Table of Contents
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be conducting the IB ACIO Exam 2025 for the position of ACIO Grade-II Executive. The selection process involves three stages, and to perform well, candidates must be familiar with the IB ACIO Syllabus 2025, which is divided into five key subjects: General Studies, Current Affairs, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and English. If you’re aiming for this prestigious government job, begin your preparation now by reviewing the updated exam pattern and syllabus for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 given below.
IB ACIO Syllabus 2025
The IB ACIO Exam is conducted to recruit qualified candidates for positions in the Intelligence Bureau of India, with 3,717 vacancies announced this year. Aspirants need to prepare for both objective and descriptive papers, focusing on the core subjects listed in the syllabus. While the syllabus is not overly extensive, it demands a strong understanding of concepts and effective question-solving strategies to succeed.
Highlights of IB ACIO Exam Pattern and Syllabus
For a clearer understanding, candidates can also refer to the highlights provided in the table below.
| Particular | Details |
| Recruitment Authority | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Organization Name | Intelligence Bureau (IB) |
| Post | ACIO Grade II/Executive |
| Category | Syllabus |
| Mode of Examination | Tier 1: Objective Type Tier 2: Descriptive Type |
| No. of Questions | Tier 1: 100 questions |
| Marks | Tier 1: 100 marks Tier 2: 50 marks |
| Official Website | mha.gov.in |
Follow the IB – ACIO 2025 channel on WhatsApp
IB ACIO Exam Pattern 2025
The IB ACIO Exam Pattern for Tier 1 and Tier 2 has been explained separately below. Candidates are advised to review the subject-wise mark distribution, negative marking, total number of questions, and minimum qualifying marks carefully to help them plan an effective preparation strategy.
IB ACIO Tier 1 Exam Pattern
- The IB ACIO Tier I Exam is a Written Exam of 100 Marks.
- For every wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of 1/4 mark.
- The Exam is Objective in nature and consists of MCQs.
- There are five subjects included in the Tier-1 exam.
- The time duration for this exam is 60 minutes.
| IB ACIO Tier-1 Exam Pattern | |||
| Subjects | No. of Questions | Marks | Time |
| Current Affairs | 20 | 20 |
1 Hour
|
| General Studies | 20 | 20 | |
|
Numerical Aptitude
|
20 | 20 | |
|
Reasoning and Logical Aptitude
|
20 | 20 | |
|
English Language
|
20 | 20 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
IB ACIO Tier 2 Exam Pattern
- The phase 2 exam is descriptive.
- The paper is divided into two sections: Essay Writing, English Comprehension, and Long Answer Type Questions.
- The total mark for this paper is 50 marks.
- The exam duration is 60 minutes.
| IB ACIO Tier-2 Exam Pattern | ||
| Papers | Maximum Marks | Time |
| Essay | 20 | 1 Hour |
| English comprehension | 30 | |
| 2 Long Answer Questions on Current Affairs, Economics, Socio-political issues (10 marks each) | 20 | |
| Total | 50 | |
IB ACIO Tier 1 Syllabus 2025
There are five main topics in the IB Assistant Central Intelligence Officer 2025 Tier 1 exam. These are:
- General Studies (20 Qs, 20 Marks)
- Numerical Ability (20 Qs, 20 Marks)
- English Language (20 Qs, 20 Marks)
- Quantitative Aptitude (20 Qs, 20 Marks)
- Current Affairs: National and International Current Affairs. (20 Qs, 20 Marks)
General Studies Syllabus
Check the IB ACIO General Studies Syllabus in the table below, which includes topics like History, Geography, Polity, and others.
| Topics covered under General Studies | |
| History | Biology |
| Science & Technology |
Indian Polity & Constitution
|
| Geography | Physics |
| Current Affairs | Static GK |
| Economy & Finance | Chemistry |
Numerical Ability & Reasoning Syllabus
The detailed topic-wise Syllabus has been tabulated below.
