IBPS SO Exam Date Out: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has officially released the exam dates for IBPS SO 2023 Exam. The IBPS SO Preliminary Exam will be conducted on 30 & 31 December 2023, and the IBPS SP Main Exam is scheduled on 28 January 2024.
IBPS SO 2023 Latest News
16- Jan- 2023– IBPS Clerk 2023 Official Calander Released
24- Jan- 2023– Bank exams 2023 Latest Notification
IBPS SO 2023 Notification
IBPS has released the exam dates for IBPS SO 2023, IBPS PO 2023 & IBPS Clerk 2023 on their official website on January 16, 2023 (Check- IBPS SO 2023 Important Dates).
The recruitment notification will be released on October 2023 (tentatively). The notification will include all the crucial details, such as important dates, vacancy details, age limit, education qualification, application, selection procedure, salary, and more. When the IBPS releases the IBPS SO 2023 notice, we’ll update this page with the notification date and other key criteria.
About IBPS SO 2023 Exam
IBPS SO 2023 Recruitment: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the IBPS SO recruitment exam for the post of specialist officer in various public sector banks. The role of the specialist officer is to manage the background activities/operations of the bank in their specialised areas. The appointment of the SO is based on their qualifications, including their experience, training, and professional history.
The IBPS SO exam is listed among the top banking exams in India. The IBPS SO 2023 Selection Process is based on a 3-phase examination process that includes prelims, mains, and interviews. The specialized field under SO includes:
- IT Officer
- Agriculture Field Officer
- Law Officer
- HR
- Rajbhasha Adhikari
- Marketing Officer
Candidates who are interested in applying for the post can check the given article to get complete details about the IBPS SO 2023 recruitment drive.
IBPS SO 2023 Important Dates
The tentative date for IBPS SO 2023–2024 has been announced by the authorities. As per the schedule released by the IBPS, the IBPS SO 2023 application will be released on November 2023. Candidates can bookmark this page to get a precise exam schedule. Aspirants can check the tentative IBPS SO 2023 exam calendar provided in the table below.
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Application Release | October/November 2023 |
| Prelims Exam | 30 December 2023 31 December 2023 |
| Prelims Result | January 2023 |
| Mains Exam | 28 January 2024 |
| Mains Result | January 2024 |
| Interview Call Letter | February/March 2024 |
| Interview | March 2024 |
| IBPS SO 2023 Final Result | April 2024 |
IBPS SO 2023 Vacancy Details
The number of openings varies depending on what the participating banks need. The vacancies will be provided to IBPS separately by each participating bank. The openings for various posts will be announced category-wise. Let’s look at the number of SO openings that IBPS has announced in recent years.
- IBPS SO 2019:1163
- IBPS SO 2020:645
- IBPS SO 2021:1828
- IBPS SO 2022:701
- IBPS SP 2023: To be announced.
IBPS SO 2023 Eligibility Criteria
The candidates who will appear for the SO exam must meet IBPS SO 2023 eligibility criteria, which include nationality, education qualification, age limit, and reservation. Candidates should note that they have to present the documentation for their eligibility at the time of the document verification round.
Nationality
- Candidates must be a citizen of India.
- The subject of Nepal and Bhutan and Tibetan refugees who settled in India before January 1, 1962. POI who migrated to India for permanent settlement from East African countries such as Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zaire, or countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
Education Qualification
| Post | Education Qualification |
|---|---|
| IT Office | Engineering degree in computer science, information technology, electrical, computer application, telecommunication, electronic, and communication, or post-graduate work in the same field, or graduation with DOEACC “B” Level. |
| Agriculture field officer | 4-year graduation degree in agriculture, veterinary science, horticulture, agriculture engineering, dairy science, fishery science, food technology, agriculture marketing and corporation, sericulture, forestry, agriculture biotechnology, agriculture business management, and dairy technology. |
| Personnel Officer or HR | Post-graduation with a full-time degree or two-year full-time diploma in HR, personal management, social work, and labour law. |
| Marketing Office | Postgraduate with MMS Marketing, MBA, PGDBA, PGDBM, PGPM, or PGDM (specialization in marketing ) |
| Law Officer | graduation in law and enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council of India |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Postgraduate degree in English, Hindi, or Sanskrit |
IBPS SO 2023 Age Limit
- The age of a candidate for the Specialist officer post should be between 20 years to 30 years.
- 5 years of age relaxation for SC/ST, ESM, 1984 Riot Victims as per GoI.
