📚 IBPS AFO Syllabus & Study Plan 2026-27 – Complete Guide for Agriculture Field Officer
Complete IBPS AFO Syllabus & Smart Study Plan for CRP SPL-XVI 2026
📚 Prelims & Mains Syllabus | 📅 Updated Exam Pattern | 📆 90-Day Study Plan | 🌱 Agriculture Professional Knowledge
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The IBPS Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) 2026 examination is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit Specialist Officers in Scale I for Public Sector Banks. The selection process consists of three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview. This comprehensive guide provides the complete syllabus, updated exam pattern, and a smart 90-day study plan to help you crack the IBPS AFO 2026 exam.
📚 IBPS AFO Exam Pattern 2026 (As per Official Notification)
⚠️ Important: The exam pattern has been updated as per the official IBPS CRP SPL-XVI notification. Professional Knowledge is now part of the Preliminary Examination as well.
📅 Preliminary Examination (Qualifying in Nature)
| Sr. No. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 25 | 25 | English | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 25 | 25 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 4 | Professional Knowledge (Agriculture) | 25 | 50 | English & Hindi | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 minutes | ||
Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer. Candidates must qualify in each of the four tests by securing minimum cut-off marks decided by IBPS.
📅 Main Examination (Merit Deciding)
| Sr. No. | Name of Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | English | 25 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 35 minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | English & Hindi | 25 minutes |
| 4 | Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 50 | 100 | English & Hindi | 40 minutes |
| 5 | Descriptive Paper (English) | 2 | 25 | English | 30 minutes |
| Total | 152 | 225 | 155 minutes | ||
Note: All tests except Professional Knowledge will be qualifying in nature. Final merit will be based on Professional Knowledge score in Main Examination + Interview (Ratio: 80:20).
📖 IBPS AFO Prelims Syllabus 2026
💬 English Language
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement
- Sentence Correction / Improvement
- Error Detection
- Fill in the Blanks
- Parts of Speech
- Prepositions
- Voice & Narration
- One Word Substitution
💡 Reasoning Ability
- Puzzles (Floor, Box, Scheduling, etc.)
- Seating Arrangement (Circular, Linear, Square)
- Inequalities
- Blood Relations
- Syllogism
- Coding-Decoding
- Alphanumeric Series
- Data Sufficiency
- Direction Sense
- Input-Output
- Order and Ranking
- Logical Reasoning
📈 Quantitative Aptitude
- Number Series
- Data Interpretation (Tables, Charts, Graphs)
- Simplification / Approximation
- Quadratic Equations
- Ratio & Proportion
- Average
- Percentage
- Profit & Loss
- Time & Work
- Speed, Time & Distance
- Simple & Compound Interest
- Probability
- Permutation & Combination
- Mensuration
🌱 Professional Knowledge (Agriculture) – PRELIMS
- Basics of Crop Production
- Crop Classification (Rabi, Kharif, Zaid)
- Cropping Patterns & Systems
- Irrigation Methods
- Soil Types & Properties
- Manures & Fertilizers
- Organic Farming Basics
- Plant Diseases & Control
- Beneficial & Harmful Insects
- Agricultural Schemes & Policies
Note: Professional Knowledge is now part of the Preliminary Examination with 25 questions for 50 marks.
