The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has officially announced the release of the IBPS SO Exam 2024 Notification PDF, along with the online application form, on their official website, www.ibps.in. This year, the recruitment aims to fill 896 Specialist Officer (SO) vacancies, providing an excellent opportunity for aspiring candidates looking to pursue a career in banking as a Specialist Officer.
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 (CRP SPL-XIV) examination will follow a three-stage selection process that includes Prelims, Mains, and Interviews, making it a highly competitive and prestigious recruitment. In this page, we will delve into the detailed selection process, eligibility criteria, essential dates and other entailing information for the IBPS SO 2024 recruitment.
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 notification has been officially released, opening the door for aspirants looking to secure a position in public sector banks across India. This notification outlines the recruitment process for various Specialist Officer positions, providing a comprehensive opportunity for candidates to join the banking sector in roles like IT Officer, Law Officer, and Marketing Officer, among others.
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 follows a structured timeline. Below are the key dates you need to keep in mind for this recruitment process:
|
Event |
Date |
|
Notification Release |
1st August 2024 |
|
Online Registration Start |
1st August 2024 |
|
Online Registration End |
28th August 2024 |
|
Preliminary Exam Date |
9th November 2024 |
|
Main Exam Date |
29th December 2024 |
|
Admit Card |
To be announced (10–15 days prior the exam) |
The IBPS SO recruitment for 2024 offers a total of 896 vacancies across multiple Specialist Officer positions. Here’s a breakdown of the number of vacancies for each role:
|
Post |
SC |
ST |
OBC |
EWS |
UR |
Total Vacancies |
|
IT Officer |
25 |
12 |
45 |
16 |
72 |
170 |
|
Agriculture Field Officer (AFO) |
52 |
26 |
92 |
34 |
142 |
346 |
|
Marketing Officer |
31 |
15 |
55 |
21 |
83 |
205 |
|
HR/Personnel Officer |
03 |
01 |
06 |
02 |
13 |
25 |
|
Law Officer |
18 |
08 |
33 |
11 |
55 |
125 |
|
Rajbhasha Adhikari |
03 |
01 |
06 |
02 |
13 |
25 |
|
Total |
132 |
63 |
237 |
86 |
378 |
896 |
To apply for the IBPS SO Exam 2024, candidates must meet specific nationality, age, and educational qualifications as outlined below.
A candidate must be one of the following:
Each Specialist Officer role under the IBPS SO Exam 2024 requires specific academic qualifications, ensuring candidates have the necessary expertise.
|
Post |
Educational Qualification |
|
IT Officer (Scale I) |
4-year Engineering/Technology Degree in Computer Science, IT, Electronics, or related fields. |
|
Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I) |
4-year Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Veterinary Science, Dairy Science, or other related fields. |
|
Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) |
Postgraduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the graduation level, or Postgraduate Degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi. |
|
Law Officer (Scale I) |
Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) and registered as an advocate with Bar Council. |
|
HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) |
Graduate with a 2-year full-time Postgraduate Degree or Diploma in Personnel Management, HR, Industrial Relations, or Social Work. |
|
Marketing Officer (Scale I) |
Graduate with a 2-year full-time MBA, PGDM, PGDBA in Marketing or a related specialization. |
The selection process consists of three stages:
This exam is only qualifying in nature, which means you need to clear it to move forward, but the scores don’t count towards your final selection.
The Main Exam is the most important phase of the IBPS SO Exam 2024 as it comprises both objective and descriptive-type questions, depending on the post applied for. The scores obtained in the Mains are considered for the final merit list, so performing well here is vital.
Candidates who successfully clear the Mains Exam will proceed to the Interview phase. This is the final stage where candidates are evaluated on various competencies, including subject knowledge, communication skills, and confidence. The Interview has a significant impact on the final merit list.
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 follows a structured exam pattern designed to shortlist eligible candidates for various Specialist Officer roles in public sector banks. The exam consists of three phases: Prelims, Mains, and an Interview round.
The Preliminary Exam is a qualifying phase, and candidates need to clear the cut-offs to advance to the Mains. Last year, IBPS introduced sectional timings for each section of the Prelims exam, which remains in effect for IBPS SO 2024.
There are two distinct exam patterns for the Prelims, depending on the Specialist Officer post. Each section in the Prelims has a sectional cut-off, and candidates must clear all sections to qualify for the Mains.
The exam pattern for these posts includes three sections: English Language, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
|
S. No. |
Name of Test |
No. of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Medium of Exam |
Duration |
|
1 |
English Language |
50 |
25 |
English |
40 minutes |
|
2 |
Reasoning |
50 |
50 |
English & Hindi |
40 minutes |
|
3 |
Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
50 |
English & Hindi |
40 minutes |
|
Total |
– |
150 |
125 |
– |
120 minutes |
For candidates applying for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari posts, the exam pattern includes sections on English Language, Reasoning, and General Awareness with a special focus on the Banking Industry.
|
S. No. |
Name of Test |
No. of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Medium of Exam |
Duration |
|
1 |
English Language |
50 |
25 |
English |
40 minutes |
|
2 |
Reasoning |
50 |
50 |
English & Hindi |
40 minutes |
|
3 |
General Awareness (Banking Industry) |
50 |
50 |
English & Hindi |
40 minutes |
|
Total |
– |
150 |
125 |
– |
120 minutes |
Key Points to Remember
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 application process is conducted entirely online, allowing candidates to register, fill out forms, and pay the application fee through the official IBPS website. Below is a detailed guide to the entire application procedure.
