Intelligence Bureau has released IB ACIO Notification 2025 on the official website for 3717 ACIO Grade 2 Executive posts. The IB ACIO Apply Online Link was activated from 19th July 2025. Candidates had applied online through the official MHA website or the NCS portal till 10th August 2025. The last day of admission form fee submission was 12th August 2025. The selection is based on a written exam and interview. The IB ACIO Exam Date 2025 will be conducted on 16th, 17th and 18th September 2025. Now, the IB ACIO Answer Key 2025 has been released on 22 September 2025 along with Response Sheet PDF for all appeared candidates.

Aspirants must read the IB ACIO Notification 2025 carefully to check the age limit, qualifications, and other important details for the recruitment. The IB Exam recruitment drive is a golden chance to work with India's top intelligence agency. Don't miss this opportunity to join the Intelligence Bureau through IB ACIO Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (ACIO) Grade II Executive Exam 2025.

Register now for IB ACIO Tier II Preparation 2025

IB ACIO Grade II Answer Key Download;Link 2025 Active

The IB ACIO Grade II Answer Key 2025 is now available to download at mha.gov.in as of 22 September 2025 onwards. Candidates can now view their detailed exam performance by tallying their Response Sheet with the answers provided in the official Answer Key for the Tier I exam held from 16–18 September 2025. All candidates who had registered for the IB ACIO 2025 Exam can now download their Response Sheet PDF along with Answer Key by logging into the official Ministry of Home Affairs portal using their registration credentials. The direct download link has been provided below for your reference – 

Direct Link to Download IB ACIO Answer Key 2025

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IB ACIO Notification PDF 2025

The IB ACIO Notification PDF is live with complete details about IB ACIO Recruitment. Candidates will find all important information such as eligibility criteria, age limit, application fees, and category-wise vacancy distribution in the official notification. Those planning to apply must go through the IB ACIO Apply Online process carefully. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also provided the IB ACIO 2025 Notification PDF for quick access to all details in one place. Make sure to read the document thoroughly before submitting your IB ACIO application form online.

Download IB ACIO Notification 2025 PDF 

IB ACIO Recruitment 2025: Overview

Intelligence Bureau Recruitment 2025 offers a great opportunity for graduates to join the Intelligence Bureau as Assistant Central Intelligence Grade-II/Executive. Interested candidates can check all details given below.

IB ACIO Full Form

The full form of IB ACIO is Intelligence Bureau Assistant Central Intelligence Officer. It denotes a Group C (Non‑Gazetted, Executive) post in India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This annual national‑level exam recruits candidates—typically graduates aged between 18 and 27—for the ACIO Grade‑II/Executive role, offering a pay scale under Level 7 (₹ 44,900–₹ 1,42,400) plus security‑related allowances. IB ACIO officers assist in internal intelligence gathering, analysis, and dissemination to safeguard national security. The full empowerment of this designation lies in its critical role in India’s internal security apparatus.

IB ACIO Answer Key 2025

IB ACIO Exam 2025: Important Dates

Candidates must keep a tab on the important dates for the upcoming IB ACIO Exam 2025 specified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to the schedule, registration began on 19th July 2025, with the last date to apply online being 10th August 2025 (11:59 pm). The deadline for submitting the fee was 12th August 2025. Now the exam date is approaching on 16th September, 2025. Candidates must keep a tab on the important dates for the complete recruitment cycle in the table below -

IB ACIO Exam Date 2025

The IB ACIO Tier 1 exam will take place from 16th to 18th September 2025. The official exam date is printed on the candidates' respective hall tickets, which has been released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

IB ACIO Vacancy 2025

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has released a total of 3,717 vacancies for the post of ACIO Grade-II/Executive through IB ACIO Recruitment 2025. Out of these, 1,537 vacancies are for the Unreserved (UR) category, while OBC candidates have 946 vacancies. Additionally, 442 vacancies are allocated to EWS, 566 to SC, and 226 to ST category candidates, following the reservation guidelines set by the government. Check the category-wise breakup in the table below.

IB ACIO Recruitment 2025 Apply Online

The IB ACIO Apply Online 2025 process started on 19th July 2025 and remained open until 10th August 2025. Interested and eligible candidates can fill out the IB ACIO Application Form through the official IB ACIO Apply Link available on the MHA website or the NCS portal. Applicants should carefully read the official notification to confirm they meet all eligibility criteria before submitting the form. Note that the IB ACIO application can be submitted online only, as the authorities will not accept any offline applications.

