1. Introduction
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the Specialist Officer (SO) exam annually to recruit candidates for professional roles in public sector banks. Unlike general banking posts like PO or Clerk, the IBPS SO exam is designed for candidates with specialized qualifications in fields such as IT, Law, Marketing, HR, Agriculture, and Rajbhasha (Official Language).
For aspirants aiming at a niche role in banking, IBPS SO 2025 offers a rewarding career path.
2. IBPS SO 2025 Notification
- The official IBPS SO 2025 notification will be released on the IBPS website.
- The notification includes post-wise vacancies, eligibility, important dates, exam schedule, and application process.
- Tentative timeline:
- Notification Release: September 2025
- Prelims Exam: December 2025
- Mains Exam: January 2026
- Interviews: February/March 2026
3. IBPS SO Posts
IBPS recruits SOs across 6 key categories:
- IT Officer (Scale I)
- Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I)
- Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)
- Law Officer (Scale I)
- HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)
- Marketing Officer (Scale I)
4. IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria
- Nationality
- Must be an Indian citizen or as specified under IBPS norms.
- Age Limit
- 20 – 30 years (as on notification date).
- Relaxation: OBC (3 years), SC/ST (5 years), PwD (10 years).
- Educational Qualification (Post-wise)
- IT Officer: B.Tech/M.Tech in CS/IT/Electronics or MCA.
- Agriculture Officer: Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, etc.
- Rajbhasha Adhikari: PG in Hindi with English OR PG in Sanskrit with English & Hindi.
- Law Officer: LLB + Enrolled as Advocate with Bar Council.
- HR Officer: Graduate + Full-time PG in HR/Personnel Management/Industrial Relations/Labour Law.
- Marketing Officer: Graduate + Full-time MBA/PGDBA in Marketing.
5. IBPS SO Selection Process
The IBPS SO selection is conducted in three stages:
- Preliminary Exam (Objective, Online)
- Mains Exam (Objective + Descriptive for Rajbhasha)
- Personal Interview
Final selection is based on the combined score of Mains + Interview.
6. IBPS SO Exam Pattern
- Prelims Exam
For Law & Rajbhasha Adhikari:
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 mins |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| General Awareness (Banking/Economy) | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 mins |
For IT, Agriculture, HR, Marketing Officers:
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 mins |
| Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 |
- Mains Exam
- IT, Agriculture, HR, Marketing, Law Officers:
- Professional Knowledge (Objective) – 60 questions, 60 marks, 45 mins
- Rajbhasha Adhikari:
- Professional Knowledge (Objective + Descriptive) – 60 marks, 60 mins
- Interview
- Weightage: Mains (80%) + Interview (20%).
- Conducted by participating banks & IBPS panel.
7. IBPS SO Syllabus
(A) Reasoning
- Seating Arrangement & Puzzles
- Coding-Decoding
- Syllogism
- Inequalities
- Blood Relations
- Input-Output
(B) Quantitative Aptitude
- Data Interpretation
- Number Series
- Simplification
- Profit & Loss, Ratio, Percentage
- Time & Work, Time & Distance
(C) English Language
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Spotting
- Para Jumbles
- Vocabulary
(D) General Awareness (for Law & Rajbhasha)
- Current Affairs
- Banking Awareness
- Economy & Financial News
- Static GK
(E) Professional Knowledge (Post-wise)
- IT: Networking, DBMS, Operating Systems, Cyber Security
- Agriculture: Agronomy, Soil Science, Animal Husbandry, Rural Economy
- Law: Banking Law, Contract Act, Company Law, RBI Guidelines
- HR: HRM, Industrial Relations, Labour Laws, Motivation & Leadership
- Marketing: Marketing Management, Branding, Digital Marketing, Product Life Cycle
- Rajbhasha: Hindi grammar, translation, official language rules
8. IBPS SO Salary & Benefits
- Basic Pay: ₹23,700 – ₹42,020 (Scale I).
- Gross Salary: Around ₹8–12 LPA including allowances.
- Perks: HRA, DA, medical benefits, travel allowance, pension.
9. Preparation Tips
- Focus strongly on Professional Knowledge, as it decides Mains success.
- Build concepts from graduation subjects + reference books.
- Solve previous year question papers & take mock tests.
- Stay updated on banking & financial current affairs.
- Work on time management for Prelims speed-based sections.