IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is all set to conduct the IBPS SO 2023 exam to fill a total of 1045 vacancies for the post of specialist officers.
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The IBPS SO exam is conducted for several SO positions, including IT, Rajhbhasa, marketing, law, and agriculture. As per the schedule, the IBPS SO Prelims Exam 2023 will be held on December 30 and 31, 2023, while the exam date for mains is January 28, 2024.
The IBPS SO is one of the top banking exams in India; hence, plenty of candidates appear for this exam. Hence, candidates should check the updated IBPS SO exam pattern and syllabus to ace the examination in one go.
Also, the IBPS SO exam pattern will help the candidates know the marking scheme, time frame, and subjects/sections for each phase of the exam. Get the updated IBPS SO exam pattern in the given article.
IBPS SO 2023 Overview
| Name of the Examination | IBPS SO |
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India |
| Name of the Post | Specialist Officer |
| Notification Release | 31 July 2023 |
| Exam Date | Prelims- 30 and 31 December 2023 Mains- 28 January 2024 |
| Marking Scheme | 1/4 marks for incorrect answer |
| Language | bilingual |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Official Website | ibps.in |
The IBPS SO 2023 Selection Process consists of two rounds of common written examinations (prelims and mains), followed by an interview round.
| Stages | Marks |
|---|---|
| IBPS SO Prelims | 125 Marks |
| IBPS SO Mains | 60 Marks |
| IBPS SO Interview | 100 Marks |
IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern For Prelims
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 three sections in the IBPS PO prelims exam.
- 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 tests and exams.
- 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.
- The IBPS SO syllabus consists of three subjects, which are English, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude.
IBPS SO 2023 Exam Pattern For Mains
Candidates who pass the preliminary exam with the required cutoff will appear for the IBPS PO main exam on January 28, 2023. The exam pattern for the main is slightly different from the prelims. In this stage, candidates’ professional knowledge of the respective posts 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 have 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 IBPS SO exam pattern for Rajbhasa 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 Nodal Bank serving as the coordinator. The IBPS SO 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 released based on the scores 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 IBPS SO prelims exam consists of three 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 IBPS SO notification, the IBPS SO 2023 prelims exam will be held on December 30 and 31, 2023.
Ans- The IBPS SO syllabus includes topics from the subject, such as general sections on English, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude, in addition to professional knowledge.
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.