IBPS SO 2021 Exam Pattern, Marking Scheme and Syllabus
Updated On -
Jan 12, 2021
Content Curator
IBPS SO (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Specialist Officer Exam) is conducted for selection to several scale I officer posts in public sector banks. The test will be conducted in online mode. IBPS SO Exam Pattern will vary for different posts. IBPS SO 2020 Prelims is scheduled on December 26 and December 27, 2020.
Get FREE IBPS SO 2021 Mock Tests, Sectional Quiz, Previous Years Papers. Click Here
- IBPS SO is conducted in 2 stages - Prelims and Mains followed by Interview round.
- Both Prelims and Mains are a computer-based examination.
- Prelims Exam is an objective (MCQs) type examination.
IBPS SO 2020 Exam Pattern is indicated below for different posts:
For the post of Rajsabha Adhikari and Law Officer (Prelims)
For the post of IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer (Prelims)
For the post of Rajsabha Adhikari (Mains)
For the post of Law Officer, Marketing Officer, Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1 (Mains)
Note:
IBPS SO 2020 Exam Pattern Highlights
| Exam Pattern Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Exam Mode | online |
| Number of Papers | 2 (Prelims and Mains) |
| Number of Sections | Prelims - 3 sections Mains - 2 sections |
| Question Paper Type | Objective type MCQs |
| IBPO SO Total marks | Prelims- 125 marks Mains- 60 Marks |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours each |
| Exam language | Hindi and English |
IBPS SO 2020 Exam Pattern in Detail
IBPS SO will comprise 2 tiers for selection namely Prelims and the Mains. Both the tests are computer based objective type questions primarily. Here is the section-wise distribution of questions in IBPS SO Prelims and Mains.
Section wise distribution of questions in IBPS SO 2020 Prelims
| Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Medium of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | English |
| Reasoning | 50 | English and Hindi |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry/ Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | English and Hindi |
Note: Candidates applying for Rajsabha Adhikari and Law Officers need to attempt General Awareness section.
Also Practice IBPS SO 2020 Prelims Sample Papers for free during your IBPS SO Preparation Time
Section wise distribution of questions in IBPS SO Mains
For Law Officer, Marketing Officer, Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1 (Mains)
| Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Medium of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | English & Hindi |
For Rajsabha Adhikari
| Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Medium of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 45 | English & Hindi |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | English & Hindi |
IBPS SO 2020 Marking Scheme
As the exam for IBPS SO 2020 is conducted in 2 parts, the marking scheme for both of their papers is also different.
Marking Scheme for IBPS SO Prelims
| Paper Number- | Sections | Number of Questions | For Correct Response | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 (Post of Rajsabha Adhikari and Law Officer) | Reasoning | 50 Questions each | 1 mark | 0.25 marks |
| English Language | 0.5 mark | |||
| General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry | 1 mark | |||
| Paper-2 (post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1) | Reasoning | 50 Questions each | 1 mark | |
| English Language | 0.5 mark | |||
| Quantitative Aptitude | 1 mark |
Marking Scheme for IBPS SO Mains
The marking scheme for IBPS SO 2020 Mains is mentioned below.
