IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 for Prelims & Mains
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Specialist Officers 2024 ( IBPS SO )
IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024: IBPS SO exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to recruit candidates for Specialist Officers' positions, such as IT Officer, HR Officer, Law Officer, Agricultural Officer, Marketing Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari. The bank requires the Specialist Officer to cope with technological advancement and maintain the efficient functioning of the bank. To crack IBPS SO exam, it is very important to be focused on the exam. A well-thought-out preparation strategy needs to be planned out by the students to ace the exam in a proper way.
As the IBPS SO exam dates have been announced, candidates need to start their IBPS SO preparation as soon as possible. IBPS SO preparation requires a lot of pre-planning, good strategy and perseverance. In this article, we have provided a comprehensive IBPS SO preparation that will certainly help candidates to achieve their career goals.
- IBPS SO Exam Pattern
- IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 for Prelims
- IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 for Mains Exam
- IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 FAQs
IBPS SO Exam Pattern
IBPS SO exam pattern is such that it is divided into prelims, mains, and interview. The exam for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari comprises objective-type questions based on subjects such as English Language, Reasoning, and General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry. The prelims question paper for the post of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer comprises subjects such as English Language, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. The total marks allotted to the test are 125. The total duration of the exam is 120 minutes with sectional timing of 40 minutes. The mains exam comprises questions from Professional Knowledge. The total marks allotted to the mains exam are 60. The total marks allotted for the interview are 100.
IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 for Prelims
Candidates can check IBPS SO Preparation tips for the prelims exam:
IBPS SO Preparation Tips for English Language
- For this section, candidates must enhance their vocabulary by reading daily
- Brush up grammar and solve practice papers
- Grammar and vocabulary are very important, thus go through the dictionary to find the right usage of new words
- Questions are asked from Comprehension, Antonyms and Synonyms, Para Jumbles, and Spotting Errors
IBPS SO Preparation Tips for Reasoning Ability
- It is very easy to score good marks in the Reasoning section with good preparation
- Topics in this section include Coding-Decoding, Syllogism, Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Ranking and Order, and many more
- A revision after every practice is a must to ace the exam
IBPS SO Preparation Tips for Quantitative Aptitude
- Questions in this section are asked from Ratio and Proportion, Speed and Distance, Average, Time and Work, Data Interpretation, Number Series, Simplification, Quadratic Equation, etc.
- Learning the formulas and basic concepts is the best strategy to prepare this section
- You must practice this section regularly
IBPS SO Preparation Tips for General Awareness
- For this section, read newspapers and watch news channels to stay updated with the latest events
- Candidates need to be aware of the banking and economic events as well
IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 for Mains Exam
IBPS SO exam comprises several posts. Depending on the post candidates had applied for, the mains exam is conducted accordingly. The mains exam comprises questions from Professional Knowledge. Hence, IBPS SO preparation for the mains exam should be very specific as per the syllabus of the chosen post. Given below are few tips and tricks to crack IBPS SO mains exam:
Know the exam pattern and syllabus: Candidates need to know the IBPS SO syllabus and exam pattern for the post they have applied for.
Create timetable: After going through the syllabus and pattern, create a timetable and stick to it. With the help of this timetable, candidates can keep track of their studying activities.
Improve weak areas: Candidates work upon improving their weak areas by spending more time on those topics.
Practice previous years' question papers: Candidates must prepare the previous years' question papers to know the structure and type of questions asked in the exam.
Revise regularly: Candidates must revise and practice regularly. Allocate some time daily for revision of topics you have already finished.
Take mock tests: Mock tests give candidates a real scenario of the exam. Further, mock tests help candidates to evaluate themselves about where they are standing and where they need to improve.
Also Read: IBPS SO Books
IBPS SO Preparation Tips 2024 FAQs
Candidates can check below IBPS SO preparation tips FAQs.
Commonly asked questions
Q: What is IBPS SO exam pattern for interview?
IBPS SO interview is conducted for candidates who qualify the Mains exam. The interview is conducted by the participating banks and coordinated by the nodal banks in each state/UT. The total marks allotted for the interview are 100. The minimum qualifying mark in the interview is 40 per cent (35 per cent for SC/ST/OBC/PWBD candidates).
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Q: What is IBPS SO syllabus for Mains exam?
IBPS SO syllabus for Mains exam is given below.
| IT Officer (Scale-I) | Database Management System Data Communication and Networking Operating System Software Engineering Data Structure Computer Organization and Microprocessor Object-Oriented Programming |
| Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I) | Basics of Crop production Horticulture Seed Science Agronomy and Irrigation Agricultural Economics Agricultural Practices Soil resources Animal Husbandry Agroforestry Ecology Government Schemes |
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) | Basics of Marketing Management Brand Management Advertising PR Sales Retail Business Ethics Market Segmentation Market research and forecasting demand Product Life Cycle Corporate Social Responsibility Service Marketing Marketing Strategies |
| Law Officer (Scale-I) | Banking Regulations Compliance and Legal Aspects Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act Consumer Protection Act SARFAES Banking Ombudsman Scheme Laws and Actions with the direct link to Banking Sector Bankers Book Evidence Act DRT Act |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) | Human Resource Development Business policy and strategic analysis Transnational Analysis Training and Development Recruitment and Selection Rewards and Recognition Industrial Relations Business Policy and Strategic Analysis Grievance and Conflict Management Performance Management and Appraisa |
Upvote Q: What is IBPS SO eligibility?
