Latest verified update
CRP SPL-XVI mains is tentatively scheduled for 1 November 2026. The official notification includes Professional Knowledge in prelims and a descriptive component in mains. Read the current post-specific pattern.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | CRP SPL-XVI; vacancies of 2027–28 |
| Scale I posts | IT, Agricultural Field, Rajbhasha, Law, HR/Personnel and Marketing Officer |
| Base age | 20–30 as on 1 July 2026; prescribed relaxations apply |
| Preliminary examination | 29 August 2026 in the calendar — date passed |
| Main examination | 1 November 2026 in the tentative calendar |
| Selection | Prelims, main and interview |
Verified updates and notification PDF
The reviewed register lists the detailed notice on 1 July, post-specific PwBD suitability clarification on 12 August, and a vacancy amendment on 27 August. The latest vacancy annexure replaces earlier indicative counts; actual reported vacancies govern provisional allotment.
Use the XVI examination tables below. Do not reuse an older SO pattern that omits Professional Knowledge from prelims or omits the main descriptive paper.
Official reference: Detailed notification.
Official reference: 27 August vacancy amendment.
Official reference: 12 August post-wise PwBD clarification.
Important dates
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Original registration/payment | 1–21 July 2026 — closed |
| Qualification cut-off stated in notification | 21 July 2026 |
| Preliminary calendar date | 29 August 2026 — passed |
| Main calendar date | 1 November 2026 — tentative |
Check later notices and the individual call letter for the operative date, reporting time and venue. This review does not claim a live main-call-letter or result link merely from the calendar.
Official reference: Calendar.
Vacancies and post-specific eligibility
Read the latest annexure by specialist post, participating bank and category. For eligibility, the exact discipline and course mode matter: a generic bachelor’s degree is not enough for every post.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| IT Officer | Listed four-year engineering/technology disciplines; specified postgraduate disciplines; or graduate with DOEACC B level |
| Agricultural Field Officer | Listed four-year agriculture and allied-degree disciplines |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Postgraduate Hindi with English at degree level, or postgraduate Sanskrit with English and Hindi at degree level |
| Law Officer | LL.B and enrolment as advocate with Bar Council |
| HR/Personnel | Graduation plus the specified two-year full-time postgraduate degree/diploma in the listed HR/personnel and related fields |
| Marketing | Graduation plus the specified two-year full-time MMS/MBA or postgraduate management diploma with Marketing specialisation |
The notice excludes unlisted equivalent qualifications. For dual specialisations, one must be the prescribed field; for major/minor combinations, the major must match. More than two specialisations is excluded under the stated management-qualification clause. Computer-knowledge evidence is required for posts other than IT Officer. Read the 12 August notice for disability suitability and functional requirements for the actual post.
Official reference: Section B qualifications and age.
Application and fees
The original application window has closed. The notification permits application for one specialist post. Fees inclusive of GST were ₹175 for SC/ST/PwBD and ₹850 for other candidates, plus bank charges. Retain the form, qualification evidence and receipt.
Preliminary exam pattern
Prelims has 100 questions, 125 marks and 80 minutes. Four tests each have 25 questions and 20 minutes: English, Reasoning, a third general test and Professional Knowledge. The first three tests carry 25 marks each and Professional Knowledge 50. For IT/Agriculture/HR/Marketing, the third test is Quantitative Aptitude; for Law/Rajbhasha it is General Awareness with special reference to banking. Candidates must qualify in each test.
Main exam pattern and marking
For IT/Agriculture/HR/Marketing, the objective tests are English 30 questions/30 marks/25 minutes, Reasoning 40/40/35, Quantitative Aptitude 30/30/25 and Professional Knowledge 50/100/40. The objective total is 150 questions, 200 marks and 125 minutes. An English descriptive paper adds two questions, 25 marks and 30 minutes: total 225 marks and 155 minutes.
Law and Rajbhasha replace Quantitative Aptitude with banking-focused General Awareness (30 questions/30 marks/20 minutes) and allow 45 minutes for the 50-question/100-mark Professional Knowledge objective test. Their overall objective and full-test totals are the same. Law has the English descriptive paper; Rajbhasha has a Professional Knowledge descriptive paper in English/Hindi.
The notice states that main tests other than Professional Knowledge are qualifying and merit listing uses Professional Knowledge scores. Objective wrong answers lose one-quarter of the marks assigned to the question. Do not treat that as a uniform quarter-mark penalty in sections with different question weights.
Official reference: Section D, printed pages 13–15.
Syllabus, selection and salary
Prepare the official tests for your chosen specialist discipline and read the current information handout. Editorial study advice: give regular practice time to professional concepts and descriptive writing alongside general tests; a generic PO mock does not reproduce this structure.
Main and interview have an 80:20 relative weight under the notification. Final selection remains subject to eligibility, category evidence and participating-bank requirements. Scale I basic pay starts at ₹48,480 in the stated scale; actual net pay depends on allowances, deductions and bank terms.
Official reference: Interview and pay provisions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Professional Knowledge appear in prelims?
Yes. In the reviewed XVI notification it has 25 questions and 50 marks.
Is SO mains only a 60-question professional test?
No. Use the XVI objective and descriptive structure above.
Can any graduate apply to every SO post?
No. Each post has prescribed discipline/course requirements.
Are the updated vacancies guaranteed appointments?
No. Figures are indicative and selection/allotment remains conditional.
Official sources and review scope
- SPL-XVI detailed notification
- Official SO register
- 27 August amendment
- 12 August PwBD clarification
- Tentative calendar
Read subsequent official amendments and your candidate-specific instructions. A shortlist or provisional allotment does not by itself establish appointment. No unannounced 2027 recruitment facts are inferred.