IBPS SO 2020-21: Exam Dates, Notification, Syllabus, Pattern And Vacancies

Every year Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts the IBPS SO exam for various Public Sector Banks listed under IBPS. Common Written Examination (CWE) was started by IBPS in the year 2011 to recruit Specialist Officers (SO), Probationary Officers (PO), and Clerks in Nationalized banks. The registration for IBPS SO is done in online mode by visiting the official website of IBPS.

It is held at various locations throughout India. The mode of examination is online. IBPS SO Prelims Examination will be held on 18th December 2021 & 26th December 2021 and Mains Examination will be held on 30th January 2022. IBPS SO Exam is conducted for recruiting candidates for various posts like:

• IT Officer
• Agricultural Field Officer
• Rajbhasha Adhikari
• Law Officer
• HR/ Personnel Officer
• Marketing Officer

The exam is conducted through 3 stages - Prelims, Main Exam, and Interview round.

IBPS SO Vacancies 2021

The total no. of vacancies of IBPS SO for the year 2021 will be notified soon as per the release of notification. The vacancy details are provided below.

IBPS SO 2021 Exam Dates

IBPS SO Preliminary exam 2021 will be scheduled for 18th December 2021& 26th December 2021. The Mains examination will be conducted on January 30th, 2022. The IBPS SO Exam is conducted for recruiting candidates for the posts of Specialist Officers in the field of IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/ Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer. The selection will be done through 3 stages – Prelims, Main Exam and Interview round. Here on this page, we bring to you complete details of IBPS SO 2021 Details, so bookmark this page for further updates.

The IBPS SO exam (CWE) is held online at various centers all over India and the candidates can mention their options at the time of filling in the online application. If there is non-availability of seats at preferred venue then IBPS allots examination center other than the choosed one.

IBPS is the only authority to add or remove an exam center.The candidates can’t make any request for the change of exam center. Any indecent behaviour in the examination center can lead to the cancellation of the application.

IBPS SO 2021 Exam Centre

The IBPS SO Exam (CWE) is conducted online at a number of centers throughout the India. The candidate can mention their zone or region to take the examination while filling the application form for IBPS SO Exam 2021. Even if the seats are not available at the desired exam center then they will be given seat in another examination center.

IBPS reserves the right to add or remove the exam center. Candidates cannot ask to change exam centre once allotted by IBPS. Any offensive behaviour at the examination center can show the way to the termination of the application.

Selection Procedure

The selection process of IBPS SO consists of 3 phases (preliminary, mains, and interview). The candidates must qualify each of them to go on to the next phase.

The important steps of the IBPS SO Recruitment Procedure are as follows:

Online Preliminary Examination:

A sufficient number of candidates in each category are shortlisted by IBPS depending upon the requirements for Online Main Examination.

Online Mains Examination:

Candidates need to qualify for the Professional Knowledge Test in the main exam to get eligibility for personal interview.

Interview:

The Participating Organizations will hold an Interview which will also be coordinated by the Nodal Bank in each State/ UT with the help of IBPS

Final Result:

The Final result is declared on the basis of a candidate’s overall performance in IBPS SO Mains and Interview Rounds.

Provisional Allotment:

The provisional allotment of the eligible candidate is released on the official website. The IBPS allots Banks to the candidates on the basis of the preferences they have made at the time of the online registration.
IBPS plays a role in the selection process until the provisional selection of different banks is done. Further, the responsibility to inform the qualified candidates about their joining dates and procedures lies with the respective banks.

IBPS SO 2021 Salary

In the majority of the public sector banks, the Salary of the Clerk is almost same. The latest revision of Bank SO salary as per 10th Bipartite settlement took place on Nov 2012; nonetheless, the final agreement was signed in May 2015.

The revised basic pay of SO thus becomes –

Here Rs. 21,990 is the revised basic pay of Bank SO as applicable on 1st January 2016. Thus the new entrant in a Bank as SO is liable to get Rs. 21,990 as basic pay and salary in hand 19590.

