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The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) SO Examination, also known as the Specialist Officer (SO) Examination, is held to assist in recruiting qualified individuals for several public sector banks in India. The IBPS SO test is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. In 1975, the Institute of Banking Employee Selection (IBPS), a government-owned bank employee hiring organization, was established.
According to the IBPS exam calendar 2025, the Prelims exam will be conducted on 22nd and 23rd December 2025, and the Mains exam for prelims qualified candidates will be conducted on 4th January 2026.
| IBPS SO 2025 – Exam Summary | |
| Organization | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Post Name | Specialist Officer (SO) |
| Participating bodies | IDBI Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Central Bank of India, etc. |
| Vacancy | 896 |
| Exam Date | Prelims exam is held on November 22nd & 23rd |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Recruitment Process | Prelims, Mains & Interview |
| Education Qualification | Depending on the position, graduation or post-graduation in a certain stream |
| Age Limit | 20 – 30 years |
| Salary | Rs 38,000 – Rs 39,000 |
| Official website | Click here |
The IBPS SO 2025 notification for FY 2025 will be made public on the official website. For applicants looking to apply for government jobs, the IBPS SO 2025 information is shown here. All the highlights are shown in the overview table for the IBSO Exam date.
| Event | Dates 2025 |
| Notification Released | September/October 2025 |
| Start of Online Application | To Be Announced |
| Last Date of Registration | To Be Announced |
| Preliminary Exam | 22nd and 23rd November 2025 |
| IBPS SO Preliminary Exam Results | To Be Announced |
| IBPS SO Main Exam | 4th January 2026 |
| IBPS SO Main Exam Results date | To Be Announced |
| Interview | To Be Announced |
| Provisional Allotment | To Be Announced |
There are 896 openings for several positions, including Marketing Officer, Law Officer, IT Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikar are disclosed with the IBPS SO 2024 notification.
| Name of Post | No. of Vacancies |
| IT Officer (Scale-I) | 170 |
| Agriculture Officer (Scale-I) | 346 |
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) | 205 |
| Law Officer (Scale-I) | 125 |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) | 25 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale-I) | 25 |
Candidates applying for IBPS SO positions must be aware of the recruitment notification drive’s established age restriction.
The applicant’s age should fall between 20 and 28 years old.
The following table lists the age relaxations by category:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 3 years |
| PWD- General | 10 years |
| PWD- SC/ ST | 15 years |
| PWD-OBC | 13 years |
| People who resided in JK State from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1989 | 5 years |
| Ex-Serviceman / Disabled Ex-serviceman | Nominal period of service in the military in addition to three years (five years for disabled veterans from the SC or ST), with a maximum age limit of fifty years. |
| Widows, divorcees, and wives who have been legally divorced from their spouses but have not since remarried | 7 Years (General-35 Years, SC / ST-40 Years, OBC -38 Years,) |
The detailed educational qualifications are given below:
| Post Name | Qualification |
| IT Officer scale I | Four-year engineering/Electronics and telecommunication/ /IT/Computer Application/ Electronics and Communication Engineering electronics and instrumentation /technology degree in computer science Post-graduation in electronics/ Electronics and instrumentation/computer applications/ computer science/electrics and telecommunication/ information technology/ OR Graduate with DOEACC ‘B’ Level. |
| Agriculture field officer (scale I) | 4-year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/ Agricultural Engineering/ Agriculture Business Management/ Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Dairy Technology/ Agri. Marketing & Cooperation/Agro-Forestry/Forestry/ Food Science/ Food Technology / Co-operation & Banking /Dairy Science/ Agricultural Biotechnology/ Horticulture/ |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | Master’s degrees in Sanskrit with Hindi and English as courses at the graduate (graduation) level, OR Postgraduate certificate in Hindi and English as a subject. |
| Law officer | a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and registration with the Bar Council as an advocate |
| HR/Personnel officer | Post Graduate Diplomas in Personnel Management or Graduate and Two Years Full-time Post Graduate degrees or Two Years Full-time / Labour Law / HR / HRD/ Social Work / Industrial Relations. |
| Marketing Officer | Two Years Full-time PGDBA / Graduate and Two Years Full-time MMS (Marketing) /PGDM with specialization in Marketing/ PGPM /PGDBM Two Years Full-time MBA (Marketing). |
The application procedure will be made accessible on the official website. Candidates are urged to read the conditions of eligibility, and application costs before starting to complete the application form with the correct information in the IBPS SO notification. The IBPS SO exam dates for the year 2025 will be conducted in January 2025.
