IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024: The IBPS SO Exam is conducted by the Institute for Banking Personnel Selection and is quite famous. Aspirants wishing to pursue a promising career within the program sector must know the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024, detailed instructions, subjects, and exam patterns well enough to break through.

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One can refer to the curriculum on the IBPS official website, but the IBPS Clerk exam Sub part covers the areas well. The exam is divided into two stages. The first stage is IBPS SO Prelims, which aims to shortlist candidates for the interview by testing the applicant’s basic skills. 

This article will focus on the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024, how the exam is conducted, and the selection process to help you plan your prep work to give you an edge in the competition.

IBPS SO Exam Pattern

The IBPS SO exam may be broken down into three phases, as explained below, and candidates have to pass each of them sequentially:

Prelims: The first phase of attempting the IBPS SO Examination consists of a series of tests meant to be Qualifying only.

Mains: Candidates must pass the prelims before sitting for the Mains.

Interview: This is the last stage, where all candidates who have been shortlisted are subjected to an interview.

It is very important to focus on how the examination will be structured on each of the levels, as different syllabuses and examination schemes apply to IT Officers, Agriculture Field Officers, HR/Personnel Officers, Marketing Officers, Law Officers, and Rajbhasha Adhikari.

Exam Pattern For Prelims

There is a slight difference in the syllabus and exam pattern of the IBPS SO Prelims exam for two types of posts: 

1. For IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer
2. For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari

However, the Prelims exam has a primary division of three major sections which are:

Also read: IBPS PO Prelims Expected Cut Off 2024

The candidates have to clear the sectional and the overall cut-offs for the Mains.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024

the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024 includes language comprehension, reasoning, and general/quantitative awareness syllabi. Here is the overview of the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024 according to each area: 

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024: English Language 

In this section, “English Language,” the candidate is based on Grammar, vocabulary, and Comprehension concepts. These skill areas under this section should be comprehensively developed and well established to perform, preferably in the section.

The main topics to note include:

• Reading Comprehension: Questions about unseen passages.
• Grammar: Editing of errors, sentence modification, and replacing phrases.
• Cloze Test: Completing the missing parts of the passage provided.
• Para jumbles: Arrange the given sentences sequentially to make a complete paragraph.
• Synonyms and Antonyms: Questions based on vocabulary.
• Sentence Correction: Provides different sentences and requires the identification of errors.
• Fill in the Blanks: Using grammatical understanding to complete the gaps.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024: Reasoning Ability

Reasoning is an easy section in this examination and can be mastered with a high level of certainty in the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024. This section measures your logic and problem-solving skills. The major components needed to do well in this section are time and precision.

This section consists of the following main types of questions:

• Puzzles: puzzles used in various PYQs.
• Syllogism: Applying logic to justify the conclusions 
• Seating Arrangement: Configuration of people around a circle, along a line, or within a set of boxes.
• Blood Relations: Elucidation of relationships in a family structure based on hints.
• Direction Sense: Based on direction and orientation.
• Inequalities: Coded inequalities and their respective expressions are showcased.
• Coding-Decoding: This also involves coding and decoding, which is patterned on substitution.
• Data Sufficiency: Establish if the data presented is enough to answer a particular question.
• Alphanumeric Series: Identify the typical sequence of letters, numbers, and signs.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024: Quantitative Aptitude 

for Specialist and officer cadre (IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing officer)

Quantitative analysis involves using mathematical skills and problem-solving. Though this section needs to be completed quickly, essential comprehension is necessary to devise elegant solutions to intricate problems.

Some primary sub-units in this section include:

• Number series: Responsibility involves stating the following number in the sequence.
• Simplification/ Approximation: Questions that are to be answered using quick calculations.
• Data Interpretation: Bar graphs, pie charts, and line graphs.
• Quadratic equations: The quadratic expressions are to be solved.
• Time and Work: Focused on the related efficiency of these operations.
• Profit and Loss: Various solutions to simple and compound profit/loss scenarios.
• Simple and Compound Interest: Basic ways for calculating an interest rate.
• Mensuration: Area, volume, and perimeter-related questions in geometry.
• Ratio and Proportion: The proportion comparing two or more quantities.
• Average: the mean of the provided data.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024: General Awareness

General Awareness with particular reference to Banking (For Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari) An average person, however, is aware of how the banking system works, its chief characteristics, products, and institutions, as well as the principles on which it is based and the processes it encompasses. 

• Current Affairs: Events from the last six months emphasizing the previous six, especially banking finance.
• Banking Awareness: Education of the general public that is equipped, licensed, trained, and qualified as a Banker’s appointed representative.
• Static General Knowledge: Picture books in colonies/countries. British national insurance.
• Economic and Financial Awareness: Thematic Policies, Economic policies, 6% for Hall-Economic Growth rate, employment estimates.

Process of Selection of IBPS SO

Three phases should be successively passed, which constitute the three-step IBPS SO selection process, and one of them is very important for obtaining the post of a Specialist Officer:

Prelims: This is the initial step, also known as the qualifying level. Consequently, the scores achieved in this event do not count as part of the performance assessment evaluation. However, only those candidates who are successful in the Prelims are allowed to take the Mains exam.

Mains: The second phase assesses the candidates’ professional knowledge in greater detail. The Mains are supposed to be specific to the subject matter and will cover technical aspects of the candidate’s occupational specialty. In contrast to the prelims, the scores from the more advanced Mains examinations are determinative for selection for the final job.

Interview: The last stage of the selection process is only open to candidates who pass the Mains exam. This stage involves the impressions gained from the professional knowledge and personality of the candidate about the professional role on offer. The format of the final merit list combines the candidates’ overall performance for the Mains and interview above.

IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024 FAQs

Q1 What is the total number of questions in the IBPS SO Prelims?

Ans This test consists of 150 questions further segregated into three sections.

Q2 Do the marks scored in prelims affect the final selection?

Ans No, the Prelims round is just a qualifying round. Final selections are based on Mains and Interview marks.

Q3 What are the different sections in the IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024?

Ans The IBPS SO Prelims Syllabus 2024 consists of three sections, English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude/General Awareness, depending on the post applied.