IBPS SO 2021 Exam - Application form, Vacancies, Selection Process
IBPS SO 2021 - Institute of Banking Personnel Selection has activated the IBPS SO 2022 application form reprint facility on April 4 at ibps.in. The last date to access the IBPS SO application reprint window is April 30, 2022. The authorities have also released combined IBPS SO result 2021 for mains and interview in online mode on April 1 on the official website. Candidates can also download the IBPS SO 2021 provisionally allotted list from the official website.
Latest Updates for IBPS SO
- 01 Nov 2022:
IBPS SO 2022 application form released
- 31 Mar 2021:
IBPS SO 2019 provisional allotment under reserved list announced. Check details here.
- 19 Mar 2021:
IBPS SO 2020-21 interview scorecard available now.
Stay up-to date with IBPS SO News

Candidates preparing for IBPS SO 2021 must check the IBPS SO question paper for their preparations. The selection process of IBPS SO 2021 comprises prelims exam, mains exam and interview. For more details about IBPS SO 2021, candidates can check the article given below.
IBPS SO 2021 - Overview
Exam name | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection - Specialist Officer | ||
Commonly known as | IBPS SO | ||
Conducting Authority | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) | ||
Official Website | www.ibps.in | ||
Posts (Scale I) | I.T. Officer | Agricultural Field Officer | Rajbhasha Adhikari |
Law Officer | HR/Personnel Officer | Marketing Officer | |
Vacancies | 1500 | ||
IBPS SO Age | 20-30 as on November 1, 2021 | ||
Exam Language | English and Hindi | ||
Exam Centres | Prelims: 178 | Mains: 55 | |
Stages | Stage I: Preliminary | Stage II: Mains | Stage III: Interview |
Mode of Exam | Online | Online | Offline |
Max. Marks | 125 | 60 | 100 |
Starting Basic Pay | ₹ 23,700 |
IBPS SO Stages 2021
The recruitment for IBPS SO is a three-staged process, preliminary, mains and interview. IBPS SO 2021 preliminary stage is an online test consisting of only objective type questions. The mains, however, is also an online test but the questions are both objective and descriptive. Mains exam comprises only professional knowledge tests which are post specific. Candidates are called for interviews on the basis of the ranks they get and the choice of preference of banks made during the application of IBPS SO 2021. Interviews of the shortlisted candidates are conducted by participating banks as per their requirements of each post. Candidates are to appear for the interviews in the nodal banks.
IBPS SO 2021 Stages
Stage I | Preliminary | Online |
Stage II | Mains | Online |
Stage III | Interview |
IBPS SO 2021 Date
IBPS SO 2021 exam date are released by exam conducting body in the IBPS SO notification. IBPS SO exam date 2021 will help candidates to keep track of the procedure and prepare accordingly.
IBPS SO Exam Date 2021
Events | Dates | ||
Commencement of online registration of application | November 3, 2021 | ||
Closure of registration of application | November 23, 2021 | ||
Online fee payment | November 2 - 23, 2021 | ||
Release of IBPS SO 2021 call letter/ admit card | Prelims | Mains | Interview |
December 10, 2021 | January 18, 2022 | February 21, 2022 | |
IBPS SO 2021 Exam | December 26, 2021 | January 30, 2022 | March 8, 2022 |
Declaration of result | January 18, 2022 | February 15, 2022 | April 1, 2022 |
Provisional Allotment | April 1, 2022 | ||
IBPS SO 2021 application reprint window | April 4 to 30, 2022 |
IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria 2021
IBPS determines the IBPS SO eligibility for the candidates willing to take the exam. Eligibility criteria of IBPS SO 2021 is determined on the basis of nationality, age and education qualification of the candidates. Candidates must go through IBPS SO eligibility criteria 2021 before filling the application form. Indian citizens between the age of 20 to 30 years as on November 1, 2021 are eligible to apply for IBPS SO 2021. It is important for the candidates to meet the IBPS SO 2021 eligibility criteria to avoid cancellation of candidature at later stage of selection procedure.