Candidates who plan to register for the exam must make payments via net banking, debit card, and credit card methods. The category-wise fees are mentioned below:
| Category | Fees |
| General | Rs. 850 |
| OBC | Rs. 850 |
| SC | Rs.175 |
| ST | Rs.175 |
| PWD | Rs.175 |
The following are the steps for applying for IBPS SO:
Applicants who have applied can get their admit cards from the official website. The procedure is as follows:
The following are the details seen on the admission card:
While filling out the IBPS SO Admit Card 2025, aspirants may select their preferred test center. There will be distinct centers for each state, as indicated below.
| State /UT/NCR | IBPS SO Prelims Exam Centre |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Chirala, Chittoor, Guntur, Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Tirupati, Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam, Vizianagaram |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Purnea, Arrah, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Patna, Aurangabad, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh/Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai Nagar, Bilaspur, Raipur |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Jamnagar, Surat |
| Delhi | Greater Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, Delhi/New Delhi, Ghaziabad |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Vadodara, Surat, Gandhinagar, Anand, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Himatnagar, Mehsana |
| Haryana | Ambala, Hissar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamuna Nagar |
| Himachal Pradesh | Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Kangra, Solan, Una , Hamirpur, Bilaspur |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu, Samba, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bidar, Mangalore, Shimoga, Mysore, Bengaluru, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Hubli, Udupi |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kannur, Kollam, Malappuram, Kozhikode,Palakkad, Kochi, Alappuzha, Thrichur |
| Ladakh | Leh |
| Lakshadweep | Kavarrati |
| Madhya Pradesh | Satna, Jabalpur, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior Sagar, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra | Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Chandrapur, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Ratnagiri Amravati, Latur |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Odisha | Dhenkanal, Balasore, Rourkela, Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Berhampur(Ganjam), Sambalpur |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Bhatinda, Amritsar, Fategarh Sahib, Pathankot, Mohali, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana |
| Rajasthan | Udaipur, Alwar, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur, Kota, |
| Sikkim | Bardang/ Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | Thiruchirapalli, Vellore Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Nagercoil, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Moradabad, Bareilly, Agra, Aligarh, Jhansi, Mathura, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Kalyani, Siliguri, Greater Kolkata, Durgapur, Hooghly, Asansol |
The Common Recruitment Process (CRP), which is managed by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), is used by numerous Public Sector Banks to hire Specialist Officers. These cadres include IT, agriculture, law, marketing, human resources, and Rashtrabhasha Adhikari. The following is a description of the specifics of the IBPS SO selection notification procedure for specialized officers. The following 3 steps make up the IBPS SO recruitment process:
IBPS will use the test format described below to shortlist qualified applicants for the IBPS SO 2025 test. Candidates must achieve the prelims cut-offs to be qualified to take the mains test, which will serve as a qualification phase for the preliminary exam.
The IBPS preliminary test has a different exam format than the main exam.
| Paper Number | Sections | Number of Questions | For Correct Response | Negative Marking |
| Paper-1 Post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari | Reasoning | 50 Questions | 1 mark | 0.25 marks |
| English Language | 0.5 mark | |||
| General Awareness with special reference to the Banking Industry | 1 mark | |||
| Paper-2 IT Officer, the post of Law Officer, Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1 | Reasoning section | 50 Questions | 1 mark | |
| English Language | 0.5 mark | |||
| Quantitative Aptitude | 1 mark |
The detailed exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Examination | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| Reasoning | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| English Language | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
The detailed exam pattern is given in the ISRO SO notification below:
| Name of the Examination | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| Reasoning | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| English Language | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes |
Mains Exam Marking Scheme
| Paper Number | Number of Questions | Marks Allotted | Negative Marking |
| Paper-1 (Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer, the post of Law Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1) | 60 | 60 Marks | 0.25 Marks per wrong answer |
| Paper -2 (post of Rajbhasha Adhikari) | 45 |
The detailed exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Examination | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
The detailed exam pattern is given below:
| Name of the Examination | Number of Questions | Exam Duration |
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 45 | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | 30 minutes |
The last list of merits is created using the combined written exam and interview results. The online exam and interviews will be weighted 80:20. To be selected as a Specialist Officer in a public sector bank, you must excel on the merit list and clear both examinations—a penned online examination and an interview.
