Exam Pattern
Updated exam pattern of IBPS RRB SO Agriculture Officer Scale II - single online exam, interview, negative marking and final selection.
For IBPS RRB SO Agriculture Officer Scale-II, candidates appear for a single online examination. Shortlisted candidates are then called for a common interview. There is no preliminary exam for Officer Scale-II Specialist Cadre.
Selection Stages
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Single online examination |
| Stage 2 | Common interview |
| Final merit | Online exam + interview |
| Weightage | 80:20, online exam to interview |
Single Online Examination
The latest detailed pattern for Officer Scale-II Specialist Cadre is from CRP RRBs XIV.
| Sr. No. | Section | Medium | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional Knowledge | Hindi / English | 40 | 40 | 30 min |
| 2 | Reasoning | Hindi / English | 40 | 40 | 30 min |
| 3 | Financial Awareness | Hindi / English | 40 | 40 | 15 min |
| 4a | English Language | English | 40 | 20 | 30 min |
| 4b | Hindi Language | Hindi | 40 | 20 | 30 min |
| 5 | Computer Knowledge | Hindi / English | 40 | 20 | 15 min |
| 6 | Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | Hindi / English | 40 | 40 | 30 min |
| Total | 240 | 200 | 150 min |
Language Choice
Candidates have to choose one language paper:
- English Language as paper 4a
- Hindi Language as paper 4b
Choose the language where you can score steadily under time pressure.
Negative Marking
There is a penalty for wrong answers. For every wrong answer, one fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. No penalty is applied for unanswered questions.
Cut-Off Rule
Candidates must secure a minimum score in each test of the online single examination. Merely clearing sectional cut-offs may not be enough because candidates also need a sufficiently high total score to be shortlisted for interview.
IBPS may call candidates up to three times the declared vacancies in each category for interview, subject to availability.
Interview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Marks | 100 |
| Minimum qualifying marks | Not less than 40% |
| Relaxed minimum | 35% for SC / ST / OBC / PwBD candidates |
| Conducted by | Nodal Regional Rural Banks with assistance of NABARD and IBPS |
| Call letter | Downloaded from ibps.in |
Interview questions usually test:
- agriculture work experience
- crop loan and rural credit awareness
- KCC, PSL, NABARD, RBI and government schemes
- practical agriculture concepts
- local RRB and regional agriculture profile
- communication and officer-like judgment
Final Score Calculation
The final score is calculated using:
- online single exam marks, converted with 80% weightage
- interview marks, converted with 20% weightage
A candidate must qualify both the online exam and interview and rank high enough in merit for provisional allotment.
Document Verification
At interview, carry the documents listed in the call letter and notification. Important documents include:
- interview call letter
- valid photo ID
- date of birth proof
- graduation marksheets and degree certificate
- proof that result was declared by the eligibility cut-off date
- experience certificates
- caste / category / PwBD / EWS certificate, if applicable
- No Objection Certificate if employed in government, PSU, nationalized bank or financial institution
If documents do not prove eligibility, candidature can be cancelled even after clearing the written exam.
Exam Pattern Summary
RRB SO Agriculture is a speed-and-accuracy exam. The Agriculture section is important, but Reasoning, Quant, Finance, Computer and Language together carry heavy weight. Do not prepare it like a pure agriculture paper.