The Banking sector in India is one which attracts lakhs of aspirants every year to participate in the recruitment conducted for multiple posts, especially the Officer and clerical cadre. There are specific vacancies which are released for Specialist Officers in the various Public Sector Banks of the country.
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is the body which is responsible for conducting the IBPS Specialist Officer exam. There are six main categories for which this exam is conducted:
- Information Technology Officer
- Agriculture Field Officer
- Rajbhasha Officer
- Law Officer
- Human Resources/Personnel Officer
- Marketing Officer
As for 2020, the official notification for recruitment of SO in the various PSBs in India was released on November 1, 2020 and the preliminary and mains examination for the same is scheduled for December 2020, and January 2021, respectively.
Discussed further below in this article are the best tips and strategies which can help a candidate crack the Bank SO exam.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern and Syllabus
Before moving ahead with the best practises for exam preparation, let us first analyse the exam pattern and syllabus:
| IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern | ||
| Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 25 | 40 minutes |
| Reasoning | 50 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness with Special Reference to the Banking Industry(For Law and Rajbhasha) | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude( For IBPS SO IT officer, Agriculture, HR/Personnel and Marketing) | 50 | 40 minutes |
| IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern | ||
| Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge(Objective for Law, I.T, HR, Marketing, Agriculture) | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge(Objective for Rajbhasha) | 60 | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge(Descriptive for Rajbhasha) | 30 minutes | |
The syllabus for Specialist Officer exam is almost similar to other PO and clerk cadre examination, however, the exam pattern is different.
Top Tips To Crack the IBPS SO Exam
- Strategise a Study Plan – Since the vacancies released are not much, having a proper and set schedule for studying is must. Thus, sort out a plan and follow it rigorously to achieve your goal
- Start from Basics – Start your preparation by learning the formulas, shortcut tricks and gradually pick up each topic and focus on it
- Focus on Professional Knowledge – Once a candidate qualifies the prelims exam, the mains phase only comprises Professional knowledge. Thus, ensure that you are well prepared in the field of your specialisation
- Review the Previous Year Question Papers – Analysing the previous year papers will help a candidate apprehend the standard of the exam and also review the type of questions which are asked
- Devote equal time for each section – English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and General Awareness are the four subjects included in the prelims syllabus. Since there is sectional cut-off, candidates must ensure that sufficient time is devoted for preparation of each. Reading daily newspaper can be helpful for both English and general awareness section
- Take Mock Tests – To analyse your performance, take regular mock tests and look for sections which require more hard work and the ones which are your strength in the examination
- Get well versed with Financial and Banking Affairs – The question asked in the interview and the questions from the general awareness section will mostly revolve around various financial and banking issues. So, aspirants should start preparing for these topics thoroughly for both the exam and interview.
- Focus on Accuracy – There is negative marking in the online written examination, so the candidate must focus on accuracy. There must be a balance between time and accurately answering the questions
All these tips will help candidates improve their scorecard and achieve the outcome they aspire for, in terms of job profile and career prospect. To know in detail about the IBPS SO result, candidates can visit the linked article.
The candidates who are looking forward to applying for the post IBPS SO in the coming years must therefore start their preparation now.