IBPS SO 2021 Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification (as on 23.11.2021):

Candidates should have a valid Mark-sheet / Degree:

Candidates should possess the certificate in support of the essential qualification at the time of registration. They should mention the marks obtained or the percentage of the marks obtained in the application form of IBPS Bank SO Exam 2021.

Computer Literacy: Knowledge of computer operation is a must as IBPS SO exam is conducted online.

Nationality / Citizenship of Applicants:

Candidates applying for IBPS SO Examination should be one of the following:

1. Citizen of India

2. The subject of Nepal or Bhutan

3. Tibetan Refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanent settlement

4. Person of Indian Origin (PIO) who has migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or East African countries of Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Malawi, with the intention of permanent settlement in India.

5. Candidates belonging to the category 2, 3, 4 must have a certificate of eligibility issued by the Govt of India in their favour.

Age Eligibility of candidates applying for IBPS SO Examination:

Age (As on 01.11.2021):

Minimum: 20 years
Maximum: 30 years

A candidate must have been born not earlier than 02.11.1989 and not later than 01.11.1999(both dates inclusive).

Besides this, there is age relaxation relevant to category wise candidates as per the government rules:

IBPS SO 2021 Exam Pattern

This year the exam will be in two parts: Tier -1 or IBPS Preliminary Exam and Tier 2 or IBPS Mains Exam. This year IBPS change the pattern of IBPS SO Exam. The previous year there used to be only 1 examination then taken the interview but this year there will be a two-tier examination. The preliminary exam will be qualify phase to appear in Mains Exam. This examination is followed by an interview For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer Professional Knowledge Test.

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern

The IBPS SO preliminary examination is of two-hour duration and is conducted online. It has 3 sections with having 150 questions in total with a maximum score of 125 marks. There is a negative marking in IBPS SO pre-exam as one-fourth of marks are deducted for every wrong answer.

For the Post of Law Officer and Rajsabha Adhikari Scale-I officer

For the Post of Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I

IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern

For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer

For the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari

The Mains Examination will contain questions only from Professional Knowledge Subjects.

For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer it has Professional Knowledge Test there is 1 section having a total score of 60 marks of 45 minutes duration.

For the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari, there are 2 sections having a total score of 60 marks in 60 minutes duration. The time duration is 30 minutes for objective and 30 minutes for descriptive.

Best Recommended Study Material to Ensure Success in IBPS SO Exam

Looking to crack IBPS SO 2021? Start preparation with IBT's IBPS SO Study material now!

IBPS exam syllabus is similar to other bank exams except that IBPS issues only the broad subjects, they can be further bifurcated into individual topics, based on the questions that have appeared in the exams over the past few years. The IBPS syllabus is divided into two parts.

IBPS SO Syllabus 2021

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Syllabus 2021

IBPS SO Mains Exam Syllabus 2021

Apart from these subjects, candidates are required to have Professional Knowledge in his/her area of expertise as well. The detailed syllabus is discussed below:

IBPS SO Pre-Exam Training

The Nationalized Banks or the Participating Organizations may conduct pre-examination training for SC/ST/Religious Minority Community candidates at selected centres according to the protocols announced by the Government of India. This training session acquaints the aspirants with the type of questions, common mistakes, and time management, tips and tricks and guidance from the subject experts. The main aim of this training is to provide assistance to the students from weaker sections who are not able to take coaching due to financial constraints. Hence this drive makes them aware of all the realms of the exam without paying any money.

Candidates with reserved categories can only avail of this training. They need to mention the same at the time of registration in the given column. The pre-exam training is provided free of cost with other expenses such as travel, food, and lodging expenses that need to be spent by the candidate. Generally, it is undertaken five days before the exam and the dates are announced on the official website. Please find below a suggestive list of training centers:

IBPS may add or remove some training centers depending upon the requirement and the number of candidates applying for the same. The candidates who opted for pre-examination training need to download their respective call letter for the training by mentioning their registration number and password or date of birth. The call letter for the pre-exam training will not be provided by post to the candidates they need to download it from the website.