The IBPS SO Exam notification 2025 syllabus will contain themes such as General English, General Awareness, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude. The following are the curriculum details:
| Subjects | Topics |
| Reasoning Ability | Seating arrangement puzzles Inequality syllogisms Input and Output of data Sufficiency Problems Blood relations Order and Ranking problems Alpha-numeric Verbal Reasoning Distance and Direction. |
| General English | Reading Comprehension Spotting Errors Sentence Improvement/correction Unscrambling of Paragraphs Filling in the blanks Close tests Sentence completion. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number Series simplifications Approximation and Interpretation of Data Quadratic Equations Data Sufficiency Mensuration Averages Profit and Loss Simple and Compound Interest Time Work Distance Partnership Ratio and Proportion Probability. |
| General Awareness | Current Affairs and Banking Awareness Topics Questions on books and their authors Currencies Important Places Awards Headquarters Prime minister’s schemes |
In addition to these disciplines, applicants must also possess professional knowledge in their field of specialisation. The detailed syllabus includes the following:
| Post | Syllabus |
| IT Officer (Scale-I) | Database Management System Data Communication and Networking Operating System Software Engineering Data Structure Computer Organization and Microprocessor Object-Oriented Programming |
| Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I) | Basics of Crop Production Horticulture Seed Science Agronomy and Irrigation Agricultural Economics Agricultural Practices Soil resources Animal Husbandry Agroforestry Ecology Government Schemes |
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) | Basics of Marketing Management Brand Management Advertising PR Sales Retail Business Ethics Market Segmentation Market research and forecasting demand Product Life Cycle Corporate Social Responsibility Service Marketing Marketing Strategies |
| Law Officer (Scale-I) | Banking Regulations Compliance and Legal Aspects Relevant Laws and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act Consumer Protection Act SURFACES Banking Ombudsman Scheme Laws and Actions in the direct link to Banking Sector Bankers Book Evidence Act DRT Act |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) | Human Resource Development Business Policy and Strategic Analysis Transnational Analysis Training and Development Recruitment and Selection Rewards and Recognition Industrial Relations Business Policy and Strategic Analysis Grievance and Conflict Management Performance Management and Appraisal |
The IBPS SO Exam result dates 2024 will be released in three stages: preliminary, main, and final. The IBPS SO 2024 Results will be published on the organization’s website following the completion of each phase. After the final scores are revealed, the applicant can examine the marks received in each round. The applicant who qualifies for the preliminary test advances to the main exam.
You can also read our detailed blog on IBPS SO Syllabus.
Applicants can check their scorecards by using the direct URL provided below, or by following the instructions outlined below the direct link.
The IBPS SO cut-off is the minimum score required to pass the exam. Applicants must secure a passing score in both the overall test and each section. Since IBPS SO government job, candidates need to meet the cut-off criteria to qualify for further rounds. IBPS also publishes merit lists of selected applicants.
For reference, the preceding year’s cut-off is provided for your convenience. The IBPS SO 2024 Cut-offs have been published on the IBPS official website, and they are easy to check and download.
Here are the actions to take to do that.
