IBPS SO Exam

To shortlist the talented and young minds aiming for a career in banking, the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection organises recruitment exam known as IBPS SO. Through this exam, selection for posts like IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Law Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, HR/ Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer is carried out and candidates are provided with an opportunity to attain their career aspirations. The exam is conducted in three phases, i.e. Common Written Exam (Prelims), Mains Exam which is then followed by an Interview. For all those willing to appear for the exam, here is a blog which aims to shed light on eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus of IBPS SO exam going to be held in 2020.

Check Out: Bank Exams 2020

IBPS SO Exam Dates 2020

IBPS SO Exam Dates 2021

Before going ahead with the blog, let us have a look at the important dates for the IBPS SO 2021:

Activity	Tentative Dates
IBPS SO Notification 2021	To be Notified
IBPS SO Online Registration Starts From	To be Notified
Last Date to Apply Online for IBPS SO	To be Notified
Commencement of IBPS SO Preliminary Exam	December 18th & 26th 2021
Commencement of IBPS SO Mains Exam	January 30th, 2022

IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria 

Being one of the most popular competitive exams in India, IBPS SO entitles students with reputable jobs in the banking sector. To cater to these jobs and to nail the examination, candidates are advised to check the requirements as well as timely submit the application form. IBPS has set certain requisites which applicants have to keep in mind while filling the application form, else the official authorities hold the power to cancel their candidature. Given below is the eligibility criteria of IBPS SO exam:

Nationality 

• The applicant must be a citizen of India.
• Residents of Nepal or Bhutan are also eligible.
• Tibet refugees who migrated to reside in India on a permanent basis also qualified to appear for IBPS SO exam.
• Those who are from Indian origin and have migrated from East African Countries, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, and further intend to settle in the country permanently can also give this exam.

Age Limit

Candidates must be between 20 to 30 years of age as on November 26, 2020. Although, there are certain relaxations for the reserved categories, which are as follows-

• SC/ST- 5 Years 
• OBC – 3 Years 
• PWD- 10 Years
• Ex-Servicemen- 5 Years
• J&K Domicile- 5 Years
• Person affected by 1984 riots- 5 Years

Academic Qualifications 

Profiles	Requisites
IT Officer	–BTech/ BE degree in CS/IT/Electronics etc or-PG degree in any of the above-mentioned fields -A graduate who has passed DOEACC ‘B’ Level can also apply
Agricultural Field Officer	4-year graduation degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, etc
Rajbhasha Adhikari	PG degree in Hindi/Sanskrit with English as a subject in graduation
Law Officer	LLB degree (enrolled as an advocate in Bar Council)
HR/Personnel Officer	Graduate with PG degree in management, industrial relations, HR, Social Work etc
Marketing Officer	Full-time degree in MMS (Marketing), MBA in Marketing, PGDBA, PGDBM etc

NOTE: Candidates are advised to check the entire academic eligibility on the official website.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern

Bifurcated into three parts, IBPS SO exam consists of the preliminary, mains and an interview. The prelims exam will be an objective test conducted online. In total, it will have 150 questions from 3 sections which the candidates need to solve in 2 hours. The compulsory sections are English Language and Reasoning Ability. While there will be a choice between the General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude depending upon the post you are applying for. Tabulated below is the format of the prelims exam:

IBPS SO Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari Exam Pattern

Test Name	Questions	Marks	Medium	Timing (Minutes)
English Language	50	25	English	40
Reasoning Ability	50	50	English and Hindi	40
General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry	50	50	English and Hindi	40
Total	150	125	–	120 mins.