- Age relaxation of 3 years for OBC Catagery.
- Age relaxation of 10 years for PWD catagery candidates.
IBPS SO 2023 Application Fee
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has set the fee for the specialist officer application form. Candidates have to pay a fee while filling out the application form via online mode. Category-wise fee details are provided below in the given table.
| Catagery | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| GEN/OBC/EWS | Rs.850/- |
| SC/ST | Rs.100/- |
IBPS SO 2023 Application Form
The IBPS SO 2023 Apply Online link will be active on the official website of IBPS. Interested candidates can follow the given steps to complete their online application.
- Visit IBPS’s official website (ibps.in)
- Search and select the “CRP specialist officer” tab.
- Find and click on “Apply online for the common recruitment process for the special officer, CRP-SPL XIII.”
- Complete your online registration using a valid email id and number.
- Existing users can directly log in with their credentials.
- Fill out the application form’s fields for basic information, educational background, work history, and preferences and upload the required documents.
- Once you submit the application, pay the applicable charges.
- Take printouts if required.
IBPS SO 2023 Selection Process
The IBPS SO 2023 selection process is based on a 3-stage examination procedure: preliminary, main, and interview. The first two stages are conducted online via CBT, while the interview is conducted offline.
Preliminary marks are not included in the final selection. On the basis of the main exam and interviews, the candidates will be selected, and the ratio for selection will be 80:20.
Preliminary Examination
The preliminary exam is the first stage of IBPS SO 2023 recruitment, which is conducted to shortlist candidates for the main examination. The exam consists of 150 questions worth 125 marks. There are three sections in the prelims: English, reasoning ability, and quantitative aptitude. There will be separate papers for all posts.
Note that for law officers and Rajbhasa Adhikari posts, there will be a section on general awareness with special reference to the banking industry in place of quantitative aptitude. There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks.
Mains Examination
Those who meet the cutoff for the preliminary exam will appear for the main exam. The exam consists of 60 questions based on professional knowledge of the respective field. There will be two parts to the paper for Rajbhasa Adhikari: the objective part will contain 45 questions, and the descriptive part will have 2.
As the main exam have a weightage of 80% so the marks obtained in the main exam will be added to the final selection.
Interview
Those who pass the main examination will appear for the final round, which is the interview. The interview consists of 100 marks, and the qualifying mark for general is 40%, while for the reserved category, it is 35%.
IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern
The exam pattern is divided into 2 parts – prelims and mains examination. Candidates can check the post-wise IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern provided below.
Preliminary Exam Pattern
For I.T, Agricultural, Personnel/HR & Marketing Officer
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
For Law officer and Rajbhasa Adhikari
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
Mains Exam Pattern
For I.T, Agricultural, Personnel/HR, Law officer & Marketing Officer
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
For Rajbhasa Adhikari
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge(Objective) | 45 | 60 | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | 30 minutes |
IBPS SO 2023 Syllabus
Before starting the preparation, candidates must check the IBP SO 2023 syllabus, as it will enable them to know the topics included in the exam. To score well on the exam, candidates must grasp the general sections, which are English, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude, in addition to the professional knowledge subjects. The syllabus for the IBPS SO 2023 Mains Exam consists of subject proficiency. Candidates can check the subject-wise syllabus for the IBPS SO 2023 recruitment exam below:
English Language: Reading comprehension, close test, error spotting, fill in the blanks, sentence completions, Sentence corrections, para jumbles and sentence improvement.
Reasoning Ability: Puzzles, seating arrangements, blood relations, syllogism, input-output, alphanumeric series, verbal reasoning, inequalities, data sufficiency, order and ranking, distance and direction.
Quantitative aptitude: Data interpretation, number series, average, time and energy, simplification, approximation, mensuration, quadratic equation, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and distance, permutation and combination, proportion work, probability and relations.
General Awareness: Banking awareness, current affairs, books and authors, currencies, Prime minister schemes, financial headquarters, important places, awards and important days.
IBPS SO 2023 Preparation Books
Candidates should refer to the best IBPS SO 2023 preparation books for their preparation. Referring to the right book will help them understand the nature of the examination. Specialist officers should have a specific level of expertise in their fields, such as IT, HR, agriculture, Rajbhasha, marketing, and law, for which candidates are required to read the subject-specific books.