Candidates may view the predicted sectional cut-offs for the IBPS SO Prelims test 2022 in the table listed below:
| Sections | Cut-off |
| English | 6-7 |
| General Awareness | 8-10 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 8-11 |
| Logical Reasoning | 10-12 |
| Cut-off marks | |||||
| Posts Name | OBC | UR | EWS | SC | ST |
| IT Officer | 54.38 | 54.38 | 49.75 | 52.75 | 42.25 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | 12.63 | 12.63 | 12.63 | 12.63 | 8.88 |
| Law Officer | 32.5 | 35.63 | 31.88 | 31.63 | 35.63 |
| HR/Personnel Officer | 39.38 | 39.38 | 39.38 | 39.38 | 39.38 |
| Marketing Officer | 9.38 | 20.13 | 19.75 | 10.13 | 9.88 |
| Posts | Maximum Marks | Cutoff | |
| General/EWS | SC/ST/OBC/PwBD | ||
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 60 | 9.50 | 6.25 |
| Agriculture Field Officer (Scale I) | 60 | 22.75 | 18.75 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | 60 | 23.25 | 18.50 |
| Law officer (Scale I) | 60 | 17.25 | 13.25 |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | 60 | 20.00 | 16.00 |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | 60 | 16.25 | 12.50 |
Final Cut-off 2021-22
| Cut Off Out of 100 | |||||||||
| Posts | Category | ||||||||
| UR | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | HI | OC | VI | ID | |
| IT Officer (Scale I) | 39.20 | 27.47 | 28.53 | 34.60 | 35.07 | 28.60 | 26 | 36.67 | 22.33 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) | 61 | 59.40 | 56.33 | 62.33 | 46.27 | NA | 65.67 | 81.33 | NA |
| Law officer (Scale I) | 52.60 | 37.07 | 31.13 | 44 | 40.40 | NA | 51.33 | 26.33 | NA |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) | 60.20 | 50.47 | 49.33 | 56.33 | 54.53 | NA | 41.47 | 46 | NA |
| Marketing Officer (Scale I) | 54.20 | 49.80 | 46.67 | 50.27 | 42 | 27.73 | 41.60 | 40.53 | 28.47 |
The following table shows the IBPS SO remuneration for various posts:
| Position | In-Hand Salary | In-Hand Salary |
| IT Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Agriculture Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Law Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| HR Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
| Marketing Officer | Rs. 24,000 – Rs. 32,000 | Rs. 34,000 – Rs. 40,000 |
Some of the advantages that an IBPS SO may enjoy are as follows:
The following are the ISRO SO notification job profiles:
| Position | Details |
|---|---|
| Agriculture Field Officer | They are responsible for promoting rural banking and generating leads. They look after the financial needs of people living in rural areas. They are responsible for coordinating with other RRBs, NABARD, and other organizations. Look after loan inspection and recovery in rural areas. |
| IT Officer | They look after the core banking system. They are responsible for managing technical issues within the department They develop and update the software. Also, they take care of the security systems to avoid cybercrimes. |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | They look after State or region-wise marketing and promotional activities. Look for value-added ways to boost revenues. Help get new business deals. |
| Law Officer | They manage all legal affairs within the department They represent the bank if any case is filed. Look after the errors and loopholes within the banking system. |
| HR/Personnel Officer | They maintain employees’ database. They track employees’ performance. They design several welfare schemes, promotions, and compensation for the benefit of the employees |
| Marketing Officer | They look after State or region-wise marketing and promotional activities. Look for value-added ways to boost revenues. Help get new business deals. |
The IBPS SO cut-off is a crucial factor in securing this government job, as candidates must meet both sectional and overall cut-offs to qualify for the next stages. Staying updated with IBPS SO Exam Date 2025 and analyzing previous years’ trends can help in effective preparation. Additionally, understanding the IBPS SO salary structure, which includes a basic pay of ₹23,700 to ₹42,020 along with allowances, makes it an attractive career option. With strategic planning and consistent practice, aspirants can improve their chances of securing a prestigious IBPS SO position.
Check Out Other Banking Exams:
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IBPS RRB Scale 2 Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS RRB PO Exam Dates, Eligibility, Fees & Notification
Ans. The following books are suggested for IBPS SO Exam 2025 preparation:
1. MK Pandey’s Analytical Reasoning
2. Data Interpretation and Sufficient Data
3. RS Aggarwal’s Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
4. Answers to Essential English Grammar
5. General Knowledge of Lucent
6. Kiran’s IBPS Specialist Officers Exam
Ans. This exam is divided into three sections with a total of 150 questions and a maximum score of 125. The above article contains a full examination schedule.
Ans. No experience is necessary for the positions of scale-1 officers. Still, if you have prior experience, you will undoubtedly be given precedence.
Ans. Yes, you can register for IBPS SO during your last year of college. You must, however, be able to provide the graduation result and certification for document verification.
Candidates must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field and meet the age criteria of 20 to 30 years (age relaxation applies).
Authored by, Amay Mathur | Senior Editor
Amay Mathur is a business news reporter at Chegg.com. He previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. His areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. He is a Columbia University graduate.
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Chegg India does not ask for money to offer any opportunity with the company. We request you to be vigilant before sharing your personal and financial information with any third party. Beware of fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with our company and promising monetary rewards or benefits. Chegg India shall not be responsible for any losses resulting from such activities.