📗 IBPS AFO Mains Syllabus 2026 – Professional Knowledge
The Mains examination focuses on Professional Knowledge in Agriculture with 50 objective questions (100 marks) and a Descriptive Paper (25 marks). Below is the detailed subject-wise syllabus:
🌱 Agronomy
- Basics of Crop Production
- Crop Classification (Rabi, Kharif, Zaid)
- Cropping Patterns & Systems
- Types of Farming
- Irrigation Methods (Drip, Sprinkler, Flood, Lift)
- Weed Management
- Seed Technology
- Manures & Fertilizers
- Organic Farming
- Agro-Climatic Zones
🌍 Soil Science
- Soil Types & Properties
- Soil Fertility & Management
- Soil Conservation
- Soil Classification
- pH and Salinity
- Tillage Practices
- Nutrient Deficiencies
- Green Manure
- Fertilizer Consumption
🍎 Horticulture
- Fruits & Vegetables Cultivation
- Amateur & Commercial Horticulture
- Greenhouse Technology
- Floriculture
- Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
- Post-Harvest Management
💰 Agricultural Economics
- Agribusiness Management
- Farm Management
- Agricultural Marketing
- Pricing & Market Structures
- Crop Insurance
- Agricultural Finance
- Kisan Credit Card
- NABARD & Rural Banking
🐛 Plant Pathology & Entomology
- Plant Diseases & Pathogens
- Disease Control Methods
- Fungicides & Bactericides
- Beneficial & Harmful Insects
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Pest Control Techniques
🐎 Animal Husbandry & Dairy
- Livestock Breeds
- Dairy Management
- Poultry Farming
- Animal Nutrition
- Animal Diseases
- Fisheries & Aquaculture
📈 Government Schemes & Current Affairs
- PM-KISAN, e-NAM, KCC
- Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana
- Lead Bank Scheme
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Agriculture Policies
- Recent Agricultural Developments
🌱 Additional Topics
- Genetics & Plant Breeding
- Agricultural Engineering (Farm Machinery, Post-Harvest Technology)
- Agroforestry & Social Forestry
- Agricultural Extension & KVKs
- Ecology & Environment
- GM Crops & Biotechnology
📆 Smart 90-Day Study Plan for IBPS AFO 2026
📆 Month 1: Foundation Building (Days 1–30)
Focus: Prelims Basics + Agriculture Fundamentals
- Week 1-2: Quantitative Aptitude (Number System, Simplification, Ratio, Percentage, Average, Profit & Loss) + Reasoning Basics (Inequalities, Syllogism, Blood Relations) + English Grammar & Vocabulary + Professional Knowledge (Crop Classification, Soil Types)
- Week 3-4: Quantitative Aptitude (Time & Work, Speed & Distance, SI & CI, Data Interpretation) + Reasoning (Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Coding-Decoding) + English (Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test) + Professional Knowledge (Irrigation, Manures & Fertilizers)
- Daily: 45 minutes for Professional Knowledge (Agronomy basics, Crop classification, Soil types)
📆 Month 2: Advanced Preparation (Days 31–60)
Focus: Mains Professional Knowledge + Advanced Prelims Topics
- Week 5-6: Professional Knowledge – Agronomy (Cropping patterns, Irrigation, Weed management, Seed technology) + Soil Science + Horticulture + Plant Pathology Basics
- Week 7-8: Professional Knowledge – Agricultural Economics, Animal Husbandry, Entomology, Government Schemes + Descriptive Paper Practice
- Daily: 1 hour for Prelims sectional mock tests + 2 hours for Mains Professional Knowledge
📆 Month 3: Revision & Mock Tests (Days 61–90)
Focus: Full-Length Mocks + Revision + Weak Area Improvement
- Week 9-10: Full-length Prelims & Mains mock tests (daily) + Analyze mistakes + Improve weak areas + Descriptive Paper writing practice
- Week 11-12: Revision of all Professional Knowledge topics + Previous year question papers + Final mock tests
- Daily: 2 hours for Professional Knowledge revision + 1 Prelims mock + 1 Mains mock
📆 Daily Study Schedule (Recommended)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM | Quantitative Aptitude (Practice & Concepts) |
| 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | English Language (Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading) |
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Break |
| 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Reasoning (Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Logical) |
| 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Professional Knowledge – Agriculture (Core Subjects) |
| 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch + Rest |
| 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Professional Knowledge – Agriculture (Continued) |
| 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Sectional Mock Test + Analysis |
| 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Break |
| 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Full-Length Mock Test (Alternate days) |
| 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Revision of Weak Topics |
| 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Dinner |
| 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM | Current Affairs (Agriculture & Banking) + Light Revision |
💡 Preparation Tips for IBPS AFO 2026
📚 Understand the Syllabus
Go through the complete syllabus thoroughly. Mark important topics and prioritize them based on weightage. Note that Professional Knowledge is now in Prelims too.
📅 Create a Realistic Study Schedule
Allocate dedicated time for each subject. Follow a balanced routine covering both Prelims and Mains with extra focus on Professional Knowledge.
📖 Focus on Conceptual Clarity
Build strong fundamentals in Agriculture subjects. Understand concepts rather than just memorizing. This is crucial for Professional Knowledge.
📈 Practice Mock Tests Regularly
Take full-length mock tests to improve speed and accuracy. Analyze mistakes and work on weak areas. Practice descriptive paper as well.
📆 Solve Previous Year Papers
Understand the exam pattern and difficulty level by solving past papers. This is especially important for Professional Knowledge.
📊 Stay Updated with Current Affairs
Read newspapers and follow agriculture-related government schemes & policies. This helps in both Prelims and Mains.
📝 Make Short Notes
Prepare concise notes for quick revision before the exam. Focus on key agriculture concepts and formulas.
🏆 Stay Healthy & Positive
Get adequate sleep, eat healthy, take breaks, and stay motivated throughout your preparation.