Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts banking SO (Specialist Officer) exams from December to January once a year.IBPS SO Notification is out, Application filling process started from 1st August to 28th August 2023 (Extended). IBPS SO prelim exams are starting from 30th-31st December 2023. IBPS SO main exams will be conducted on 28th January 2024. IBPS administers various banking exams intending to select the candidates for IBPS PO, Clerk, Regional Rural Banks (RRB), & Speciality Officer (SO) job positions. Lakhs of candidates apply for jobs in IBPS to secure their careers. IBPS SO has been considered one of the top choices in the banking sector vacancies. SO stands for Specialist Officer, who works as a management trainee in any of the public banks. You have to take the IBPS SO exam if you want a career in the banking sector. Candidates are selected based on the Preliminary exam, main exam, and interview. Below we have catered all the important IBPS SO details like IBPS eligibility, exam date, vacancy, salary, Cut off, IBPS SO syllabus, and exam pattern for the convenience of all banking aspirants.
According to the IBPS SO exam pattern 2023, candidates should clear all three rounds to get posted to a SO position in any public bank. First-round being the prelims exam, second, being the main exam, and third interview round. Mentioned below are the important dates for IBPS SO aspirants.
Exam Events |
Dates |
|---|---|
IBPS SO Notification 2023 |
01st August 2023 |
IBPS SO Application Start Date |
01st August 2023 |
IBPS SO Application Last Date |
28th August 2023 (Extended) |
IBPS SO Preliminary Exam Date |
30th & 31st December 2023 |
IBPS SO Prelim Admit Card Release Date |
21st December 2023 |
IBPS SO Preliminary Result Date |
January 2024 |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Date |
28th January 2024 |
|
IBPS SO Mains Admit Card Release Date |
January 2024 |
IBPS SO Mains Result Date |
February 2024 |
IBPS So Interview Date |
To be announced |
How to apply for IBPS SO Application Form?
Before filling up the IBPS SO application form, bank aspirants are advised to enter the details carefully. There is no edit option in the application form to make changes. Kindly avoid entering the wrong details in the IBPS SO application form. There are few steps that the candidates need to follow in order to apply for the IBPS SO application form.
IBPS SO Registration 2023
Upload Documents
Filling the IBPS SO Application Form 2023
Preview of Application Form
IBPS SO Application Fee 2023
Candidates interested in applying for the exam should check their eligibility for the IBPS SO 2023.
The Category wise age relaxation is given below:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 3 years |
| PWD- General | 10 years |
| PWD- SC/ ST | 15 years |
| PWD-OBC | 13 years |
| Persons Domiciled in JK State during the period from 1/1/1980 to 31/12/1989 | 5 years |
| Ex-Serviceman / Disabled Ex-serviceman | Actual Period of service rendered in defense services +3 years (5-Years for Disabled Ex-Serviceman belonging to SC / ST) subject to max age of 50 years |
| Widows / Divorced & women judicially separated from their husbands & who are not remarried | 7 Years (General-35 Years, OBC -38 Years, SC / ST-40 Years) |
The details are given below:
| Post Name | Qualification | Age Limit |
|---|---|---|
| IT Officer scale I |
|
Min Limit Age 20 Max Age Limit 30 |
| Agriculture field officer (scale I) | 4 year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/ Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Dairy Science/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Agri. Marketing & Cooperation/ Co-operation & Banking/ Agro-Forestry/Forestry/ Agricultural Biotechnology/ Food Science/ Agriculture Business Management/ Food Technology/ Dairy Technology/ Agricultural Engineering | Min-20 Max-30 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Post Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the degree (graduation) level OR Postgraduate degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the degree (graduation) level. | Min-20 Max-30 |
| Law officer | A Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB) and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council | Min-20 to 30 |
| HR/Personnel officer | Graduate and Two Years Full-time Post Graduate degree or Two Years Full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/ HR / HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law. | Min-20 Max-30 |
| Marketing officer | Graduate and Two Years Full-time MMS (Marketing)/ Two Years Full-time MBA (Marketing)/ Two Years Full-time PGDBA / PGDBM/ PGPM/ PGDM with specialization in Marketing. | Min-20 Max-30 |
It is mandatory for the bank candidates to pay the required fees according to the categories they belong to.
Category |
Application Fee |
|---|---|
General/OBC/EWS |
Rs 850/- |
SC/ST/PWD |
Rs 175/- |
The vacancies will be announced along with IBPS SO notification for various posts such as Marketing Officer, IT Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikar.
| Name of Post | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| IT Officer (Scale-I) | 120 vacancies |
| Agriculture Officer (Scale-I) | 500 vacancies |
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) | 700 vacancies |
| Law Officer (Scale-I) | 10 vacancies |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) | 31 vacancies |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale-I) | 41 vacancies |
IBPS will be following the below-detailed exam pattern for shortlisting eligible candidates for IBPS SO 2023 Exam. The preliminary exam will be a qualifying phase for the mains and candidates will have to meet the cut-offs of prelims to be eligible to appear for the Mains exam.
The exam pattern for IBPS preliminary examination is different from that of the main examination.
The exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Tests | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| English Language | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
The exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Tests | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| English Language | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
The exam pattern is given below:
The exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Tests | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
The exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Tests | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 45 | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | 30 minutes |
The final merit list is prepared on the basis of total scores obtained in the written test + Interview. The weightage of the online test and interview will be 80:20. For being selected as a Specialist Officer in the public sector bank you have to qualify in both exams – A written online exam as well as an Interview and must score high in the merit list.
The syllabus of IBPS SO Exam 2023 will cover topics from General English, Reasoning Ability, General Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude. The details of the syllabus are mentioned below:
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability |
|
| General English |
|
| Quantitative Aptitude |
|
| General Awareness |
|
Apart from these subjects, candidates are required to have Professional Knowledge in his/her area of expertise as well. The detailed syllabus is discussed below:
| Post | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| IT Officer (Scale-I) |
|
| Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I) |
|
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) |
|
| Law Officer (Scale-I) |
|
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) |
|
The salary for IBPS SO for various posts are mentioned in the below table:
| Post | In-Hand Salary (Pay Scale-1) | In-Hand Salary (Pay Scale-2) |
|---|---|---|
| IT Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Agriculture Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Law Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| HR Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Marketing Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
The following are some of the benefits that may be accrued by an IBPS SO:
IBPS SO Prelims 2023 will be conducted from December 30-31, 2023 and Mains will be conducted on January 28, 2024.
This test consists of three portions with a combined total of 150 questions, with a maximum score of 125 marks. The detailed examination schedule is provided in the above article.
Yes, you can apply for IBPS SO in your final year of graduation. However, you must be able to produce your graduation result and certificate at the time of document verification.
For the posts of scale-1 officers, experience is not required. However, if you have the experience you will definitely get a preference.
Some of the recommended books for the preparation of the IBPS SO Exam 2023 are:
Yes, there will be a negative marking scheme in IBPS SO Exam 2023. A deduction of 0.25 marks will be there for every incorrect answer.
