IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Age, Qualification, Things to Remember

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection or IBPS has laid down a set of eligibility conditions for IBPS RRB X which all aspiring candidates must fulfil to enter into the banking domain. As per the official notification released by IBPS, this year (2021), more than 9600 vacancies will be filled with Officers Scale I, II  & III Officers and Office Assistant (Multipurpose) in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). Candidates who fulfil the required IBPS RRB eligibility criteria can sit for the Prelims and Mains examination. 

The IBPS authorities prescribe the eligibility criteria for the posts of Officers and Office Assistants in multipurpose roles. The IBPS RRB eligibility criteria are published annually by the IBPS. The eligibility of candidates is determined by factors like nationality, age, and education qualification.

Important Update

3rd February 2021 – Tentative Calendar of Online CRP for RRB 2021-22 released.

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Exam Notification

The official IBPS RRB notification 2021 will released sometime around June 2021. As per the updated information, the IBPS RRB preliminary exam was will be conducted on 1st August, 7th August, 8th August, 14th August and 21st August 2021 respectively. Besides this, the Mains exam of IBPS RRB for Officer Scale I will be conducted on 25th September 2021 and Office Assistant will be held on 3rd October 2021. 

The table below contains all the important IBPS RRB exam dates:

IBPS RRB 2021 Important Dates

Exam Events	Important Dates
IBPS RRB Official Notification	3rd week of June 2021*
Availability of online application form	1st week of June 2021*
Last date to submit the application form	2nd week of June 2021*
Last Date to Submit Fee	2nd week of June 2021*
IBPS RRB Prelims admit card	July 2021*
IBPS RRB Prelims Examination Dates	1st August 2021 7th August 2021 8th August 2021 14th August 2021 21st August 2021
IBPS RRB Single Exam	25th September 2021 (Officers Scale II & III)
IBPS RRB Prelims Result	To be Announced*
Release of Result (Officers Scale II & III)	To be Announced*
IBPS RRB Mains Exam	Officer Scale I – 25th September 2021 Office Assistant – 3rd October
IBPS RRB Mains Result	To Be Announced*
Provisional Allotment for IBPS RRB Officers Scale I, II and III & Office Assistant	To Be Announced*

*The exact dates are yet to be announced

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Positions at Offer

The IBPS authority has set up the eligibility criteria for the following 10 posts/positions in the Indian Regional Rural Banking sector:

Officer Scale – I (Assistant Manager)	Chartered Accountant (Grade II)
Treasury Manager	IT Officer (Grade II)
Marketing Manager Scale-II	Law Officer (Grade – II)
Banking Officer Scale-II	Officer Scale-II (General Banking Officer)
Agriculture Officer (Grade – II)	Officer (Grade III)

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Factors

The IBPS authority sets the IBPS RRB eligibility criteria based on 3 major factors – 

1. Nationality
2. Age Limit
3. Educational Qualification

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Nationality

As per IBPS RRB eligibility criteria, a candidate should either be an Indian citizen or citizen of the countries highlighted below. 

The applying candidate must be either a:

1. Citizen of India 

2. OR Subject of Bhutan 

3. OR Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 intending to settle in India permanently 

4. OR Subject of Nepal

5. OR Person of Indian origin who has migrated from:

• Sri Lanka
• East African Countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania ((formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), and Zaire (to settle permanently in India))
• Burma
• Pakistan
• Vietnam

Note: An eligibility certificate must be issued by the Government favouring the candidates belonging to the category number 2, 3, 4 and 5. The candidates have to produce a certificate of eligibility duly approved and signed from the Government of India during the IBPS RRB Interview.

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Age Limit

Before applying for the different IBPS RRB posts, candidates should fulfil the important age limit eligibility norms. IBPS has set an upper and lower age limit for candidates who wish to appear for the IBPS RRB exam 2021.

Candidates should remember that the age limits of all the posts are different and they should check them carefully before applying for their preferred choices. 

Office Assistant (Multipurpose)	Age should be between 18 to 28 years (Not born before 2nd July 1992 and later than 1st July 2002.
Officer Scale – I (Assistant Manager)	Age should be between 18 to 30 years (Not born before 3rd July 1990 and later than 31st June 2002.
Officer Scale-II (Manager)	Age should be between 21 to 32 years (Not born before 3rd July 1988 and later than 30th June 1999.
Officer Scale – III (Senior Manager)	Age should be between 21 to 40 years (Not born before 3rd July 1980 and later than 30th June 1999.

