How hard is it to crack IBPS SO Officer exam?

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How hard is it to crack IBPS SO Officer exam?

Neha Gore
last edited by Neha Gore

No doubt IBPS SO is a hard nut to crack; not just due to the difficulty level of the exam but also due to the high competition. For IBPS SO, around 3,00,000 candidates applied for 1599 vacancies, which shows a clear picture of the tough competition. This competition is expected to get tougher only due to limited vacancies for lakhs of applicants. But that doesn't mean you cannot crack the exam. To grab the role of a specialist officer by cracking IBPS, you need to work hard. Though it might sound difficult, but not impossible to clear IBPS SO 2019. With the right preparation plan, carefully selected study material and regular practice, you can achieve your goal.

In this blog, we will try to help you make the right IBPS SO preparation plan to crack the exam with good score. But before you kick-start your preparation, you must understand the exam pattern and syllabus.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern

Preparation of any entrance or competitive exam starts with a thorough understanding of the exam pattern. It helps you make an effective study plan and tweak it as per the requirements. As per the IBPS SO exam pattern, this exam is conducted in three phases: Preliminary, Mains and Interview. Candidates need to qualify in all three phases to getting selected as a Specialist Officer in any of the public sector banks. As per the changes in the exam pattern, to qualify for the final round, candidates need to score well in the Professional Language Subject.

IBPS SO Preliminary Exam Pattern

For the post of law officer & Rajsabha Adhikari

Serial No	Section	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
1.	Reasoning	50	50	40 minutes
2.	English Language	50	25	40 minutes
3.	General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry	50	50	40 minutes
	Total	150	125

For other Specialist Officers (Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I

Serial No	Section	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
1.	Reasoning	50	50	40 minutes
2.	English Language	50	25	40 minutes
3.	Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	40 minutes
	Total	150	125

IBPS SO 2019 Mains Exam Pattern

For the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer

Name of Test	Number of Questions	Maximum Marks	Medium of Exam	Duration
Professional Knowledge	60	60	English & Hindi	45 minutes

For the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari

Name of Test	Number of Questions	Maximum Marks	Medium of Exam	Duration
Professional Knowledge (Objective)	45	60	English & Hindi	30 minutes
Professional Knowledge (Descriptive)	2	60	English & Hindi	30 minutes

IBPS SO Syllabus

IBPS SO exam syllabus for Prelims and Mains depends on the position you have applied for, which makes it more important for you to be aware of the exact syllabus. For instance, IBPS SO syllabus for the post of Raj Sabha Adhikari and law officer covers topics from Reasoning, English language and General Awareness with special focus on Banking in Prelims while for the post of Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and IT Officer Scale, questions are asked from Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude. Check the tables below for IBPS SO Prelims and Mains syllabus.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus

English	Reasoning	Quantitative Aptitude	General Awareness and Banking
1. Reading Comprehension	1. Syllogism	1. Number Series	1. History
2. Para/Sentence Completion	2. Seating Arrangements	2. Simplification	2. Geography
3. Error Spotting	3. Direction and Distance	3. Profit and Loss	3. Culture
4. Cloze Test	4. Blood Relations	4. Percentage	4. Polity
5. Para Jumbles	5. Input-Output	5. Average	5. Sports
6. Sentence Improvement/Correction	6. Coding and Decoding	6. Simple and Compound Interests	6. Defense
7. Fill in the blanks	7. Inequalities	7. Ratio and Proportion	7. Science and Technology
	8. Data Sufficiency	8. Quadratic Equation	8. Indian Constitution
	9. Order and Ranking	9. Mensuration	9. Awards
	10. Puzzles	10. Boats and Streams	10. Books and Authors
	11. Verbal Reasoning	11. Time, Speed, and Distance	11. Countries and Currencies/Capitals
	12. Alphanumeric Series	12. Time and Work	12. Important National and International Events
		13. Mixtures and Alligations	13. Railway and Union Budget
		14. Probability	14. Government Policies
		15. Permutation and Combination	15. Business
		16. Data Analysis and Interpretation	16. Economic Surveys
			17. History of Banking
			18. Banking Terminologies
			19. Indian Financial and Banking Institutes and their Roles
			20. RBI Guidelines
			21. Banking Abbreviations
			22. Current Bank Rates

IBPS SO Mains Exam Syllabus 2019

In addition to the above-mentioned subjects, candidates also need to have Professional Knowledge in their area of expertise. The detailed syllabus is discussed below for Professional Knowledge section:

Marketing Officer (Scale I)	Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I)	Law Officer (Scale-I))	HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)	IT Officer (Scale-I)
Basics of Marketing Management	Basics of Crop production	Banking Regulations	Human Resource Development	Operating System
Brand Management	Horticulture	Compliance and Legal Aspects	Business policy and strategic analysis	DBMS
Advertising	Seed Science	Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange	Transnational Analysis	Data communication and networking
PR	Agronomy and Irrigation	Prevention of Money laundering, Limitation Act	Training and Development	Software engineering
Sales	Agricultural Economies	Consumer Protection Act	Recruitment and Selection	Computer Organization and Microprocessor
Retail	Agricultural Practices	SARFAES	Rewards and Recognition	Data Structure
Business Ethics	Soil resources	Banking Ombudsman Scheme	Industrial Relations	Object Oriented Programming
Service Marketing	Animal Husbandry	Laws and Actions with a direct link to Banking Sector	Business Policy and Strategic Analysis
Market segmentation research and forecasting demand	Agroforestry	Bankers Book Evidence Act	Grievance and Conflict Management
Corporate Social Responsibility	Ecology	DRT Act	Performance Management and appraisal

IBPS SO Study Plan

To clear the exam, there is a need for a concrete study plan along with a proper timetable. From the selection of the topics to the right time to study it, you need to plan everything. Also, you should include revision and mock tests in your study plan to utilize every minute wisely. Make a list of the topics you want to prepare every day and achieve your daily goals. If everything is done as per the plan, you can also treat yourself with a break, outing with friends or anything you like.

IBPS SO Revision Tips

Solving previous year papers is the smartest way to prepare for IBPS PO as it will give you a clear understanding of the exam pattern.
To get a strong command at English, start reading newspapers, magazines and books. You can also start watching English movies and shows to learn new words every day.
Make your answering strategies for the final exam by solving as many mock tests as you can. Choose reliable platforms like Eduwhere that not just provide the tests but also the detailed performance analysis reports to help you understand your mistakes and work on them.
Learn basic computer terms and terminologies to get strong command on computer knowledge section.
Follow a systematic way to revise the syllabus before the final exam. Don't pick topics randomly as it will only increase your confusion.
Choose the right study material to make the most of your time. Make sure you get only the best books and stay away from multiple study options. Even when you opt for online learning material, choose only the best platforms and stick to them.
Solve section-wise online practice tests to understand how well prepared you are for each section.
Don’t start any new topic in the last 45 days as it will create unnecessary pressure on you; rather, revise the important topics.
If you are not attending any coaching classes for the exam preparation, download some helpful mobile apps to get your doubts cleared by the experts.
It has been noticed that the question papers have difficult questions first followed by the easier ones later. So, you can experiment with a backward technique where you start attempting question from the last to perform better. It will also boost your confidence and save your time for the difficult questions.