Internet Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts an all-India competitive exam for recruiting eligible candidates for Specialist Officer (SO) posts in the participating regional banks. A total of 1007 vacancies are released, offering potential candidates opportunities to secure coveted positions in the participating banks across India.
The following article provides a detailed overview of the said exam, including exam dates, vacancies, syllabus and much more.
Important Dates
|
Events |
Details |
|
IBPS SO 2025 Notification Date |
30th June 2025 |
|
IBPS SO 2025 Registration Start Date |
1st July 2025 |
|
IBPS SO 2025 Application Last Date |
28th July 2025 |
|
IBPS SO Admit Card 2025 |
22nd August 2025 |
|
IBPS SO Preliminary Exam 2025 |
30th August 2025 |
|
IBPS SO Mains Exam 2025 |
9th November 2025 |
How to apply:
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Go to the official website of IBPS i.e. www.ibps.in.
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Click on “CRP SPecialist Officers” in the Home menu
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Click on “New Registration” button
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Fill in all the necessary details like your name, mobile no. and email Id and register for the exam
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Log in again through the registered email Id and password
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Fill in the required details and upload all the necessary scanned documents like photograph, signature and those related to educational qualifications, work experience etc.
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Review the application before paying the application fees
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Pay the fees and save the final submitted form for future references.
IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria:
Educational Qualifications:
Following table provides details of educational qualifications required for each post of IBPS SO:
|
Name of the post |
Educational Qualifications |
|
I.T. Officer (Scale I) |
Graduates having passed DOEACC “B” level Exam |
|
Agricultural Field Officer (scale I) |
Four year graduate in agriculture/horticulture/animal husbandry/dairy science/veterinary science/Fishery Science/Agricultural engineering/ Agri marketing and cooperation/Pisciculture/Agro-forestry/Cooperation and Banking |
|
Rajbhasha Adhikari (scale 1) |
Postgraduate in Hindi with English as a subject at the graduate or degree level OR Postgraduate in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subject at the graduation level |
|
Law Officer (Scale 1) |
Bachelor’s degree in law and inducted into bar council as an advocate |
|
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale 1) |
Graduate or Postgraduate degree or Full Time Diploma in Personnel Management/Labour Law/Social Work/Industrial Relation/ HR/HRD |
|
Marketing Officer (Scale 1) |
Graduate and full-time MMS (Marketing)/ Full Time PGDBA/PGDBM with specialization in marketing/ MBA (Marketing) |
Note: Candidates PG degree(MMS/MBA)/PG Diploma with more than two specialisations are not eligible to apply
Nationality:
A candidate must be:
-
A citizen of India
-
A subject of Nepal
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A Tibetan refugee who canme to India before 1st January 1962 and planned to settle in India permanently
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Person of indian origin migrated from Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania, Namibia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Vietnam
IBPS SO Age Limit:
Candidates must be 20 years old to be eligible for the exam. The maximum age limit is 30 years.
IBPS SO Age Relaxation:
IBPS has provided age relaxations for various social categories. The following table provides the category-wise age relaxations as offered by IBPS:
|
Category |
Age Relaxation |
|
Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe |
5 years |
|
Other Backwards Classes (OBC) |
3 years |
|
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) |
10 years |
|
Ex-Serviceman/ Commissioned Officers including ECOS (Emergency Commissioned Officers)/SSCOs (Short Service Commissioned Officer) who have rendered at least five years military service and have been released on completion of Assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within 1 year form the last date of receipt of application) otherwise than by the way of dismissal/discharge on the account of misconduct/inefficiency/physical disability attributable to military service |
5 years |
|
Persons ordinarily domiciled in Jsmmu and Kashmir province during the period 1.01.1980 and 31.12.1989 |
5 years |
|
Persons affected by 1984 riots |
5 years |
IBPS SO Application Fees:
The application fees of the IBPS SO exam for various social categories is provided in the following table:
|
Category |
Application Fees |
|
General/OBC/Others |
Rs. 850 (intimation charges only) |
|
SC/ST/PwD |
Rs. 175 (App. fees including intimation charges ) |
IBPS SO Vacancy 2025:
IBPS has released a total of 1007 vacancies in Specialist Officer (SO) posts across public sector banks. The following table shows the number of vacancies in different SO posts:
|
Posts |
Vacancies |
|
HR/Personnel Officer |
10 |
|
Agricultural Field Officer |
310 |
|
Law Officer |
56 |
|
IT Officer |
203 |
|
Rajbhasha Officer |
78 |
|
Marketing Officer |
350 |
|
TOTAL |
1007 |
IBPS SO Selection Process:
IBPS SO exam consists of three stages i.e. i) Prelims ii) Mains iii) Interview.
The first stage, Prelims, tests a candidate’s knowledge about English language, reasoning and general awareness with special reference to banking affairs. It is qualifying in nature and marks obtained here will not be counted for the calculation of the final merit.
The Mains section tests a candidate’s knowledge about professional subjects in line with the respective posts to which they have applied. Candidates who clear the Mains exam will qualify for interview.
The third stage is interview, in which a student is tested on his/her personality, knowledge of current affairs, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
The combined marks obtained in the Mains and Interview are considered for the final calculation of merit.
IBPS SO 2025 Exam Pattern:
IBPS SO Exam consists of three stages i.e. Prelims, Mains and Interview. In the prelims, a candidate has to pass every section separately in order to qualify for Mains exam. The total duration of the exam is 120 minutes with 40 minutes allotted for each section separately. There is a difference in the type of sections of Prelims for the posts of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari and for other Specialist Officer (SO) posts like Agricultural Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale 1), HR/Personnel Officer/IT Officer Scale 1.
IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern:
For Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari :
|
Section |
No. of Questions |
Marks |
Duration |
|
Reasoning |
50 |
50 |
40 minutes |
|
English Language |
50 |
25 |
40 minutes |
|
General Awareness (Special Reference to Banking Affairs) |
50 |
50 |
40 minutes |
|
TOTAL |
150 |
125 |
120 minutes |
For other Specialist Officers (Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I:
|
Section |
No. of Questions |
Marks |
Duration |
|
Reasoning |
50 |
50 |
40 |
|
English Language |
50 |
25 |
40 |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
50 |
40 |
|
TOTAL |
150 |
125 |
120 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern:
For the post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer :
|
Name of test |
No. of questions |
Maximum marks |
Medium of Exam |
Duration |
|
Professional Knowledge |
60 |
60 |
English & Hindi |
45 minutes |
For the post of Rajbhashi Adhikhari:
|
Name of test |
No. of questions |
Maximum marks |
Medium of Exam |
Duration |
|
Professional Knowledge (Objective) |
45 |
60 |
English & Hindi |
30 minutes |
|
Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) |
2 |
English & Hindi |
30 minutes |
IBPS SO Syllabus:
IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus:
IBPS SO prelims consists of reasoning, English language, General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry/Quantitative Aptitude. The syllabus for the same is given in the following table:
|
Reasoning |
English Language |
General Awareness |
Quantitative Aptitude |
|
|
|
|
IBPS SO Mains Syllabus:
IBPS SO Mains exam consists of professional subjects relevant to the specific SO posts. Following table provides the post-based syllabus of IBPS Mains exam:
|
IT Officer (Scale) Syllabus |
Agricultural Field Officer Scale I Syllabus |
Marketing Officer (Scale I) Syllabus |
Law Officer (Scale I) Syllabus |
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I ) Syllabus |
|
Database Management System Data Communication and Networking Operating System Software Engineering Data Structure Computer Organization and Microprocessor Object Oriented Programming |
Basics of Crop Production Horticulture Seed Science Agronomy and Irrigation Agricultural Economies Agricultural Practices Soil resources Animal Husbandry Agroforestry Ecology Government Schemes |
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 |
Banking Regulations Compliance and Legal Aspects Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act Consumer Protection Act SARFAES Banking Ombudsman Scheme Laws and Actions with the direct link to Banking Sector Bankers Book Evidence Act DRT Act |
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 |
IBPS SO Interview Syllabus:
The interview section assesses a candidate’s knowledge about current affairs, personality skills, professional knowledge in the specific fields to which the candidate has applied, analytical, decision-making and problem-solving abilities. The final selection is based on the marks a candidate secures in the interview stage.
IBPS SO Salary Structure:
The IBPS offers attractive salary structure for potential candidates as per the 12th Bipartite Settlement as is uniform across all public sector banks. It starts at Rs. 48,480 and goes up to Rs 85, 920, through regular increments and bonuses based on performance and years of service.
Exam Tips and Strategies:
Following tips and strategies are crucial for any candidate aspiring to crack IBPS SO Exam:
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Familiarize with the syllabus: A thorough knowledge of the syllabus helps in getting a deep understanding of the IBPS syllabus
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PYQs and Mock Tests: Practising previous year question papers and mock tests gives an understanding about the current exam trends and patterns and improves time management.
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Awareness on Banking, Finance Affairs: For the Mains section, keep track of all the latest RBI developments, finance and banking matters and digital banking trends.
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Stay updated: For general awareness section, stay updated about latest developments in the current affairs, daily digests etc.
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Improve Vocabulary and Grammar: Daily reading practice enhances your vocabulary and knowledge of grammar.
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Maintain emotional & Mental Well-Being: Staying calm and composed in any exam is key to achieving success. Minimize distraction and practise meditation to maintain emotional and mental well-being.
IBPS SO Best Preparation Books:
Disha Publications offers a comprehensive range of best study materials for IBPS SO, covering all important sections from English language comprehension and vocabulary to reasoning and quantitative aptitude as well as books on professional knowledge relevant to specific SO posts. Equipped with solution-based PYQs and mock tests, these books are curated and compiled by our best subject experts, available to guide you through the journey of exam preapration.
FAQs
Q1. What makes the IBPS SO exam different from other banking exams?
Answer: Unlike PO or Clerk exams, IBPS SO tests domain-specific knowledge in the Mains stage, tailored to roles like IT Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, or Marketing Officer. It’s ideal for candidates with specialized degrees aiming for technical or professional roles in banks.
Q2. Can I apply for multiple Specialist Officer posts in the same year?
Answer: No, IBPS allows candidates to apply for only one SO post per recruitment cycle. Choose wisely based on your qualifications and interest.
Q3. Is work experience mandatory for IBPS SO?
Answer: Not for most posts. However, roles like Law Officer or Rajbhasha Adhikari may prefer or require relevant experience or postgraduate qualifications. Always check the official notification.
Q4. How is the Rajbhasha Adhikari role different from a regular Hindi translator?
Answer: Rajbhasha Adhikari is a strategic language officer who ensures compliance with the Official Language Act, manages bilingual communication, and promotes Hindi usage across banking operations—not just translation
Q5. What happens after clearing the IBPS SO Mains?
Answer: You’ll be shortlisted for a personal interview conducted by participating banks. Final selection is based on the combined score of Mains and Interview, followed by provisional allotment.
