IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern: IBPS has announced the exam dates for the IBPS SO 2023 Recruitment. The IBPS SO is one of the top banking exams in India. The exam is conducted for a number of SO positions, including IT, Rajhbhasa, marketing, law, and agriculture. The responsibilities of IBPS Specialist Officers are highly technical or specialised and vary depending on the position.
The IBPS SO 2023 Selection Process consists of two rounds of common written examinations (prelims and mains), followed by an interview round. Before appearing in the exam, candidates must check the IBPS SO 2023 exam pattern, as it enables them to understand the nature of the exam. Also, it will help the candidates to know the marking scheme, time frame, and subjects/sections for each phase of the exam.
| IBPS SO 2023 | Summary |
|---|---|
| Conducting Authority | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection |
| Position | Specialist Officer (SO) |
| Selection Process | 1- Preliminary exam 2- Mains exam 3- Interview |
| Mode of Exam | Online via CBT |
| Age Limit | Minimum – 20 years Maximum – 30 years |
| Education Qualification | Graduation/Post Graduation |
| Official Website | www.ibps.in |
Candidates have to clear all the phases of the exam and should meet the IBPS SO 2023 eligibility criteria in order to get selected for the post of SO. Both the preliminary and main exams have different exam patterns and syllabuses. So, before starting the preparation for the exam, candidates must review the IBPS SO 2023 syllabus. The exam pattern for both prelims and main exams is provided in the given article.
IBPS SO 2023 Prelims Exam pattern
The preliminary is the first stage of the IBPS SO exam. The exam is held to qualify candidates for the main exam. Thus, the marks obtained in this round are not taken into consideration while preparing the merit list.
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative aptitude/ General awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
- There are a total of three sections in the prelims exam: English, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude.
- The General Awareness section is substituted for the Quantitative Aptitude portion for candidates who will appear for Rajbhasa Adhikari and Law Officer.
- The mode of exam is online via Computer based test and exam.
- Altogether, there are 150 objective-type questions with a total of 125 marks.
- The total duration of the exam is 120 minutes, and candidates will get 40 minutes for each section.
- 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer.
IBPS SO 2023 Mains Exam pattern
Candidates who pass the preliminary exam with the required cutoff will appear for the main examination. The exam pattern for the main is slightly different from the prelims. In this stage, candidates’ professional knowledge of the respective post will be judged.
The marks obtained in the main exam will be taken into consideration while preparing the merit list. The section has a high weightage of 80%.
Mains Exam Pattern for I.T, Personnel/HR, Agricultural, Marketing and Law officer
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
- There is only 1 section of professional knowledge for I.T., personnel/HR, agricultural, marketing, and law officers.
- The exam consists of 60 objective-type questions with a total of 60 marks.
- The applicant will get 45 minutes to finish this section.
Mains Exam Pattern for Rajbhasa Adhikari
| Section | Total Questions | Total Mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge(Objective) | 45 | combined score | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | 60 marks | 30 minutes |
- For Rajbhasa Adhikari, there are two portions with a combined score of 60.
- The Exam pattern for Reajbhasa is slightly different from other posts as it consists of both objective and descriptive questions.
- There are 45 questions in the objective section and 2 in the descriptive section. Candidates will get 30 minutes for each section.
IBPS SO 2023 Interview
Candidates who clear the main exam will be called for an interview. The participating organisations will conduct the common interview, with the Nodal Bank serving as the coordinator. The interview is for a total of 100 marks, and the qualifying mark for an interview is 40% (35% for SC/ST/OBC).
After conducting the interview, the final merit list will be prepared based on the score of the mains and the interview. Selected candidates will be placed in one of the participating banks as per their score and the seat available for the post in the bank.
IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern FAQs
Ans- The Prelims exam consists of 3 sections English, Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude/ General awareness with a total of 150 questions worth 125 marks.
Ans- Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.25 marks.
Ans- As per the notification the tentative date for the exam are 30 and 31 December 2023
How likely are home state postings in the IBPS SO exam?
Because the IBPS SO exam is administered nationally, successful candidates may be posted anywhere in the nation.
How many positions are available in the IBPS SO?
IBPS hires for multiple positions in SO Cadre, the IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer positions are some of them.
In my final year of graduation, may I apply for the IBPS SO?
In your final year of graduation, you may apply for the IBPS SO. At the time of document verification, you must, nevertheless, be able to present your graduation certificate and result.
After the IBPS SO mains exam, is there an interview?
Yes, those who pass the IBPS SO mains exam are invited to an in-person interview.
How is the IBPS SO recruitment final merit list created?
The main exam and interview scores are used to create the final merit list for the IBPS SO recruitment.