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Government recruitment · public-sector bank specialist officer · Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)

IBPS SO Mock Tests, Syllabus & Complete Exam Guide

IBPS Common Recruitment Process for Specialist Officers (Scale I). Practise 35 full-length mock tests on the official pattern, drill every topic, and get the eligibility, syllabus, cut-off, rank and college details you need — all in one place.

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IBPS SO at a glance

Stages
Prelims → Main (Professional Knowledge) → Interview
Marking
+1 correct · −0.25 wrong
Prelims (IT/Agri/Mktg/HR)
Reasoning · English · Quantitative Aptitude
Prelims (Law/Rajbhasha)
Reasoning · English · General Awareness (banking)
ModeOnline (computer-based) · Preliminary → Main (Professional Knowledge) → Interview
FrequencyUsually once a year
LanguagesEnglish & Hindi (Professional Knowledge in the chosen specialisation)
By the ExamguruX Editorial TeamReviewed for pattern accuracy against Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)Last updated 18 August 2026

IBPS SO full-length mock tests

Attempt 35 full-length IBPS SO mock tests built on the official Prelims → Main (Professional Knowledge) → Interview-question, 200-mark pattern. The first few are free — every test comes with instant results and a step-by-step solution for each question.

IBPS SO Full Mock Test 01

Free
52 Qs · 52 marks60 min19.1K attemptsModerate
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 02

Free
52 Qs · 52 marks60 min23.1K attemptsHard
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 03

Free
52 Qs · 52 marks60 min27.2K attemptsModerate
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 04

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min31.2K attemptsHard
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 05

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min35.3K attemptsEasy
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 06

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min39.3K attemptsHard
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 07

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min43.4K attemptsEasy
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 08

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min47.4K attemptsModerate
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IBPS SO Full Mock Test 09

52 Qs · 52 marks60 min51.5K attemptsEasy
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Unlock all IBPS SO tests

The first tests in each section are free to try. Get the complete IBPS SO mock library, every topic test and all available languages for 3 months — a one-time ₹199 / 3 months.

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IBPS SO — free for everyone

Every IBPS SO mock and topic test is completely free until 15 September 2026 — no payment, no account needed to start.

  • Every full-length mock test
  • All topic-wise tests, every subject
  • All available languages
  • Step-by-step solution for every question
  • Indicative marks-to-rank & cut-offs
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Normally ₹199 / 3 months per exam · free during the launch offer

IBPS SO topic-wise tests & syllabus

120 topic tests across 4 subjects — a focused set of 15 tests for every topic in the IBPS SO syllabus, tagged with approximate exam weightage so you practise where the marks are.

120 topic-wise tests · 15 per topic across 4 subjects. Pick a subject, expand a topic, and start drilling.

Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 01

Free
12 Qs · 12 marks11 min116K attemptsModerate
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 02

Free
12 Qs · 12 marks11 min145K attemptsEasy
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 03

20 Qs · 20 marks18 min173K attemptsHard
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 04

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min201K attemptsModerate
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 05

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min230K attemptsEasy
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 06

20 Qs · 20 marks18 min258K attemptsHard
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 07

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min286K attemptsModerate
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 08

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min315K attemptsEasy
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 09

20 Qs · 20 marks18 min43.1K attemptsHard
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 10

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min71.5K attemptsModerate
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 11

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min99.8K attemptsEasy
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 12

20 Qs · 20 marks18 min128K attemptsHard
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 13

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min157K attemptsModerate
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 14

12 Qs · 12 marks11 min185K attemptsEasy
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Puzzles & Seating Arrangement — Test 15

20 Qs · 20 marks18 min213K attemptsHard
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IBPS SO sample questions

A few real IBPS SO questions with answers and step-by-step solutions, in the exact style of the full mock tests.

ReasoningSample 1

Statements: All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Conclusions: I. Some roses are red. II. Some flowers are roses. Which conclusion follows?

