Introduction

Are you worried about the declining job security and high competition amongst law graduates?

Are you a law graduate looking for a secure job with a PSU bank?

Do you want a top-tier legal job that has no complicated qualification requirements?

If you are wondering whether there is an opportunity for law graduates in the public sector banks that provide job security, high pay, and assured growth over the duration of your career, then the IBPS Specialist Officers exam is perfect for you.

The IBPS Specialist Officers exam can get you a Law Officer’s job across 11 nationalised banks. The job has a heavy focus on the banking sector, steady pay, and the perks of being a public sector employee.

List of banks that recruit through IBPS-SO Exam: 

1. Bank of Baroda
2. Bank of India 
3. Bank of Maharashtra 
4. Canara Bank 
5. Central Bank of India 
6. Indian Bank 
7. Indian Overseas Bank 
8. Punjab National Bank 
9. Punjab and Sind Bank 
10. UCO Bank 
11. Union Bank of India 

The exam is consistently held every year, and you have an opportunity to work in big cities because the legal team of these banks is posted in big cities and works closely with their headquarters.  

The preliminary exam is tentatively conducted in the month of December, mains in January and interview in February. The results are declared by April along with provisional allotment of the selected candidates. 

You can prepare effectively for this exam by studying for just 2 hrs a day for a span of 6 months.

Why you should attempt the IBPS-SO Exam

• Lower competition compared to exams like judiciary and civil services
• If you don’t crack IBPS-SO you can still prepare for SBI-PO, IBBI, IBPS RRB, SEBI Grade A or RBI Grade B Exam as the syllabus is complementary - reach out to our counsellors for a plan.  
• Opens up opportunities for lucrative private sector jobs in the financial sector 
• Preparation pattern opens up opportunities for certain non legal competitive exams such as SSC, UPSC etc.

Key features of the IBPS-SO Exam

The exam pattern entails three phases. 

Phase I: Prelims (does not have any law subjects, MCQ-only)

This exam has 3 sections: 

i. Reasoning: 50 questions (50 marks, 1 mark each, can attempt in English or Hindi medium)

Themes: Seating Arrangement, Puzzles, Syllogism, Coding Decoding, etc.

ii. English Language: 50 questions (25 marks, 0.5 marks each) [this can be attempted in English medium only, of course!]

iii. General Awareness with special reference to Banking Industry: 50 questions (50 marks, 1 mark each, can attempt in English or Hindi medium)

There are 2 hours in total, and there is also a sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section. 

So, the total number of questions in the first phase is 150 questions. Total awardable marks in this phase to be 125 marks. Negative marking for each wrong answer is -0.25 marks. 

The test is online and must be attempted at a designated centre (list here).  

There are Sectional Cutoffs in Phase 1:

- English: 10.25 marks (for General/EWS category); 7.75 for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD (Max Markes awarded - 25)

- Reasoning: 10 marks (for General/ EWS category); 5.75 for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD (Max Markes awarded - 50)

- General Awareness: 5.75 marks (for General/ EWS category); 3 for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD (Max Markes awarded - 50)

Phase II: Mains (only has law subjects, MCQ-only)
 
Subject tested: Professional knowledge: 60 questions (60 marks, one mark each), to be attempted in 45 minutes. 

The official notification does not mention the subjects that one will be tested upon. 

There are Sectional Cutoffs in Phase 2:

Professional Knowledge: 17.25 marks for General/ EWS category), 13.25 for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD

Phase 1 and phase II are conducted online. For a candidate who clears the first 2 stages, an in person interview is conducted.

The last phase of the examination is the interview round for 100 marks, which makes this round extremely important as well. 

Eligibility: Minimum age is 20 years and maximum is 30 years. 

There are age relaxations for OBCs (non-creamy layer) (3 years), SC/ST (5 years), ex-servicemen (5 years), persons with disabilities (10 years).  

There is no limit on the number of attempts.   

You must have obtained an LLB degree and you should be enrolled as an advocate with the State Bar Council.

Key highlights of LawSikho’s IBPS-SO (Law) entrance exam training program

• Minimum two live classes per week of 1-1.5 hrs each, recordings available
• Updated study materials on our Learning Management System
• Weekly timetable and target setting  
• Hard copies are provided, no need to buy additional books 
• Dedicated preparation for interviews, start studying from mains and interview from Day 1 
• All non-legal subjects are covered from scratch specifically to cater to needs of law students and law graduates
• Practice assignments every week
• More than 100 mocks for prelims and mains (self-assessment) + monthly mocks
• Specialised sessions and mocks for last-minute revision
• Guest lectures from Specialist Officers who cleared the exam and are now working in the public sector banks
• Daily support on current affairs and financial awareness
• One-on-one counselling support via Zoom sessions

Syllabus of LawSikho’s IBPS-SO (Law) Training Program

Part 1: Prelims

Concept and exhaustive practice modules comprising difficulty levels of easy, medium, tough and assorted on:

English Language

- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Detection of Errors 
- Improving sentence structure
- Completion of Paragraphs 
- Para Jumbling 
- Fill in the blanks 
- Parts of speech 
- Modes of narration 
- Prepositions 
- Active/Passive Voice change

Reasoning
 
- Seating Arrangement
- Syllogism 
- Blood relations 
- Puzzles 
- Inequalities 
- Input-Output 
- Coding- Decoding 
- Data- Sufficiency 
- Order and Ranking 
- Alphanumeric series 
- Distance and direction 
- Verbal reasoning 
- Non-verbal reasoning 

General Awareness: 

- Current Affairs 
- Static GK 
- Banking awareness
- International Awareness 
- National Awareness 
- Countries, capitals and currencies 
- Books, authors and awards 
- Headquarters
- Prime Minister Schemes 
- Government Policies 
- Important dates and events 

