What is IBPS SO Exam?
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) Specialist Officers (SO) are recruited periodically to man individual special posts in various departments like IT Officer, Field Officer, Law Officer, HR/Personnel or Management Officer, Marketing Officer, Sales Officer etc in participating banks across the country. The candidates opting for these posts must have Graduate and Post Graduate Degree/Diploma in relevant field along with certain experience in the relevant field. IBPS conducts Common Recruitment Process (CRP) for selection of Specialist Officers (SO). In recent years, the level of competition for bank exams has spurt exponentially. Graduates from any field of study can attempt this exam. We provide you details necessary for all preparation tips, syllabi, reference books, study material, exam pattern, etc.
IBPS SO POSTS
- IT Officers (Scale-I)
- Agriculture Field Officer (Scale-I)
- Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I)
- Law Officer (Scale I)
- HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I)
- Marketing Officer (Scale I)
IBPS SO Exam Details
| Indian Forest Service 2022 | |
| Exam | IBPS Specialist Officers (SO) |
| Organising body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Frequency | Once a year |
| Exam level | National |
| Participating banks | 11 |
| Number of vacancies | Approximately 700 |
| Selection Process | Preliminary, Main & Interview |
| Application mode | Online |
| Exam mode | Online |
| Admit card type | Online |
| Official website | www.ibps.in |
| Helpline numbers | 1800-222-366 & 1800-103-4566 |
IBPS SO 2021
The IBPS SO 2021 official notification for exam dates has been released on the official website. The Preliminary exam is going to be conducted on December 26, 2021, and the Main Exam will be held on January 30, 2022. Interested aspirants are advised to check all the important dates before kick-starting the online application process.
IBPS SO Exam Dates 2021
Tentative Schedule of events is as follows:
| EVENTS | TENTATIVE DATES |
| Online-registration including Edit / Modifications of Application by candidates | 03.11.2021 – 23.11.2021 |
| Payment of Applications Fees / Intimation Charges (Online) | 03.11.2021 – 23.11.2021 |
| Download of call letters for Online Examinations – Preliminary | December 2021 |
| Online Examinations – Preliminary | 26.12.2021 |
| Results of Online exam – Preliminary | January 18, 2022 |
| Download of Call Letter for Online Exam – Main | January 19, 2022 |
| Online Examination – Main | 30.01.2022 |
| Declaration of Result of Online Main Examination | February 2022 |
| Download of call letters for interview | February 2022 |
| Conduct of Interview | February / March 2022 |
| Provisional Allotment | April 2022 |
IBPS SO Main Admit Card 2022
IBPS has released the IBPS SO Main Admit Card on January 19, 2022 for the IBPS CRP SPL XI Main Exam 2022 a day after the release of the IBPS SO Prelims Result 2022 which will remain active till January 24, 2022. Candidates who have cleared IBPS SO Prelims Exam 2021 held on December 26, 2021 can download the IBPS SO Main Admit Card 2022 for appearing in the IBPS SO Main Exam 2022 scheduled on January 30, 2022 following the prescribed COVID guidelines and social distancing norms. Candidates can download the IBPS SO Main Call Letter 2022 released on January 19, 2022 till January 30, 2022 for appearing in the IBPS SPL XL Main 2022 the results of which will be released in February 2022.
IBPS SO Main Admit Card 2022 Direct Link
IBPS SO Prelims Result 2021
IBPS today i.e. January 18, 2022 released the IBPS SO Prelims Result 2021 for filling 1,828 Specialist Officers (SO) posts to be posted in the participating banks across India. Candidates who have appeared for the IBPS SO Prelims Exam 2021 on December 26, 2021 can check their IBPS SO Prelims 2021 Result till January 24, 2022. Candidates whose names have appeared in the IPBS PO Prelims Result 2021 will be appearing for the IBPS SO Main Exam scheduled on January 30, 2022 amid COVID protocols. Candidates can check the IBPS SO Prelims 2021 Result till January 24, 2022 on the official IBPS portal ibps.in.
IBPS SO Prelims 2021 Result Direct Link
IBPS SO Notification 2021
IBPS released the Specialist Officers recruitment notification on November 3, 2021. Interested candidates can register for IBPS SO until the last date. IBPS SO exam notification 2020 (Common Recruitment Process (CRP) for Specialist Officers X) will be available on the official website. It will contain all the details including the number of vacancies, participating banks, educational qualification, age limit, the application process, exam dates, etc. Aspirants should check IBPS SO notification pdf meticulously before registering online for the exam.