| Topics covered under Numerical Ability & Reasoning | |
| Alphanumeric Series |
Artificial Language
|
| Calendars | Clocks |
| Data Sufficiency | Directions |
| Odd One Out |
Order & Ranking
|
| Statement and Conclusions |
Reasoning Analogies
|
| Blood Relations |
Cause and Effect
|
| Coding-Decoding | Decision Making |
| Input-Output | Puzzles |
| Statement and Assumptions | — |
English Language Syllabus
English is one of the easiest sections to score. The IB ACIO English Language Syllabus has been tabulated below for the convenience of the candidates.
| Topics covered under the English Language | |
| Spellings | Correction |
| Improvement | Adjectives |
| Idioms and Phrases | Verbs |
| Fill in the blanks |
Synonyms/Antonyms
|
| Grammar |
One Word Substitution
|
| Verbal Comprehension Passage |
Detecting Mis-spelt words
|
| Passage | Clauses |
| Spot the error | Vocabulary |
| Sentence Structure | — |
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
The Quantitative Aptitude section, if practised well, can be one of the easiest and best-scoring sections in the IB ACIO Exam. Check the detailed Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude in the table below.
| Topics covered under Quantitative Aptitude | |
| Number systems | LCM and HCF |
| Mensuration | Percentage |
| Averages | Age |
| Fundamental Arithmetical Operations | Missing Numbers |
| Use of tables and graphs | Prices and Expenditure Problems |
| Relationship between numbers | Time and Work |
| Differential Geometry | Volume |
| Essential Mathematics | Fractions |
| Real Analysis | Ration and Time |
| Computation of Whole Numbers | Profit and loss |
| Ration and Proportion | Decimals |
| Discount | Operations Research & Linear Programming |
| Differential Equations | Dynamics |
| Analytical Geometry | Calculus |
| Ratios | Time and Distance |
| Factoring | Interest |
| Simple and Compound Interest | Algebra |
| Series Completion | Statistics |
IB ACIO Tier 2 Syllabus
The IB ACIO Tier 2 is a descriptive paper, comprising an Essay Writing section (20 marks) and an English Comprehension and Long Answer Writing section (30 marks). The topics for the Essay will be based on current affairs or any other news-related topics. Candidates can go through the IB ACIO Previous Year to get an idea of the Syllabus or topic for Tier 2. However, the most important topics are:
- Current Affairs
- Economics
- Socio-Political Issues
IB ACIO Interview 2025
Candidates who qualify the cut-off marks in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the IB ACIO Exam will be shortlisted for the final round of the IB ACIO Interview 2025. This stage carries 100 marks and is designed to evaluate the candidate’s aptitude for working in the Intelligence Bureau, focusing on their personality, communication abilities, and overall presentation.
IB ACIO Selection Process 2025
The IB ACIO 2025 selection process involves three stages: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 (Interview). Candidates are required to qualify in each stage to progress to the next, and the final selection is determined by their cumulative performance and overall suitability for the position.
| Tier | Details |
| Tier 1 |
Objective (MCQ-based)
|
| Tier 2 |
Descriptive Written Exam
|
| Tier 3 |
Interview
|
Important Note:
- Candidates will be shortlisted for Tier-II based on their performance and normalised marks in Tier-I. Around 10 times the number of total vacancies will be selected.
- Based on combined scores in Tier-I and Tier-II, candidates will be shortlisted for Tier-III (Interview) at 5 times the number of vacancies. To qualify for the interview, candidates must score at least 33% marks (17 out of 50) in Tier-II.
- The final merit list will be prepared based on the total marks obtained in Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III (Interview), according to the number of available vacancies.
