IBPS SO Syllabus 2026 & Exam Pattern: Prelims and Mains Detailed Guide

The IBPS SO Prelims syllabus focuses on Reasoning, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Candidates have 120 minutes to complete 150 questions. The Mains examination further evaluates specialized professional knowledge through 60 targeted questions.  

As per the official IBPS annual calendar, the Prelims are scheduled for 29th August 2026, followed by the Mains on 1st November 2026. A strategic preparation plan centered around this syllabus is essential for success. 

IBPS SO Syllabus 2026

The IBPS SO 2026 selection process consists of three rigorous stages: a Preliminary exam, a Mains exam, and a final interview. Candidates must qualify at every level to secure a Specialist Officer position within participating public sector banks. Understanding the post-specific IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026 is critical for aspirants. 

In this guide, we provide a comprehensive breakdown of the IBPS SO syllabus and exam pattern for all key roles:

• Agriculture Officer
• Law Officer
• Marketing Officer
• Rajbhasha Adhikari
• HR/Personnel Officer
• IT Officer

IBPS SO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

The IBPS SO 2026 syllabus includes three core sections in Prelims: Reasoning, English Language, and Quantitative Aptitude (with General Awareness for Law/Rajbhasha). The Mains paper tests professional competency in fields like IT, Law, Agriculture, HR, or Marketing. All stages carry a negative marking of 0.25 marks for incorrect responses.

IBPS SO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026- Overview
Exam Name	IBPS SO 2026
Posts Offered	IT Officer, Law Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari
Exam Dates	Prelims- 29th August 2026  Mains- 1st November 2026
Mode of Exam	Online (Computer-Based Test)
Duration	Prelims- 120 minutes  Mains- 45 minutes/60 minutes
Selection Process	Prelims- Qualifying Mains- Considered for merit list Interview- Considered for merit list
Negative Marking	¼th marks (Prelims & Mains)
Final Merit List	80:20 (Mains: Interview)

IBPS SO 2026 Selection Process

Candidates are selected based on their cumulative performance across the three stages. Qualifying through each phase is mandatory for recruitment as a Specialist Officer in public sector banks.

1. Preliminary Exam – Qualifying round only — score not counted in final merit
2. Mains Exam — Professional Knowledge — score counted in final merit
3. Interview – Final stage — combined with Mains for selection

Stages	Questions	Marks	Duration
Prelims	150	125	120 minutes
Mains (General posts)	60	60	45 minutes
Mains (Rajbhasha)	47	60	60 minutes
Interview	—	100	—

Q. Is the IBPS SO Prelims score included in the final merit list?
Ans.- No. The Prelims act as a qualifying round; only scores from the Mains Exam and the interview contribute to the final selection.

Q. Is the IBPS SO Mains syllabus identical for every post?
Ans. No, the Mains syllabus is customized for each specific professional role. 

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2026

The Prelims structure varies slightly: Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari candidates face a General Awareness section, while other roles focus on Quantitative Aptitude.

Reasoning Ability

1. Seating Arrangements
2. Puzzles
3. Inequalities
4. Syllogism
5. Input-Output
6. Data Sufficiency
7. Blood Relations
8. Order and Ranking
9. Alphanumeric Series
10. Distance and Direction
11. Verbal Reasoning

English Language 

1. Cloze Test
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Spotting Errors
4. Sentence Improvement
5. Sentence Correction
6. Para Jumbles
7. Fill in the Blanks
8. Para/Sentence Completion
9. Column Based
10. Sentence Rearrangement
11. Word Swap
12. Sentence-Based Error
13. Spelling Errors
14. Connectors

Quantitative Aptitude

1. Number Series
2. Data Interpretation
3. Simplification/ Approximation
4. Quadratic Equation
5. Data Sufficiency
6. Mensuration
7. Average
8. Profit and Loss Ratio
9. Proportion Work,
10. Time and Energy
11. Time and Distance
12. Probability
13. Relations
14. Simple and Compound Interest
15. Permutation and Combination

General Awareness

1. Current Affairs
2. Banking Awareness
3. GK Updates
4. Currencies
5. Important Places
6. Books and Authors
7. Awards
8. Headquarters
9. Prime Minister Schemes
10. Centre Government Schemes
11. Important Days
12. RBI Circulars
13. Statics Banking

IBPS SO Mains Syllabus 2026

The Mains exam serves as a deep dive into the Professional Knowledge relevant to your chosen domain. Detailed post-wise syllabi are provided below.