IBPS SO Educational Qualification 2021
Name of Scale I SO Post | Educational Qualification |
I.T. Officer | a) 4 year Engineering/ Technology Degree in Computer Science/ Computer Applications/ Information Technology/ Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunications/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation, or b) Post Graduate Degree in Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunication/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation/ Computer Science/ Information Technology/ Computer Applications, or Graduate having passed DOEACC ‘B’ level |
Agricultural FIeld Officer | 4 year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/ Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Dairy Science/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Agri. Marketing & Cooperation/ Co-operation & Banking/ Agro-Forestry/Forestry/ Agricultural Biotechnology/ Food Science/ Agriculture Business Management/ Food Technology/ Dairy Technology/ Agricultural Engineering/ Sericulture |
Rajbhasha Adhikari | Post Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the degree (graduation) level, or Post graduate degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the degree (graduation) level |
Law Officer | A Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB) and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council |
HR/Personnel Officer | Graduate and Two Years Full time Post Graduate degree or Two Years Full time Post Graduate diploma in Personnel Management/ Industrial Relations/ HR / HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law |
Marketing Officer | Graduate and Two Years Full time MMS (Marketing)/ Two Years Full time MBA (Marketing)/ Two Years Full time PGDBA / PGDBM/ PGPM/ PGDM with specialization in Marketing |
IBPS SO 2021 Application Form
IBPS released the IBPS SO 2021 application form in online mode on November 3, 2021 and was available till November 23, 2021. Candidates are required to fill the application form for IBPS SO exam 2021 in various parts. The application form comprises registration, filling of basic and important details, uploading documents and payment of registration fees.
Steps to Apply Online for IBPS SO 2021:
Registration
Fill personal details and educational qualifications
Upload scanned photograph, signature, left thumb impression and a hand written declaration
Pay the requisite fees
Keep the system generated application form and payment receipt for future reference
IBPS SO Application Fe
Categories | Amount |
SC/ST/PWD | Rs 175 |
Unreserved | Rs. 850 |
IBPS SO Exam Centres 2021
The official notification mentions the list of IBPS SO 2021 exam centres. IBPS SO exams will be conducted across various centres in all states and union territories of the country. IBPS SO 2021 prelims will be held in 178 exam centres while there are only 55 mains exam centres in major cities of the country. IBPS SO exam centres 2021 will be allotted on the basis of the centres chosen by a candidate at the time of filling the application form. Candidates can find the allotment details of IBPS SO exam centre 2021 on their respective admit cards. IBPS SO exam centres once allotted cannot be changed under any circumstances.
IBPS SO 2021 Syllabus
Aspirants must know the topics covered under each section of the subjects for both the phases to clear IBPS SO with flying colours. With the help of IBPS SO syllabus 2021, candidates are able to plan their studies and focus on topics. IBPS SO 2021 syllabus contains the topics from where the questions can be asked in prelims and mains. The syllabus of IBPS SO 2021 exam is post specific. There exists different syllabi for all the 6 posts in mains. It is encouraged that an aspirant of IBPS SO 2021 solve previous year question papers of both prelims and mains to get an idea about the difficulty level of exam, nature of questions asked and weightage of topics from each subject to form a solid approach and crack IBPS SO.
IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2021
English | General Awareness | Reasoning Ability | |
Reading comprehension | Current affairs | Syllogism | |
Para jumbles | Banking awareness | Series test | |
Error detection | Countries/ currencies | Linear equation | Analogy |
Fill in the blanks | Marketing | Quadratic equation | Odd figures |
Cloze test | Indian economy | Eligibility test | |
Sentence improvement/ correction | International economy | ||
Para/ sentence completion | UNO | Time and work | |
Homonyms | Finance | Input/ output | |
Antonyms | Awards and honours | Ratio and proportion | |
Synonyms | Books and authors | Puzzles | |
Active and passive voice | Fiscal policies | Speed, time and distance | Directions |
Direct and indirect speech | RBI | Complex numbers | Seating arrangements (linear and circular) |
Phrases and idioms | Social function of banks | Logarithm | Venn diagrams |
Word meanings | Socio and economic developments | Progressions | |
Monetary policies | Geometry | Alphabet and alpha-numeric sequence |
IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2021
The recruitment process of IBPS SO 2021 is three phased; prelims, mains and interview. The tests of prelims and mains are conducted online. The questions are set in English and Hindi except for the test in English. There will be negative marks for wrong answers in the tests of IBPS SO 2021. 1/4th of mark assigned for question will be deducted for each wrong answer. Candidates are required to score a minimum percentage mark on aggregate.
IBPS SO 2021 Exam Pattern
Specification | Prelims | Mains |
Exam mode | Online | Online |
Exam duration | 2 hours | Rajbhasha Adhikari: 1 hour All others: 45 mins |
Medium of exam | English/ Hindi | English/ Hindi |
Type of questions | Objective | Rajbhasha Adhikari: Objective+Descriptive All others: Objective |
Sections | 3 | Rajbhasha Adhikari: 2 All others: 1 |
Total questions | 150 | Rajbhasha Adhikari: 47 All others: 60 |
Total marks | 125 | 60 |
Minimum qualifying marks | To be decided by IBPS |
IBPS SO 2021 Admit Card
Candidates who successfully fill the application form can download their IBPS SO 2021 admit card for exam by using the required login credentials. The admit card for IBPS SO 2021 mains exam and interview is issued only to those candidates who qualified the preliminary phase and mains respectively. The admit card contains the candidates’ name, address, date and time of exam, details of examination centre etc. Along with the admit card, candidates are required to take a photocopy of valid photo id card on the date of examination.
