IB MTS Syllabus 2026: Tier 1 and Tier 2 Topics

The IB MTS syllabus covers four Tier I subjects (General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and English) and a descriptive English test in Tier II. The Intelligence Bureau, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, recruits Multi-Tasking Staff (General) at the Class 10 level, so the questions stay close to matriculation standard but reward speed and accuracy.

One thing to know first: the official IB MTS (General) Exam 2025 notification names the sections and their marks but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topic lists below are built from the official section names, the Class 10 level of the post and the type of questions common in central government Group C exams. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and recheck the next notification when it is released.

Table of Contents

IB MTS Syllabus at a Glance

The structure below is from the 2025 notification.

Key Points to Know Before You Start

• No official topic list: IB gives section names only. Any page that calls its topic list "official" is going beyond the notification.

• No interview: Older pages may show an interview or personality test. The 2025 notification has only Tier I, Tier II, document verification and medical examination, so there is no interview syllabus to prepare.

• Tier II is English only: The descriptive test is on English language and comprehension. It is qualifying, but failing it ends your selection.

• Merit is Tier I alone: Final ranking uses Tier I marks, which is why the Tier I syllabus deserves most of your hours.

• Class 10 level: Expect matriculation-level maths and English. The difficulty comes from the time limit and the large share of General Awareness.

Tier I Syllabus: Subject-Wise Topics

Tier I is a one-hour online objective test of 100 questions. The table shows each section with the topics to cover and a sensible starting point.

General Awareness

This is the heaviest section, with 40 of the 100 marks. It mixes current events with static knowledge that a well-read Class 10 student should have.

• Current affairs: National and international events, government schemes, appointments, summits, defence and security news, and important days.

• History: Ancient, medieval and modern India, with focus on the freedom struggle, important leaders, movements and dates.

• Geography: Physical features of India, rivers, states and capitals, national parks, climate, soils, and basic world geography.

• Indian polity: Constitution basics, fundamental rights and duties, Parliament, President, Prime Minister, judiciary and important articles.

• Economy: Basic economic terms, budget, banking, RBI, taxes and major government schemes.

• General science: Physics, chemistry and biology at Class 10 level, everyday science, human body, diseases and nutrition.

• Static GK: Books and authors, awards, sports and trophies, important organisations and their headquarters, firsts in India.

Quantitative Aptitude

Twenty questions test arithmetic at matriculation level. Speed comes from knowing shortcuts for the common question types.

Numerical, Analytical, Logical Ability and Reasoning

This section checks how quickly you can see patterns and apply logic. Most question types repeat across exams of this level.

• Verbal reasoning: Analogy, classification (odd one out), number and letter series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking.

• Logical reasoning: Syllogism, statement and conclusion, seating arrangement, puzzles, Venn diagrams.

• Numerical ability: Missing numbers, mathematical operations, number puzzles.

• Non-verbal reasoning: Mirror and water images, paper folding and cutting, embedded figures, figure series and counting figures.

English Language

The Tier I English section has 20 objective questions. Preparing well here also builds the base for Tier II.

• Grammar: Error spotting, sentence improvement, fill in the blanks, tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech.

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and phrases, spelling correction.

• Comprehension and structure: Reading comprehension, cloze test, sentence rearrangement.

Tier II Syllabus: Descriptive English

Tier II is a one-hour, 50-mark written test on English language and comprehension. You need 20 marks to qualify. The notification lists the areas it tests, which are set out below with what each means in practice.

For the paragraph, aim for a clear opening line, two or three supporting points and a short closing line. Stay close to the word limit. Examiners in qualifying tests usually reward clean grammar and relevance more than complex vocabulary.

How to Approach the 150-Word Paragraph

Topics in descriptive tests at this level are usually general: a social issue, an everyday experience, the value of a habit, or a public service. You do not need specialist knowledge. You need a plan you can repeat under time pressure.

1. Spend two minutes planning: Note one main idea and three short supporting points before you write.

2. Open with the main idea: State your view or the topic's importance in the first sentence.

3. Develop each point in one or two sentences: Use a simple example where it helps.

4. Close in one line: Restate the idea or suggest a practical step.

5. Keep three minutes to proofread: Check tenses, articles, spelling and subject-verb agreement.

How to Approach Comprehension Answers

Read the questions before the passage so you know what to look for. Answer in your own words, in complete sentences, and avoid copying long lines from the passage. Short, accurate answers score better than long ones with grammar errors.

Overlap Between Tier I and Tier II

English is the only subject that appears in both tiers, which means one preparation track covers two stages.

Which Topics to Prioritise

Since merit depends only on Tier I, your study hours should follow the marks. A practical split for a typical learner:

• General Awareness, about 40% of study time: It carries 40 marks, and a strong reader can attempt these questions quickly, saving time for maths.

• Quantitative Aptitude, about 20% to 25%: Focus on arithmetic chapters, which supply most questions at this level.

• Reasoning, about 15% to 20%: Practice-driven; a few weeks of daily sets lift scores quickly.

• English, about 15% to 20%: Covers Tier I and builds the Tier II base at the same time.

Adjust the split to your own strengths. If you already score well in reasoning, move that time to General Awareness, where gains are slower but larger.

How to Cover the IB MTS Syllabus

A 16-week plan works well for most Class 10 and Class 12 level candidates. Start before the notification, because in the last cycle Tier I came about six weeks after applications closed.

1. Weeks 1 to 6, foundations: Revise Class 10 maths and grammar rules. Read news daily for 30 to 40 minutes and keep monthly current affairs notes. Cover history, polity and geography basics.

2. Weeks 7 to 10, topic practice: Take topic-wise tests in maths and reasoning. Start general science and static GK. Write one 150-word paragraph each week.

3. Weeks 11 to 13, sectional tests: Take 15-minute sectional tests in each subject to build speed. Revise current affairs notes every Sunday.

4. Weeks 14 to 16, full mocks: Take two to three full-length mocks a week, analyse each one the same day, and revise from your error log.

After Tier I, switch fully to Tier II: one timed comprehension and one paragraph every day until the test.

Common Syllabus Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating General Awareness as last-minute work: Static GK and current affairs build slowly. Leaving them for the final month is a common reason for a low Tier I score.

• Over-studying advanced maths: The level is matriculation arithmetic. Algebra and trigonometry beyond Class 10 basics rarely pay off for this exam.

• Ignoring Tier II until the Tier I result: The gap between the Tier I result and Tier II can feel long, but writing skill improves slowly. Start weekly writing early.

• Following a syllabus for a different IB post: Security Assistant and ACIO pages list different stages. Make sure your checklist is for MTS (General).

• Not revising notes: Reading new material every day without weekly revision leads to forgetting most of it by exam day.

Books and Sources to Use

• NCERT books (Classes 6 to 10): The most reliable base for history, geography, polity and science at this level.

• A daily newspaper and a monthly current affairs compilation: For the current affairs share of General Awareness.

• A standard arithmetic practice book: Pick one and finish it rather than switching between several.

• A grammar reference with exercises: Useful for both Tier I English and Tier II writing.

• Previous year question papers: They show the real level of difficulty and which topics repeat. Combine them with the IB MTS cut-off guide to set a target score.

Official website: https://www.mha.gov.in/