IBPS SO Syllabus 2021 (Prelim and Main) : IBPS SO Exam Pattern consists of a written exam conducted in 2 phases, Tier I Preliminary and Tier II Main exam followed by the third phase, Interview. IBPS SO Preliminary exam will be conducted on 18th and 26th December 2021 and the Main exam will be held on 30th January 2022. Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the IBPS SO exam on behalf of public sector banks (except for the SBI).
- IBPS SO Prelim exam for the post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari consists of 3 tests, Reasoning, English Language, and General Awareness. Each test has 50 questions for 40 minutes and the total time duration is 120 minutes. The total questions are 150 for 125 marks.
- IBPS SO Prelim exam for the posts of Marketing Officer (Scale I), Agriculture Field Officer, IT Officer Scale I and HR/Personnel Officer consist of 3 tests, Reasoning, English and Quantitative Aptitude, each have 50 questions for 40 min time and total questions are 150 for 125 marks and a total time of 120 min.
- IBPS SO Main exam for Rajbhasha Adhikari will have Professional Knowledge Test (Objective) containing 60 questions and time duration is 30 minutes and Professional Knowledge Test (Descriptive) having 2 questions for 30 minutes and total marks are 60.
- IBPS SO Main exam for Law Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), Agriculture Field Officer, IT Officer Scale I and HR/Personnel Officer will have professional Knowledge Test (Objective) containing 60 questions for 60 marks and time duration is 45 minutes.
- IBPS SO Interview will be held for all posts for 100 marks. Minimum qualifying marks are 40% and for SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates are 35%. The Main exam and Interview score in the ratio of 80:20 will be considered for final merit.
IBPS SO Selection Process 2021 will be held in 3 phases, Prelim and Main and Interview. IBPS SO Prelim exam is of qualifying in nature and candidates qualifying in Prelim exam will be shortlisted for the Main exam. Candidates qualifying in the Main exam will be called for an Interview and the final merit list will be prepared by combining both Main exam and Interview scores in the ratio of 80:20.
To get success in the Preliminary and Main exam, the candidates need to know IBPS Specialist Officer Exam Pattern and Syllabus. Each of these exams will follow a set pattern of questions.
Read : IBPS SO Apply Online 2021
Important Dates
Candidates should be aware of IBPS SO 2021 exam important dates.
| IBPS SO Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Exam | 18th and 26th Dec 2021 |
| Preliminary Exam Result | Jan 2022 |
| Main Exam Call Letters | Jan 2022 |
| Main Examination | 30th January 2022 |
| Main Exam Result | Feb 2022 |
| Interview Call Letter | February 2022 |
| Interview | February 2022 |
| Provisional Allotment | April 2022 |
Read : IBPS SO Result 2021
IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2021
IBPS SO 2021 will be held in three phases, Preliminary, Main Exam, and Interview. Prelim and Main exams are written tests that will be held online and an Interview will be a personality test.
IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern 2021
- The mode of the preliminary examination is online i.e., it will be a computer-based exam.
- The total duration allotted for the exam is 120 minutes, each section will have 40 minutes.
- Only Multiple Choice Questions will be there in the exam
- The total number of questions will be 150 which will be divided into sections of English Language, Reasoning, and General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry/ Quantitative Aptitude
- For each wrong answer, there is a provision of the negative marking of 1/4th marks allotted to that question.
The pattern of the IBPS SO preliminary test for different positions is given below:
For The Post Of Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari
| Name of Section | Number of questions | Total Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 min |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 min |
Specialist Officers (Marketing Officer (Scale I), Agriculture Field Officer, IT Officer Scale I and HR/Personnel Officer)
| Name of Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 min |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 min |
IBPS SO Main Exam Pattern 2021
- The Main examination is held online i.e., computer-based
- The test of professional knowledge will be held for Agriculture Field Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer, and Marketing Officer posts and contain 60 questions for 60 marks and time duration is 45 min.
- The test of Professional Knowledge Objective (45 questions) and Descriptive (2 questions) will be held for the post of Rajbhasha Adhikari. Each test will be for 30 minutes and the total time is 1 hour and the marks are 60.
- There will be negative marking for the objective type question which is 1/4th marks allotted to that question or 0.25 marks.
The pattern of IBPS SO main examination for different positions is as per the tables given below:
Post of Agriculture Field Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer, and Marketing Officer
| Name of Test | Total Number of Questions | Total Marks | Medium of Exam | Allotted Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | English and Hindi | 45 minutes |
Post Of Rajbhasha Adhikari
| Name of Test | Total Number of Questions | Total Marks | Medium of Exam | Allotted Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge(Objective) | 45 | 60 | English and Hindi | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge(Descriptive) | 2 | English and Hindi | 30 minutes |
IBPS SO Syllabus 2021
IBPS SO Prelim syllabus along with Main syllabus post wise is given below.
