB ACIO Tier I Exam Pattern
| Tier I section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Affairs | 20 | 20 | 60 minutes total |
| General Studies | 20 | 20 | |
| Numerical Aptitude | 20 | 20 | |
| Reasoning / Logical Aptitude | 20 | 20 | |
| English Language | 20 | 20 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Marking: +1 for a correct answer and −0.25 for a wrong answer in Tier I. Unattempted questions do not attract the negative mark described for incorrect answers.
IB ACIO Tier II Exam Pattern
| Tier II component | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 20 | 60 minutes total |
| English Comprehension | 10 | |
| 2 long-answer questions on Current Affairs / Economics / Socio-political issues | 20 | |
| Total | 50 | 60 minutes |
Why this matters: many older IB ACIO pages still show the previous Tier II split of 30 marks for essay plus 20 marks for comprehension/précis. The 2025 ACIO-II/Executive notification used the 20 + 10 + 20 structure shown above.
IB ACIO Syllabus for Tier I and Tier II
The official recruitment notice names the five Tier I sections, but it does not provide a long chapter-by-chapter list for every subject. The topic coverage below is therefore presented as a practical preparation map based on the section names and the recurring competitive-exam topics candidates normally practise. It should not be mistaken for a separately issued official detailed MHA syllabus.
Current Affairs
National and international events, government schemes and policy developments, economy, defence and security-related news, appointments, awards, sports, science and technology, and other recent developments relevant to competitive examinations.
General Studies
Indian polity and Constitution, history, geography, economy, general science, environment, important institutions, static general knowledge and basic science-and-technology awareness.
Numerical Aptitude
Number system, simplification, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, discount, simple and compound interest, time and work, time-speed-distance, ages, mensuration and basic data interpretation.
Reasoning / Logical Aptitude
Analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, syllogism, statement-based reasoning, seating arrangement, puzzles and other logical problem-solving formats.
English Language
Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, error detection, sentence improvement, fill in the blanks, cloze passages, synonyms and antonyms, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution and sentence arrangement.
IB ACIO Tier II Syllabus
Tier II preparation should cover essay writing, English comprehension and structured long answers. For the 2025 pattern, the long-answer questions were linked to areas such as current affairs, economics and socio-political issues. Students should practise writing complete, direct answers within a strict one-hour paper rather than relying only on objective-question preparation.
Useful internal resource: build a daily reading routine with the academy’s current affairs page, then convert important issues into short notes that can support both Tier I recall and Tier II writing.
IB ACIO Eligibility, Age Limit and Salary
Eligibility details must always be tied to a specific recruitment cycle. The table below summarises the latest completed ACIO-II/Executive cycle. It is useful for planning, but the next notification can change dates, vacancy counts or conditions.
| Post | Assistant Central Intelligence Officer Grade-II/Executive (ACIO-II/Exe) |
|---|---|
| Essential qualification | Graduation or equivalent from a recognised university (2025 cycle) |
| Desirable qualification | Knowledge of computers (2025 cycle) |
| Age reference | 18–27 years as on 10 August 2025, with category/other relaxations as notified |
| Pay scale | Level 7: ₹44,900–1,42,400 in the pay matrix, plus admissible Central Government allowances |
| Vacancies | 3,717 in the 2025 ACIO-II/Executive recruitment |
For the 2025 cycle, upper-age relaxation applied to eligible categories including SC/ST and OBC candidates, with additional relaxations for certain other categories under the notification. Candidates should read the next official notice before relying on an old cut-off date.
How to Prepare for the IB ACIO Exam
The paper combines fast objective work with descriptive writing, so a one-dimensional study plan is risky. A better sequence is to build the five Tier I areas together, introduce timed mocks early, and keep a parallel writing routine for Tier II.
1. Build speed for Tier I
Start with topic-wise accuracy in Quant, Reasoning and English. Move to mixed sectional practice, then full 60-minute papers. Track the questions you lose to calculation errors, guessing and slow reading.
2. Keep Current Affairs usable
Do not only collect headlines. Make short issue notes: what happened, why it matters, key facts and the likely objective question. The same notes can later support descriptive writing.