IBPS SO Online Application

The registration for IBPS SO Exam 2021 was done online. In order to avoid any technical errors please make sure that the web-browser used to fill up the IBPS SO 2021 Application form is one of the following:

• Internet Explorer 8 and above

• Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and above

• Google Chrome 3.0 and above

• Candidates applying online must have the following pre-requisites:

• A valid Email Id

• Photograph and Signature scanned in the prescribed size

• Application Fee must be paid online so all document required for online transaction

• The IBPS SO 2021 application form can only be filled on the official website.

• Before proceeding with the registration and application process, all candidates are requested to go through the complete guide for IBPS PO Online Application

IBPS SO Interview

Candidate Need To Qualify Both Online CWE (Preliminary and Mains examination) to be called for an Interview. The shortlisted candidates for an interview would be those who have sufficiently acquired a high score in the merit list prepared by IBPS. The details of the same will be updated at the official website of IBPS.

Candidates who have been shortlisted in the Main examination for CRP SPL-VII will subsequently be called for an Interview to be conducted by the Participating Organisations and coordinated by the Nodal Banks in each State/ UT with the help of IBPS. Interviews will be conducted at select centers. The center address of the venue, time & date of the Interview will be informed to the shortlisted candidates in the call letter. Candidates are required to download their interview call letters from the authorized IBPS website www.ibps.in. Please note that any request regarding change in date, center, etc. of the interview will not be entertained. However, the conducting agencies reserve the right to change the date/ venue/ time/center, etc. of the interview or hold supplementary process for a particular date/session/venue/center/set of candidates at its discretion, under unforeseen circumstances, if any.

The maximum mark allotted for the interview session is 100. The minimum qualifying marks for the interview session is 40 percent for the general category and 35 percent for the reserved categories such as SC/ST/OBC/PWD candidates. The weightage for the final merit for the exam will be from online CWE (mains exam) and interview score as 80:20 respectively. The final score will be calculated on the basis of total scores obtained in the online mains exam of CWE SPL-VII and the interview. The candidates failing to score the required ration will be disqualified.

Penalty for Wrong Answers:
There will be a penalty for every wrong answer marked by the candidates in the objective tests of both preliminary and mains examination. The deduction will be as much as 0.25 marks but there will be no deduction of marks for the questions left blank by them.

Final Score Calculation for IBPS SO Exam:
There are certain important points on the basis of which the final score for the IBPS SO exam is calculated:

• Marks scored in the Preliminary Exam (Tier-1) will not be considered in the final score. These are only taken into account to qualify Mains Exam (Tier-2).
• Candidates need to qualify Phase-2 and Interview individually to be eligible for the final worth.
• The ratio of marks between the CWE Main exam and interview for the final merit list will be 80:20 respectively.
• The aggregate of 100 marks is used for the final merit list for each category. Candidates with a high merit rank in each category are finally selected.

IBPS SO 2021 Application Fee

The application for the diverse categories for IBPS SO is mentioned below. Kindly note that the fees once paid will not be refunded hence pay cautiously after checking the fee table. For more details, kindly visit the IBPS website or check the official notification of the IBPS SO exam.

IBPS SO 2021 Admit Card & Other Info.

IBPS SO admit card 2021 will be released 15 days prior to the exam.

IBPS SO 2021 Result

IBPS will release the results after the completion of each phase of the Examination. The Final Merit state-wise and the category-wise list shall be prepared in descending order of the marks secured by the candidates in the Online Main Examination and interview. Candidates who fall within the number of vacancies in the merit list shall be considered for appointment subject to Medical Fitness.

IBPS SO 2020 Result

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has declared the result of IBPS SO 2020 Final Result on 1^st April 2021. After conducting both the phases of the IBPS SO 2020 Exam, IBPS has released the final result. All candidates can check their result by visiting the official website or by clicking the link provided below:

Click here to check IBPS SO 2020 final result

IBPS SO Preparation

Candidates should prepare in a methodical manner for IBPS SO exam. The candidates must be aware of the latest syllabus and exam pattern. The syllabus covers a variety of topics, it is significant to choose the perfect study material so that you can comprehend the concepts and practices a wide multiplicity of questions as well.