  • A.Only I follows
  • B.Only II follows
  • C.Both follow
  • D.Neither follows

Solution: 'Some flowers are roses' is the valid converse of 'All roses are flowers', so II follows. 'Some roses are red' is only a possibility, not a certainty, so I does not follow.

English LanguageSample 2

Passage: 'Financial inclusion means ensuring that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services. In India, initiatives such as basic savings accounts and business correspondents have brought millions of unbanked people into the formal system. Yet access alone is not enough; financial literacy is essential so that people use these services wisely.' According to the passage, financial inclusion means:

  • A.providing loans only to businesses
  • B.ensuring access to useful and affordable financial services
  • C.opening bank branches only in cities
  • D.raising interest rates for savers

Solution: The passage defines financial inclusion as ensuring access to useful and affordable financial products and services.

Quantitative AptitudeSample 3

Solve: 45% of 240 + 30% of 150.

  • A.153
  • B.143
  • C.163
  • D.150

Solution: 45% of 240 = 108 and 30% of 150 = 45, so the sum is 108 + 45 = 153.

Professional Knowledge & Banking AwarenessSample 4

In banking, the abbreviation 'RTGS' stands for:

  • A.Real Time Gross Settlement
  • B.Rapid Transfer of Government Securities
  • C.Regular Transaction and Grant System
  • D.Reserve Treasury General Statement

Solution: RTGS stands for Real Time Gross Settlement, a system for large-value fund transfers settled individually and instantly.

About the IBPS SO exam

A common recruitment process that selects Specialist Officers (Scale I) — such as IT, Agricultural Field, Rajbhasha, Law, HR/Personnel and Marketing Officers — for participating public-sector banks in India.

What is the IBPS SO exam?

IBPS SO is the Common Recruitment Process run by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to recruit Specialist Officers in Scale I (Junior Management Grade) for participating public-sector banks. Unlike generalist officer roles, Specialist Officers bring a specific professional background — information technology, agriculture, law, human resources, marketing or official language (Rajbhasha) — and are hired into distinct cadres to strengthen those functions within a bank.

The selection has three stages: a Preliminary online exam, a Main online exam and an Interview. The Preliminary sections depend on the post — Reasoning, English and Quantitative Aptitude for IT, Agriculture, Marketing and HR officers, and Reasoning, English and General Awareness with banking reference for Law and Rajbhasha officers. The Main exam centres on a Professional Knowledge paper in your specialisation, and there is a one-fourth negative marking on wrong answers at the objective stages.

How to clear IBPS SO

The Preliminary exam is qualifying, so treat it as a speed-and-accuracy filter: build strong, reliable technique in Reasoning (puzzles, seating, syllogism, inequality, coding) and in either Quantitative Aptitude (data interpretation, simplification, arithmetic) or General Awareness with banking reference, depending on your post. English rewards steady practice of reading comprehension, cloze, error spotting and para jumbles. Because prelims only shortlists you, clearing each section cutoff comfortably matters more than a very high total.

The Main exam is where selection is really decided, and it is a Professional Knowledge paper in your chosen field, so deep, up-to-date domain preparation is essential — banking and financial awareness for all candidates, plus the specialist body of knowledge for your cadre. Respect the 0.25 penalty by attempting only when you can reason to a confident answer, take full timed mocks to master pacing, and prepare well for the Interview, which combines with the Main to fix your final merit.

IBPS SO eligibility & exam pattern

Check whether you meet the IBPS SO eligibility criteria and understand exactly how the paper is structured and marked before you plan your preparation.

Eligibility criteria

Nationality
Indian citizen (with the usual provisions for certain other categories as specified by IBPS).
Qualification
A relevant graduate or professional degree for the specialisation applied for — for example a degree in engineering/IT for IT Officer, agriculture for Agricultural Field Officer, law for Law Officer, and Hindi with English for Rajbhasha Adhikari.
Age
Generally 20 to 30 years, with age relaxation for reserved categories per government norms.
Post-specific
Each Specialist Officer post has its own subject-degree requirement, so you apply for the single cadre that matches your qualification.
Language
Proficiency in the official language of the state you apply to is expected, and Rajbhasha posts require formal study of Hindi and English.
Attempts
No fixed limit on the number of attempts as long as you meet the age and eligibility criteria.

