IBPS SO Preparation – Post-Wise 30 Day Study Plans for Prelims & Mains

To make the IBPS SO preparation effective, candidates must be focused and well aware of what they need to study and the right order of using the study materials. Since the IBPS SO exam comprises 3 stages – online preliminary examination, mains examination and personal interview, the level of competition is quite high as compared to other banking exams. 

To attain success in all of these 3 stages, one requires preplanning, smart strategy and perseverance. 

Every year, lakhs of candidates apply for the IBPS SO recruitment examination. While most of the time candidates succeed in clearing the Prelims exam, they fail to reach the interview stage. So, keeping this cut-throat competition and various other situations in mind, Team Buddy4Study has created IBPS SO  preparation strategy for candidates with effective last-minute tips to forgo exam jitters and ace the IBPS SO exam. 

IBPS SO – Exam Pattern

Before moving onto the last-minute IBPS SO preparation tips and strategies, you need to have a clear idea about the exam pattern. With the help of the exam pattern, you can create an effective study and revision table and achieve a good score. . 

IBPS SO Preparation – Number of Questions for IT/Agriculture Field/HR/Personnel and Marketing Officer (Prelims)

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

IBPS SO Preparation – Number of Questions for Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari (Prelims)

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

IBPS SO Preparation – Number of Questions for the Post of Rajbhasha Adhikari

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

Note: +1 mark is for objective type questions. The descriptive questions will carry 15 marks. 

IBPS SO Preparation – Number of Questions for the Post of Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, and Marketing Officer

Test Name	Number of Questions	Maximum Marks	Medium of Exam	Duration
Professional Knowledge	60	60	English & Hindi	45 min

IBPS SO Key Highlights

Particulars	Details
Exam name	Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) Specialist Officer (SO) (CRP SPL-XI 2021-22)
Exam Conducting Body	Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
Official Website	http://www.ibps.in/
Duration of Exam	Prelims – 2 hours (120 minutes) Mains –  IT Officer Scale 1, Marketing Officer (Scale 1), Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer – 45 minutes Rajsabha Adhikari Scale 1 Officer and Law Officer – 60 minutes
Examination Mode	CBT/ Computer Based Test (Online)
Medium of Exam	English or Hindi
Type of Questions	Objective/Multiple-Choice (MCQ)
Number of Questions	150 questions (Prelims) 47 questions (Mains – Rajbhasha Adhikari) 60 questions (Mains – Law Officer, IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer)
Total Marks	Prelims – 125 marks Mains – 60 marks
Marking Scheme	+1 for every correct answer (objective) – 0.25 for every incorrect answer
Posts	IT Officer Scale 1, Marketing Officer (Scale 1), Agriculture Field Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Rajsabha Adhikari Scale 1 Officer and Law Officer
Age Limit for Candidates	Between 20 to 30 years

IBPS SO 2021 Preparation – Strategies and Tips

As there is plenty of left before the upcoming IBPS SO examination, Team Buddy4Study advises you to start reading all the topics highlighted in the IBPS SO syllabus. However, during the final month, the only aspect that you require to concentrate on should be revision. 

#1 – Start Revising with a Plan

The first tip for the IBPS SO preparation before the exam is to retain your composure and move ahead with a plan. As most of the promising candidates would have completed at least 90% – 95% of their syllabus by now, execution of effective IBPS SO preparation does require a plan. 

You need to create the plan after analysing your strengths and weaknesses and separating the topics based on it. While creating a timetable, you should also keep slots open for revision and mock tests. following this step will act as a good helping hand in your IBPS SO preparation.

Take help from the IBPS SO syllabus 2021 and allocate time and energy to each one of the topics based on their difficulty level. Even better, you can take the help of a priority matrix to create an effective timetable and study accordingly.

IBPS SO Preparation Pattern – Priority Matrix

Matrix 1 Easy and Important Topics	Matrix 2 Fairly Easy Topics but can be Studied Later
Matrix 3 Important Topics but Quite Difficult	Matrix 4 Difficult Topics

The main idea behind creating this priority matrix is to understand and segregate easier topics from difficult ones.

Additionally, candidates can also follow the below sample revision table that we have created as a helping tool to complete the IBPS SO preparation without any hassle. 

