IB Security Assistant (Executive) / Motor Transport

The IB Security Assistant 2026 page covers the Security Assistant/Executive (SA/Exe) post in the Intelligence Bureau, which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is a Group 'C', non-gazetted post open to 10th pass candidates, and it is filled through three stages: an online test, a translation test and an interview.

The latest recruitment was notified as the Security Assistant/Executive Examination-2025 for 4,987 vacancies, and its stages ran into 2026. A fresh notification had not been announced at the time of writing (October 2026). This page gives the verified rules, vacancy split, pattern, selection steps and a preparation approach, so you can plan before the next cycle opens.

Table of Contents

IB Security Assistant at a glance

Notification and cycle status

The Intelligence Bureau recruits Security Assistants through its own examination, advertised on the Ministry of Home Affairs website and the National Career Service portal. The 2025 notification opened online registration on 26 July 2025 and covered 37 bureaux across the country, from Agartala to Vijayawada.

Three points from the notification are easy to miss:

• Vacancies are provisional: The notification says the number can change. Vacancies for ex-servicemen are allotted on a central basis, not bureau by bureau.

• The post is not open to persons with benchmark disabilities: The notification states that the post is not identified as suitable for them.

• The post carries all-India transfer liability: Apply only if you are willing to serve anywhere in India.

Older pages may still show 2026 dates for the 2025 cycle, so follow the official notification and wait for the next announcement before acting on any date.

Important dates

The application dates come from the official notification. The later stage dates are as reported and can differ from official notices, so track the recruitment section of mha.gov.in and your registered email.

Vacancy details

The 4,987 vacancies were divided by category as shown below.

Vacancies are also fixed bureau-wise, and you compete only for the bureau you choose. The larger bureaux in the 2025 notification were these.

The vacancy count of each bureau is indicative for future cycles. Check the new notification for the current split.

Eligibility criteria

Educational qualification

You need a Matriculation (10th class) pass or equivalent from a recognised board. The result must be declared on or before the closing date. Higher qualifications do not add marks, and field experience in intelligence work is only desirable.

Age limit

The age limit was 18 to 27 years as on 17 August 2025. Your date of birth is taken from the matriculation certificate only.

Language and domicile

This is the condition that surprises most applicants. You must hold the domicile certificate of the state against which you apply, and you must be able to read, write and speak one of the languages or dialects listed against your chosen bureau. The same language is used in the Tier II translation test.

The bureau and exam city you select cannot be changed later, and your candidature counts only against that bureau's vacancies.

Application fee and how to apply

The fee is non-refundable, and bank charges, if any, are borne by the candidate. Applications are accepted online only, and the 2025 process worked in this order.

1. Register: Sign up on the official website with a valid email and mobile number to receive your Application Sequence Number and password.

2. Complete the form: Log in again, select your category and bureau, fill in personal and qualification details, and upload your photograph and signature.

3. Pay the fee: Use the SBI ePay Lite gateway (cards, net banking or UPI) or generate an e-challan, which stays valid for four days.

4. Preview and submit: Check every entry, submit the form, and keep a printout. The form cannot be edited after submission.

Applications are most often rejected for wrong details, multiple submissions, a blurred photograph or a category that does not match the certificate. The notification listed the portal helpdesk as 022-61087512 (10:00 to 18:00, Monday to Saturday).

Exam pattern

Tier I: online objective test

Every wrong answer costs one-fourth of a mark. Unattempted questions and questions marked for review earn no marks.

Tier II and Tier III

What this means for you:

• Equal weight: Each of the five Tier I sections is worth 20 marks, so a weak section can be offset only by a strong one.

• Guessing has a price: Skip a question when you cannot remove at least two options.

• No typing or skill test: The notification lists no typing test for this post, so spend that time on translation practice.

Syllabus summary

The notification names the five Tier I sections but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topics below are built from the section names and from questions asked in earlier IB papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.

Selection process

1. Tier I: Candidates must clear category-wise minimum marks out of 100. Marks are normalised, and the cut-off can rise above the minimum.

2. Shortlist for Tier II: Candidates equal to ten times the number of vacancies are shortlisted on normalised Tier I marks.

3. Tier II: The paper is qualifying. You need at least 20 out of 50 marks to move ahead.

4. Shortlist for Tier III: Candidates equal to five times the vacancies are called for the interview, based on Tier I marks.

5. Tier III: The interview carries 50 marks.

6. Final merit: The list is prepared on combined Tier I and Tier III performance, with a waiting list for replacements.

7. Verification: Selection is subject to character and antecedent verification and a medical examination.

Ties are broken by Tier I marks, then Tier III marks, then date of birth (older candidate first), then alphabetical order of names. Some pages count Tier II in the merit total, but the notification counts only Tier I and Tier III.

Salary and benefits

The in-hand amount depends on the posting city and the allowances that apply. This is not an official figure, so treat any in-hand estimate you see online as a rough guide.

Security Assistant

This exam entry also covers the Security Assistant (Motor Transport) post, which is notified separately from SA/Exe. Reports indicate 455 vacancies, a Tier I online test on 30 October 2025, and a Tier II that combines a motor mechanism and driving test with an interview for 50 marks.

Tier I includes a Basic Transport/Driving Rules section along with the general sections. Check the SA/MT notification for its eligibility and licence conditions, because they differ from SA/Exe.

How to prepare

• Tier I: Revise arithmetic basics and reasoning patterns first, then add current affairs for 30 to 40 minutes a day. Keep a separate notebook for static general knowledge.

• Tier II: Translate one short newspaper passage in both directions every day and compare it with a reliable source. Accuracy of meaning matters more than fancy vocabulary.

• Tier III: Read about the Intelligence Bureau's role, keep up with national news, and practise explaining your background in simple, honest sentences.

Timed practice makes the biggest difference in a 60-minute paper with negative marking. For practice in the current pattern, you can attempt IB Security Assistant online tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to decide what to revise next. Pair them with previous year papers to understand the real difficulty level, and follow the study notes guide to organise your revision.

Cut-off reference

These are the minimum qualifying marks stated in the 2025 notification, not the final cut-offs. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so aim for a clear margin above these figures rather than a bare pass.

If you plan to apply for the IB Security Assistant 2026 cycle, confirm your domicile and language eligibility first, because they decide which bureau you can choose.