New pattern questions are basically the application of concepts in a new form. Aspirants need to practice a lot so that they don't face issues in IBPS SO 2021

Candidates should go through the previous year's IBPS questions so that they have an initiative of what to anticipate in IBPS SO 2021.

We are providing comprehensive study notes, quizzes, and Video lectures for IBPS SO Exam 2021 with the latest Pattern. It is worthwhile to Follow Make My Exam to get all Study Material in New Pattern apart from self-study you can join any Coaching and Online Test Series for better exam preparation.

Previous Year IBPS SO Exam Analysis

To recognize the latest exam pattern approved by IBPS for IBPS SO Exam, lets us discuss the exam analysis of the December 2020 Exam to make the exam preparation simple and effortless to ace the exam.

Exam Analysis of IBPS SO 2020 Exam held on 26^th December 2020

IBPS SO preliminary exam was conducted online with 150 questions to be attempted in 120 minutes.

Overall exam analysis of IBPS SO 2020 Exam

(For IT officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer, Law Officer, and Rajbahsha Adhikari)

Section-wise exam analysis

English Language

English section was at a moderate level. There were two sets of Reading Comprehension. Following are the details of the questions asked in shift-1:

Topic-wise English section bifurcation:

Numerical Ability

This section had questions from easy to moderate level.

Topic-wise Numerical Ability section bifurcation:

Reasoning Ability

This section had from easy to moderate questions.

IBPS SO Cut off

IBPS SO 2019 Cut-Off

IBPS SO 2018 Cut-Off

IBPS SO Cut Off 2016 – Provisional Allotment List

Reserve List – IBPS SO Cut Off 2016

Minimum & Maximum Cut Off (Category-Wise & Post-Wise):

IBPS SO exam is one of the most sought-after bank exams today and a huge number of candidates appear for this exam every year. IBPS SO exam is conducted by IBPS to recruit candidates for SO cadre in different Banks across the country. As we know that IBPS SO notification has been Released. We hope that you are rigorously preparing for it. We are providing you the frequently asked questions of IBPS SO as follows:

Q1. What are the posts available under IBPS SO Recruitment 2021?

Ans1. The total number of posts available under this recruitment is 6, which are as follows –

• I.T. Officer (Scale-I)

• Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I)

• HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)

• Marketing Officer (Scale I)

• Law Officer (Scale I)

• Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)

Q2. How many phases are there in IBPS SO recruitment 2021?

Ans2. There is a total of 3 phases in this recruitment 2021, which are:

• Preliminary Exam

• Mains Exam

• Interview Round

Q3. What are the educational eligibility criteria to be eligible for all posts under IBPS SO recruitment 2021?

Ans3. The educational eligibility criteria for the different posts under IBPS SO recruitment are different. These are given below:
All the educational qualifications mentioned below should be from a University/ Institution/ Board recognized by Govt. Of India/ approved by Govt. Regulatory Bodies and the final result should have been declared on or before a specified date mentioned in the official notification.
1. I.T. Officer (Scale-I) - Post code-1

• 4 year Engineering/ Technology Degree in Computer Science/ Computer Applications/ Information Technology/ Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunications/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation.

or

• Post Graduate Degree in Electronics/ Electronics & Tele Communication/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation/ Computer Science/ Information Technology/ Computer Applications.

or

• Graduate having passed DOEACC ‘B’ level.

2. Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I) - Post Code-2

• 4 year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/ Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Dairy Science/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Agri. Marketing & Cooperation/ Co-operation & Banking/ Agro- Forestry/Forestry/ Agricultural Biotechnology/ Food Science/ Agriculture Business Management/ Food Technology/ Dairy Technology/ Agricultural Engineering

3. Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) - Postcode 3

• Post Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the degree (graduation) level

or

• Postgraduate degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the degree (graduation) level.