30-Day Time Table for IBPS SO Preparation (Prelims)

Day	IBPS Prelims Topics
	Quantitative Aptitude	Reasoning	English Language
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Prelims and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Simplification, Missing Series, Quadratic Inequalities	Order and Ranking	Sentence Improvement
Day 3	Time and Work	Inequality	Cloze tests
Day 4	Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Misc. DI	Directions	Grammar
Day 5	Speed Time Distance, Partnership	Blood Relations	Reading Comprehension
Day 6	Profit and Loss,	Coding-Decoding
Day 7	Mensuration	Alphabet series and Miscellaneous
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Mensuration, Approximation	Box Puzzle, Inequality	Phrasal Verb fillers
Day 12	Pipes & Cistern, Quantity Based	Puzzles- Square Puzzle, short puzzle	Grammar portions
Day 13	Boat & Stream, Wrong Series	Linear puzzles and mixed puzzled	Starters, Inferences, fillers
Day 14	Ratio and Proportion, Percentage	Circular arrangement	Sentence rearrangement
Day 15	Speed Time Distance, Data Sufficiency, Simplification	Floor Puzzle, Logical miscellaneous	Antonyms- synonyms
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Trains, Miscellaneous DI, Quadratic Inequalities	Month based puzzles and mixed puzzles	Error detection
Day 19	Time and Work, Approximation	Data sufficiency questions	Sentence rearrangement
Day 20	Profit and Loss, Number system, Missing number series	Revision	Revision
Day 21	Partnership, Average, Ages	Input-Output questions	Word usages and Conjunctions
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Simple Interest and Compound Interest	New question patterns of each topic	Idioms and phrases
Day 24	Misc. DI, Simplification	Syllogism	Word Replacement
Day 25	Averages and Linear Equations	Miscellaneous	Revision
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 26
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

Time Table for IBPS SO Preparation (Mains)

After the completion of IBPS SO Prelims exam (18th and 26th December 2021), only a month will be left for the commencement of the Mains exam (30th January 2022). So, candidates can follow the below time table to prepare well and ahead of the IBPS SO Mains examination.

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – Marketing Officer

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Introduction to Marketing	Meaning, Functions of Marketing Management	Importance of Marketing Management
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	Marketing Environment	Marketing Decisions
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	Marketing Process	Marketing Planning
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	Marketing Research	Market Segmentation
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	Branding	Packaging and Labelling
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	Advertisement	Product Planning and Development
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Sales Management	Services Marketing
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12	Wholesale Trade
Day 15	Revision of Day 14	Retail Trade
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	International Marketing
Day 19	International Marketing
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	Bank Marketing
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	Sales Forecasting	Product Planning and Development
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	Social Responsibility	Business Ethics
Day 25	Take Full-Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 26
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – Law Officer

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Introduction to Banking	Banking Regulation Act, 1949	Banker-Customer Relationship
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999	The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	RBI’s Constitution and Objectives
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	The Right to Information Act, 2005	Limitation Act, 1993
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	Types of Collaterals and their Characteristics
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006	Banker’s Books Evidence Act, 1891
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Information Technology Act, 2000
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12	Miscellaneous Provisions Consumer Protection Act, 1986
Day 15	Revision of Day 14	SARFAESI Act, 2002
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	Transfer of Property Act, 1882
Day 19	DRT Act, 1993
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	Credit Information Bureau (India)	Lok Adalats
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	Memorandum of Association	Articles of Association
Day 25	Take Full Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 24
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – HR Officer

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Introduction to HR	HR Planning
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	Job Design (Meaning and Techniques)
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	Theories of Wages	Compensation Administration
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	Criteria to Develop Compensation Plan
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	Induction – Placement	Procedure of Placement
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	Placement Benefits	Rewards & Recognition
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Factories Act
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12
Day 15	Revision of Day 14
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	Gratuity Act
Day 19	Industrial Relations Act
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	Strategic Role of Information in HRM
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	Provident Fund Act	Promotion, Transfer and Demotions (Types, Policies)
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	Recruitment and Selection (Procedure, Process and Barriers)	Training and Development (Types and Methods)
Day 25	Take Full Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 24
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – Agriculture Officer

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Introduction to Green Revolution	Seed technology		Different Government Schemes related to Seed technology
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	Soil Resources		Green Manures
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	Types of Cropping System
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	Different Types of Agricultural Practices		Herbicides Pesticides
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	Agriculture Economics		Agriculture Cost and Schemes
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	Different Agriculture Insurance Schemes	Seed Science
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Woman and Child Development Schemes
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12	Animal Husbandry and Technology
Day 15	Revision of Day 14	Different Diseases and their Causes
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables
Day 19	Agronomy and Irrigation
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	Rural Welfare Activities in India
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	Indian Soil (Before Independence + After Independence)
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	Horticulture Seed		Agroforestry
Day 25	Take Full Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Soil resources		Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 24
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – IT Officer