IT Officer (Scale-I)

1. Database Management System
2. Data Communication and Networking
3. Operating System
4. Software Engineering
5. Data Structure
6. Computer Organization and Microprocessor
7. Object Oriented Programming

AFO Syllabus (Agricultural Field Officer  Scale-I)

1. Basics of Crop Production
2. Horticulture
3. Seed Science
4. Agronomy and Irrigation
5. Agricultural Economies
6. Agricultural Practices
7. Soil resources
8. Animal Husbandry
9. Agroforestry
10. Ecology
11. Government Schemes

Marketing Officer (Scale-I)

1. Basics of Marketing Management
2. Brand Management
3. Advertising
4. PR
5. Sales
6. Retail
7. Business Ethics
8. Market Segmentation
9. Market research and forecasting demand
10. Product Life Cycle
11. Corporate Social Responsibility
12. Service Marketing
13. Marketing Strategies

Law Officer (Scale-I) 

1. Banking Regulations
2. Compliance and Legal Aspects
3. Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, and foreign exchange
4. Prevention of Money-laundering, Limitation Act
5. Consumer Protection Act
6. SARFAES
7. Banking Ombudsman Scheme
8. Laws and Actions with a direct link to the Banking Sector
9. Bankers Book Evidence Act
10. DRT Act

HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I) 

1. Human Resource Development
2. Business policy and strategic analysis
3. Transnational Analysis
4. Training and Development
5. Recruitment and Selection
6. Rewards and Recognition
7. Industrial Relations
8. Business Policy and Strategic Analysis
9. Grievance and Conflict Management
10. Performance Management and Appraisal

IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026 

1. The exam is conducted in three phases: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview.
2. IBPS SO Prelims has separate sectional timing — 40 minutes per section.
3. Candidates must clear Prelims before appearing for Mains.
4. The Prelims score is not counted in the final merit list — only Mains + Interview scores matter.
5. The Mains exam contains questions only from Professional Knowledge subjects.
6. Negative marking of ¼ mark applies to both Prelims and Mains.

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

The online IBPS SO Prelims consists of 150 objective-type questions totaling 125 marks, with a 120-minute time limit and specific 40-minute sectional durations.

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern for Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari

Section	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
Reasoning	50	50	40 minutes
English Language	50	25	40 minutes
General Awareness with  the Special Reference to Banking Industry	50	50	40 minutes
Total	150	125	120 minutes

IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern For other Specialist Officers (Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I

Section	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
Reasoning	50	50	40 minutes
English Language	50	25	40 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	40 minutes
Total	150	125	120 minutes

IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern 2026

While most roles share a similar Mains pattern, the specific Professional Knowledge sections differ. We have detailed these below for Law, IT, Agriculture, HR, and Marketing officers.

Test Name	Total Questions	Marks	Medium of Exam	Exam Duration
Professional Knowledge	60	60	English & Hindi	45 minutes

The Mains exam pattern for the Rajbhasha Adhikari post is unique, consisting of two specialized sections as outlined below.

Test Name	Total Questions	Marks	Medium of Exam	Exam Duration
Professional Knowledge(Objective)	45	60	English & Hindi	30 minutes
Professional Knowledge(Descriptive)	2		English & Hindi	30 minutes

IBPS SO 2026 Interview Process

Upon qualifying the Mains, candidates are invited for an interview. Final selection depends on the combined score of the Mains and interview, which assesses communication skills, domain expertise, and situational judgment.

• Only Mains-qualified candidates are called for interview.
• The final merit list is based on Mains score + Interview score combined.
• Document verification is conducted during or after the interview process.
• Candidates must carry all original certificates to the interview.

Note: These syllabus guidelines are based on the previous year's official notification at https://www.ibps.in. Updates will be provided upon the release of the 2026 notification.