IBPS RRB Age Relaxation

The applicant should carefully check the IBPS RRB eligibility criteria if they fall under the respective age category before applying for any of the above posts. They can do so by following the official IBPS RRB notification. However, in certain cases, IBPS grants age relaxation to the candidates. Candidates can find below the age relaxation for different categories in the below table:

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Age Relaxation

Category	Age Limit Relaxation
Persons with  Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) as defined under “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016” Intellectual or Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Illness Partial or Total Loss of Hearing Partial or Full Blindness Locomotor Disabilities Multiple Concurrent Disabilities	10 years
Applicants affected by 1984’s riots	5 years
Ex-Servicemen Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) who have rendered at least 5 years military service and have been released on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from the last date of receipt of application otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency or physical disability attributable to military service or invalided Commissioned Officers including Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs)	5 years (for the post of Officers) The actual period of service rendered in the defence forces + 3 years (8 years for Disabled Ex-servicemen belonging to SC/ST) subject to a maximum age limit of 50 years (for the post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose))
Other Backward Classes*	3 years
Widows, Divorced women and women legally separated from their husbands who have not remarried	9 years (only for the post of Office Assistant (Multipurpose))
Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe	3 years

*Candidates belonging to OBC category but coming under creamy layer are not entitled to OBC reservation

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Important Points Related to IBPS RRB Age Relaxation

1. The age relaxation for SC/ST/OBC candidates in the upper age limit is allowed on a cumulative basis. It is applicable together with only one of the remaining categories for which age relaxation is permitted.
2. Candidates applying for the Office Assistant (Multipurpose) position must produce the certificates at the time of documents verification on joining day.
3. Candidates seeking age relaxation when applying for the posts of Officers Scale I, II and III are required to submit copies of necessary certificates at the time of interview.
4. Ex-Servicemen candidates who have already secured employment under the Central Government in Group C and D will be permitted the benefit of age relaxation. However, such candidates will not be eligible for the benefit of reservation on the second occasion for Ex-Servicemen in Central Government jobs.
5. OBC category candidates must show certificates mentioning they do not belong to the creamy layer. Such candidates cannot avail of the relaxation and have to apply under the General category.
6. Ex-Servicemen category candidates, who have previously availed the relaxation benefits for employment on the civil side cannot avail this benefit if they are seeking employment in civil services before applying for the exam.
7. Candidates who have previously served in the Armed Forces will be considered as ex-servicemen. They can apply for re-employment one year before they complete their specified terms of engagement and avail relaxations available to ex-servicemen. They will not be permitted to leave the uniform until they complete their tenure in the Armed Forces Union.

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Educational Qualification

Candidates applying for the IBPS RRB exam 2021 must note that IBPS has laid down several educational conditions under IBPS RRB eligibility criteria. Criteria are dependent on posts for which each of the candidates are applying.

They must have the minimum educational qualifications from a recognized university board as indicated in the table below.

IBPS RRB Educational Qualifications for Different Posts (As on June 2021)

IBPS RRB Posts	Educational Qualification	Experience
Officer Scale-III (Senior Manager)	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum of 50% marks aggregate Preference will be given to candidates with a degree in Banking, Finance, Marketing, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture, Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation, Information Technology, Management, Law, Economics and Accountancy	Minimum 5 years’ experience as an Officer in a Bank or Financial Institutions
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officers ( IT)	Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics/Communication/Computer Science/Information Technology with a minimum of 50% marks. Candidates with certification in ASP, PHP, C++, Java, VB, VC, OCP, etc. will be given preference	1 year in the relevant field
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officer (Marketing Officer)	MBA in Marketing from a recognized university	One year in the relevant field
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officer (Law Officer)	Degree in Law from a recognized University in Law or equivalent with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate	2 years as an advocate or should have worked as Law Officer in Banks or Financial Institutions for not less than two years
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officer (Agricultural Officer)	Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture from a recognized university or it’s with a minimum of 50% marks or aggregate	Two Years in the relevant field
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officer ( Treasury Manager)	Certified Associate (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or MBA in Finance from a recognized	One year in the relevant field
Officer Scale-II Specialist Officers ( CA)	Certified Associate (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India	1 year as a Chartered Accountant
Officer Scale-II General Banking Officer (Manager)	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised University with minimum 50% marks in aggregate Candidates having a degree in Banking, Finance, Marketing, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture, Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation, Information Technology, Management, Law, Economics or Accountancy will be given preference	Two years as an officer in a Banking or a Financial Institution
Officer Scale – I (Assistant Manager)	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline Candidates having a degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering, Pisciculture, Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation, Information Technology, Management, Law, Economics and Accountancy will be given preference. Proficiency in local languages as prescribed by the participating RRB Working knowledge of computer	Not required
Office Assistant (Multipurpose)	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline Proficiency in local languages as prescribed by the participating RRB Working knowledge of computer	Not Required