Download IBPS SO 2021 notification pdf
IBPS SO Participating Banks
| Bank of Baroda | Central Bank of India | Punjab & Sind Bank |
| Bank of India | Indian Bank | UCO Bank |
| Bank of Maharashtra | Indian Overseas Bank | Union Bank of India |
| Canara Bank | Punjab National Bank |
IBPS SO Vacancy 2021
IBPS releases the SO recruitment notification 2021 for a total of 647 vacancies. The online registration starts from November 3, 2021. The total vacancies will be divided into each and every post as shown below:
| Post | Total Vacancies |
| Agriculture Field Officer Scale-I | 884 |
| Marketing Officer Scale-I | 535 |
| IT Officer Scale-I | 220 |
| Law Officer Scale-I | 44 |
| HR/Personnel Officer Scale-I | 61 |
| Rajbhasha Adhikari Scale-I | 84 |
| Total | 647 |
Candidates, intending to apply for IBPS SO should ensure that they fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria specified by IBPS. Click here to know more about the eligibility criteria with details.
Application Fee:
INR 175/- For SC/ST/PWD Candidates
INR 850/- For All Other Candidates
Click here to know more about the details of payment mode and how to pay
IBPS SO Job Profile & Responsibilities
IBPS SO IT Officer
- IT officers are required to take care of the bank software systems
- Based on experience IT SO has two scales: Scale I and Scale II
- IT officers look after the maintenance of servers, database and other networking aspects
IBPS SO Law Officer
Law officer in a bank deals with the legal issues received from various departments of the Bank and its associated institutions. The law officers are responsible for:
- Preparations of initial drafts of legislation administered/to be administered by the bank
- Preparation of drafts of pleading and comprehensive instructions/briefs to counsel in connection with litigation involving the bank and its associated institutions
- appearing before conciliation officers, labour courts, tribunals, etc. on behalf of the bank
IBPS SO Agricultural Field Officer
- Agricultural Field Officer promotes loans in rural areas related to general and agricultural purposes
- Agricultural Field Officer assists in client acquisition site visit before the loan sanctioning and follow-up for timely loan recovery
IBPS SO Marketing Officer
- Marketing Officer is responsible for all marketing and social media and networking activities of the Bank
- Marketing Officer develops various marketing concepts, objectives, materials, advertisements, programmes, press releases and other special events approved by Senior Management
- Marketing Officer provides guidance and coordinates implementation efforts with respect to the installation of new or existing products and services
- Marketing Officer is also responsible for being the primary contact for public relations and media contacts, advertising and certain business development activities
IBPS SO Rajbhasha Adhikari
- Rajbhasha Adhikari takes care of the notice boards or the advertisements of the bank in media in English and Hindi
- Rajbhasha Adhikari is in charge of the translation of official documents in English into Hindi
IBPS SO HR Officer
- HR/Personnel Officer handles the entire HR functions of the bank including Compensation policy, industrial relations, statutory compliances, performance management system, training and development, staff welfare and other aspects of HR management
- HR/Personnel Officer also takes care of the recruitment notifications of the bank
IBPS SO Salary
The salary structure for the IBPS SO is calculated considering all the perks offered to them. The pay scale for all the vacancies for Scale-I posts will be as follows:
Basic: INR 23,700/-
Pay Scale: INR 23700-980(7)-30560-1145(2)-32850-1310(7)-42020
The various allowances and benefits that are available along with IBPS Specialist Officers salary are as under:
| Allowances | Values |
| Dearness Allowance (DA) | 36% of Basic |
| House Rent Allowance (HRA) | 7% to 9% of Basic |
| Special Allowance (SA) | 7.75 % of Basic |
| City Compensatory Allowance (CCA) | 0%, 3%, & 4% of Basic |
| Provident Fund (PF) Contribution | INR 3000-3500 |
Note: The salary is revised to time from time.
IBPS SO Promotion
After getting shortlisted for IBPS Specialist Officers (SO), candidates will be placed as Junior Management Grade Scale (JMGS-I). He/she can grow till the General Manager level based on their performance. The IBPS SO career growth is as follow.
| Scale | Designation | Management |
| 1 | Office/ Assistant Manager | Junior Management |
| 2 | Manager | Junior Management |
| 3 | Senior Manager | Middle Management |
| 4 | Chief Manager | Senior Management |
| 5 | Assistant General Manager | Senior Management |
| 6 | Deputy General Manager | Top Management |
| 7 | General Manager | Top Management |
IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria
IBPS invites applications for various posts of Special Officers. Candidates who are eligible posts will have to take a written test. The candidates who successfully complete the common recruitment process will be appointed to various special posts.