Direct Link to Apply for IB ACIO Recruitment 2025

(*This link has expired now.)

Instructions Before Filling IB ACIO Application Form 2025

Candidates must carefully read all instructions for filling out the application form and prepare the required documents. Submitting the IB ACIO Application Form with incorrect or incomplete details can lead to rejection. Refer to the table below for a complete checklist and important instructions to fill out your IB Form -

How to Apply for IB ACIO Recruitment 2025?

The IB ACIO Apply Online 2025 process was conducted exclusively through the official MHA website or NCS portal. Candidates must read all instructions carefully, ensure document readiness, and complete both Step I and Step II of the application process without errors. Refer to the table below for detailed guidance on how to fill the IB ACIO Application Form successfully.

IB ACIO Grade-II/Executive 2025 Application Fee

The IB ACIO Exam Fee 2025 varies based on the candidate’s category. The IB ACIO Exam Fee structure is category-wise, where most candidates are required to pay only the processing charges of ₹550. However, Male candidates belonging to UR, EWS, and OBC categories need to pay an additional exam fee of ₹100, making their total payable amount ₹650. Here is the table below.

• The application form is linked with a secure payment gateway for smooth transactions.
• Candidates can make the payment online using SBI EPAY LITE, via Debit Cards (RuPay, Visa, MasterCard, Maestro), Credit Cards, Internet Banking, UPI, or SBI Challan.
• Once the payment is made, wait for server confirmation and avoid refreshing or pressing the back button to prevent duplicate charges.
• For safety, close the browser after completing your transaction.
• After successful payment, applicants can download and print the application form with fee details.
• The fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
• Online fee payments must be completed before the last date of application submission.
• If paying via SBI challan, it must be submitted in the bank by 12th August 2025 (within banking hours), even if generated on the last application day.

IB ACIO 2025 Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the IB ACIO Recruitment 2025 process, the candidates must fulfill their eligibility criteria. If candidates fail to meet the prescribed requirements, they will not be able to participate in the online registration process. Check IB ACIO Eligibility 2025 in detail. Below are the details of IB ACIO Age Limit and Educational Qualification.

IB ACIO Age Limit 2025 (As on 10.08.2025)

To apply for the IB ACIO Recruitment 2025, candidates must meet the specified age criteria. The IB ACIO minimum age to apply is 18 years, while the maximum age limit is 27 years.

However, the cutoff date for determining the candidate's age, both minimum and maximum, will be 10 August 2025.

IB ACIO Age Relaxation (Category-Wise)

Candidates from reserved categories are eligible for upper age limit relaxation as per government rules. The table below shows the detailed age relaxation for each eligible group.

IB ACIO Educational Qualification 2025

To be eligible for the IB ACIO Recruitment 2025, candidates must meet the required these IB ACIO qualifying marks. The basic educational requirement is a Graduation or equivalent degree from a recognized university. Additionally, candidates are expected to have basic computer knowledge, which is considered desirable for performing the job responsibilities effectively.

IB ACIO 2025 Selection Process

The IB ACIO Grade 2 Executive selection involves the following 3 stages -- Paper I and Paper II, followed by an interview.  It ensures a fair and comprehensive assessment of knowledge, writing ability, and personality. Candidates must clear each round to move to the next phase

• Tier I – Objective Written Examination
• Tier II – Descriptive Test (Essay, Comprehension, Long Answers)
• Tier III – Interview / Personality Test

Check the stage wise details below -

Tier I – Objective-Type Written Examination

• Tier I is a computer‑based test (CBT) conducted for a total duration of 60 minutes. 
• There will be 100 multiple-choice questions divided into five sections – General Awareness, General Studies, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical/Analytical Ability, and English Language (20 questions/20 marks each). 
• Each correct answer carries 1 mark, while every wrong answer incurs a penalty of ¼ mark. 
• Candidates must meet the category-specific cutoffs to advance, and normalization is applied if the exam is conducted in multiple shifts

Tier II – Descriptive Written Test

• Candidates who clear Tier I appear for Tier II, a descriptive paper of 50 marks to be completed in 60 minutes in pen‑and‑paper mode. 
• This stage tests English writing skills through essay writing (usually 20 marks), English comprehension, and long-answer questions (covering current affairs, socio‑political or economic issues). 
• To qualify, candidates must secure at least 33% in Tier II. Though qualifying in nature, the Tier II score is added to the final merit alongside Tier I and Tier III results.