How to download Admit Card
Visit IBPS website
Log in by entering registration number and password/date of birth
Click on ‘Submit’
IBPS SO 2021 call letter will appear on the screen
Save and print a copy of the admit card
IBPS SO 2021 Result
IBPS has released the IBPS SO 2021 scorecard of mains on February 21, 2022 on the official website. Earlier, the IBPS SO 2021 result status has been declared on February 15, 2022.
Steps to download IBPS SO prelims 2021 scorecard
- Visit the official website
- Click on IBPS SO result
- Login with registration number and password
- Submit and view the result
- Download and save the copy
IBPS SO Cut off 2021
By checking the cut off marks of IBPS SO 2021, an applicant gets an estimate about how much they need to score to crack the exam and start a career in banking as officers. Marks secured by candidates in prelims determines their selection in mains and marks secured in mains determines their candidature for interview. It is to be noted that the marks are normalised in IBPS SO. There are sectional cut off marks in prelims and mains. Moreover, the exam conducting authority of IBPS SO 2021 will set different cut off marks for all the six posts depending on the vacancies. Candidates need to score sufficiently high marks in all the stages to be eligible to get recruited.
IBPS SO Selection Process 2021
As per the notification, the selection process of IBPS SO consists of three phases - prelims, mains and interview. Candidates have to qualify in each stage of IBPS SO selection procedure to become a Specialist Officer. Candidates securing qualifying marks in IBPS SO 2021 prelims will be shortlisted to appear for the mains. Candidates qualifying the mains will further have to appear in the interview.
IBPS SO Selection Procedure – Phases
IBPS SO phase I - Preliminary
IBPS SO phase II - Mains
IBPS SO phase III - Interview
Declaration of the final merit list
IBPS SO 2021 Salary
After qualifying IBPS SO, an officer can earn a salary of Rs. 36000 - 64000. Apart from the salary, banks also provide their specialist officers with numerous benefits and allowances, like furniture allowances, house rent allowances, newspaper, laundry, briefcase allowances, leave travel concession, etc.
IBPS Contact Details:
IBPS toll free helpline number for students: 1800 222 366 (Available from 9:30 AM to 6 PM)
Fax: 91-22-2854 2076
However, after clearing mains and called for an interview, a candidate is required to contact only the nodal bank branches for any queries related to recruitment.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - IBPS SO 2021 Exam - Application form, Vacancies, Selection Process
Question: Does IBPS issue answer keys of prelims and mains test?
Answer:
IBPS SO question papers and answer keys are not released by the IBPS SO exam conducting authority.
Question: Is there any fee to be paid during the application of IBPS SO 2021?
Answer:
Yes. An amount of ₹ 850 and ₹ 175 for unreserved and SC/ST/PWBD candidates respectively is to be paid for the IBPS SO application. The amount is to be paid only in online mode.
Question: Does IBPS issue any answer key for the tests held for SO?
Answer:
No. IBPS do not issue any answer key for the prelims or mains tests.
Question: Who are the participating organisations in the recruitment of IBPS SO?
Answer:
Participating organisations are the banks on whose behalf IBPS conducts the common recruitment test for SOs. The participating banks are the nationalised banks of the country. Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Syndicate Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India and United Bank of India are some of the participating banks of IBPS SO.
Question: Is the prelims marks considered for the overall recruitment in IBPS SO?
Answer:
The marks secured in prelims will not be considered. However, marks secured in online mains exam and interview in the ratio of 80:20 will be considered in deciding the merit list of IBPS SO.
Question: Is there any negative mark cut for wrong answers in IBPS SO?
Answer:
One-fourth marks i.e., 0.25 marks will be cut for the wrong answers in both the online tests- prelims and mains.
Question: Can the date of IBPS SO 2021 exam allotted to me be changed?
Answer:
No. The requests for changes in the date and time allotted to you will not be entertained by the exam conducting authority under any circumstances.
Question: Is there any limit for the number of attempts for IBPS SO exam?
Answer:
No, there is no limit on the number of attempts to apply for IBPS SO. A candidate can take the IBPS SO exam as many times till the attainment of upper age limit.
Question: When will the notification for IBPS SO 2020 exam be released?
Answer:
The notification of IBPS SO 2021 exam has been released on November 2, 2021
Question: What is the frequency of IBPS SO exam?
Answer:
IBPS SO exam is conducted once a year.
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Questions related to IBPS SO
My name on admit card for ibps so is Medha Jha and on Adhar card it is Medhapriya Jha. Will there be any problem? Also I have exam tomorrow. What should I do?
Dear aspirant !