4. Law Officer (Scale I) - Postcode 4

• Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB) and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council

5. HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) - Postcode 5

• Graduate and Two Years Full-time Post Graduate degree or Two Years Full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/ HR / HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law.

6. Marketing Officer (Scale I) - Postcode 6

• Graduate and Two Years Full-time MMS (Marketing)/ Two Years Full-time MBA (Marketing)/ Two Years Full-time PGDBA / PGDBM/ PGPM/ PGDM with specialization in Marketing.

Q4. Is there any percentage criterion in IBPS SO recruitment?

Ans4. No, there is no percentage criteria defined by IBPS to sit for IBPS SO recruitment. A candidate needs to fulfill eligibility to be eligible to apply for the IBPS SO Exam.

Q5. What is the age eligibility criterion to apply for IBPS SO recruitment?

Ans5. To apply for the posts under IBPS SO Recruitment the minimum age of candidates must be 20 years and the maximum age must be 30 years.

Q6. Is a final-year student eligible for the IBPS SO exam?

Ans6. Final year candidates are also eligible to apply, however, they can only apply provisionally. IBPS‘s official notification specifies a date before which the student in the final year has to produce his/her passing mark sheet or proof of passing the graduation exam.

Q7. What is the Application fee for IBPS SO recruitment?

Ans7. The application fee is 175/- rupees for SC/ST/PWD/EXSM candidates. For candidates of all other categories, the application fee is Rs. 850 /-.

Q8. How many times can I appear for this IBPS SO Exam?

Ans8. There is no restriction related to the number of attempts in IBPS SO Recruitment. A candidate (all categories) can appear multiple times till his/her age permits.

Q9. What is the structure of the Prelims Examination in IBPS SO Recruitment?

Ans9. The Prelims exam for this recruitment is an online objective exam of a total of 125 Marks for a total of 150 Questions. The candidate will get the total time of sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each of the sections.

Q10. What are the criteria for negative marking in IBPS SO Recruitment 2021?

Ans10. In Prelims as well as in Mains examination in IBPS SO recruitment, there is a penalty of 1/4th mark for wrong answers marked by the candidate. It means one-fourth of Marks will be deducted for every wrong answer marked by the candidate in IBPS SO Prelims and Mains examination. However, there is no penalty if any question is left blank/No answer Marked by the candidate.

Q11. IBPS SO Examination will be held in which mode?

Ans11. Across the country, the Common Written Exam for IBPS SO exam will be held online.

Q12. What is the Exam Pattern followed for IBPS SO exam?

Ans12. IBPS SO will be held in two levels namely (i) preliminary exam and (ii) main exam. Candidates who qualify in the preliminary exam are eligible to appear for the main exam. Candidates who clear the main exam will be shortlisted for personal interviews. Candidates will be recruited based on their performance in the interview and the main exam.

Q13. Can students of any stream apply for the exam?

Ans13. No, Only the students of the following stream can apply:-
B. E. /B.Tech. Degree (4 years) in 1) Computer Science 2) Computer Applications 3) Information Technology 4) Electronics 5) Electronics and Telecommunication 6) Electronics and Communication 7) Electronics and Instrumentation
or
Post Graduate Degree in 1) Electronics 2) Electronics and Telecommunication 3)Electronics and Communication 4)Electronics and Communication 5)Electronics and Instrumentation 6)Computer Science 5) Information Technology 6) Computer Applications
or
Graduates who have passed DOEACC ‘B Level’.
Please note that BCA or B.Tech/B.E. (in any other streams which are not listed above) degree holders are NOT eligible for the exam.

Q14. If I am applying for the IT Officer Post, can I apply for other Specialist officers’ post?

Ans14. No, you cannot apply for other Specialist officer’s post simultaneously.

Q15. Is the IBPS SO exam bilingual?

Ans15. Yes, the IBPS SO exam is bilingual. Questions are available in both English and Hindi language expect the English section test.