Banking aspirants! The IBPS Specialist Officer (SO) Prelims kicked off on August 30, 2025, and Shift 1 is already making waves with its moderate challenge level. Thousands of you tackled the exam today, and from the feedback pouring in on X (#IBPSSO2025), it’s clear this round tested strategy as much as knowledge. If you’re prepping for later shifts or analyzing your performance, we’ve got the full breakdown—difficulty, good attempts, section-wise questions, and insider tips to rank higher. Ready to dive in? Share your Shift 1 experience in the comments—was it tougher than expected?
The first shift of IBPS SO 2025 Prelims was rated “Moderate” by most candidates, with a balanced mix of straightforward and tricky questions. English was the easiest (Easy to Moderate), while Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude/General Awareness leaned moderate. Overall good attempts hovered around 95-105 out of 150, giving you a shot at qualifying if you nailed 60-70% accuracy. X users are debating if the moderate level favors consistent preppers (#IBPSPrep2025). How many questions did you attempt? Let us know in the comments!
Let’s break it down by section—each had 50 questions, totaling 150 marks over 2 hours. Here’s what candidates faced:
This section was a breather for many, focusing on reading comprehension (10 questions, passage on tech impacts), cloze test (5-6 questions), error detection (5), and fillers (4-5). Para jumbles and phrase replacement rounded it out with 8-10 questions. No major surprises, but vocabulary tripped some up. X feedback highlights the RC as scoring (#IBPSEnglish). Struggled with vocab? Share your tips below!
Reasoning was time-consuming but doable, with 20 questions on puzzles and seating arrangements (floor-based, parallel row, square bidirectional). Input-output (5), direction sense (3-4), assumptions (3), alphanumeric series (3), coding-decoding (1), blood relations (5), inequalities (5), and data sufficiency (4) filled the rest. Puzzles were lengthy, per X chats (#IBPSReasoning). How did you tackle the puzzles? Drop your strategy in the comments!
Quant/GA mixed arithmetic (11 questions on boats, ages, profit/loss), wrong number series (6), quadratic equations (5), and data interpretation (pie chart, tabular, line graph, caselet—6 each). Data sufficiency (3) added twist. GA focused on current affairs, banking, and economy. X users found DI calculative (#IBPSQuant). Which topic stumped you? Tell us below!
Tips for Ranking High in IBPS SO 2025
Want to stand out in mains? Here’s how to boost your rank:
- Master Time Management: Allocate 40 minutes to your strong section—practice with timers for accuracy.
- Focus on Weak Areas: Use mocks to tackle puzzles in Reasoning or DI in Quant—aim for 80% in practice.
- Build Speed: Solve 50 questions daily per section; track progress with apps like Oliveboard.
- Stay Updated on GA: Read The Hindu daily and revise banking terms—focus on last 6 months’ events.
- Analyze Mocks: Review errors after each test; join X groups (#IBPSPrep2025) for peer tips.
What’s your top-ranking hack? Help fellow aspirants in the comments!
IBPS SO Prelims Shift 1 on August 30, 2025, was moderate but rewarding for prepared candidates. With good attempts around 95-105, focus on accuracy for mains. The #IBPSSO2025 vibe on X is motivating—join in! How did your shift go? Which tip will you use next? Drop your feedback in the comments—I’d love to hear your story! Stay tuned to ibps.in for results and keep prepping. Let’s conquer IBPS together!
FAQs About IBPS SO Prelims 2025
- Q: What was the overall difficulty of Shift 1? A: Moderate, with English easiest and Reasoning/Quant more challenging.
- Q: How many good attempts for qualifying? A: 95-105 overall, but aim higher for mains cutoff.
- Q: When will the results be out? A: Expected in September 2025—check ibps.in for updates.
- Q: Any surprises in the exam? A: Puzzles were lengthy, but no out-of-syllabus questions.
- Q: How to prepare for the mains? A: Focus on professional knowledge; practice descriptive writing.
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