Part 2: Mains

- Banking regulations 
- Compliance and Legal aspects 
- Relevant Law and Orders related to negotiable instruments, securities, foreign exchange
- Prevention of Money-laundering Act
- Limitation Act
- Consumer Protection Act
- Banking Ombudsman
- Laws and Actions with a direct link to Banking Sector
- Bankers Book Evidence Act
- Debt Recovery Tribunals Act
- Constitution Of India
- Indian Contract Act
- Specific Relief Act
- Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Criminal Procedure Code,1973
- Indian Evidence Act,1872
- Civil Procedure Code,1908
- Jurisprudence and Interpretation of Statutes
- Important Latin terms and maxims
- Law of Torts
- Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
- Transfer of Property Act, 1882
- Companies Act, 2013
- Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
- SEBI Act, 1992
- SC(R) Act, 1956
- Depositories Act, 1996
- Taxation law
- Indian Partnership Act, 1932
- Law of Trusts – Parties to a Trust Deed and Duties of Trustees
- Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
- Information Technology Act,2000
- Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002
- The Right to Information Act, 2005
- Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited, 2000
- FEMA
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
- RERA
- Sale of Good Act
- Succession Act
- Stamp Act
- Registration Act

Part 3: Interview

- Technical support on legal and non legal knowledge component

- Regular sessions with experts on how to prepare for the interview round 

- Detailed feedbacks of personality rounds
 
- 5 Panel interviews 

Money-back policy

After following the weekly time-schedules, attending all the live classes and attempting weekly Practice Tests for the initial one month, if you feel that the course is not up to the mark, we guarantee you a refund.

View Refund Policy

What is the career potential after doing this course?

• If you qualify as an IBPS-SO (Law), you can start with the role of Law Officer (Scale 1) in any one of the 12 participating PSU banks. 
• In 5 to 6  years, you can get promoted to the role of Senior Manager with a Grade Scale ranging between IV to V. This is a very respectable and powerful position, and you can earn a base pay of up to Rs. 100350 with additional lucrative perks. For someone with exceptional leadership skills one may even reach the level of a Chief Manager with a minimum of 10 years of experience.  
• If you want, you can always shift to working in private sector banks, NBFCs or other financial-sector organisations after working for a few years, due to your vast experience in the PSU, which is highly valuable for any such organisation.

Course Structure

Preliminary

Mains

Training Methodology

Online 24/7 access

Access to basic study material through online learning management system, Android and iOS app

Hard Copy Study Material

Hard copy study material modules to be couriered to your address at extra printing cost

Practical Exercises

Daily quizzes as per Weekly targets and bi-monthly time bound mocks based on the syllabus covered.

Live Online Classes

There will be live online classes based on concepts and practice sessions. You can ask questions, share your screen, get personal feedback in this class.

Convenient Class timings

Classes are held at conducive timings after regular work hours keeping in mind the requirements of college students as well as working professionals. Weekend classes are given preference.

Live Doubt Clearing

You can ask questions, get your doubt cleared live, through counselling support as well as through online forums

Certification

This course is recognized by the National Skill Development Corporation, a PPP under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of the Government of India. You will receive a certificate cobranded by NSDC and Skill India on successful completion.

This is how the certificate from NSDC and Skill India will look as per the current applicable format (may change as per the approval authorities):

Client Opportunities & Recruitment Support where required

Many employers, law firms and companies are happy to recruit our high performing students. If you do well in your exercises and classes, we can help you to get jobs, internships and assessment internships in good law firms, with renowned lawyers as well as in various companies and fast-growing startups. 

Our team helps our students in building their profile on LinkedIn and freelancing platforms to increase their reach to the potential recruiters or clients, and earn on the side by performing remote work.

We also share multiple internship/recruitment opportunities every week in our course groups. 

Our experts guide the students on how to crack interviews, including assisting with mock interviews.

Our mentorship team helps students to design their own path based on their personal interests.

What are my backups if I am unable to clear this exam?

No matter how seriously you prepare, success in a competitive exam is never a certainty. 

The most relevant backups are attempting the SBI PO exam and IBPS-RRB Officer as the syllabus for these exams is very similar, just by preparing for the IBPS-SO Exam.   

In addition, you can also attempt the SEBI Grade A and RBI Grade B Exam - while the syllabus is not entirely similar, there are many common subjects. With some additional preparation, you can prepare for these exams effectively.  

If you do not qualify any of these exams despite preparing seriously, you can opt for private sector jobs. You will have a huge advantage over other applicants due to hundreds of hours of preparation in financial sector subjects which others will not have.    

We also recommend that you clear the Limited Insolvency Exam organised by the IBBI, even if you do not have 10 years of experience as a practitioner. 

This will give you another advantage while applying for private sector jobs in law firms,  accountancy and CS firms, banks, supply chain financing companies, NBFCs, and other securities and financial sector organisations, as many of these organisations prefer to hire IBBI Limited Insolvency Exam qualified candidates. 

Speak to our counsellors for any available packages regarding preparation for backups. 

How can I be financially independent while I prepare for this exam?

Our team assists you to learn skills which will help you in performing remote freelance work as a paralegal for startups, lawyers, law firms and companies in developed countries like US, UK and Canada and earn on the side. Please reach out to our counsellors to learn more about how you can access these services.

Note: Hard Copy

We provide for Hard Copies, but the cost is not originally included in the current sum charged. Upon undertaking the Course you may order for hardcopies by incurring an approximate cost of Rs. 5000 (Shipping Charges extra).  The content that is covered in hard copies has further been demonstrated in the Course guidelines.

Scheme of the Exam

Syllabus for Preliminary Stage

Syllabus for Mains