IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2023 - Check Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern

IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2023 - Check Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern

ByKanika Ralhan  |  Updated on: Feb 6, 2023
IBPS SO Exam Pattern for prelims and mains exams is released by the IBPS. Check the number of questions asked, duration, and other details of the IBPS SO exam pattern.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern elucidates essential details related to the exam, such as the total number of questions, marking scheme, duration of the exam, etc. Candidates aspiring to take the exam should know the latest IBPS SO paper pattern to outrank their competitors. Candidates should go through the IBPS SO exam pattern thoroughly before starting their preparation.

According to the guidelines established by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, the IBPS SO exam pattern is prepared. Instead of wasting time, interested applicants should start planning their preparation for the next exam. The IBPS SO Exam Pattern for Agriculture Officer, Law Officer, Marketing Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, HR/Personnel Officer, and IT Officer is well explained below.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2023

The IBPS SO exam pattern is formulated by the Institute of Banking and Personnel Selection (IBPS) officials to hold the exam. IBPS SO exam is conducted in online mode. With the help of the IBPS SO exam pattern, we can understand that there will be three sections in the prelim exam.

Candidates have to qualify for each section by obtaining the minimum required marks to be eligible to appear in the main exam. Further, shortlisted candidates are called to appear in the interview after qualifying for the mains exam. Check the detailed IBPS SO exam pattern divided into two parts for all the posts.

  • IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern
  • IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Prelims

The IBPS SO exam pattern for the prelims exam of IT Officer, Marketing Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, and HR/ Personnel Officer differs from the post for Rajbhasha Adhikari and Law Officer. The IBPS SO exam pattern for Prelims details are presented in the table below.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari

The question paper shall comprise a total of 150 objective-type questions. The questions will be bilingual, i.e., in Hindi and English, in the Reasoning and General Awareness section. Candidates will get 40 minutes each for the three sections to solve the given questions. Check the IBPS SO Exam Pattern for Prelims mentioned below.

SubjectsTotal QuestionsTotal Marks
Reasoning5050
English Language5025
General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry5050
Total150 Questions125 Marks

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For IT Officer and Other Posts

150 objective questions from Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude will be asked. The questions in the Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude section will be bilingual. The duration prescribed to solve the questions of each section is 40 minutes. Following is the prelims IBPS SO Exam Pattern for IT officers and other posts:

SubjectsTotal QuestionsTotal Marks
Reasoning5050
English Language5025
Quantitative Aptitude5050
Total150 Questions125 Marks

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Mains

IBPS SO exam pattern for mains differs from post to post. Shortlisted candidates will get the chance to appear in the main exam. The details on the IBPS SO exam pattern for Mains exam are given below.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Rajbhasha Adhikari

There will be two sections in the Rajbhasha Adhikari exam, i.e., Professional Knowledge (Objective) and Professional Knowledge (Descriptive). Following are the essential details related to the IBPS SO exam pattern for Rajbhasha Adhikari mains.

  • The professional knowledge (objective) section shall encompass 45 questions, whereas there will be only 02 questions in the professional knowledge (descriptive) section.
  • The maximum mark combining both sections is 60 marks.
  • The questions in both sections will be bilingual, i.e., in English and Hindi.
  • The duration to solve the questions is 30 minutes each.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Rajbhasha Adhikari
Name of TestNumber of QuestionsMaximum MarksMedium of ExamDuration
Professional Knowledge (Objective)4560English & Hindi30 minutes
Professional Knowledge (Descriptive)2English & Hindi30 minutes

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For IT Officer and Other Posts

The main exam will be conducted to test the Professional Knowledge of the related field. More information on the main IBPS SO exam pattern for IT Officers and other posts can be seen below.

  • There will be a total of 60 questions.
  • The exam will be conducted for a maximum of 60 marks.
  • Questions will be bilingual, which is in English and Hindi Language.
  • The time prescribed to solve the questions is 45 minutes.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Law Officers and others
SectionQuestionsMarksMedium of ExamDuration
Professional Knowledge Related to Law6060English & Hindi45 minutes

IBPS SO Exam Pattern For Interview

Qualified candidates are invited for a personal interview after passing the IBPS SO Mains exam. The IBPS SO final selection process includes a personal interview. Applicants must do well in the IBPS SO Interview, which accounts for 20% of the merit list weightage.

The weighted average (ratio) for the online main examination and interview will be 80:20. The total scores attained by the candidates in the IBPS SO Main Examination will be used to calculate the combined final score of the applicants.

IBPS SO Marking Scheme

IBPS SO marking scheme enables aspirants to understand the criteria for negative marking. A penalty for the wrong answers has been prescribed in the IBPS SO exam pattern. It is applicable for both prelims and main examinations. 0.25 marks or one-fourth of marks are deducted for each incorrect answer marked by a candidate. However, no marks are deducted for the questions that are left unanswered.

FAQs on IBPS SO Exam Pattern

  • The IBPS SO exam pattern describes the structure of the examination. The exam pattern imparts knowledge of the total number of questions, marks, marking scheme, exam duration, etc. Candidates must refer to the exam pattern and IBPS SO syllabus to devise a concrete preparation strategy.

  • The IBPS SO exam pattern for Prelims is divided into two categories based on the nature of the posts. For the Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari posts, questions are asked from the Reasoning, English, and General Awareness section, whereas for the IT officer and other posts, questions will be from Reasoning, English, and Quantitative Aptitude.

  • The IBPS SO exam pattern for the mains exam is again divided into two categories. The question paper for Rajbhasha Adhikari shall comprise objective and descriptive questions, whereas, for IT officers and other posts, only objective-type questions will be asked to test their professional knowledge.

  • Yes, negative marking is applicable in prelims and mains exams. 0.25 marks or one-fourth marks from the marks assigned to the question will be deducted for marking the incorrect answer. However, no marks will be deducted for the questions left unanswered.

  • Objective-type questions will be asked in preliminary and main examinations except for the mains examination of Rajbhasha Adhikari. The question paper for the Rajbhasha Adhikari mains exam will consist of objective and descriptive questions.

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