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IBPS SO (Specialist Officer) exam

The IBPS SO (Specialist Officer) exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) for the recruitment of Specialist Officers in various public sector banks across India. Unlike the general banking exams like IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk, the IBPS SO exam focuses on hiring professionals in specialized roles within the banking sector.

Key Highlights of IBPS SO Exam:

  1. Eligibility Criteria:

    • Educational Qualification: Candidates must have a specialized qualification in a specific field. For example:
      • IT Officer (Scale I): A degree in Computer Science, IT, or related fields.
      • Agriculture Field Officer (Scale I): A degree in Agriculture or Agricultural Engineering.
      • Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I): A degree in Hindi or related fields.
      • Law Officer (Scale I): A degree in Law.
      • HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I): A degree in Human Resources, Personnel Management.
      • Marketing Officer (Scale I): A degree in Marketing or related fields.
      • Other Specializations: Each role requires specific educational qualifications.
    • Age Limit: The age of the candidate generally falls between 20 and 30 years, with relaxation for reserved categories (OBC, SC/ST, PwD, etc.).

  2. Exam Stages: The IBPS SO exam is conducted in three stages:

    • Preliminary Exam (Prelims)
    • Main Exam (Mains)
    • Interview

  3. IBPS SO Exam Pattern:

    • Preliminary Exam (Prelims): The Preliminary Exam is only conducted for certain posts (like IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, etc.) and consists of:

      1. Reasoning Ability – 50 questions (50 marks)

      2. English Language – 50 questions (25 marks)

      3. Quantitative Aptitude – 50 questions (50 marks)

      • Total: 150 questions (125 marks)
      • Duration: 2 hours
      • Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.

    • Main Exam (Mains): The Main Exam consists of objective-type questions and a descriptive paper:

      1. Professional Knowledge (specific to the post you applied for, e.g., IT, Law, Agriculture) – 60 questions (60 marks)

      2. English Language – 50 questions (25 marks)

      3. Reasoning Ability – 50 questions (50 marks)

      4. Quantitative Aptitude – 50 questions (50 marks)

      • Total: 150 questions (150 marks)
      • Duration: 2 hours
      • Descriptive Section: The descriptive paper includes an essay or letter writing related to the job profile.
      • Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.

    • Interview:

      • Candidates who clear the Mains exam are called for an interview.
      • The interview is typically of 100 marks, and the final selection depends on the combined score of the Mains exam and Interview.

  4. Syllabus for IBPS SO Exam:

    • Prelims:
      • Reasoning Ability: Logical reasoning, puzzles, seating arrangements, coding-decoding, blood relations, etc.
      • English Language: Reading comprehension, sentence correction, grammar, vocabulary, etc.
      • Quantitative Aptitude: Data interpretation, number series, profit & loss, averages, percentages, etc.
    • Mains:
      • Professional Knowledge: Specialized topics related to the specific role, e.g., for IT Officers, subjects may include data structures, databases, programming languages, etc.
      • English Language: Reading comprehension, sentence correction, paragraph completion, etc.
      • Reasoning Ability & Quantitative Aptitude: Similar to the Prelims pattern but with more advanced questions.

  5. Salary and Benefits:

    • The salary for a Specialist Officer depends on the bank and role. Typically, the salary for an IBPS SO starts from ₹35,000 to ₹40,000 per month, along with allowances like Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Special Allowance, and Medical Benefits.

  6. Application Process:

    • The application process is conducted online through the official IBPS website.
    • The application fee for General/OBC candidates is usually around ₹850, and for SC/ST/PwD candidates, it is ₹175.

  7. Important Dates (for IBPS SO 2024):

    • Notification Release: Likely in November 2024
    • Application Start Date: Likely in November 2024
    • Application End Date: Likely in December 2024
    • Preliminary Exam: Likely in January 2025
    • Main Exam: Likely in February 2025
    • Interview: Likely in March 2025

  8. Final Selection:

    • Final selection is based on the combined score of the Mains exam and the Interview. The weightage of the interview varies for different posts.
    • Candidates must clear both the written tests (Prelims and Mains) and the interview stage to be selected.

  9. Cut-Off Marks:

    • Cut-off marks for each section and the overall exam are released after the exam.
    • Candidates must score above the cut-off to qualify for the next stage of the selection process.

Final Remarks:

The IBPS SO exam provides excellent career opportunities for professionals in specific fields like IT, law, marketing, agriculture, etc., who want to work in public sector banks. The role of a Specialist Officer is prestigious and comes with great career growth, job security, and benefits.

For the latest updates and detailed information, candidates are advised to visit the official IBPS website: www.ibps.in.