The first step in applying for the IBPS SO Exam 2024 is online registration. Follow these steps to successfully register:
Once you are registered, you can proceed to fill out the application form. Make sure you have all required documents and details prepared.
|
Step |
Details Required |
|
Log In |
Use your Provisional Registration Number and Password to log in. |
|
Personal Information |
Enter your name, date of birth, address, and other personal details. |
|
Educational Details |
Fill in details about your academic qualifications and any relevant professional experience. |
|
Document Upload |
Upload scanned copies of the following: |
|
– Photograph (as per IBPS guidelines) |
|
|
– Signature (as per IBPS guidelines) |
|
|
– Thumb Impression |
|
|
– Handwritten Declaration |
Candidates can pay the application fee online via various modes such as debit cards, credit cards, net banking, IMPS, or mobile wallets. Below are the details:
|
Category |
Application Fee |
|
SC/ST/PwBD |
₹175 |
|
General and Others |
₹850 |
Ensure that you save the receipt of your transaction for future reference.
Below, we have provided the comprehensive syllabus for the IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) Recruitment 2024.
The Preliminary exam includes sections on Reasoning Ability, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
|
Section |
Topics Covered |
|
Reasoning Ability |
Seating Arrangements, Puzzles, Inequalities, Syllogism, Input-Output, Data Sufficiency, Blood Relations, Alphanumeric Series, Verbal Reasoning, and more. |
|
English Language |
Cloze Test, Reading Comprehension, Spotting Errors, Sentence Improvement, Para Jumbles, Fill in the Blanks, and more. |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
Number Series, Data Interpretation, Simplification, Quadratic Equations, Profit and Loss, Time & Work, Probability, and more. |
|
General Awareness |
Current Affairs, Banking Awareness, Currencies, Important Days, Prime Minister Schemes, Books & Authors, and more. |
In addition to the common sections, candidates must also demonstrate proficiency in the specialization relevant to their job profile. Here’s a detailed look at the specialized syllabus for different posts:
|
Topics |
Description |
|
Database Management System |
Concepts of DBMS, Normalization, ER Model |
|
Data Communication and Networking |
OSI Models, LAN, WAN, Internet Technology |
|
Operating System |
Basics of OS, Process Management, Memory Management |
|
Software Engineering |
SDLC, Software Testing, Maintenance |
|
Data Structure |
Stacks, Arrays, Queues, Trees, Linked Lists, Graphs |
|
Object-Oriented Programming |
C++, Java, Classes, Objects, Inheritance |
|
Topics |
Description |
|
Basics of Crop Production |
Crop growth, Soil resources, Seed Science |
|
Agricultural Economics |
Concepts of Agribusiness, Agri-marketing |
|
Horticulture and Agroforestry |
Techniques of Horticulture, Plant Science |
|
Government Schemes |
PM Kisan, Soil Health Card, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana |
3. Marketing Officer (Scale-I) Syllabus
|
Topics |
Description |
|
Marketing Management |
Principles of Marketing, 4Ps, Customer Satisfaction |
|
Brand Management |
Branding, Advertising, PR |
|
Sales and Retail Management |
Sales Techniques, Market Segmentation, Product Life Cycle |
|
Corporate Social Responsibility |
Ethics in Marketing, CSR Activities |
4. Law Officer (Scale-I) Syllabus
|
Topics |
Description |
|
Banking Regulations |
RBI Guidelines, Compliance, Legal Frameworks |
|
Consumer Protection Act |
Rights of Consumers, Legal Provisions |
|
SARFAESI Act, DRT Act |
Laws related to secured assets and debt recovery |
|
Prevention of Money Laundering Act |
Laws and regulations to combat money laundering |
|
Topics |
Description |
|
Human Resource Development |
Recruitment, Selection, Training, Employee Engagement |
|
Industrial Relations |
Conflict Management, Grievance Handling |
|
Performance Management |
Appraisals, Performance Reviews, Rewards and Recognition |
|
Business Policy and Strategic Analysis |
Business Strategy Formulation, SWOT Analysis |
The IBPS SO Exam 2024 recruitment process involves 11 leading public sector banks across India. Below is the list of participating banks:
Bank Name
Candidates aspiring to apply for the various posts of IBPS SO are advised to carefully review the minimum eligibility criteria related to nationality, educational qualification, and age limit.
The Institute of Banking Personnel (IBPS) will officially release the notification for IBPS SO in August 2024 on their website.
This recruitment process aims to fill several posts of IBPS SO in various disciplines, including I.T. Officer (Scale-I), Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I), Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I), Law Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I), and Marketing Officer (Scale I).
We have provided the distinct IBPS SO Exam Pattern for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari below to aid candidates in their preparation:
IBPS SO IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer Exam Pattern: The exam pattern for these posts is as follows:
For each incorrect response, a negative marking of one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be applied.
IBPS SO 2024 Mains Exam Pattern: The Mains exam pattern varies for different posts, as outlined below:
Candidates are advised to meticulously prepare for the specific Professional Knowledge section as it holds significant weight in the Mains exam, depending on the chosen post. A thorough understanding and diligent study of the Professional Knowledge syllabus will undoubtedly contribute to success in the IBPS SO Mains Exam.
The official website of IBPS will release the online link for filling the application form. Eligible and interested candidates can readily apply for IBPS SO 2024 by accessing the online link directly from the official website. Candidates are strongly advised to submit their applications well ahead of the specified deadline in order to prevent any last-minute complications.
Yes, 0.25 or 1/4th of the total marks are deducted for each incorrect answer in IBPS SO.
The reasoning ability section covers:
The admit card will not be sent via any offline method. You have to download it from official website of IBPS.
Yes, IBPS SO has sectional cut off marks for each section separately.
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