IBPS SO Syllabus 2026 – Detailed Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern

By KD | Syllabus | Nov 25, 2025

The IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) exam is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) every year to recruit candidates for specialized roles in public sector banks across India. Posts include IT Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, Law Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari.
To prepare efficiently, aspirants must have a clear understanding of the IBPS SO Syllabus 2025 and exam pattern for both the Prelims and Mains stages. Below is a detailed breakdown of the syllabus, exam structure, and important topics.

Exam Overview Table

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	IBPS Specialist Officer (IBPS SO)
Conducting Body	Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Posts Covered	IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari
Exam Level	National
Mode of Exam	Online (Computer-Based Test)
Selection Process	Prelims → Mains → Interview
Negative Marking	0.25 marks for each wrong answer
Languages of Exam	English & Hindi
Official Website	www.ibps.in

Exam Pattern / Structure:

1. IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern

For IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer:

Section	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
English Language	50	25	40 minutes
Reasoning Ability	50	50	40 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	40 minutes
Total	150	125	120 minutes (2 hours)

For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari:

Section	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
English Language	50	25	40 minutes
Reasoning Ability	50	50	40 minutes
General Awareness (with Special Reference to Banking)	50	50	40 minutes
Total	150	125	120 minutes (2 hours)

2. IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern

Post	Test	No. of Questions	Marks	Duration
Rajbhasha Adhikari	Professional Knowledge (Objective + Descriptive)	45 (Objective) + 2 (Descriptive)	60	60 minutes
Other Specialist Posts (IT, HR, Marketing, Law, Agriculture)	Professional Knowledge (Objective)	60	60	45 minutes

Subject-wise / Section-wise Syllabus:

1. English Language

Reading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Para Jumbles
Error Detection
Fill in the Blanks
Sentence Improvement
Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms)

2. Reasoning Ability

Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
Syllogism
Inequality
Coding-Decoding
Blood Relations
Alphanumeric Series
Input-Output
Logical Reasoning

3. Quantitative Aptitude

Simplification & Approximation
Data Interpretation (DI)
Quadratic Equations
Number Series
Time, Speed & Distance
Time & Work
Ratio & Proportion
Profit & Loss, SI & CI
Mensuration & Probability

4. General Awareness (For Law & Rajbhasha Posts)

Current Affairs (Last 6 months)
Banking Awareness
Static GK
Government Schemes
Important Days, Books & Authors

5. Professional Knowledge (Mains)

IT Officer: Networking, DBMS, Programming (Java, C++), Operating Systems, Cyber Security, Data Communication
Agriculture Field Officer: Agronomy, Soil Science, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Agricultural Economics, Irrigation, Seed Science
HR/Personnel Officer: Human Resource Development, Industrial Relations, Labor Laws, Motivation & Leadership Theories, Training & Development
Marketing Officer: Marketing Management, Branding, Advertising, Product Life Cycle, Digital Marketing, Sales Management
Law Officer: Banking & Company Law, Constitution, Civil & Criminal Law, Negotiable Instruments Act, RBI Acts, Contract & Labor Law
Rajbhasha Adhikari: Translation (English ↔ Hindi), Grammar, Vocabulary, Official Language Act, Administrative Terminology

Important Topics & Weightage:

Section	High-Weight Topics	Approx. Weightage
English	Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Vocabulary	35–40%
Reasoning	Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism	40–45%
Quantitative Aptitude	DI, Simplification, Arithmetic	40%
General Awareness	Banking Awareness, Current Affairs	60%
Professional Knowledge	Core Subject Concepts	70–80%

Conclusion

The IBPS SO Syllabus 2025 demands a blend of reasoning, language, and professional expertise. With a structured approach, consistent practice, and concept clarity, candidates can excel in both Prelims and Mains. For the latest updates, detailed guides, and free study materials on IBPS SO, visit Education Masters and start your preparation smartly.

सरकारी नौकरियों, जीके अपडेट्स और करेंट अफेयर्स की ताज़ा जानकारी सबसे पहले पाने के लिए:

हमारे WhatsApp चैनल को फॉलो करें:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6sjZz0wajwDXcd5B0U
हमारे Telegram चैनल को फॉलो करें:
https://t.me/educationmastersin
हमारे Facebook Page को फॉलो करें:
https://www.facebook.com/educationmastersindia

KD

I’m Kiran, a content creator at Education Masters. I write and share informative articles on jobs, education updates, and career opportunities to help students and aspirants stay informed and succeed in their goals.