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Proficiency in Language

This requirement is mainly for Officers Scale I & Office Assistant (Multipurpose) candidates. Proficiency in the local language will be considered an essential qualification for candidates who:

1. Have studied the language of the state in Class 8 or any level above Class 8 in government recognised boards
2. Don’t meet the requirement in local language at the time of selection but will be given a time of six months from the date of joining to acquire the proficiency

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Important Points Related to IBPS RRB Educational Qualification

Candidates must note the following points regarding the IBPS RRB eligibility criteria: 

1. Candidates have to specify the percentage obtained in Graduation while filling in the online application.
2. Candidates should furnish the proof that the educational qualification possessed by them is equivalent to a graduation degree by the Government of India.
3. Candidates must possess proper documents issued by the University mentioning that the result has been declared by them. Candidates being awarded CGPA have to convert the same into percentage form. Percentage calculation must be done to the nearest two decimals.
4. The qualifying degree should be from a University/Institution/Board recognised by the Government of India or approved by Government Regulatory Bodies.

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – EWS Category

This eligibility criterion is basically for the candidates belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in India. The EWS category candidates are those candidates who have a gross family annual income of less than 8 lakh rupees and do not fall under the SC, ST, OBC categories. 

The EWS candidates will get a benefit of 10% reservation for the IBPS RRB vacancies. 

Important Points Related to IBPS RRB Eligibility for EWS Category

Any person or his/her family having the below-stated assets will NOT be included in the EWS category irrespective of their yearly family income as per the updated IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria.

1. Residential plots of 200 sq. yards and above in areas other than the notified municipalities
2. Residential flat of 1000 sq. ft. and above
3. Residential plots of 100 sq. yards and above in notified municipalities
4. 5 acres of agricultural land and above

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Person with Disability

As per the norms set by the Government of India, people with benchmark disabilities are eligible to receive added benefits. They are entitled under ‘The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016’ under Section 34. 

The categories of disability that fall under the purview of reservation are:

1. Visually Impaired category – Blindness and low vision, visual acuity not exceeding 6/60 or 20/200 (Snellen) in the better eye with correcting lenses and limitation of the field of vision subtending an angle of 20 degrees or worse. Deaf and hard of hearing
2. Orthopedically Challenged candidates – Locomotor disability including leprosy cured, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, and acid attack victims
3. Intellectual Disability – Autism, mental illness, and specific learning disability
4. Deaf and Hearing Impaired – Loss of 60 decibels or more in the better ear in the conversational range of frequencies

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – Guideline for Scribes

Candidates who are visually impaired or whose writing speed is adversely affected (permanently) can use the facility to avail a scribe. However, there are a few rules associated with availing a scribe:

1. The arranged scribe should not be a candidate of IBPS RRB 2021 exam
2. The candidates will have to arrange their own scribe at their own cost
3. The scribe can be from any academic stream
4. Candidates availing the facility of scribes will be given only 20 extra minutes as compensatory time
5. Both the candidate and scribe will have to give a suitable undertaking confirming that the scribe fulfils all the IBPS RRB eligibility criteria associated with availing of a scribe

IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria – FAQs

What are the posts available under IBPS RRB Recruitment 2021?

There are 10 posts available through IBPS RRB -

1. Officer Scale – I (Assistant Manager)
2. Treasury Manager
3. Marketing Manager Scale-II
4. Banking Officer Scale-II
5. Agriculture Officer (Grade – II)
6. Chartered Accountant (Grade II)
7. IT Officer (Grade II)
8. Law Officer (Grade – II)
9. Officer Scale-II (General Banking Officer)
10. Officer (Grade III)

What is the age limit for IBPS RRB 2021 recruitment?

According to IBPS RRB eligibility criteria, the candidates who wish to appear for the exam must comply with the following age criteria -

1. Office Assistant (Multipurpose) - 18 to 28 years
2. Officer Scale – I (Assistant Manager) - 18 to 30 years
3. Officer Scale-II (Manager) - 21 to 32 years
4. Officer Scale – III (Senior Manager) - 21 to 40 years

How many phases are there in IBPS RRB 2021?

There are 3 phases of IBPS RRB 2021 exam -

1. Preliminary Exam
2. Mains Exam
3. Interview Round

Do candidates have the option to select the exam date for the IBPS RRB exam?

No. Slot booking for IBPS RRB exam is not provided to candidates. IBPS has the authority to assign the IBPS RRB exam date to all the candidates. 

What is the age relaxation for PwBD candidates?

As per IBPS eligibility criteria, the age relaxation for PwBD candidates is 10 years.

Is it necessary to have proficiency in local languages?

Yes, as per IBPS RRB eligibility criteria, it is necessary to have proficiency in the local language.