Income Tax Departmental Examination 2026: ITO, ITI, and MS Exam Schedule

Overview of Income Tax Departmental Examination 2026

The Directorate of Income Tax (HRD), New Delhi, has released the official notification for the 2026 Departmental Examination. This internal recruitment process is designed for current departmental staff, including Income Tax Officers (ITO), Income Tax Inspectors (ITI), and Ministerial Staff (MS), to facilitate career progression. The examination will be conducted in an online, computer-based format, adhering to the updated Departmental Examination Rules, 2026.

Examination Schedule 2026

The ITO examinations will be held in the morning session (10:30 AM), while ITI papers are scheduled for the afternoon session (2:30 PM). Please note that select papers, specifically ITO Paper-IV, ITI Paper-V, and MS Paper-V, are subjective and require candidates to write answers in physical booklets while viewing the question paper on a screen.

Eligibility and Participation

Participation is governed by the 2026 rules. There is no prescribed age limit for appearing in these exams. Candidates are allowed a maximum of 10 attempts, including those belonging to SC, ST, or PwBD categories. Candidates who have already qualified for a specific paper or the full examination are generally ineligible to re-appear, with the exception of specific betterment opportunities for reserved category candidates.

Steps to Apply for the 2026 Departmental Exam

• Visit the official portal at www.incometaxindia.gov.in between 1 July 2026 and 21 July 2026.
• Complete the online application form and upload a recent passport-sized photograph and signature in JPG format.
• Submit the application and generate a printed copy.
• Submit the signed physical printout to the office of the Pr. CCsIT/CCsIT/Pr. CsIT/CsIT (In-charge of Examination) for mandatory verification.

Warning: Candidates must submit the physical printout of their application to their respective In-charge office after online submission. Failure to complete this step will result in disqualification from appearing for the examination.

Is the 2026 Departmental Exam fully online?

The examination is conducted in an online, computer-based mode. However, for subjective papers (such as Hindi or Drafting), candidates will write their responses on physical answer booklets provided at the center.

What if I fail to submit the hard copy of the application?

Submission of the physical printout for verification to your assigned In-charge is mandatory. Online submission alone does not grant eligibility to appear for the exam.