IBPS SO eligibility is given below:
IBPS SO Age Limit: The aspirants must be between 20 and 30 years.
IBPS SO Educational Qualification: The post-wise educational qualification for IBPS SO exam is given below:
Post | IBPS SO Qualification |
|---|---|
IT Officer (Scale I) | BTech in Computer Science/ Applications, IT, Electronics, Electronics & Telecommunications, Electronics & Communication or Electronics & Instrumentation Or Postgraduation in the above-mentioned field Or Graduate who has passed DOEACC ‘B’ level |
Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I) | Four-year Graduation in Agriculture, Horticulture, Food Technology, Agricultural Engineering or corresponding fields |
Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Postgraduation in Hindi with English as a subject at the Graduation level Or, Postgraduation in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the Graduation level |
Law Officer (Scale I) | Graduation in law (LLB) (The person should be enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council) |
HR/ Personnel Officer (Scale I) | Graduation with two-years full-time PG degree or Diploma in Personnel Management, Industrial Relations, HR, HRD, Social Work or Labour Law |
Marketing Officer (Scale I) | Graduation with a two-year full-time degree in MMS (Marketing), MBA (Marketing), PGDBA, PGDBM, PGPM or PGDM with a specialisation in Marketing |
Upvote Q: What is IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus?
IBPS SO Syllabus for prelims exam is given below.
IBPS SO Syllabus for Prelims | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Reasoning Ability | English Language | Quantitative Aptitude | General Awareness |
Seating Arrangements Puzzles Inequalities Syllogism Input-Output Data Sufficiency Blood Relations Order and Ranking Alphanumeric Series Distance and Direction Verbal Reasoning | Cloze Test Reading Comprehension Spotting Errors Sentence Improvement Sentence Correction Para Jumbles Fill in the Blanks Para/Sentence Completion | Number Series Data Interpretation Simplification/ Approximation Quadratic Equation Data Sufficiency Mensuration Average Profit and Loss Ratio and Proportion Work, Time and Energy Time and Distance Probability Relations Simple and Compound Interest Permutation and Combination | Current Affairs Banking Awareness GK Updates Currencies Important Places Books and Authors Awards Headquarters Prime Minister Schemes Important Days |
Upvote Q: Why IBPS SO exam is conducted?
IBPS SO recruitment is conducted to select candidates for the posts of Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I), IT Officer (Scale I), Law Officer (Scale I), Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I). The selection of candidates are done based on prelims exam, Mains exam and interview.
Upvote Q: What is IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern?
IBPS SO Mains exam tests the professional knowledge of candidates. The Mains exam pattern for the post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer is such that it comprises questions from professional knowledge. The test paper carries 60 questions of 60 marks. The language of the question paper is framed in English and Hindi. The duration of the test is 45 minutes.
IBPS SO Mains question paper for the post of Rajbhasha Adhikari comprises objective and descriptive-type questions from professional knowledge. The test carries a total of 47 questions (45 questions in objective paper and two questions in descriptive paper). The total marks allotted to the test are 60. The language of the question paper will be English and Hindi. The duration of the test is 30 minutes. The structure of IBPS SO Mains exam pattern is given below.
Upvote Q: When IBPS SO 2024 exam will be conducted?
IBPS SO 2024 exam dates were announced. IBPS SO 2024 prelims exam was conducted on November 9, 2024. The Mains exam for IBPS SO will be conducted on December 14, 2024. Selection of candidates is done in three phases-prelims, mains, and personal interview. IBPS SO exam is conducted to recruite candidates for various posts such as Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer, Law Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari.
Upvote Q: What is IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern?
IBPS SO prelims exam pattern for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari comprises objective-type questions based on subjects such as English Language, Reasoning and General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry. The prelims question paper for the post of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer comprises subjects such as English Language, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. A total of 125 questions are asked in the exam and the total marks allotted to the test are 150. The language of the question paper is framed in English and Hindi. There is sectional timing of 40 minutes for each section, and the total time allotted for the exam is 120 minutes.
Upvote Q: How many vacancies were announced for IBPS RRB 2024 exam?
IBPS SO 2024 vacancies was released onAugust 1, 2024. The vacancy break-up of 2024 is given below.
| Posts | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Vacancies |
| Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) | 52 | 26 | 92 | 34 | 142 | 346 |
| HR/Personnel | 03 | 01 | 06 | 02 | 13 | 25 |
| IT Officer | 25 | 12 | 45 | 16 | 72 | 170 |
| Law Officer | 18 | 08 | 33 | 11 | 55 | 125 |
| Marketing | 31 | 15 | 55 | 21 | 83 | 205 |
| Rajbhasha | 03 | 01 | 06 | 02 | 13 | 25 |
| Total | 132 | 63 | 237 | 86 | 378 | 896 |
Upvote Q: Which are the participating banks for IBPS SO exam?
IBPS SO exam is conducted to select candidates for Specialist Officer's posts in 11 participating banks. The participating banks of IBPS SO are given below.
| Bank Name | Bank Name |
|---|---|
| Bank of Baroda | Canara Bank |
| Indian Overseas Bank | UCO Bank |
| Bank of India | Central Bank of India |
| Punjab National Bank | Union Bank of India |
| Bank of Maharashtra | Indian Bank |
| Punjab & Sind Bank | - |
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IBPS SO Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
The prelims exam for IBPS SO 2025 will be conducted on November 22 and 23, 2025. The Mains exam for IBPS SO 2025 will be conducted on January 4, 2026.
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When IBPS SO 2025 exam will be conducted?