How to Become CBI Officer in India? Procedure, Qualification

CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation and is one of the foremost investigating agencies in India. Many young students are attracted to CBI after completing their studies and want to become an officer at CBI.

Are you one of them? If yes, and searching about what is CBI and how to become a CBI officer then you are in the right post. In this article, I will discuss the details of the CBI and how to become a CBI officer.

CBI is an investigating agency whose role is to investigate criminal cases. It is a government body supported by the Government of India. CBI was established in the year 1942 as the Special Police Establishment with a motto of Industry, Impartiality, Integrity.

There are two ways in which you can become an officer in CBI, One is to become an IPS officer by qualifying for the civil services examination which is conducted by UPSC and another is by qualifying for the SSC CGL exam. There are different levels of officers in the CBI. You can become a Group A level officer in CBI after becoming an IPS officer or you can become a sub-inspector in CBI after clearing the SSC CGL exam.

There are some posts in CBI in only you can take through promotion and the promotion depends on various factors like work profile, experience, etc. Let’s discuss who is CBI officer is and what is its work.

What is CBI Officer?

A person who works in a high position in the Central Bureau of Investigation, formally known as a CBI officer. A CBI officer’s work is to solve high-level corruption, special crimes, fraud, and economic cases. Some of the officer grade posts in CBI are as follows:

Through IPS	Through SSC-CGL Exam
1. Special Director 2. Joint Director 3. Additional Director 4. Deputy Inspector General of Police 5. Senior Superintendent of Police 6. Superintendent of Police 7. Additional Superintendent of Police 8. Deputy Superintendent of Police	1. Inspector 2. Sub-Inspector 3. Assistant Sub-Inspector 4. Head Constable 5. Constable

Who can Become CBI Officer?

Anyone can become a CBI officer who has passed graduation in any discipline like science, commerce, biology, humanities, etc with a minimum of 50% marks. Also, candidates who want to become a Grade-A officer like a Special Director have to first become IPS/IRS by qualifying for the UPSC civil services exam or those who want to become a Grade-B Grade-C officer like Inspector must have to qualify for the SSC-CGL exam.

CBI Officer Eligibility

Candidates who want to become a CBI officer must fully fill in these eligibility criteria like qualification, age limit, etc.

Heights:- Minimum 165 cm for male candidates and minimum 150 cm for female candidates.

Chest:- Minimum 76 cm with expansion for male candidates.

CBI Officer Qualification

• Candidates should be passed in 12th or any equivalent examination from a recognized board of education.
• Candidates must have passed graduation from a recognized university.
• Candidates should get a minimum of 50% marks in graduation.
• Candidates who have passed graduation from any discipline are eligible to become CBI officers.
• For Grade-A posts, candidates first have to become IPS/IRS.
• For Grade-B posts, candidates have to qualify for the SSC-CGL exam.

Age Limit to Become CBI Officer

The minimum age limit to become a CBI officer is 20 years and the maximum age limit to become a CBI officer is depend on category to category because some category types get relaxation benefits.

General Category:- For general category candidates, the minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 30 years.

OBC Category:- For OBC category candidates, the minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 33 years.

SC/ST Category:- For SC/SCT category candidates, the minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 35 years.

Exam to Become CBI Officer

I have already above told about that there are two exams through which you can become a CBI officer. One is SSC-CGL and another is UPSC. Generally, aspirants prefer to become a CBI officer by appearing in the SSC-CGL exam because it is an easier process than becoming an IPS officer first by appearing in the UPSC Civil Services exam. UPSC civil services exam is one of the toughest exams in India and it is very difficult to crack the UPSC civil services exam.

SSC-CGL Exam

Can I become CBI Officer through SSC CGL? The answer is yes, You can become a Sub Inspector or Grade-B and Grade-C officer in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by clearing the SSC CGL exam. Whenever vacancies for Sub Inspector are released by CBI you can apply for the Sub Inspector Post after qualifying in the SSC CGL exam.