IBPS SO Prelim Syllabus
Reasoning Ability
- Puzzles Inequalities
- Coding and Decoding
- Seating Arrangements
- Syllogism
- Input-Output
- Tabulation
- Blood Relations
- Data Sufficiency
- Order and Ranking
- Distance and Direction
- Alphanumeric Series
- Logical Reasoning
English Language
- Spotting Errors
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Sentence Improvement
- Fill in the Blanks
- Para Jumbles
- Sentence Correction
Quantitative Aptitude
- Number Series
- Simplification/Approximation
- Data Interpretation
- Quadratic Equation
- Data Sufficiency
- Mensuration
- Average
- Work, Time and Energy
- Ratio and Proportion
- Profit and Loss
- Time & Distance
- Permutation and Combination
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Probability Relations
- Exam Date
General Awareness
- Current Affairs related to Economics of India and the world
- Currencies
- Banking Awareness
- Book And Author
- Important Days
- Prime minster Scheme
- Headquarters
- Awards
- Important Places
- GK Updates related to Economics of India and the world
IBPS SO Main Syllabus
Marketing Officer (Scale-I)
- Basics of Marketing Management
- Advertising
- Sales
- Business Ethics
- Market research and forecasting demand
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Service Marketing
- Product Life Cycle
- Market Segmentation
- Retail
- PR
- Brand Management
Agriculture Field Officer (Scale-I)
- Basics of Crop production
- Seed Science
- Agricultural Economics
- Soil resources
- Agroforestry
- Ecology
- Animal Husbandry
- Agricultural Practices
- Agronomy and Irrigation
- Horticulture
Law Officer (Scale-I)
- Banking Regulations
- Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange
- Consumer Protection Act
- Banking Ombudsman Scheme
- Bankers Book Evidence Act
- DRT Act
- Laws and Actions with a direct link to Banking Sector
- SARFAESI
- Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act
- Compliance and Legal Aspects
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I)
- Human Resource Development
- Transnational Analysis
- Training and Development
- Rewards and Recognition
- Business Policy and Strategic Analysis
- Performance Management and appraisal
- Grievance and Conflict Management
- Industrial Relations
- Recruitment and Selection
IT Officer (Scale-I)
- Operating System
- Data communication and networking
- Computer Organization and Microprocessor
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Data Structure
- Software engineering
- DBMS
IBPS SO Exam Date 2021
The IBPS SO Prelim exam will be conducted on 18th and 26th December 2021 and the Main exam will be held on 30th January 2022. IBPS SO Interview will be conducted in February 2022.
IBPS SO Selection Process 2021
Candidates will have to go through a three-stage selection process consisting of a Preliminary exam, Main Exam, and Interview. The candidate has to clear every phase in order to get a selection.
First, the candidates will appear in the IBPS SO Preliminary examination which is the qualifying exam for the next stage i.e., the Main exam in which professional knowledge will be tested. Those candidates who pass the main exam will have to appear in the Interview.
Finally, the candidate will be selected on the basis of performance in Main Exam and Interview in the ratio of 80:20. The interview is conducted by the participating banks and will be coordinated by the Nodal Bank.
The document verification process will also be conducted along with the Interview. Candidates will have to bring original copies of their documents as mentioned in the call letter with them for verification.
Read : IBPS PO Results 2021
IBPS SO 2021 Exam Pattern, Syllabus, and Selection Process FAQs
Q. When the IBPS SO Preliminary Exam will be conducted?
A. IBPS SO Preliminary Exam will be conducted on 18th and 26th December 2021.
Q. What type of questions are present in the IBPS SO Preliminary Exam 2021?
A. IBPS SO Preliminary Exam will consist of multiple-choice objective type questions.
Q. How many marks do I need to score to qualify IBPS SO Main Exam 2021?
A. The candidates appearing in IBPS SO Main Exam will have to score more or equal marks to sectional and overall cut off which will be determined by the IBPS after conducting the exam on the basis of the number 0f vacancies and performance of the candidates.
Q. Will there be negative marking in IBPS SO Exam?
A. Yes, there will be negative marking in IBPS SO Exam, for every incorrect answer 0.25 or 1/4th marks assigned to that question will be deducted but no marks will be deducted for any unanswered questions.
Q. How the selection of the candidates will be made for IBPS SO Recruitment 2021?
A. Candidates will be selected for IBPS SO on the basis of written exam and Interview. All the candidates who apply for IBPS SO will have to appear for the Preliminary exam and those who qualify the preliminary exam will be called for Main Exam. After qualifying the Main exam, candidates have to appear for Interviews and then the final selection will be made on the basis of candidates’ performance in the Main Exam and Interview.