IBPS SO Books

IBPS SO Books and study materials are the most critical aspects of preparing for the Specialist Officer exam. The selection of books impacts actual preparation in a major way. There are many exam preparation books, but some of them effectively cover most of the syllabus. Therefore, to choose IBPS SO preparation books,  all aspirants must become familiar with the IBPS SO Syllabus.

It is important to ensure that a candidate has the best study material, notes and books to prepare for the IBPS SO examination. In this article, we bring you the list of the best books for the preparation for the upcoming Specialist Officer exam.

To know more about the other IBPS exams, candidates visit the linked article.

The IBPS SO exam is conducted to recruit specialist officers for public sector banks in India. These specialist officers handle operations which require a high level of proficiency in one specific field and have the qualifications and experience to back them up. The following are the posts that the exam recruits for

The preparation for this examination consist of a few essential elements which are a robust preparation strategy, discipline and good books. This article provides a list of IBPS SO best books that candidates can use while preparing for the exam.

Candidates are advised to take IBPS SO Mock Tests for comprehensive preparation and revision of the exam.

The structure of the specialist officers exam consists of the following stages:

• Preliminary Examination
• Main Examination

Candidates appearing for the IBPS SO exam must check their preparation level by taking free Online Quizzes provided by BYJU’S.

The IBPS SO syllabus for the prelims is the same as the IBPS PO syllabus. Hence the books required for the prelims exam are the same as the IBPS PO books. The Mains examination has some common papers which can also be prepared using the same books. These subjects are

• Reasoning
• General Awareness with special reference to the banking industry
• English Language
• Quantitative Aptitude
• Computer Knowledge

For general awareness, section candidates must prepare the current affairs well and keep themselves updated with any recent development across the world. Since Specialist Officers have a certain level of proficiency in fields like IT, HR, Agriculture, Rajbhasha, Marketing and Law, hence they must follow different levels of books for a thorough knowledge of their subject. 

Before discussing the books in detail, candidates must be aware of the IBPS SO Exam Pattern:

Prelims, Mains and Interview make up the three parts of the IBPS SO Exam. Candidates must pass the Preliminary exam to qualify for the Mains exam, and then must pass the Mains exam to advance to the final interview stage.

Learn about the IBPS SO Exam Pattern in detail, in the linked article.

IBPS SO Books for Professional Knowledge

The Professional Knowledge section is a part of the Mains examination and since questions in this section are based on the specialisation the applicant opts for, scoring marks is also comparatively easy. Professional Knowledge books are specific to each area of specialisation as discussed below:

Information Technology: The IT field is constantly evolving and this is reflected in the exam. The IBPS SO exam preparation books required to cover the complete syllabus of professional knowledge are as follows:

• Objective Computer Knowledge by R Pillai
• Data Communications and Networking by Behrouz. A Forouzan
• A Computer for Competitive Exams: Fundamental of Computer with MCQs by RPH Editorial Board

It should be noted that the second book need not be covered completely. The chapters which deal with different network models and encoding systems are sufficient for the exam.

Agriculture: The agriculture syllabus is vast when it comes to the specialist officer exam. Hence, the following books are recommended for preparation:

• NCERT Science Textbooks: Classes VI-IX
• Agriculture Field Officer by R.Gupta
• IBPS – SO Agricultural Field Officer (Main) Exam by Dr Lalita Gaur

Most of the questions are asked about Agricultural Economics, Soil Resources, Animal Husbandry, Agroforestry, Basics of Crop Production, Horticulture, Seed Science, Agronomy and Irrigation, Agricultural Practices, Ecology, and Government Schemes.

Rajbhasha Adhikari: The Rajbhasha Adhikari syllabus is designed to select those who have a very good grasp of the Hindi language and grammar. These officers sign off on most communication conducted in Hindi within the bank as well as all advertising material drafted in Hindi. To prepare for this paper, candidates should read the following books:

• Upkar Prakashan’s Hindi Vyakaran Aur Rachna
• Rajbhasha Adhikari Guide by R.Gupta
• Rajbhasha/Hindi (Officers, Assistant, Managers) Recruitment Exam Guide (Popular Master Guide) by RPH Editorial Board

To know more about bank exams, check out:

Law: The IBPS SO Law syllabus is heavily focussed on commercial and corporate law. Hence, candidates who appear for the exam should revise these areas of the subject. In addition to this, practice for the exam using the following book:

• IBPS Specialist Officer CWE LAW Officer Online Exam Practice Work Book by Kiran Prakashan

This is the most recommended book, which includes all sorts of questions on Law Officers. Candidates should cover the syllabus and practice as much as possible in form of the mock tests.

Human Resources/Personnel: The HR syllabus for the IBPS SO exam focuses on case studies unique to the financial industry. The following books are useful for the exam:

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

Some of the important topics for aspirants are Training and Development, Business Policy and Strategic Analysis, Performance Management and Appraisal, Human Resource Development, Business Policy, and Strategic Analysis, Transnational Analysis, Industrial Relations, Grievance and Conflict Management, Rewards and Recognition, Recruitment and Selection, etc. 

Marketing: The marketing syllabus is relatively easy, however, the paper reflects the fast pace that the marketing field evolves. Keeping this in mind, candidates should refer to the following books:

• Marketing Specialist Exam book by Upkar Prakashan
• Principles of Marketing by Kavita Sharma
• CWE-IBPS Bank-Marketing Specialist Officer Exam: Complete Book by Priyanka Prakashan

Advertising, public relations, brand management, marketing strategies, CSR, sales, market segmentation, business ethics, retail, market research and demand forecasting, service marketing, and product life cycle are essential topics.

These books are enough to cover the IBPS SO syllabus for the Professional Knowledge subjects and revise for the exam. Candidates should incorporate enough practice in their study plan and solve IBPS SO previous year’s question papers for comprehensive coverage.

Candidates can get the tips to crack Bank SO at the linked article.

IBPS SO Booklist for Other Subjects

Other than the Professional Knowledge books, there are other books which can help candidates prepare for the common IBPS subjects.

Given below is the list of IBPS SO books for the other sections. Candidates can choose the best books from the following and start their preparation accordingly:

Candidates can check the IBPS Books page to get the booklist for other IBPS exam preparation.

How are the IBPS SO Books Useful?

Candidates either prepare by themselves at home or take assistance or Guidance from somewhere, in either case having the best books to prepare is extremely important.

There are multiple advantages of considering the best books for the preparation of the Specialist Officer exam:

• All the essential topics with regard to the IBPS SO syllabus are covered in the books
• Sample questions and examples along with their solutions help the candidate solve more and more questions based on each topic
• One may also be able to analyse the types of questions which may be asked from each topic
• Systematically all the topics can be covered
• In case of doubts, the solutions can be referred to

BYJU’S has the latest notifications, study material and strategies for the IBPS exams which candidates can use.

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