The Staff Selection Commission of India will conduct the SSC CGL exam on four levels.

1. Tier-1:- It is an online-based exam that contains a total of 100 questions with 2 marks for each correct answer and 0.50 marks deducted for each incorrect answer. The duration of the exam is 1 hour (60 Minutes) and the paper consists of four sections i.e. General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.

2. Tier-2:- It is also an online-based exam that contains 4 papers i.e. Quantitative Ability (Paper-I), English Language and Comprehension (Paper II), Statistics (Paper III), and General Studies (Paper IV). The duration of each paper is 2 hours.

3. Tier-3:- It is a pen and paper-based offline exam that contains only one paper in which you have to write an essay, application, letter, etc. The paper constitutes of total 100 marks and the duration of the paper is 1 hour (60 Minutes).

4. Tier-4:- It is a computer-based skill test.

Interview By CBI:- CBI will conduct the interview round for the candidates who apply for the post of Sub Inspector. You have to attend the interview round after full of your study preparation. CBI authorities will ask you types of questions, put you in some situations, know about you, and many more. You have to give your 100% in the interview. You will be selected on the basis of your performance in the interview.

UPSC Civil Services Exam

You can become a Grade-A officer in CBI after becoming an IPS officer. First, you have to clear the civil services exam and become an IPS officer but it is very difficult to clear the UPSC civil services exam as it is considered one of the toughest exams in India. The Union Public Service Commission of India conducts the UPSC civil services exam. Very few aspirants are able to crack this examination. You can be promoted as a CBI officer after becoming an IPS officer and gain some experience.

CBI Officer Salary

Posts Name	Average Salary (Monthly)
Director	Rs. 80,000
Special Director	Rs. 75,500 to Rs. 80,000
Joint Director	Rs. 37,400 to Rs. 67,000
Additional Director	Rs. 67,000 to Rs. 79,000
Deputy Inspector General of Police	Rs. 37,400 to Rs. 67,000
Senior Superintendent of Police	Rs. 37,400 to Rs. 67,000
Superintendent of Police	Rs. 15,600 to Rs. 39,100
Additional Superintendent of Police	Rs. 15,600 to Rs. 39,100
Deputy Superintendent of Police	Rs. 15,600 to Rs. 39,100
Inspector	Rs. 9,300 to Rs. 34,800
Sub-Inspector	Rs. 9,300 to Rs. 34,800
Assistant Sub-Inspector	Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 20,200
Head Constable	Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 20,200
Constable	Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 20,200

Benefits of CBI Officer

It is difficult to tell the exact facilities of a CBI officer because facilities vary from post to post. Some of the facilities which you may get after becoming a CBI officer.

• You can get accommodation facilities from the government.
• You can get transport facilities from the government.
• You can get a trip vacation from the government.
• You can get reputed status in society.
• You can get a good salary and incentives.
• You can get several allowances from the government.
• You can get some facilities from government companies.

How to Become a CBI Officer after 12th?

You can’t become a CBI officer just after 12th pass. First, you have to complete your graduation degree from a recognized university. You can complete graduation in BCA, BBA, BA, B.COM, BE, B.Tech, B.Sc or any other branch. After that, you can apply for the SSC-CGL exam and take that exam. After qualifying in SSC-CGL, you are eligible to apply for the Sub Inspector post in CBI. Another way is that you first become an IPS officer and then apply for a Grade-A post in CBI.

Steps to Become CBI Officer

Step 1 – Complete your graduation from a recognized university.

Step 2 – To become a CBI Sub Inspector, apply for the SSC-CGL exam and clear it.

Step 3 – To become a Direct Grade-A officer in CBI, Apply for the UPSC civil services exam crack it and become an IPS officer.

Step 4 – Apply for your respective post when the vacancy is released by CBI authorities.

Step 5 – Appear in the CBI interview and give your best performance.

Step 6 – Based on your score in the interview you get selected for an officer post in CBI.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)