Recruitment Professional National

IBPS SO Agriculture Field Officer

bank officer scale · ₹8–12 LPA

Agriculture and Horticulture

Who can appear

Eligibility to appear

Graduation

Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Dairy, Fishery, Agri Marketing, Co-operation, Forestry, Agricultural Biotechnology, Food Science, Agriculture Business Management, Sericulture or Agricultural Engineering A four-year bachelor's degree in one of the listed agriculture and allied subjects. Age band and the accepted subject list change between notifications - confirm against the current one.

Eligibility to appear is not the same as eligibility to be admitted. Individual institutions add their own criteria on top of the exam's rules.

Overview

What this exam is

The specialist officer recruitment route into public sector banks for agriculture graduates, conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. Selected candidates join as scale one officers handling agricultural lending - it is a banking career that requires agricultural knowledge, not an agricultural job.

Subjects

What the paper tests

A preliminary stage covering reasoning, English and general awareness with a banking and economy focus, then a main paper of professional knowledge in agriculture - agronomy, horticulture, animal husbandry, soil and water, agricultural economics and government schemes for the sector. An interview follows.

PreparationPlan

How to prepare

The professional knowledge paper decides the outcome and rewards breadth across the whole agriculture syllabus rather than depth in your specialisation. Keep current on government schemes for the rural and agricultural sector, which are tested and which change. Be clear about the work before you commit: it is loan appraisal, field verification, recovery and targets, and officers are transferable across rural branches.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Connect this exam to a complete admission plan

Confirm the course, the deadline and the official notification instead of preparing from the exam name alone.

Open exam calendar Check registrations, exam dates, results and counselling. Compare accepted courses Review the courses and eligibility connected to this route. Explore full pathways See how exams connect education stages to careers.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Is this an agriculture job or a banking job?

A banking job that requires agricultural knowledge. You join as a scale one officer handling agricultural lending - appraising loans, verifying land and crops in the field, and pursuing recovery. Candidates expecting extension or farm work are frequently surprised.

Which degrees are accepted?

A four-year bachelor's degree in agriculture or an allied subject such as horticulture, animal husbandry, veterinary science, dairy, fishery, forestry or agricultural engineering. The accepted list changes between notifications, so confirm yours is included.

What decides selection?

The professional knowledge paper. General aptitude gets you through the preliminary stage, but the agriculture paper is where candidates are separated, and it rewards breadth across the whole syllabus rather than depth in your specialisation.

Will I be posted in a city?

Usually not. Agricultural lending happens where agriculture is, so rural and semi-urban branch postings are normal and transfers within the region are part of the service.