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	Oracle Concepts	Concept of DDL	Concept of Basic SQL
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	Concept of DML	Concept of DCL
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	Concept of Operating system	Distributed Operating System
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	Three Level Architecture – Hierarchical, Networking, Relational Data Models
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	Technologies used in Banking Operations	Computer Organization and Microprocessor Object
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	Network Models
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Network Security
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12	OOPS Concepts
Day 15	Revision of Day 14	Data Communication
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	Software Engineering
Day 19	Software Engineering
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	Trees, Different Types of Sorting
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	Graphs and Arrays	Stack
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	Queue	Linked List
Day 25	Take Full Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 24
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

IBPS SO Preparation (Mains) – Rajbhasha Adhikari

Day	Topics
Day 1	Practice a full-length mock test of the IBPS SO Mains and thoroughly check your strong and weak portions. Also, get an idea of the exam pattern.
Day 2	हिंदी व्याकरण (Hindi grammar)	हिंदी व्याकरण के अनुप्रयोग (Uses and Application of Hindi grammar)
Day 3	Revision of Day 2	अनुवाद (Translation)	गद्यांश (Passage)
Day 4	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis
Day 5	Revision of Day 3	प्रशासनिक हिन्दी ज्ञान (Administrative Hindi knowledge)	अंग्रेजी ज्ञान (Knowledge of English)
Day 6	Revision of Day 5	समानार्थक (Synonyms)	विलोम शब्द (Antonyms)
Day 7	Revision of Day 6	रिक्त स्थान भरना (Fill in the blanks)
Day 8	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 9	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 2 to Day 7
Day 10	Observe topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 11	Revision of Day 7	राजभाषा का संक्षिप्त परिचय (Brief introduction of official language)
Day 12	Revision of Day 11	Cloze Test
Day 13	Sectional Practice Test + Analysis + Solve Previous Year Paper
Day 14	Revision of Day 12
Day 15	Revision of Day 14	संविधान में व्यवस्था: हिन्दी का प्रयोग (Arrangement in Constitution: Use of Hindi)
Day 16	Practice topic-wise mock tests (2 – 3 mock sets)
Day 17	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 11 to Day 15
Day 18	Revision of Day 15	राजभाषा अधिनियम 1976 का प्रायोजन एवं प्रमुख विशेषताएं
Day 19	राजभाषा अधिनियम 1976 का प्रायोजन एवं प्रमुख विशेषताएं (Sponsorship and Salient features of Official Language Act, 1976)
Day 20	Complete Revision + Solve Previous Year Question Papers
Day 21	Revision of Day 18 – 19	राष्ट्रभाषा और राजभाषा में अंतर (Difference between national language and official language)
Day 22	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 18 to Day 21
Day 23	Revision of Day 21	राजभाषा कार्यान्वयन समितियां (Official Language Implementation Committees)
Day 24	Revision of Day 23	नियम बनाने की शक्तियां (Power to make rules)
Day 25	Take Full Length Mock Tests + Analysis
Day 26	Revision	Revision	Revision
Day 27	Practice full-length mock tests (2 – 3 mock tests) and watch another 2 – 3 mock tests
Day 28	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 23 to Day 24
Day 29	Practice Previous Years’ Question papers
Day 30	Repeated Revision of topics studied from Day 1 to Day 30

#2 – Section-wise IBPS SO Preparation Tips

Regarding the IBPS SO Prelims exam, there are 3 broad sections from where questions will be asked:

1. English Language
2. Reasoning
3. Quantitative Aptitude

It is necessary to plan an effective IBPS SO preparation and study plan so that you can effectively cover the entire IBPS SO syllabus. You can do it by adopting a disciplined approach and preparing for your exam section-wise.

IBPS SO Preparation – General Intelligence and Reasoning

This section is one of the trickiest sections asked in the exam. It comprises 50 marks in both Prelims and Mains exams. Being an equally challenging section as the rest, candidates are advised to practice as many questions as possible. 