Tier III – Interview / Personality Test

• Shortlisted candidates based on combined performance in Tiers I and II are called for a personal face‑to‑face interview carrying 100 marks. 
• This final stage evaluates communication abilities, mental alertness, subject knowledge, personality traits, and overall suitability for intelligence work. 
• The interview is important in the merit list preparation, which considers scores across all three stages. 

Candidates shortlisted for Tier II will be 10 times the number of vacancies, based on Tier I scores and normalization. To qualify for the interview, candidates must score at least 33% (17/50) in Tier II. The Final merit list will be prepared based on combined performance in Tier I, Tier II, and Interview (Tier III). A waiting list will also be created to fill future vacancies as per DoPT guidelines.

IB ACIO 2025 Syllabus

The IB ACIO 2025 Syllabus is designed to test candidates on a wide range of topics similar to other SSC exams. The Tier 1 exam is an objective-type paper that includes sections on Current Affairs, General Studies, Numerical Aptitude, Reasoning & Logical Aptitude, and English Language. The Tier 2 exam is descriptive in nature, focusing on Essay Writing, English Comprehension, and long-answer questions related to current affairs, economics, and socio-political issues. Aspirants are advised to go through the detailed syllabus for both tiers to streamline their preparation Candidates can download IB ACIO Syllabus PDF from the direct link attached.

Attempt IB ACIO Previous Year Papers to prepare for the upcoming exam!

IB ACIO 2025 Exam Pattern

There are two written exam phases for the IB ACIO Grade 2 exam. The Tier I paper is objective, whereas the Tier II paper is descriptive, as mentioned below. Here’s the table for the IB ACIO exam pattern for Tier I and Tier II.

Tier I Objective Type (Written Exam)

Each section of the IB ACIO Exam 2025 contains 20 questions, with a total of 100 questions in the entire exam. The total marks for the exam are 100, and the duration is 1 hour (60 minutes). In the Tier I phase, there is a penalty of 1/4th mark for each incorrect answer.

Note: There is a negative marking of ¼ mark for each wrong answer in Tier I.

Tier II – Descriptive Paper

The IB ACIO Tier II Exam 2025 will be a written exam worth 50 marks. It will include:

• Essay Writing (20 Marks)
• English Comprehension (10 Marks)
• Long Answer Questions (20 Marks)

Tier III – Interview / Personality Test

What is the Salary of an IB Grade II/Executive Officer?

The IB ACIO Salary 2025 is highly attractive and falls under Level 7 of the pay matrix, ranging from Rs. 44,900 to Rs. 1,42,400 per month. In addition to the basic pay, selected candidates receive standard Central Government allowances. A Special Security Allowance of 20% of basic pay is also provided. Officers may also get cash compensation for duties performed on holidays, up to 30 days. Overall, the salary package makes this job financially rewarding and stable.

IB ACIO 2025 Exam City

Candidates applying for the IB ACIO 2025 exam must select five preferred exam cities from the list during the online application process. The Tier-I exam will be held in these cities, and once allotted, the exam center cannot be changed. Below is the complete list of exam cities for IB ACIO 2025, categorized state-wise:

Last Year IB ACIO Cut Off Marks

The last cycle of IB ACIO Recruitment 2025 was conducted in 2017. Candidates who have registered for the upcoming IB ACIO Grade-II/Executive Exam must go through the previous year cut off marks to benchmark their preparation accordingly. Check the Tier 1 and Tier 2 IB ACIO Cut Off Marks below -

IB ACIO Preparation Tips

Given below are some IB ACIO Preparation Tips which can help you prepare for the Examination.

• Start by thoroughly understanding the exam pattern and syllabus. Familiarize yourself with the sections, topics, and marking scheme. This will help you create a structured study plan.
• Solve Previous Year Question Papers. This will not only familiarize you with the exam pattern but also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Focus more on areas where you face difficulty and work on improving them.
• Take regular mock tests to simulate the exam environment and assess your preparation level. Analyze your performance in these tests and identify areas that need improvement. Additionally, mock tests will help you manage your time effectively during the exam.
• Allocate dedicated time for revision in your study schedule. Make concise notes of important points, formulas, and concepts to aid in quick revision.

This was all about the IB ACIO Grade II exam. Keep following our page to get all the updates related to the exam. Download our Testbook App from the play store and get access to quizzes, mock tests, live classes, and more.