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The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is expected to release the IBPS SO Notification 2026 soon on its official website. Candidates planning to apply for posts such as IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, Law Officer, Marketing Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari must clearly understand the latest IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026.
In this article, we have provided the latest exam pattern, marking scheme, section-wise weightage, and post-wise Mains structure to formulate an effective preparation strategy.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026
The IBPS SO 2026 selection process consists of three stages, including the Preliminary exam, Main exam, and Interview. The Preliminary Exam is qualifying in nature, while the marks obtained in the Mains Exam and Interview are considered for final selection. The IBPS SO Prelims Exam 2026 will be conducted on 29 August 2026, while the Mains Exam is scheduled for 1 November 2026.
Understanding the section-wise weightage, marking scheme, and post-wise paper pattern can help candidates prepare strategically. Candidates can refer to the detailed exam pattern which has been explained below.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern: Overview
The IBPS SO 2026 will be conducted for various Specialist Posts. To prepare well for the exam, candidates must be well aware of the IBPS SO Exam Pattern. Check the details of the Exam Pattern in the table below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Exam Name | IBPS Specialist Officer (IBPS SO) 2026 |
| Posts | IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer |
| Category | Exam Pattern |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, and Interview |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| IBPS SO Notification 2026 | Expected Soon |
| IBPS SO Prelims Exam Date | 29 August 2026 |
| IBPS SO Mains Exam Date | 1 November 2026 |
| Prelims Mode | Online |
| Mains Mode | Online |
| Type of Questions | Objective Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Medium of Exam | English and Hindi (except English Language section) |
| Total Questions in Prelims | 150 |
| Total Marks in Prelims | 125 |
| Mains Exam | Professional Knowledge (Post-wise) |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 Marks for each wrong answer |
| Interview Marks | 100 Marks |
| Final Merit Weightage | Mains (80%) + Interview (20%) |
| Official Website | www.ibps.in |
IBPS Specialist Officer Exam Pattern 2026
IBPS SO is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to select eligible candidates for various posts like that of Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I, Law Officer, and Rajbhasha Adhikari Scale I. The recruitment process to select a Specialist Officer through IBPS SO 2026 is done in three phases:
- Online Preliminary Exam,
- Online Mains Exam and
- Interview
IBPS SO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Given below is the IBPS SO Exam Pattern of Prelims with respect to various posts of Rajbhasha Adhikari and for other Specialist Officers (Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I.
Exam Pattern for the post of Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari
| Sr. No. | Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| 1. | Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| 2. | English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| 3. | General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes | |
Exam Pattern for other Specialist Officers (Agriculture Field Officer, Marketing Officer (Scale I), HR/Personnel Officer, IT Officer Scale I
| Serial No | Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| 1. | Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| 2. | English Language | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
| 3. | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 125 | 120 minutes | |
Note:- Candidates have to qualify in each of the three tests by securing minimum cut-off marks to be decided by IBPS. The adequate number of candidates in each category as decided by IBPS depending upon requirements will be shortlisted for Online Main Examination.
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern 2026
The IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern is different for different posts. Candidates can check the post-wise IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern below. Candidates who qualify the IBPS SO Prelims round will be able to appear for the IBPS SO Mains. Check the details of the IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern below.
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 for the Post of Law Officer:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge Related to Law | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern for the Post of Rajyabhasha Adhikari:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 45 | 60 | English & Hindi | 30 minutes |
| Professional Knowledge (Descriptive) | 2 | English & Hindi | 30 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern for the Post of IT Officer:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge Related to IT | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern for the Post of Agriculture Field Officer:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge Related to Agriculture | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern for the Post of Marketing Officer:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge Marketing Officer | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
IBPS SO Mains Exam Pattern for the Post of HR/Personnel Officer:
| Name of Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| Professional Knowledge Related to HR | 60 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
Note- Penalty for Wrong Answers (Applicable to both – Online Preliminary and Online Main examinations). There will be a penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty to arrive at a corrected score. If a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
IBPS SO Marking Scheme 2026
| Particular | Details |
| Correct Answer | 1 Mark |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 Marks |
| Unanswered Questions | No Penalty |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Question Type | Objective MCQs |
IBPS SO Exam Pattern 2026: Interview Process
After the IBPS SO Mains exam, qualified candidates are called for a Personal Interview. A personal interview provides a good value for the final selection of IBPS SO. It contains 20% weight-age in the merit list. Candidates need to do well in the IBPS SO Interview.
IBPS SO Exam Pattern: Important Points
Candidates can check the important points of the IBPS SO Exam Pattern of Prelims & Mains.
- The IBPS SO 2026 exam pattern for selecting candidates for the Rajbhasha Adhikari Scale I and Law Officer is the same.
- The Exam Pattern for all the other posts is different from the exam pattern of the Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari Officer.
- The Mains Examination will have just one section, i.e. of Professional Knowledge
- Only three sections will be asked in the Preliminary Exam of the IBPS SO 2026 Exam.
- For Rajbhasha Adhikari and Law Officer prelims, the sections asked are English Language, Reasoning, and General Awareness.
- For other posts, the sections asked are English Language, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
- The score of the Preliminary Exam will not be taken into consideration for the final selection. A cumulative score of the Mains Exam and Interview process in the ratio of 80:20 will be taken into consideration for final allotment.
| Important Links: | |
| IBPS SO Salary | IBPS SO Eligibility Criteria |
| IBPS SO Previous Year Question Papers | IBPS SO Syllabus |
| IBPS SO Cut Off | IBPS SO Selection Process |
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