Weightage of Topics

Topics	Expected Questions
Seating Arrangement	10-12 Questions
Puzzles	5-10 Questions
Coding-decoding	5-10 Questions
Verbal Reasoning	5-8 Questions
Data Sufficiency	3-5 Questions
Syllogism	3-5 Questions
Ordering and Ranking	2-6 Questions
Direction and Distance	2-5 Questions
Blood Relations	2-5 Questions
Machine Input Output	1-5 Questions
Inequalities	1-5 Questions

IBPS SO Preparation Tips to Follow

1. Learn various shortcuts and tricks to solve maximum questions in this section. You will need this knowledge to solve logical and abstract reasoning questions.
2. Categorize reasoning topics as simple, medium and complex based on your convenience
3. Practice topic-wise tests
4. Solve puzzles online to sharpen your logical thinking

IBPS SO Preparation – English Language

English is no doubt a scoring subject where the expected level of questions is moderate. 

Weightage of Topics:

Topics	Expected Questions
Reading Comprehension	10-15 Questions
Cloze test	5-10 Questions
Error Spotting	5-10 Questions
Phrase Replacement/Sentence Improvement	5-10 Questions
Para Jumbles / Odd Sentence out	1-5 Questions
Fill in the Blanks	1-5 Questions

IBPS SO Preparation Tips to Follow

1. Learn the spellings, usage and meanings of words daily. It will improve your vocabulary.
2. Don’t forget to practice grammar questions like Antonyms, Synonyms, Vocabulary, Basic Grammar, and Sentence Correction.
3. If you come across new and uncommon words while reading anything, write those down and look for its accurate meaning in online/offline dictionaries. 
4. While reading newspapers, try to improve your reading speed.

IBPS SO Preparation – Quantitative Section

The quantitative section in the IBPS SO exam is included to test the speed and accuracy of the candidates. 

Weightage of Topics:

Topics	Expected Questions
Miscellaneous Topics	15-17 Questions
Data Interpretation	13-15 Questions
Algebra	5-6 Questions
Number Series	0-5 Questions
Data Sufficiency	0-5 Questions
Simplification/Approximation	0-5 Questions

IBPS SO Preparation Tips to Follow

1. The quantitative aptitude section is designed to test the general aptitude and numerical reasoning of the candidates. It is best if you start brushing up the basics of 9th and 10th grade Mathematics (8th to 10th Standard Mathematics books from NCERT). 
2. There may not be specific books for IBPS SO preparation but you can prepare from quantitative aptitude practice books. You can also take the help of the practice books that are used for the preparation of other banking exams. Plenty of such practice books are available both offline and online.
3. Practice tests from different difficult levels – start from easy and move to difficult.
4. Practice problems associated with simplification/ approximation, number series, data interpretation to boost your scores
5. Improve your calculation speed by memorizing tables, practising mental calculations

#3 – Practice with Previous Years’ Question Papers, Mock Tests and Books

Solving the IBPS SO question papers from previous years is undoubtedly one of the best strategies to prepare well for the upcoming exam. You can download and attempt all the IBPS SO question papers to evaluate your performance in the upcoming exams.

IBPS SO Solved Question Paper

IBPS SO Prelims Question Paper 1 (2019)	IBPS SO Question paper (2013)	IBPS SO (2014)
IBPS SO Prelims Paper 2 (2015)	IBPS SO IT Officer Mains (2015)	IBPS SO Rajbhasha Adhikari Mains (2015)

IBPS SO Preparation – Important Books

IBPS SO exam syllabus is vast since the questions asked in this examination are not limited to a fixed course or curriculum, especially in the case of Current Affairs/General Knowledge. Candidates need to prepare well from the topics highlighted above to score well in the upcoming IBPS SO exam.

To get a better grip on various IBPS SO subjects and enhance your IBPS SO Preparation, candidates can find several expert-recommended books and online study resources in the tables below.

Important Books for IBPS SO Prelims

IBPS SO Preparation Books on Reasoning Ability

Book Name	Publication/Author
Verbal Reasoning	MK Pandey
Analytical Reasoning	RS Agarwal
A Modern approach Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	BS Sijwali

IBPS SO Preparation Books on Quantitative Aptitude

Book Name	Publication/Author
Rapid Quantitative Aptitude with Shortcuts & Tricks	Disha Publication
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examination	The Pearson Guide
Quantitative Aptitude Book	Wiley’s Publication

IBPS SO Preparation Books on English

Book Name	Publication/Author
Objective English for Competitive Examinations	Hari Mohan Prasad, Uma Rani Sinha, McGraw Hill Education Publication
English Grammar & Composition	Wren and Martin
Descriptive General English	S P Bakshi and Richa Sharma
Word Power Made Easy	Normal Lewis

