IBPS SO English Language syllabus
See the full IBPS SO syllabus for the exam pattern and other sections.
English is the only section every IBPS Specialist Officer candidate sits, and it is weighted differently depending on the post. IT Officer, Agriculture Field Officer, HR and Personnel Officer and Marketing Officer candidates answer 25 questions for 25 marks in 20 minutes. Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari candidates answer 50 questions for 25 marks in 40 minutes, which is half a mark a question and the lowest value per minute on their paper.
Pattern
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT, Agriculture, HR and Marketing | 25 | 25 | 20 minutes |
| Law and Rajbhasha | 50 | 25 | 40 minutes |
A wrong answer costs one fourth of the marks assigned to the question. The section is separately qualifying on both papers, so the minimum IBPS sets has to be cleared regardless of the total. IBPS publishes no topic wise question count.
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Topics
- Reading Comprehension, including inference, tone and passage based vocabulary
- Cloze Test
- Error Spotting and Sentence Correction
- Para Jumbles and sentence rearrangement
- Fill in the Blanks, single and double
- Sentence Improvement
- Phrase Replacement
- Idioms and Phrases
- Word Usage, Word Swap and Word Rearrangement
- Paragraph Completion
- Paragraph Inference and Conclusion
- Match the Column
- Connectors and sentence combination
- Spelling and word formation errors
What is not in the syllabus
- No literature component. Passages are drawn from general, business and editorial writing
- No listening or speaking assessment
- No Hindi option for this section
- No published topic wise question split
- No descriptive English paper. The Mains descriptive paper for Law and Rajbhasha is written in the professional domain, not as a general essay
How to spend the time
The right strategy depends on which paper is being sat, and the two point in opposite directions.
On the four section paper, 25 questions in 20 minutes at one mark each is a fair rate, and the section is worth attempting properly. The quick formats, error spotting, fill in the blanks, phrase replacement and word usage, should be cleared before the comprehension passage, because a dense passage can consume half the block.
On the three section paper the arithmetic changes. Fifty questions carrying 25 marks means every question is worth half of what a Reasoning or General Awareness question is worth, and the section still takes 40 minutes of a 120 minute paper. Chasing all fifty is a poor trade. Because the section is separately qualifying, the sensible target is a clean, confident clear of the sectional minimum rather than a maximum, and that is usually reached through the short formats alone.
On both papers, accuracy matters more than volume. At 0.125 negative against a half-mark question on the Law and Rajbhasha paper, four wrong answers wipe out a correct one.
Common mistakes
- Using one strategy for both papers, when the weighting is completely different
- Chasing all 50 questions on the Law and Rajbhasha paper, where each is worth half a mark
- Opening the comprehension passage first and losing the quick questions to the clock
- Ignoring the sectional minimum on the assumption that a strong domain score compensates
- Guessing across five options at minus 0.125 on a half-mark question
- Spending preparation time here that the 80:20 merit split says belongs to Professional Knowledge
English across the IBPS SO papers
| Feature | IT, Agriculture, HR, Marketing | Law and Rajbhasha |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 25 | 50 |
| Marks | 25 | 25 |
| Marks per question | 1 | 0.5 |
| Time | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Separately qualifying | Yes | Yes |
| Counted in merit | No | No |
Frequently asked questions
How many English questions are in IBPS SO Prelims?
Twenty five for the IT, Agriculture, HR and Marketing posts, and fifty for the Law Officer and Rajbhasha Adhikari posts.
Why do 50 English questions carry only 25 marks?
On the Law and Rajbhasha paper each English question is worth half a mark, while Reasoning and General Awareness questions carry a full mark each.
Is the English section separately qualifying?
Yes, on both papers. The minimum IBPS sets for this test has to be cleared regardless of the overall score.
Is the section available in Hindi?
No. The English Language test is set in English only.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. One fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer.
How many reading comprehension questions are asked?
IBPS publishes no split. Past papers carry at least one passage, with the remaining questions spread across the shorter formats.
Should I aim to maximise this section?
On the four section paper it is reasonable value. On the Law and Rajbhasha paper it is the weakest value per minute, and clearing the sectional minimum efficiently is usually the better plan.
Does Prelims English count toward the final merit list?
No. Merit is built from the Main Examination and the interview in an 80:20 ratio.
Is English tested at Mains?
Not as a separate aptitude paper. The Mains paper is Professional Knowledge, with a descriptive component in the professional domain for Law and Rajbhasha candidates.
How should I practise?
Timed sectional papers on the paper matching your post, since the two weightings reward different attempt patterns. Try a free IBPS SO mock.