Intelligence Bureau ACIO
IB ACIO is a recruitment exam conducted by Intelligence Bureau, relevant to candidates preparing for the armed forces and paramilitary recruitment.
IB ACIO Study Material
The IB ACIO exam is the recruitment test for Assistant Central Intelligence Officer Grade II/Executive posts in the Intelligence Bureau, which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The recruitment is run through the MHA website and has three stages: an online objective test, a descriptive paper and an interview. This page gives you the exam at a glance, the stage-wise structure, eligibility, pay and a practical preparation plan.
As on 21 October 2026, the MHA vacancies page shows no new ACIO-II/Executive notification. The latest completed cycle is the ACIO-II/Exe 2025 recruitment, whose final result was reported in June 2026. All figures below come from that cycle and are the best guide to the next one. Treat them as indicative until a fresh notification is out, and confirm every detail on the official MHA vacancies page.
Table of Contents
IB ACIO at a Glance
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Post | Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (ACIO) Grade II/Executive, Group C (non-gazetted, non-ministerial) |
Conducting body | Ministry of Home Affairs, for the Intelligence Bureau |
Latest completed cycle | ACIO-II/Exe 2025 |
Vacancies (2025 cycle) | 3,717 posts across categories |
Qualification | Graduation or equivalent from a recognised university; computer knowledge desirable |
Age limit (2025 cycle) | 18 to 27 years as on 10 August 2025, with category relaxations |
Stages | Tier I (online objective), Tier II (descriptive), Tier III (interview) |
Pay level | Level 7, Rs. 44,900 to Rs. 1,42,400, plus allowances |
Official website | mha.gov.in |
IB ACIO Notification Status
The 2025 notification invited applications for 3,717 ACIO-II/Executive posts, with the online window running from 19 July to 10 August 2025. Tier I was held in September 2025, and the final result for the cycle was reported on 3 June 2026.
No notification for a 2026 or later cycle appeared on the MHA vacancies listing when this page was last reviewed. Some websites already carry pages titled "IB ACIO 2026" with expected dates and vacancy numbers. Those figures are guesses, not official data. Plan your preparation around the stable parts of the exam, such as the pattern and the skills tested, and check the official site every week.
Important Dates
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Online application opens (2025 cycle) | 19 July 2025 |
Last date for registration and online fee (2025 cycle) | 10 August 2025 |
Tier I online exam (2025 cycle) | 16 to 18 September 2025 |
Tier I result (2025 cycle) | 21 November 2025 |
Tier II result (2025 cycle, as reported) | 5 March 2026 |
Final result (2025 cycle) | 3 June 2026 |
Next notification | Not announced as on 21 October 2026 |
Tentative dates come from the notification schedule and reported results, and they can change. Track the official vacancies page on mha.gov.in and your registered email for the next cycle.
Vacancy Details
The 2025 recruitment carried 3,717 vacancies. The category split was as follows.
Category | Vacancies (2025 cycle) |
|---|---|
UR | 1,537 |
EWS | 442 |
OBC | 946 |
SC | 566 |
ST | 226 |
Total | 3,717 |
These figures are indicative for any future cycle. Vacancies change every year, and the next notification may list a different number.
IB ACIO Eligibility
Educational qualification
Candidates need a graduation degree or equivalent from a recognised university. The notification lists knowledge of computers as desirable. The subject of your degree does not matter.
Age limit
In the 2025 cycle the age limit was 18 to 27 years as on 10 August 2025. The reference date changes with each notification, so check it before you apply.
Category | Upper age relaxation |
|---|---|
OBC | 3 years |
SC/ST | 5 years |
Departmental central government employees with 3 years of service | Up to 40 years |
Other conditions
Only Indian citizens can apply. Selected candidates must be willing to serve anywhere in India. Read the full rules, including other relaxations, on the IB ACIO eligibility page.
Application Fee and How to Apply
Category | Fee (2025 cycle) |
|---|---|
Male candidates in UR, EWS and OBC | Rs. 650 (Rs. 550 processing charge plus Rs. 100 exam fee) |
SC/ST, women and eligible ex-servicemen | Rs. 550 (processing charge only) |
Applications are online only. The usual process is as follows.
