The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the IBPS SO exam to recruit Specialist Officers — IT, Agriculture, Marketing, HR, Law and Rajbhasha professionals — into public sector banks. Unlike the generalist PO exam, SO is a domain exam: your professional knowledge in one field decides your selection.
Quick Answer
IBPS SO selects Scale-I Specialist Officers through Prelims → Mains (Professional Knowledge) → Interview. Prelims is qualifying; the final merit is prepared from Mains and Interview (80:20 weightage). You need a domain-specific degree — engineering for IT Officer, agriculture-allied degrees for AFO, LLB for Law Officer, and so on — and must be 20–30 years old at registration (with standard relaxations).
The Six Posts
| Post (Scale I) | Core qualification |
|---|---|
| IT Officer | Degree/PG in Computer Science, IT, Electronics or allied branches |
| Agricultural Field Officer (AFO) | 4-year degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Dairy, Veterinary, Fisheries or allied fields |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | PG in Hindi (with English at degree level) or Sanskrit (with English and Hindi) |
| Law Officer | LLB and Bar Council enrolment |
| HR/Personnel Officer | Graduate plus full-time PG degree/diploma in HR, Personnel Management, IR or Labour Law |
| Marketing Officer | Graduate plus full-time MBA/MMS/PGDM with Marketing specialisation |
AFO consistently has the largest vacancy share; Rajbhasha and Law the smallest. Candidates must be Indian citizens aged 20–30 years at registration, with age relaxation as per government norms.
Selection Process
Stage 1: Prelims (online, qualifying)
| Post group | Sections |
|---|---|
| Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari | English Language · Reasoning · General Awareness with special reference to banking |
| IT, AFO, HR, Marketing | English Language · Reasoning · Quantitative Aptitude |
Each section has 50 questions; the paper totals 125 marks with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. Prelims marks are used only to shortlist for Mains — they do not count in the final merit.
Stage 2: Mains (Professional Knowledge)
The Mains paper tests only your domain: 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes for most posts (Rajbhasha has a slightly different format with objective and descriptive components). Negative marking of 0.25 applies. This single paper carries most of your selection weight, so domain revision matters more than anything else.
Stage 3: Interview
Conducted by the participating banks, for 100 marks with a minimum qualifying score. The final merit list combines Mains and Interview in an 80:20 ratio.
How to Prepare
- Professional Knowledge first. Prelims only qualifies you; the Mains domain paper selects you. Revise your degree's core subjects with the exam's MCQ framing in mind.
- Do not lose Prelims to English or Reasoning. Sectional cut-offs apply, and these skills carry over from PO/Clerk prep — regular timed practice is enough.
- Track banking current affairs if you're a Law or Rajbhasha aspirant, since your Prelims GA section is banking-focused.
- Mock the whole pipeline. Timed mock tests for Prelims plus previous-year Professional Knowledge papers for Mains give the most realistic picture of where you stand.
FAQs
Does Prelims count in the final merit? No — it is qualifying only. Final selection is Mains + Interview (80:20).
Can I apply for more than one post? No, you apply for one post matching your qualification.
Is there negative marking? Yes, 0.25 marks per wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains.
Is work experience mandatory? Not for Scale-I posts in the current pattern, but always verify the latest IBPS notification for post-specific conditions.
Which banks participate? Public sector banks that recruit through IBPS; the participating list is published in each year's notification.
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