IBPS SO Prelims 2025 Exam Pattern
Before analyzing the exam, let’s revisit the prelims exam pattern.
For Law Officer & Rajbhasha Adhikari:
English Language – 50 Questions, 25 Marks
Reasoning Ability – 50 Questions, 50 Marks
General Awareness (with Special Reference to Banking Industry) – 50 Questions, 50 Marks
Total – 150 Questions, 125 Marks, 2 Hours
For IT Officer, HR/Personnel Officer, Marketing Officer, Agriculture Field Officer:
English Language – 50 Questions, 25 Marks
Reasoning Ability – 50 Questions, 50 Marks
Quantitative Aptitude – 50 Questions, 50 Marks
Total – 150 Questions, 125 Marks, 2 Hours
IBPS SO Exam Analysis 2025 – Overall Difficulty Level (Shift 1)
Based on candidates’ feedback, the overall difficulty level of IBPS SO Prelims 2025 Shift 1 was:
English Language – Easy to Moderate
Reasoning Ability – Moderate to Difficult
Quantitative Aptitude / General Awareness – Moderate
Overall Difficulty Level – Moderate
This means candidates with clear concepts and good time management found the paper manageable, while some faced challenges in reasoning puzzles and data interpretation.
IBPS SO Exam Analysis 2025 – Good Attempts
| Section | Total Questions | Good Attempts (Shift 1) | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | 28–32 | Easy–Moderate |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 26–30 | Moderate–Difficult |
| Quantitative Aptitude / General Awareness | 50 | 25–29 | Moderate |
| Overall | 150 | 79–88 | Moderate |
A score within this good attempts range should be considered safe for clearing the prelims cut-off, though final cut-offs will depend on normalization and vacancies.
Section-Wise IBPS SO Prelims Exam Analysis 2025
1. English Language (Easy to Moderate)
The English section was relatively simple with a focus on comprehension and vocabulary. Most candidates managed this part comfortably.
Topics Covered:
Reading Comprehension (RC) – 2 sets (one based on economy, another on technology) – 15 Questions
Error Detection – 7 Questions
Sentence Rearrangement/Para Jumbles – 5 Questions
Fill in the Blanks (Double Fillers) – 5 Questions
Word Swap – 5 Questions
Cloze Test – 5 Questions
Phrase Replacement – 8 Questions
Memory-Based Questions Examples:
RC passage on Artificial Intelligence in Banking.
Error spotting: “He don’t know the answer to the question.” (Identify the error)
Fillers: “The committee has _____ a decision to implement reforms.” (taken/made)
Overall Difficulty – Easy to Moderate.
2. Reasoning Ability (Moderate to Difficult)
The reasoning section was time-consuming, with a higher number of puzzles and seating arrangements. Candidates with strong logical skills performed better.
Topics Covered:
Puzzles & Seating Arrangement – 25 Questions (linear, circular, floor-based)
Syllogism – 5 Questions
Inequality (Direct & Coded) – 5 Questions
Blood Relation – 3 Questions
Direction & Distance – 2 Questions
Coding-Decoding – 5 Questions
Logical Reasoning / Statement-Assumption – 5 Questions
Memory-Based Questions Examples:
Puzzle: 10 people sitting in 2 rows facing each other.
Inequality: A > B = C ≥ D < E. Find true relation between A and E.
Coding: If CAT = 24, BAT = 23, then RAT = ?
Overall Difficulty – Moderate to Difficult.
3. Quantitative Aptitude / General Awareness (Moderate)
For IT/HR/Marketing/Agri candidates, this section was Quantitative Aptitude, while for Law/Rajbhasha it was General Awareness.
(A) Quantitative Aptitude (Moderate)
Topics Covered:
Data Interpretation (DI) – 15 Questions (Bar graph, Caselet, Pie chart)
Quadratic Equations – 5 Questions
Number Series (Missing & Wrong) – 5 Questions
Simplification/Approximation – 10 Questions
Arithmetic Word Problems – 15 Questions (Profit & Loss, SI-CI, Time & Work, Probability, Mensuration, Ratio)
Memory-Based Questions Examples:
DI: Bar graph showing sales of 5 products over 4 years.
Series: 2, 6, 18, 54, ?
Arithmetic: A can complete a work in 12 days, B in 18 days. Together in how many days?
(B) General Awareness (Moderate)
For Law/Rajbhasha candidates, GA was focused on banking and current affairs.
Topics Covered:
Recent RBI Policies & Monetary Updates
Government Schemes (PM Vishwakarma, Atmanirbhar Bharat updates)
Banking Awareness (NPA, Digital Rupee, UPI growth)
Static GK (Bank headquarters, Taglines)
Current Affairs (June–August 2025 focus)
Memory-Based Questions Examples:
RBI Repo Rate as of August 2025.
Headquarters of NABARD.
Question on International Solar Alliance.
Overall Difficulty – Moderate.
Student Reactions
Most candidates rated the exam as moderate, with English being the easiest.
Reasoning was the trickiest due to lengthy puzzles.
Quantitative Aptitude had a mix of easy simplification and tricky DI sets.
GA section was factual but doable for those updated with current affairs.
Expected Cut-Off for IBPS SO Prelims 2025
While the official cut-off will be released after results, based on today’s analysis:
General Category (IT/Marketing/HR/Agri): 82–88 Marks
General Category (Law/Rajbhasha): 75–80 Marks
OBC/EWS: Slightly lower by 3–5 marks
SC/ST: Lower by 6–10 marks
Conclusion
The IBPS SO Exam 2025 August 30 Shift 1 Prelims was of moderate difficulty. English was scoring, reasoning was the toughest, and Quant/GA was moderate. Candidates with strong basics and time management should feel confident about clearing the prelims.
Now, aspirants must start preparing for the IBPS SO Mains Exam, which focuses on professional knowledge related to their chosen specialization.
