The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) SO Examination, also known as the Specialist Officer (SO) Examination, is held to assist in the recruitment of 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 organisation, was established.
The IBPS SO 2023(CRP SPL-XIII) Notification will be made available in November 2023 on the Institute of Banking Personnel’s (IBPS) official website i.e. ibps.in. This hiring process will fill the positions of Law Officer (Scale-I), Officer (Scale-I), Marketing Officer (Scale-I), Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale-I), HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I), and Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I). The 30th and 31st of December 2023 are designated as the dates for the preliminary IBPS SO Exam 2023. The preliminary exam, the main exam, and the interview together constitute the three stages of the IBPS Specialist Officers (SO) selection process. After passing all of the stages, applicants are hired by various Public Sector Banks.
| IBPS SO 2023 – 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 | To be notified |
| Exam Date | Prelims – 30th and 31st December 2023 Mains – 28th January 2024 |
| 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 | www.ibps.in |
In the month of November 2023, the IBPS SO 2023 notification for FY 2023–24 will be made public. For applicants looking to apply for government jobs, the IBPS SO 2023 information is shown here. All the highlights are shown in the overview table.
| Event | Dates 2023 |
| Start of Online Application | October 2023 (Expected) |
| Last Date of Registration | November 2023 (Expected) |
| Admit Card Release | To be announced |
| Online Prelims IBPS SO Exam | 30th December 2023 -31th December 2023 |
| Preliminary Exam Results | To be announced |
| Main Exam Admit Card Release | To be announced |
| IBPS SO Main Examination | 28th January 2024 |
| Main Exam Results | To be announced |
| Interview | To be announced |
The openings for several positions, including Marketing Officer, Law Officer, IT Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikar, will be disclosed with the IBPS SO announcement. The positions listed here are those that were open in 2022 from the previous year.
| Name of Post | No. of Vacancies |
| IT Officer (Scale-I) | 335 vacancies |
| Agriculture Officer (Scale-I) | 2580 vacancies |
| Marketing Officer (Scale-I) | 65 vacancies |
| Law Officer (Scale-I) | 115 vacancies |
| HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) | 81 vacancies |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale-I) | 946 vacancies |
Candidates applying for IBPS SO positions must be aware of the recruitment drive’s established age restriction.
The applicant’s age should fall between 20 and 30 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, notifications, and application costs before starting to complete the application form with the correct information.
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 2023, aspirants may select their preferred test centre. There will be distinct centres 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 selection procedure for specialised 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 2023 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 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 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 2023 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 2023 results will be released in three stages: preliminary, main, and final. The IBPS SO 2023 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.
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 get a passing score on the computerized test in both the entire test and each section. IBPS also publishes the merit lists of applicants. The preceding year’s cut-off is provided for your convenience.
The IBPS SO 2022 Cut-offs have been published on the IBPS official website. They are really simple to inspect 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 Out of 125 | |||||
| Posts Name | OBC | UR | EWS | SC | ST |
| IT Officer | 66.38 | 66.38 | 64.50 | 66.25 | 54.63 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari | 20.13 | 20.13 | 18 | 19.88 | 17.25 |
| Law Officer | 42 | 42.38 | 34.63 | 40.25 | 33 |
| HR/Personnel Officer | 40.50 | 40.50 | 38.75 | 40.50 | 40.50 |
| Marketing Officer | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23.63 |
| 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:
| 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 | The employees proofread and translate crucial documents used in the banking system. They arrange relevant language-related workshops. They provide training employees in the local language. |
| 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 the revenues. Help get new business deals. |
Check Out Other Banking Exams:
IBPS Clerk Exam Date, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS PO Exam Date, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS RRB Clerk Exam Date, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS RRB Scale 3 Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS RRB Scale 2 Exam Dates, Fees, Eligibility & Notification
IBPS RRB PO Exam Dates, Eligibility, Fees & Notification
The following books are suggested for IBPS SO Exam 2023 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
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.
No experience is necessary for the positions of scale-1 officers. Still, if you have prior experience, you will undoubtedly be given precedence.
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.
No, there is no restriction to the total amount of IBPS SO tries.