IBPS SO Preparation Books on General Awareness

Book Name	Publication/ Author
Manorama Yearbook	The Malayala Manorama (Mammen Mathew)
Guide to Banking General Awareness	R Gupta

Important Books for IBPS SO Mains

IBPS SO Preparation Books for IT Officer (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
Data Communications and Networking	Behrouz. A Forouzan
Objective Computer Knowledge	R Pillai
A computer for Competitive Exams: Fundamental of Computer with MCQ’s	RPH Editorial Board

IBPS SO Preparation Books for Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
IBPS – SO Agricultural Field Officer (Main) Exam	Dr. Lalita Gaur
Agriculture Field Officer	R.Gupta
Science Textbooks: Classes VI-IX	NCERT
Agriculture Field Officer IBPS	New Vishal’s Editorial Board

IBPS SO Preparation Books for Marketing Officer (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
CWE-IBPS Bank-Marketing Specialist Officer Exam: Complete Book	Priyanka Prakashan
Principles of Marketing	Kavita Sharma
Marketing Specialist Exam book	Upkar Prakashan

IBPS SO Preparation Books for Law Officer (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
IBPS Specialist Officer CWE LAW Officer Online Exam Practice Work Book	Kiran Prakashan

IBPS SO Preparation Books for HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
CWE-IBPS Bank-HR Specialist/Personal Officer Complete Book	Priyanka Prakashan
Human Resource Management	K Aswathappa
Bank HR Specialist book	Kiran Prakashan

IBPS SO Preparation Books for Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale-I)

Book Name	Publication/ Author
Rajbhasha Adhikari Guide	R.Gupta
Hindi Vyakaran	Prakashan Upkar
Rajbhasha/Hindi (Officers, Assistant, Managers) Recruitment Exam Guide (Popular Master Guide)	RPH Editorial Board

Note: For IBPS SO Mains, candidates are advised religiously to study from the books by Kotler. Read more case studies and inference-based questions. 

#4 – Take a Break

Managing time and preparing for the IBPS SO 2021 exam tends to make both the mind and body tired. If you take a look at the IBPS SO preparation tips by candidates who cracked the exam successfully and got recruited in reputed Indian Banks, taking small breaks in between the study time is a piece of common advice.  

Relaxing and taking breaks not only breaks the monotony of studying non-stop, but it also refreshes the mind. This much-needed relief can assist you to study with more vigour and concentration.

Exercising is also a good way to de-stress your mind and body. It is a proven fact that Yoga and meditation calm the mind and increase the power of focusing and retaining information. So, take a walk, eat something healthy and fresh, and meditate before sitting for the next round of IBPS SO preparation with more enthusiasm.

IBPS SO Preparation –  Ideal Time Allocation

The foremost thing to diligently follow during IBPS SO preparation is allocating time for each section. You need to practice solving IBPS SO questions at home the same way you would be answering in the actual exam. 

As the examination is of 120 minutes (Prelims) and 60 minutes (Mains), you need to divide the time wisely for all sections. However, you should not forget to include the time for revision in your IBPS SO preparation timetable.

Section-wise IBPS SO Preparation in 120 Minutes (Prelims)

Test Sections	Ideal Time Allocation
Reasoning	35 minutes
English Language/ General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry	25 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	40 minutes
Revision	20 minutes

Regarding the Mains exam, you can segregate the topics for revision as per your ease. However, you should allocate at least 15 to 20 minutes for revision.  

Compared to the Quantitative Aptitude section, English language and Reasoning sections are easier to attempt. So, instead of tackling the difficult questions first, start with the easier ones. This tactic will assist you in completing more questions within the allocated time.

Don’t remain stuck on a complicated or difficult question. If you are stuck on a question for more than 30 seconds, leave it and move ahead to the next question. You can come back later and solve it.

IBPS SO Preparation –  Basic Topics to Revise

There are a few basic IBPS SO topics that you can easily cover and revise without any hassles. Candidates are advised to dedicate at least 2 hours to each test section a day to prepare for IBPS SO exam. 