IBPS SO IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer Exam Pattern

Test Name	Questions	Marks	Medium	Timing (Minutes)
English Language	50	25	English	40
Reasoning Ability	50	50	English and Hindi	40
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	English and Hindi	40
Total	150	125	–	120

IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern

For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer:

Test Name	Questions	Marks	Duration(Minutes)
Profession Knowledge	60	60	45

For the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari:

Test Name	Questions	Duration (Minutes)
Profession Knowledge (Objective)	45	30
Profession Knowledge (Descriptive)	2	30
Total Marks: 60

Check Out: IBPS PO 2020

IBPS SO Exam Syllabus 

A variety of topics are covered under the sections of the IBPS SO exam. For all the aspirants preparing to appear for the exam in the year 2020, here are some of the section-wise important topics of the prelims exam: 

Quantitative Aptitude	Reasoning Ability	English Language	General Awareness
-Average  -Number Series  -Speed, Time & Distance –Mensuration and Geometry  -Quadratic Equation –Simplification  –Number System	–Syllogism  -Scheduling  -Input-Output  -Blood Relations  -Data Sufficiency  –Seating Arrangements –Coding-Decoding	-Error Spotting  –Sentence Correction  -Cloze Test  -Phrase Replacement  –Reading Comprehension  -Fill in the Blanks	-Financial Awareness   -Current Affairs  -General Awareness

Now, let us take a quick look into the syllabus of IBPS SO Mains exam as per the different posts:

Posts	Syllabus
IT Officer	Data Structures, Operating Systems, Object-Oriented Programming etc
Agricultural Field Officer	Seed Science, Soil Resource, Ecology etc
Law Officer	Banking Regulations, Compliance and Legal Aspects, Bankers Book Evidence Act etc
HR/Personnel Officer	HR Development, Industrial Relations, Traning and Development
Marketing Officer	PR, Sales, Retails, Service Marketing etc

Related Read: Success Mantra To Crack Competitive Exams

IBPS SO Exam 2021: How to Apply Online? 

To fill out the IBPS SO application form online, candidates must go to https://www.ibps.in/ and follow the measures listed below.

Registration

1. Candidates can go to https://www.ibps.in/, which is the official website of the IBPS. 
2. Go to the ‘Click here for New Registration’ section. The login form for building the User Profile will appear on the screen after you press.
3. Fill in the form’s general information, such as your name, date of birth, and contact information, such as a valid email address and phone number. After that, press the ‘Register’ tab.
4. Candidates will be given a Provisional Registration Number and Password, all of which will be shown on the computer. The same credentials will be sent to their registered phone number and email address.

Filling Details

1. Log in with your Registration Number and Password and fill out the application form.
2. An applicant must enter personal and contact information, as well as information about their college qualifications, job experience, and chosen exam centre.
3. Candidates must upload scanned copies of their recent passport-sized picture and signature in accordance with the instructions on the computer.
4. Verify all of the information you’ve entered and then press “Final Submit” to pay your submission fees.

Application Fee Payment

1. The Application Process comes to a close with this move.
2. Fees can be paid via credit/debit card, net banking, cash card and wallet, and IMPS.
3. Keep a copy of the receipt page as evidence of payment.

IBPS SO Exam Selection Procedure 2021

The IBPS SO selection process is divided into three stages (preliminary, mains, and interview). To advance to the next level, the candidates must each apply.

The following are the main steps in the IBPS SO Recruiting Process:

Online Preliminary Examination:

IBPS shortlists an appropriate number of applicants in each division based on the criteria for the Online Main Examination.

Online Mains Examination:

To be eligible for a personal interview, candidates must pass the Professional Knowledge Test in the Mains exam.

Interview:

The Involved Entities will perform an interview with the assistance of IBPS, which will be arranged by the Nodal Bank in each State/UT.

Final Result:

The cumulative score of an applicant in the IBPS SO Mains and Interview Rounds decides the final result.

Provisional Allotment:

The qualifying candidate’s provisional allotment is published on the official website. The IBPS assigns applicants to banks based on their interests expressed during the online registration process. Before the provisional screening of various banks is completed, IBPS plays a role in the selection process. Furthermore, it is the duty of the respective banks to notify interested applicants of their joining dates and procedures.

Thus, we hope that through this blog, you are now familiarized with all the essential information related to IBPS SO exam. If you are planning to pursue a degree in Banking, Finance or any other related field, reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu and we will help you in finding an ideal program that fits your career ambitions and goals and equips you with the necessary knowledge and exposure to sail towards a  rewarding career!