Exam pattern & marking

SubjectQuestionsMarks
ReasoningPreliminary — puzzles, seating, syllogism, inequality, coding, blood relations5050
English LanguagePreliminary — reading comprehension, cloze, error spotting, para jumbles, fillers2525
Quantitative Aptitude / General AwarenessPrelims uses Quantitative Aptitude for IT/Agri/Marketing/HR posts and General Awareness with banking reference for Law/Rajbhasha posts50 / 5050 / 50
Professional Knowledge (Main)Main exam — a specialisation-specific paper in the chosen officer cadre6060
TotalNaN200

IBPS SO recruitment is conducted in three stages: a Preliminary online exam, a Main online exam and an Interview. The Preliminary paper is post-dependent: for IT, Agriculture, Marketing and HR/Personnel officers it tests Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude, while for Law and Rajbhasha (Official Language) officers it tests Reasoning, English Language and General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry. The Main exam is a Professional Knowledge paper set in the candidate's chosen specialisation. Every objective question carries one mark, and there is a penalty of one-fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to a question for each wrong answer; unattempted questions score zero. The Preliminary exam is qualifying and used only to shortlist candidates for the Main; final selection is based on the combined marks of the Main exam and the Interview. On ExamguruX, each question is scored +1 with a 0.25 penalty for a wrong answer, mirroring the real marking, and every question has a worked solution.

Duration: Prelims + Professional Knowledge Mains.

How to prepare for IBPS SO

A proven, focused IBPS SO preparation method — from building strong fundamentals to peaking with full-length mocks.

  1. 1

    Clear the prelims cutoffs first

    The Preliminary exam is qualifying. Build fast, dependable technique in Reasoning and in Quantitative Aptitude or banking General Awareness (per your post) so you clear every section cutoff comfortably.

  2. 2

    Master your Professional Knowledge paper

    The Main exam decides selection through a specialisation paper. Study your cadre's domain deeply — IT, agriculture, law, HR, marketing or Rajbhasha — alongside core banking and financial awareness.

  3. 3

    Build banking & financial awareness

    Learn durable concepts: types of banks and accounts, the role of the RBI and other regulators, priority-sector lending and common financial abbreviations. These help across prelims GA and the Main paper.

  4. 4

    Keep English accurate and steady

    Practise reading comprehension, cloze, error spotting, para jumbles and fillers regularly. English is scoreable with disciplined daily practice rather than last-minute cramming.

  5. 5

    Respect the negative marking

    At one-fourth (0.25) per wrong answer, blind guessing costs you. Attempt when you can eliminate to a confident choice and leave questions you genuinely cannot judge.

  6. 6

    Practise with full timed mocks

    Take full-length mocks under the clock to learn section balance and pacing, and review the worked solution for every question you miss to convert weak areas into marks.

IBPS SO scoring & selection

IBPS SO selection has three stages: a Preliminary exam, a Main exam built around a Professional Knowledge paper in your specialisation, and an Interview. There is a penalty of one-fourth (0.25) of the marks for each wrong answer at the objective stages. Prelims is qualifying and shortlists candidates for the Main; final merit combines the Main and the Interview. The bands below are indicative — real cutoffs shift each year with vacancies and paper difficulty.