IB ACIO Chapter-Wise Weightage
To support efficient preparation, we’ve provided the IB ACIO Chapter-Wise Weightage 2024 below. These tables outline the key topics that have consistently appeared in previous exams. Prioritising these high-weightage chapters can help you improve your score more effectively in less time.
| Subject | Chapter | Question |
|
CURRENT
AFFAIRS (20) |
Science and Technology | 1-2 |
| Sports | 1-2 | |
| Government Policies and Schemes | 3-4 | |
| National Affairs | 2-3 | |
| Defence | 1-2 | |
| States Affairs | 1-1 | |
| Indexes and Reports | 1-2 | |
| Awards and Honours | 1-2 | |
| Business and Economy | 0-1 | |
| Days and Events | 0-1 | |
| Summits and Conferences | 1-1 | |
| Appointments and Resignations | 0-1 | |
| Art and Culture | 0-1 | |
| Environment | 0-1 | |
| International Affairs | 0-1 | |
| Agreements and MoUs | 0-1 | |
| National Organisations | ||
|
LOGICAL
REASONING (20) |
Series | 3-3 |
| Analogy | 2-3 | |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | 1-2 | |
| Puzzle | 1-2 | |
| Classification | 1-2 | |
| Syllogism | 1-2 | |
| Assertions and Reasons | 1-2 | |
| Seating Arrangement | 1-1 | |
| Ordering and Ranking | 1-1 | |
| Data Sufficiency | 1-1 | |
| Coding Decoding | 1-1 | |
| Alphabet or Word Test | 1-1 | |
| Statements and Conclusions | 0-1 | |
| Venn Diagram | 0-1 | |
| Statements and Arguments | 0-1 | |
| Course of Action | 0-1 | |
| Clock and Calendar | 0-1 | |
|
GENERAL
KNOWLEDGE (20) |
Polity | 4-5 |
| Indian Geography | 3-3 | |
| Economy | 3-3 | |
| Ancient History | 2-3 | |
| Medieval History | 2-3 | |
| Art and Culture | 1-2 | |
| Modern India (National Movement ) | 0-1 | |
| Geography (World Geography) | 0-1 | |
| Government Policies and Schemes | 0-1 | |
| Modern India (Pre-Congress Phase) | 0-1 | |
| Ecology and Environment | 0-1 | |
| Books and Authors | 0-1 | |
|
QUANTITATIVE
APTITUDE (20) |
Profit and Loss | 3-4 |
| Ratio and Proportion | 2-3 | |
| Speed, Time and Distance | 2-2 | |
| Interest | 1-2 | |
| Percentage | 1-2 | |
| Number System | 1-2 | |
| Algebra | 1-2 | |
| Average | 1-2 | |
| Mixture Problems | 1-1 | |
| Time and Work | 1-1 | |
| Simplification | 0-1 | |
| Progression | 0-1 | |
| Problem on Age | 0-1 | |
| Mensuration | 0-1 | |
|
ENGLISH
(20) |
Sentence | 2-2 |
| Error Spotting | 1-2 | |
| Synonyms or Antonyms | 4-5 | |
| Phrase or Idiom Meaning | 3-4 | |
| Match the Following | 2-3 | |
| Odd Man Out | 1-2 | |
| Cloze Test | 0-1 | |
| Sentence Jumbles | 1-2 | |
| Fill in the Blanks | 1-2 | |
| One Word Substitution | 0-1 | |
| Parts of Speech | 0-1 | |
| Para Jumbles | 0-1 |
Tips To Prepare for IB ACIO Exam
Candidates must know the IB ACIO Preparation Tips 2025 before starting it. It will help in understanding the demand of the exam and to make a personalised strategy:
- Start your preparation with a mindset to crack the exam.
- Check what topics are covered in each section – General Studies, Current Affairs, Numerical Aptitude, Reasoning, and English.
- Now, gather your resources and only keep 2 different sources for each subject.
- Assess Your Strengths & Weaknesses and make a study plan that provides more time for hard topics.
- In the initial stages, take weekly mock tests or solve previous papers to see where you stand.
- Keep time every week for revision and full-length mock tests. Analyse your mistakes and improve.
- For General Awareness, make reading news or current affairs a daily habit.
| Links Related to IB ACIO | |
| IB ACIO Apply Online 2025 | IB ACIO Previous Year Question Paper |
| IB ACIO Salary | IB ACIO Cut Off |
| IB ACIO Eligibility | |
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