Intelligence Bureau Exam: Eligibility, Exam Pattern and Syllabus
Intelligence Bureau (IB) conducts exam to hire personnels for various posts in the department. The idea of the eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus is an advantage for the candidates. Know these in detail.

Intelligence Bureau (IB) exams are conducted to recruit various personnels for the department. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is an important set-up that takes care of the security of the nation. The candidates who are interested to join the services of IB need to know that the job is challenging and it will require them to be versatile so that they can perform their duties well.
There are certain posts in IB that are on offer. The main posts that IB offers are that of Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (ACIO) and Grade-II/Executive in the Intelligence Bureau. The eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus of these posts are a bit different with many things in common. Lets discuss things in detail.
Eligibility for Intelligence Bureau (IB) Exams
The candidates who are thinking of applying to any of the posts in IB need to know the eligibility of the posts first. The eligibility of these posts are given as below:
Eligibility Criteria for IB ACIO:
(a) Educational Qualification:
Essential: The candidates must be a Graduate from a recognised University with minimum 50 per cent marks in aggregate.
Desirable: The candidates should have the knowledge of computers.
(b) Age: The minimum age of the candidates must be 18 years and the maximum age of the candidates should be 27 years.
The candidates can claim age relaxation as per the govt rules. However, the age relaxation that is granted is as follows:
SC/ST: 5 years
OBC: 3 years
Departmental Candidates: 13 years (with more than 3 years of service)
Women (widows, divorced women & women judicially separated from their husbands & not remarried): 8 years (for General), 13 Years (SC/ST)
Meritorious Sports persons: 5 years
Eligibility Criteria for IB Security Assistant:
(a) Educational Qualification:
Essential: The candidates must have passed class tenth exam from a recognised board. The candidates must have a command over a local language or dialect. The candidates must be able to read, write and speak in that dialect.
Desirable: The candidates should have field experience in Intelligence work.
(b) Age: The minimum age of the candidates must be 18 years and the maximum age of the candidates should be 27 years.
The candidates can claim age relaxation as per the govt rules. However, the age relaxation that is granted is as follows:
SC/ST: 5 years
OBC: 3 years
Departmental Candidates: 13 years (with more than 3 years of service)
Women (widows, divorced women & women judicially separated from their husbands & not remarried): 8 years (for General), 13 Years (SC/ST)
Meritorious Sports persons: 5 years
Exam Pattern for Intelligence Bureau (IB) Exams
The candidates who are planning to appear for the Intelligence Bureau exams need to know the exam pattern of the same. The exam pattern tells them what are the stages of the exam. It is necessary for the candidates to know it so that they can prepare accordingly.
Exam Pattern of IB ACIO
The candidates who are to appear for the IB ACIO exam has to go through two tier of the exams. Tier I will be of 100 marks and Tier II will be of 50 marks. After that, there will be an interview of 100 marks. Tier II is qualifying in nature. There is negative marking in the Tier I exam. Here is the exam pattern of Tier I:
Section |
No. Of Questions |
Marks |
Time |
General Awareness |
25 |
25 |
1 Hour |
Quantitative Aptitude |
25 |
25 |
|
Logical/Analytical Ability |
25 |
25 |
|
English Language |
25 |
25 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
The candidates who qualify the Tier I exam are called for the Tier II exam. Tier II is qualifying in nature. The exam will be of 50 marks and the duration of the exam will be 1 hour. Here is the exam pattern of Tier II:
Section |
Marks |
Time |
Essay Writing |
30 |
1 Hour |
English Comprehension & Précis Writing |
20 |
|
Total |
50 |
The candidates who clear both the stages of the exams are called for interview.
Exam Pattern of Security Assistant
The candidates who are to appear for the Security Assistant exam has also to go through two tier of the exams. Tier I will be of 100 marks and Tier II will be of 50 marks. After that, there will be an interview of 50 marks. Tier II is qualifying in nature. There is negative marking in the Tier I exam. Here is the exam pattern of Tier I:
Section |
No. Of Questions |
Marks |
Time |
General Awareness |
40 |
40 |
2 Hours |
Quantitative Aptitude |
20 |
20 |
|
Logical/Analytical Ability |
20 |
20 |
|
English Language |
20 |
20 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
The candidates who qualify the Tier I exam are called for the Tier II exam. Tier II is qualifying in nature. The exam will be of 50 marks and the duration of the exam will be 1 hour. Here is the exam pattern of Tier II:
Section |
Marks |
Time |
Translation of a passage of 500 words from local language to English and vice-versa |
40 |
1 Hour |
Spoken Ability (to be tested during interview) |
10 |
|
Total |
50 |
The candidates who clear both the stages of the exams are called for interview.
Syllabus of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Exams
After getting an idea of the eligibility and the exam pattern, the candidates should know the syllabus of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Exams. The syllabus helps them in knowing what they need to study. Mainly, the questions are asked from Maths, Reasoning, General Awareness and English Language. The candidates should have a command of the syllabus so that they can score better in the exam. Here is the syllabus of the exams.
Subjects |
Topics |
Maths |
Arithmetic (Number Theory), Number Systems, Square and Cube Roots, Fractions and Decimals, H.C.F. and L.C.M., Simplification, Ratio and Proportion, Average, Logarithms, Ages, Boats and Streams, Clocks and Calendars, Mixture and Allegation, Pipes and Cisterns, Problems on Trains, Unitary Method,Time and Distance, Time and Work, Work and Wages, Simple and Compound Interest, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Partnership, Discounts, Mensuration |
Reasoning |
Analytical Reasoning, Direction and Distance Test, Linear Arrangement Test, Complex Arrangement Test, Analogy, Odd Man Out, Coding Decoding, Series Test, Blood Relationships, Symbols and Notations, Alphabet Test, Data Interpretation and Sufficiency, Syllogism, Problems Based on Symmetry, Problems Based on Visual Ability |
General Awareness |
Famous Personalities, Books And Authors, Inventions And Discoveries, Countries and Currencies, Various Forms of Dances, Sanctuaries, World Organisations, Prizes And Awards, Famous Places, General Studies, Solar System, Environment and Ecology, Pollution, Geography, History, Polity, Economics, Sports, Miscellaneous |
English Language |
Synonyms and Antonyms, Spelling Test, Idioms and Phrases, One Word Substitution, Sentence Completion, Sentence Improvement, Sentence Reconstruction, Jumble Words and Sentences, Cloze Test, Common Errors, English Comprehension |
Now, the candidates have the idea of the eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus of the exam. They can start their preparation in an organised manner. Having the knowledge of the syllabus will keep on guiding the candidates in what way and in what manner they should study.