Nationality:
Candidates must fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria specified by IBPS Nationality / Citizenship:
A candidate must be either –
- a Citizen of India or
- a subject of Nepal or
- a subject of Bhutan or
- a Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India, provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
Age Limit:
- The age of candidates must be as follows as on November 1, 2021
- Candidate must be minimum 20 years of age and a maximum of 30 years of age, i.e. a candidate must have been born not earlier than November 2, 1991, and not later than November 1, 2001 (both dates inclusive).
Age Limit Relaxation:
The age relaxation limit for various categories are as follows:
- SC/ST: 5 years
- OBC: 3 years
- PWD: 10 years
- In the case of Ex-servicemen commissioned officers, including ECOs/ SSCOs, who have rendered at least 5 years military service and have been released on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within the next one year from the last date for receipt of application) other than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency or on account of physical disability attributable to military service or on invalidment, subject to ceiling as per Government guidelines: 5 years
- Persons ordinarily domiciled in the Kashmir Division of the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period January 1, 1980, to December 12, 1989: 5 years
- Persons affected by 1984 riots: 5 years
Educational Qualification:
For I.T. Officer (Scale-I):
- 4 year Engineering Degree in Computer Science/ Computer Applications/ Information Technology/ Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunications/ Electronics & Communication/ Electronics & Instrumentation or
- 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
For Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I):
- 4 year Degree (graduation) in Agriculture/ Horticulture/Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Dairy Science/ Agri.Engineering/ Fishery Science/ Pisciculture/ Agri Marketing & Cooperation/ Co-operation & Banking/ Agro-Forestry
For Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I):
- Post Graduate Degree in Hindi with English as a subject at the degree (graduation) level or
- Postgraduate degree in Sanskrit with English and Hindi as subjects at the degree (graduation) level.
For Law Officer (Scale I):
- A Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB) and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council
For HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I):
- Graduate and Full-time Postgraduate degree or Full Time Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/HR/HRD/ Social Work / Labour Law.
For Marketing Officer (Scale I):
- Graduate and Full-Time MBA (Marketing) / Full time 2 years PGDBA/ PGDBM with specialization in Marketing.
For posts other than IT Officer Scale I candidates should have Certificate/Diploma/Degree in computer operations/Language/ should have studied Computer /Information Technology as one of the subjects in the High School/College/Institute.
IBPS SO Apply Online
How to Apply
IBPS invites applications for various posts of Special Officers. Candidates who are eligible can apply for the job for which they need to take up a written test.
- Candidates can apply online.
- Candidates should log on to the official website of IBPS www.ibps.in
- Go to the link of ‘CWE Specialist Officers’ and click on the option ‘Click Here to Apply Online for CWE- Specialist Officers’
- Submit all the required details of the application.
Posts for applications:
Candidates can apply to the following posts based on their educational qualification and eligibility:
- I.T. Officer exam admit card
- Law Officer Exam admit card
- Rajbhasha Adhikari admit card
- Agriculture Field Officer admit card
- HR Personnel Officer admit card
- Marketing Officer admit card
Note:
- Candidates have to apply online. No other mode of applications is entertained.
- Candidates should take out a scan digital copy of their passport size photograph and signature ready.
- Candidates need to pay the application fees through online payment.
Mode of Payment
Candidates have the option of making the requiste fees / intimation charges through ONLINE Mode Only.
I. Candidates should carefully fill in the details in the On-Line Application form at the appropriate places very carefully and click on the “COMPLETE REGISTRATION” button at the end of the ON-Line Application format. Before pressing the “COMPLETE REGISTRATION” button, candidates are advised to verify every filed filled in the online application form. The name of the candidates or his / her father / husband etc. Should be spelt correctly in the application as it appears in the certificates / marks sheets. Any change / alteration found may disqualify the candidates.
In case the candidates is unable to fill in the online application form in one go, he / she can save the data already entered. When the data is saved, a provisional registration number and password will be generated by the system and displayed on the screen. Candidates should note down the Provisional registration number and password. An Email & SMS indicating the provisional registration number and password will also be sent. They can reopen the saved data using Provisional Registration number and password and edit the particulars, if needed. Once the application is filled in completely, candidates should be submit the data.
II. The online application form is integrated with the payment gateway and the payment process can be completed by the following the instructions.
III. The payment can be made by using Debit Cards (Rupay / Visa / Master Card / Maestro), Credit Cards, Internet Banking, IMPS, Cash Cards / Mobile Wallets by providing information as asked on the screen.
IV. After final submit, an additional page of the online application form is displayed wherein candidates may follow the instructions and fill in the requisite details.
V. If online transaction has not been successfully completed then candidates are advised to login again with their provisional completion of the transaction, an e-receipt will be generated.
VI. On successful completion of the transaction, an e-receipt will be generated.
VII. Candidates are required to take a printout of the e-receipt and online application form containing fee payment details. Please note that if the same cannot be generated then online transaction may not been successful.