In order to speed up their preparation, students should also go through the exam papers from the previous year and take as many mock exams as they can.
| Subject | Book Name | Author |
|---|---|---|
| English | English Grammar & Composition | Wren and Martin |
| Reasoning | Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude | A New Approach to Reasoning: Verbal and Non-Verbal | B.S Sijwali and Indu Sijwali |
| General Awareness | Guide to Banking General Awareness | R Gupta |
| IT | Data Communications and Networking | Behrouz. A Forouzan |
| Marketing | Marketing Specialist Exam book | Upkar Prakashan |
| Law | IBPS Specialist Officer CWE LAW Officer Online Exam Practice Workbook | Kiran Prakashan |
| Agriculture | Agriculture Field Officer | R.Gupta |
| HR | Human Resource Management | K Aswathappa |
| Rajbhasa | Hindi Vyakaran Aur Rachna | Upkar Prakashan |
IBPS SO 2023 Admit Card
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection will release the IBPS SO 2023 admit card separately for the prelims and the main exam on their official website. For verification in the exam centre, candidates must bring a hard copy of their admit card and a photo ID.
The admit card will contain all the essential details related to registration/roll number, exam date and time, exam center, etc. Applicants can download the admit card by following the instructions provided.
- Visit the official website of IBPS at (www.ibps.in)
- On the latest announcement section of the homepage, find the link for “IBPS SO Prelims Admit Card 2023” and click on it.
- A login window will appear on your screen. Enter the login credentials to access the admit card.
- The admit card will open in a new window for downloading and printing purposes.
IBPS SO 2023 Result
The authorities will release the IBPS SO 2023 results on their official website after conducting each phase. The marks obtained in the preliminary section are qualifying and will not be included in the final section. Candidates who meet the required cutoff in the main examination will proceed to the interview round.
In the interview, round candidates need to score a minimum of 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC/PWD) to be marked as qualified. The final selection will be based on the mains and interviews in the ratio of 80:20.
The merit list will be prepared, and candidates will be assigned to one of the participating PSBs. The provisional allotment will be made based on the candidates’ marks and choices.
IBPS SO 2023 Cut-off
The authorities will release the IBPS SO 2023 cut-off along with the scorecard after conducting each phase of the exam. Candidates must meet the cut-off (minimum qualification marks) in order to be qualified for subsequent rounds.
Check should check the previous year’s cut-off marks in order to set a target. It will help candidates know the difficulty level and competitiveness of the IBPS SO 2023 recruitment exam.
IBPS SO 2023 FAQs
Ans-The IBPS will release the notification in the month of October/November 2023(Tentatively)
Ans-Candidate must be between 20 to 30 years of age for the SO post. Age relaxation for OBC is 3 years while for SC/ST/ESM it is 5 years
Ans-There is no attempt limit for SO posts. Candidates can apply until they reach the maximum age limit for the post.
Ans-Yes, for each incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Ans- Yes, candidates who are in the final year of their graduation can appear, but they have to provide the graduation result at the time of document verification.
Ans-The monthly salary of IBPS SO Scale-I is Rs. 36400/-
Ques. How many questions will there be in total on the IBPS SO Exam?
This test has three portions with a combined total of 150 questions each, with a maximum score of 125 marks. A detailed examination schedule is provided in the aforementioned article.
What is the deadline to submit an online application for the IBPS SO position?
The deadline for completing and submitting an online application will soon be made public and will be soon updated in this article as well.
What books are suggested for the 2023 IBPS SO Exam preparation?
Important Books for your preparation check the below –
English: English Grammar & Composition – Wren and Martin
Reasoning : Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma
Quantitative Aptitude : A New Approach to Reasoning: Verbal and Non-Verbal – B.S. Sijwali & Indu Sijwali
General Awareness : Guide to Banking General Awareness – R. Gupta
IT : Data communication and Networking – Behrouz. A Forouzan
Marketing : Marketing specialist exam book – Upkar Prakashan
Law : IBPS Specialist Officer CWE LAW Officer Online Exam Practice Workbook – Kiran Prakashan
Agriculture : Agriculture Field Officer – R.Gupta.
What are the chances that your home state would be posted in the IBPS SO?
Because the IBPS SO exam is taken on a national scale, successful applicants may be assigned to any location in the nation.
What distinguishes the IBPS SO and IBPS PO exams?
The IBPS SO is held to fill Specialist Officer positions in a variety of industries, including law, IT, and agriculture. On the other side, IBPS PO is held to hire Probationary Officers at various public sector banks.
What is the highest level of position that an IBPS SO may be promoted to?
A person who starts the position at a young age has the opportunity to advance to the General Manager Scale 7 position.