IBPS SO marks vs. rank

Score rangeStageWhat it takes
Prelims: clear each cutoffPreliminaryQualifying — meet every section and overall cutoff to reach the Main
Main: strong Professional KnowledgeMainDecisive — the specialisation paper drives your shortlist for interview
Interview: confident and preparedInterviewCombined with the Main to fix final merit
Balanced objective sectionsOverallNo weak section; reasoning and aptitude carry steady marks
Consistent mock scoresReadinessSteady timed-mock performance predicts a strong final rank

Indicative stage requirements

Preliminary examQualifying

Indicative marks: Meet each section and overall cutoff to be shortlisted for the Main

Main (Professional Knowledge)Decisive

Indicative marks: High domain score in your specialisation drives selection

InterviewCombined

Indicative marks: Merged with the Main marks for the final merit list

Reserved categoriesRelaxed

Indicative marks: Lower cutoffs and age relaxation per government norms

Bank & cadre allotmentMerit-based

Indicative marks: Depends on rank, post, preferences and vacancies

The IBPS SO pattern described here — the three-stage Preliminary/Main/Interview process, the post-dependent Preliminary sections, the Professional Knowledge Main paper, and the one-fourth (0.25) negative marking — reflects IBPS's recent published pattern. Exact vacancies, cutoffs, dates, participating banks and post-wise requirements change each recruitment cycle; always confirm current specifics in the official IBPS notification at ibps.in.

Specialist Officer cadres recruited through IBPS SO

IBPS SO recruits specialists into distinct officer cadres, and you apply for one post that matches your degree. The Preliminary sections and the Professional Knowledge Main paper both depend on the cadre you choose. The table below shows the specialist cadres recruited through IBPS SO and the participating public-sector banks that fill them — exact vacancies change every recruitment cycle.

Post / CadreCadreBankSelection stage
IT Officer (Scale I)Information TechnologyParticipating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based
Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I)AgricultureParticipating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based
Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)Official Language (Hindi)Participating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based
Law Officer (Scale I)LawParticipating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based
HR / Personnel Officer (Scale I)Human ResourcesParticipating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based
Marketing Officer (Scale I)MarketingParticipating public-sector banksMerit & vacancy based

A representative set of institutes that admit through IBPS SO. Many more cadres participate in the counselling process.

IBPS SO important dates

The typical IBPS SO timeline, from notification to counselling. Dates are tentative until the official notification is released.

  1. Notification & apply

    Usually around November–December

  2. Preliminary exam

    Typically December–January

  3. Preliminary result

    A few weeks after the exam

  4. Main exam (Professional Knowledge)

    Usually January–February

  5. Interview

    Typically February–March

  6. Provisional allotment

    After the interview, based on combined merit

IBPS SO — frequently asked questions

Quick, reliable answers to the questions IBPS SO aspirants ask most.

What is the IBPS SO selection process?

Three stages: a Preliminary online exam, a Main online exam built around a Professional Knowledge paper in your specialisation, and an Interview. The Preliminary is qualifying; final merit combines the Main exam and the Interview.

What sections appear in the IBPS SO Preliminary exam?

It depends on the post. For IT, Agriculture, Marketing and HR/Personnel officers the sections are Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude. For Law and Rajbhasha (Official Language) officers they are Reasoning, English Language and General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry.

Is there negative marking in IBPS SO?

Yes. Each objective question carries one mark and there is a penalty of one-fourth (0.25) of the marks for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions score zero, so guess only when you can eliminate options to a confident choice.

What is tested in the IBPS SO Main exam?

The Main exam is a Professional Knowledge paper set in the specialisation you applied for — such as information technology, agriculture, law, human resources, marketing or official language — so it needs deep, cadre-specific preparation alongside banking awareness.

What is the eligibility for IBPS SO?

You need a relevant graduate or professional degree for the specialisation you apply to, and you are generally between 20 and 30 years old, with age relaxation for reserved categories. Each post has its own subject-degree requirement.

How should I use these mock tests?

Take full-length timed mocks to build speed and section balance under the real clock and negative marking, and review the worked solution for every question. Use the topic tests to drill reasoning, aptitude, English and banking & professional knowledge until each becomes a reliable source of marks.

Start your IBPS SO preparation today

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Devaseelan

Devaseelan

Cleared NEET