3. Start Tier II before Tier I ends
Write one essay or long answer under time limits every week once the basic syllabus is underway. Tier II needs structure, relevance and clear English; it cannot be built in a few days after Tier I.
A simple weekly structure is enough: concept work on weak subjects, timed practice on strong subjects, one full mock with error analysis, current-affairs revision, and at least one descriptive writing session. Increase full-paper frequency as the notification and exam date approach.
IB ACIO Coaching at Scholars SSC Academy
Scholars SSC Academy lists IB ACIO coaching under its defence, police and intelligence exam preparation. The academy also states that its government-exam programs use topic-wise and full-length tests, study material, doubt support and classroom/online learning options.
Before joining, confirm whether an IB ACIO-specific batch is currently active, the mode available at your preferred centre, the batch timing and the current fee. This page does not invent a fee or batch schedule that is not published for IB ACIO.
Tier I coverage
Quant, Reasoning, English, General Studies and Current Affairs aligned to the latest confirmed exam structure.
Timed testing
Use sectional and full-length testing to measure speed, accuracy and repeated error patterns.
Descriptive practice
Include essay, comprehension and long-answer practice so Tier II is prepared alongside Tier I.
Classroom + online options
Scholars offers classroom and online government-exam learning; confirm the current IB ACIO batch before enrolling.
You can also review Scholars SSC Academy’s broader Defence Exams Coaching page and course directory for related preparation options.
Check the current IB ACIO batch before enrolling
Book a demo, ask for the current mode and timing, and confirm what is included for Tier I and Tier II.
IB ACIO FAQs
These answers focus on questions that remain important after reading the exam pattern and syllabus above.
What is the latest IB ACIO recruitment update for 2026?
As of 23 September 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs archive checked for this page does not list a fresh ACIO-II/Executive 2026 notification. The latest completed cycle is the 2025 recruitment, whose final result was posted by MHA on 3 June 2026.
What is the IB ACIO Tier I exam pattern?
Using the latest confirmed 2025 pattern, Tier I has 100 objective questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes. There are 20 questions each from Current Affairs, General Studies, Numerical Aptitude, Reasoning/Logical Aptitude and English Language, with 0.25 negative marking for a wrong answer.
What is the IB ACIO syllabus for Tier I?
The official section names are Current Affairs, General Studies, Numerical Aptitude, Reasoning/Logical Aptitude and English Language. Detailed chapter lists used for preparation are coaching/practice breakdowns rather than a separate chapter-by-chapter MHA syllabus.
What is the IB ACIO Tier II pattern?
In the 2025 cycle, Tier II was a 50-mark descriptive paper for 60 minutes: Essay 20 marks, English Comprehension 10 marks, and two long-answer questions worth 20 marks in total on areas such as Current Affairs, Economics and socio-political issues.
Is graduation required for IB ACIO?
For the 2025 ACIO-II/Executive recruitment, graduation or equivalent from a recognised university was the essential educational qualification. Always verify the next recruitment notice before applying.
What was the IB ACIO age limit in the latest cycle?
The standard age range in the 2025 recruitment was 18 to 27 years as on 10 August 2025, with relaxations for eligible categories and other notified cases.
Is there negative marking in the IB ACIO exam?
Yes. The 2025 Tier I scheme deducted one-quarter of a mark for each wrong answer.
Does Scholars SSC Academy offer IB ACIO coaching?
Scholars SSC Academy lists IB ACIO among its defence, police and intelligence exam preparation options. Because batches and timings can change, book a demo or contact the institute to confirm the currently active IB ACIO batch, mode and fee.
Sources and update policy
Primary update source: Ministry of Home Affairs — What’s New Archive.
Freshness rule for this page: if MHA publishes a new ACIO-II/Executive notification, update the status box, vacancy figure, eligibility cut-off date, application dates and exam pattern before changing the year-specific claims anywhere else on the page.
Preparing for the next IB ACIO cycle?
Start with the latest confirmed pattern, practise under time limits and verify every new recruitment detail from MHA.