| Paper Number | Number of Questions | Marks Allotted | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 (post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer Scale 1) | 60 | 60 Marks | 0.25 Marks |
| Paper -2 (post of Rajsabha Adhikari) | 45 |
Check AFO Mains (Agriculture Field Officer) before you appear for IBPS SO 2020 Exam
IBPS SO 2020 Syllabus
IBPS SO Syllabus is based on the general graduation level curriculum. Listed below are some of the important topics to be studied for IBPS SO 2020 Exam under each section for both Prelims and Mains:
| Topics | Sub Topics |
|---|---|
| English Language | Homonyms |
| Synonyms | |
| Antonyms | |
| sentence completion | |
| word formation | |
| topic comprehension | |
| theme detection | |
| passage completion and the topic Rearrangement of passage | |
| spelling, sentence | |
| Logical Reasoning | Data Sufficiency |
| Syllogism, Input Output | |
| Coding Decoding | |
| Analogy | |
| Blood Relation | |
| Puzzle Test | |
| Direction Sense | |
| Logical Venn Diagrams | |
| Alphabet & Alpha Numeric Sequence | |
| Arrangements-Linear & Circular | |
| Odd figures | |
| Analogy | |
| Series test | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number Series |
| Data Interpretation | |
| Simplification/ Approximation | |
| Quadratic Equation | |
| Data Sufficiency | |
| Mensuration | |
| Average Profit and Loss | |
| Ratio and Proportion | |
| Work, Time and Energy | |
| Time and Distance | |
| Probability Relations | |
| Simple and Compound Interest | |
| Permutation and Combination | |
| Current Affairs/General Awareness | Current Affairs |
| Banking Awareness | |
| GK Updates | |
| Currencies | |
| Important Places Important Places | |
| Books and Authors Awards | |
| Headquarters | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Schemes | |
| Important Days | |
| IT Officer | Database Management System |
| Data Communication and Networking | |
| Operating System | |
| Software Engineering | |
| Data Structure | |
| Computer Organization and Microprocessor | |
| Object-Oriented Programming | |
| Agricultural Field Officer | Basics of Crop production |
| Horticulture | |
| Seed Science | |
| Agronomy and Irrigation | |
| Agricultural Economics | |
| Agricultural Practices | |
| Soil resources | |
| Animal Husbandry | |
| Agroforestry | |
| Ecology | |
| Government Schemes | |
| Marketing Officer | 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 | 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 a direct link to Banking Sector | |
| Bankers Book Evidence Act | |
| DRT Act | |
| HR/Personnel Officer | 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 |
Practice IBPS SO Prelims (Advanced) during your preparation time for IBPS SO 2020 Exam
IBPS SO 2020 Important Books
Here is a list of popular reference books for IBPS SO 2020. Candidates can refer to these books for the understanding of fundamental concepts as well as practice frequently asked questions.
| Subject | Name of Book | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Logical Reasoning | Modern Approach to Verbal and Non – Verbal Reasoning | RS Aggarwal |
| Analytical Reasoning (BSC Publication) | M K Pandey | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Fast track | Rajesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude | RS Aggarwal | |
| Accredited Guide to Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency | Ananta Ashisha | |
| English Language | Objective General English | SP Bakshi |
| Mirror of Common Error | Ashok Kumar Singh | |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewi | |
| Professional Knowledge | Objective Computer Awareness for General Competitive Exams 1st Edition | R Pillai |
| IBPS Specialist Officers I.T. Officers CWE SPL for IT Officer (Scale-1) & IT Officer (Scale-2) Professional Knowledge Practice Work Book | Pratiyogita Kiran | |
| CWE IBPS Bank IT Specialist Officer Exam | Chandresh Aggarawal | |
| CWE-IBPS Bank IT Specialist Officer Exam | RPH Editorial Board |
- 3 sections in the question paper- English Language, General Awareness, and Logical Reasoning.
- Exam duration is 120 minutes.
- Maximum marks allotted for the exam is 125 marks.
- Logical reasoning section comprises of 50 marks, General Awareness for 25 marks and Logical reasoning for 50 marks.
- This paper is also divided into 3 sections - Logical Reasoning, English Language, and Quantitative Aptitude.
- Part A and Part C contain 50 marks respectively and Part B comprises 25 marks.
- Candidates get 2 hours to complete the exam with the maximum score being 125 marks.
- Mains exam follows the under given exam pattern-
- Question paper is to be answered in Objective as well as Descriptive type questions for Part A and Part B respectively.
- Part A which is Professional Knowledge (Objective Type Question) contains 45 questions.
- Part B which is Professional Knowledge (Descriptive type Questions) Contains 2 questions.
- Maximum marks allotted for the paper are 60.
- Both sections are allotted time duration of 30 minutes each.
- Question paper contains a single part i.e. Professional Knowledge with 60 Objective type questions
- Candidates can score up to 60 marks and are provided with 45 minutes duration to complete.
- Negative Marking is also applicable to questions attempted wrong. 0.25 marks will be deducted.
- No marks will be deducted for questions left un-attempted.
- Both the papers for Prelims in IBPS SO contains 150 questions.
- For every correct response, 1 mark will be awarded except English Language section.
- Negative marking of 0.25 marks is done in the case of the wrong answer. No marks will be deducted for questions left un-attempted.
- For Rajsabha Adhikari, 1 mark each for MCQs and 15 marks for 2 descriptive questions.
- For other posts, 1 mark each for all the MCQs.
- 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. No deduction of marks in case of a question left un-attempted
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.