Hope you are doing great! Yes there may be a serious issue during document verification but you are Posting this query very late , tomorrow is your paper and you are now posting this query , it's so late but still you have hope ,go to cyber cafe ,they can help you ,can change your name in adhaar otherwise can be problem .
Hope it helps you !
Thank you !
Have a great day !!
M COM PG students are elegible for ibps so hr
Hello,
You are not eligible to appear for IBPS SPECIALIST OFFICERS recruitment for the post of HR/Personnel Officer. The Education Qualification requirement for the post is that you must have passed Graduation and Two Years Full time Post Graduate degree or Two Years Full time Post Graduate diploma in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/ HR / HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law from a recognized board.
As you do not have the required Educational Qualification you are not eligible to apply for IPBS SPECIALIST OFFICERS recruitment.
I have degree in industreal and production engg. am i eligible to apply IBPS SO?
Hello aspirant,
Yes!! But Only particular Engineer graduates can apply for SO(Specialist officer) post.
Any grad Coming from disipline
*Computer Science/Computer Application/IT
*Electronics & communication( also instrumentation and Telecomunication are eligible)
*Graduates from Mechanical And Civil engineering are NOT eligible. (Irony is major Part Of graduates come under this.)
Also IBPS recriutes people from various other fields each year. SoMe are
*Law officer(Bachelor degree in law LLB).
*Agriculture Field officer( 4-Year Degree in agri or related fields).
*Rajhabasha adikari( PG in any one Language Hindi/sanskrit Mandatory).
*HR Personnel Etc..
Though the process Of selection will be same for everyone (Prelims,Mains and Interview).
Total vacancies this year (2018): 1599
I Hope this helped.
#Peace
-AsveenPaulzon
Can civil engineer apply for IBPS so?
Can a b.pharm graduate apply for IBPS SO?
Is mechanical engineer eligible for SBI SO and IBPS SO Exam?
Is IBPS after engineering a good option?
Can EEE student apply for IBPS so?
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, an engineering graduate can apply for IBPS SO but for a specific post.
Engineering graduates are eligible for IT Officer post .
Eligiility for IT Officer (Scale-I):
a) 4 year Engineering/ Technology Degree in Computer Science/ Computer Applications/ Information Technology/ Electronics/ Electronics &
Telecommunications/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics &
Instrumentation
OR
b) Post Graduate Degree in Electronics/ Electronics & Tele Communication/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation/ Computer Science/ Information Technology/ Computer Applications
OR
Graduate having passed DOEACC ‘B’ level
All the Best!
Goodluck!
i am from non ICAR university with agriculture bsc. can i still apply???
Hello Sadhvini,
Hope you are ding well.
As per your query, here is the eligibility criteria for IBPS SO Exam for Agricultural Field Officer:
Nationality:
-
Candidates must be a citizen of India, or
-
A subject of Bhutan, Nepal or a Tibetan Refugee who came to India prior to January 1, 1962 with an intention to settle permanently/a person of Indian origin who migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, East African countries of Kenya, Zambia Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with an intention of settling permanently India, provided they have a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.
Age limit:
-
Lower Age Limit - 20 years
-
Upper Age Limit - 30 Years
However there are certain relaxations given to reserved category candidates:
- OBC (Non- Creamy layer): 3 years
- SC/ST: 5 Years
- PWD: 10 Years
- Person affected by 1984 riots: 5 Years
- J&K Domicile candidate (Jan 1, 1980 to Dec 31, 1989): 5 Years
Education Qualification:
For the post of Agricultural Field Officer (Scale 1)- Candidates must have a graduation degree (four years) in Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/ Dairy Technology /Veterinary Science/Horticulture/Dairy Science/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/Co-operation & Banking/Agro-Forestry/Marketing & Cooperation/Forestry/Agricultural Biotechnology/ Food Science/ Agriculture Business Management/ Food Technology / Agricultural Engineering /Sericulture
Therefore if you have completed the four year course in BSc Agriculture from non ICAR University, you are eligible to apply for this exam.
For any further information related to IBPS SO exam, please visit the link provided below:
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/ibps-so-eligibility
Hope this helps you. All the best!
sir / mam i am a final year student and i have givem my final semester exam but didnt have the final sem result can apply for ibps so law officer in 2021
Hello,
Firstly the official notification of IBPS Specialist Officer of this year is yet to come, it's being expected to get released by this month, though it's a tentative schedule, the eligibility criteria for a law officer is passed bachelor's degree in law from a university recognized by Bar Council of India, and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council, the age limit is between 20 to 30 years, once the official notification gets released we will have the exact date by which the appearing candidates must have completed his/her educational qualifications, hence if your results get declared by that prescribed time period, you can become eligible to apply, it's essential for candidates who qualify prelims, mains to show the proof of passing the qualifying examination at the time of interview in the form of original documents along with its photocopies.