IBPS SO Preparation – Basic Topics to Revise for IBPS SO

Prelims

Reasoning Ability

Analytical Decision Making	Blood Relations	Scheduling
Coding & Decoding	Input-Output	Syllogisms
Directions & Distances	Seating Arrangements	Coded Inequalities
Data Sufficiency	Verbal Reasoning	Ordering & Ranking

General Awareness

General Knowledge (updates of  last 3-4 months)	Current Affairs	Financial Awareness
Currencies	Important days	Static General Knowledge ( Countries, capitals, Countries visited by Prime minister, Countries involved in new treaties )
Headquarters	Books & Authors	Prime Minister Schemes

Quantitative Aptitude

Percentage & Ratio Proportion	Time & Work	Data Interpretation	Mensuration & Geometry
Simplification	Data Sufficiency	Interest	Number Series
Linear Equations	Probability	Profit & Loss	Permutation & Combination
Average	Quadratic Equations	Speed, Time & Distance	Number Systems

English Language

Closed Test	Phrase Replacement	Error Spotting	Para Jumbles
Fill in the Blanks	Sentence completion/ Para completion	Reading Comprehension	Sentence correction/ improvement

Mains

Professional Knowledge Syllabus for IBPS SO IT Officer (Scale-I)

Operating System	Object-Oriented Programming	Data Structure	Data Communication and Networking
Database Management System	Software Engineering	Computer Organization and Microprocessor

IBPS SO Syllabus for Agricultural Field Officer (Scale-I)

Basics of Crop production	Agricultural Practices	Horticulture	Animal Husbandry
Seed Science	Agroforestry	Agricultural Economics	Soil resources
Agronomy and Irrigation	Government Schemes	Ecology

IBPS SO Syllabus for Marketing Officer (Scale-I)

Basics of Marketing Management	Retail	Advertising	Product Life Cycle
Sales	Market Segmentation	Corporate Social Responsibility	Brand Management
Business Ethics	Service Marketing	Marketing Strategies	PR
Market research and forecasting demand

IBPS SO Syllabus for Law Officer (Scale-I)

Compliance and Legal Aspects	Laws and Actions with a direct link to Banking Sector	Prevention of Money laundering, Limitation Act	Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange
SARFAES	DRT Act	Bankers Book Evidence Act	Banking Ombudsman Scheme
Consumer Protection Act	Banking Regulations

IBPS SO Syllabus for HR/Personnel Officer (Scale-I)

Business policy and strategic analysis	Business Policy and Strategic Analysis	Training and Development	Rewards and Recognition
Transnational Analysis	Performance Management and Appraisal	Grievance and Conflict Management	Industrial Relations
Recruitment and Selection	Human Resource Development

IBPS SO Preparation – Effective Last-Minute Tips

Solving the previous year’s IBPS SO question papers is undoubtedly a tough nut to crack. While time management tips to prepare for IBPS SO 2021 help in planning the study routine, execution requires extra effort. Buddy4Study advises you to consider these aspects to execute your IBPS SO preparation plan.

1. Do not stray from the time allotted for one subject. The IBPS SO preparation routine should be followed diligently. Revisions should never be missed.
2. Topics should be studied from easy to difficult level
3. You should remember the theories mostly asked in the Quantitative Aptitude section.
4. Devote quality time on preparing the different sections of IBPS SO syllabus.
5. Don’t get stuck to only one subject. Your self-created timetable should have variations to prevent you from having a mental block.
6. Instead of reading something new, it is best to revise the IBPS SO syllabus.
7. Instead of practising orally, the written format should be opted during IBPS SO preparation. 
8. Designate a time to solve each question and gradually practice reducing the set time.
9. If stuck on a particular problem, divert your mind by studying some other topics or revising previously read topics, and then come back to solve the problem

IBPS SO Preparation – FAQs

What books are best to study before IBPS SO?

Candidates will find the required book list as per the subjects in the above article. However, study religiously from Kotler (Author) for IBPS SO Preparation (Mains).

How many questions do I need to solve during IBPS SO?

You need to solve 120 questions for Prelims and 60 questions for Mains. Each question carries 1 mark. However, there is 0.25 negative marking for incorrect or unattempted answers.

How many times can I attempt the mock tests to crack the IBPS SO exam?

There is no fixed limit to attempt the mock tests to prepare for IBPS SO. The more a candidate practices, the higher will be the chance to crack the IBPS SO entrance exam.

Should I continuously prepare for IBPS SO?

Practising for IBPS SO diligently with small breaks is the appropriate way to prepare for the exam. Taking breaks and exercising relieves the mind and body from exhaustion and invigorates the person to start studying again with enthusiasm. Also, don’t laze around during your IBPS SO preparation. Read newspapers and puzzles to refresh your tired mind.