NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released the answer keys for the Intelligence Bureau Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (IB ACIO) Phase-1 Examination 2025.
Candidates who appeared for the exam held on September 16, 17, and 18, can now access the provisional answer key and their individual response sheets by logging in to the official portal with their user ID and password or date of birth.
Candidates can use the answer key to cross-check their responses, estimate their likely scores, and identify possible discrepancies.
The Ministry has opened an online objection window where candidates can challenge provisional answers with valid references.
The final result of Phase-1 will be declared only after objections are reviewed and the final answer key is published.
How to download IB ACIO answer key 2025
Step 1: Visit the official website of MHA, www.mha.gov.in
Step 2: Go to the latest notifications section and click on ‘IB ACIO Answer Key 2025’.
Step 3: Enter your User ID and Password or Date of Birth in the login window.
Step 4: Download the provisional answer key along with response sheet.
Step 5: Save the file for reference and comparison with your attempted answers.
For direct link to download the answer key, click here.
Once the objection process concludes, the MHA will evaluate all challenges submitted by candidates and release the final answer key, which will form the basis for preparing the Phase-1 result.
Raising objections
Candidates who find discrepancies in the provisional answer key can raise objections through the online objection management system on the MHA portal.
After logging in, they need to review the question concerned and its alternatives before submitting an objection.
The objection must be entered only in English, and candidates should provide a clear explanation along with valid supporting references.
For each question, candidates need to upload documentary proof in PDF, JPG, or JPEG format, not exceeding 400 KB per file, with a maximum of three supporting documents allowed per objection. Objections, once submitted, cannot be edited later.
In the question paper view, the correct option is marked with a green tick, and the Question ID—used for all references, is displayed on the right-hand side of the screen.
Candidates must also record their reason for the objection in the remarks column. Submissions without proper justification or reference material will not be considered.
The MHA has clarified that the final evaluation will be based only on the revised and finalized answer key, and no challenges will be accepted thereafter.
For queries related to the objection process, candidates may use the Helpdesk tab, where responses are generally provided within 12 to 24 hours.
Selection process
Candidates who qualify in the Phase-1 exam, based on the final answer key, will move on to Phase-2: the Descriptive Test, which evaluates analytical writing and comprehension skills. Those who clear this stage will be shortlisted for the interview and document verification rounds before the final merit list is published.