Intelligence Bureau ACIO (Assistant Central Intelligence Officer)

Collecting and checking information that matters for the country's internal security. Writing clear reports for senior officers. Field enquiries, verification work and coordination with other agencies. The details of real work are confidential, so what is public is only the broad picture. You can be posted anywhere in India.

A day in the work
Much of the work is quiet and confidential, so this is only a general picture. You might start by reading local news and reports from your area and checking them against what your office already knows. Some days you go out to verify facts or meet people for enquiries. Later you write a short, clear report for your senior officer. You may be posted in a state capital, a border district or Delhi, and you may be moved to a new city during your career.

1. Step 1 · Class 9–12Choose any stream you enjoy. Build habits the exam rewards: reading a newspaper daily, writing in clear English, and following current affairs, basic maths and reasoning. No subject choice is needed for this job.
2. Step 2 · Graduation (about 3 years)Complete any bachelor's degree. Keep the age limit in mind: 18–27 years as on the closing date (2025 notice), with relaxations. Do not wait to finish a degree after the closing date, because late proof is not accepted. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · Apply and Tier-IApply online when the notice appears. Tier-I is an objective test with negative marking of one-fourth mark per wrong answer. Cut-offs are fixed for each category, and about 10 times the number of vacancies are called for Tier-II. The 2025 pattern was reportedly 100 marks in 1 hour covering current affairs, general knowledge, maths, reasoning and English. (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · Tier-II (descriptive)A 50-mark written paper. In 2025 it had an essay (20 marks), English comprehension (10 marks) and two long answers on current affairs, economics and socio-political issues (20 marks). You need at least 33% (17 out of 50) to be considered for the interview.
5. Step 5 · Tier-III interviewA 100-mark interview. About 5 times the number of vacancies are called, based on Tier-I and Tier-II together. The final merit list uses Tier-I, Tier-II and the interview combined.
6. Step 6 · Verification and medicalFinal selection depends on character and antecedent verification, followed by a medical examination. The notices do not list physical tests or height and chest standards for this post.
7. Step 7 · Joining, training and confirmationAppointment starts as temporary. Completing the mandatory induction training is required for confirmation. The post carries all-India transfer liability, so you must be willing to serve anywhere in India. The length of training and probation is not given in the notices we read (reported). (reported — check with the official body)

• ACIO-II/Executive (main route)Any graduate applies and goes through Tier-I, Tier-II and the interview. This is the route this profile describes.
• ACIO-II/Tech (engineers and computer graduates)A separate IB post for technical graduates, picked through a valid GATE score in Electronics & Communication or Computer Science & IT, plus a matching BE/BTech or relevant master's degree. The 2025 round was reported at 258 vacancies and the same Level 7 pay (reported).

Fees from: IB ACIO-II/Executive 2020 detailed advertisement (ncs.gov.in) · Dyal Singh College (DU): Fee Structure 2026-27 · University of Delhi: Bulletin of Information 2026-27 (B.A. Prog fee components, NCWEB). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay follows a fixed government scale, so it rises steadily with years of service and promotions, and allowances change with the city of posting.

The 2025 advertisement says the post is not identified as suitable for persons with benchmark disabilities, so they need not apply. Women are eligible, and the age limit is relaxed up to 35 years (General), 38 (OBC) and 40 (SC/ST) for widows, divorced women and judicially separated women who have not remarried. SC/ST candidates get 5 years of age relaxation and OBC candidates get 3. Women, SC/ST candidates and ex-servicemen also paid a lower fee in the 2020 round.

• Class 7–9Read one newspaper editorial a day this month. Write a 5-line summary in your own words. This builds the reading and précis skills the exam checks later.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12If you are 15 or older, register on MY Bharat and join one local volunteering activity. It builds teamwork and gives you a feel for public service.Open link ↗
• College or afterEvery week, write one 300-word essay on a current issue and then cut it down to a 100-word précis. Also take a free SWAYAM course on computer basics or cyber safety, since computer knowledge is listed as desirable.Open link ↗

• The IB advertises this post only through the Ministry of Home Affairs (mha.gov.in) and the National Career Service portal (ncs.gov.in). Trust only those. The notice itself warns that canvassing or outside influence leads to rejection.
• Despite the grand name, ACIO Grade-II/Executive is a Group C (non-gazetted) post. It is a graduate-entry job, not an officer-level exam like UPSC Civil Services.
• Vacancy numbers change a lot between years and are provisional. The 2025 notice listed 3,717 posts, while the 2023 notice's final merit list was for 995.
• Apply only if you are happy to be posted anywhere in India, because the notices say only such candidates should apply.