Open the vacancies section of mha.gov.in and find the ACIO-II/Executive notice.
Read the notification fully, then register with your basic details.
Fill in the application form, choose your exam cities and upload your photograph and signature.
Pay the fee online within the last date and save the confirmation page.
Photograph and signature sizes, and the payment options, are fixed in each notification. Keep scanned copies of your graduation marksheet, a photo ID and your category certificate ready before the window opens. Common reasons for rejection are an ineligible age on the reference date, a wrong category claim and a mismatched photograph.
IB ACIO Exam Pattern
The selection has three tiers. Tier I is an online test, Tier II is descriptive and Tier III is an interview.
Tier I
Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Current Affairs | 20 | 20 |
General Studies | 20 | 20 |
Numerical Aptitude | 20 | 20 |
Reasoning | 20 | 20 |
English | 20 | 20 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
The test is online and lasts 60 minutes. Each wrong answer carries a penalty of one-fourth of a mark.
Tier II and Tier III
Tier II is a descriptive paper of 50 marks and 60 minutes with an essay, an English comprehension question and two long-answer questions. Tier III is an interview of 100 marks. The full breakdown, with qualifying rules, is on the IB ACIO exam pattern page.
What this means for you: Tier I is short and fast, so accuracy in the first 40 minutes matters more than attempting every question. Tier II rewards writing practice, which most candidates start too late. Older pages may still show a different pattern, so follow the official notification.
IB ACIO Syllabus Summary
The notification names the Tier I sections but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The table below is a working checklist built from the notification and from the kind of questions asked in earlier years. It is not an official list.
Section | Stage | Important topics |
|---|---|---|
Current Affairs | Tier I, Tier II | National and international events, government schemes, awards, defence and security news |
General Studies | Tier I | History, polity, geography, economy, general science |
Numerical Aptitude | Tier I | Simplification, percentages, ratio, time and work, data interpretation |
Reasoning | Tier I | Series, coding-decoding, puzzles, blood relations, syllogism |
English | Tier I, Tier II | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, essay and precis writing |
See the full topic list on the IB ACIO syllabus page.
Selection Process
Tier I: Online objective test of 100 marks. It is qualifying in nature, with minimum marks set by category, and candidates are shortlisted for Tier II up to about 10 times the vacancies.
Tier II: Descriptive paper of 50 marks. Candidates need at least 33 per cent (17 out of 50) to qualify for the interview, and are shortlisted up to about 5 times the vacancies.
Tier III: Interview of 100 marks to assess personality and suitability.
Final merit and checks: The final list is based on performance across the tiers, followed by character and antecedent verification and a medical examination.
The shortlist ratios are from the 2025 cycle and may differ in the next notification.
IB ACIO Salary and Career Growth
ACIO Grade II/Executive is placed at Level 7 of the pay matrix, with a basic pay range of Rs. 44,900 to Rs. 1,42,400. The 2025 notification also mentioned a Special Security Allowance of 20 per cent of basic pay along with other admissible central government allowances. Monthly in-hand pay depends on the city of posting, so any in-hand figure you see online is an estimate, not an official number. The post is an executive role in the field and office network of the Bureau, and promotions follow departmental rules.
How to Prepare for IB ACIO
Tier I
Spend the first weeks on arithmetic basics, reasoning patterns and grammar, since these three sections are the most predictable. Read a newspaper daily and keep monthly current affairs notes. Move to sectional tests once your basics are steady, then to full-length papers.
Tier II
Write one essay and one comprehension answer every week, and have someone check them. Practise finishing within the time limit. Topics usually draw on current affairs, economy, internal security and social issues.
Mock tests and revision
Timed practice shows you where marks leak. For the current pattern, you can attempt IB ACIO mock tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to plan your revision.
IB ACIO Cut-Off Reference
Category | Tier I minimum qualifying marks (2025 cycle, out of 100) |
|---|---|
UR | 35 |
EWS | 35 |
OBC | 34 |
SC/ST | 33 |
These are the minimum qualifying marks given in the notification, not the marks at which candidates were actually shortlisted. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. More on this is on the IB ACIO cut off page.