The IBPS Law Officer syllabus serves as a roadmap for your preparation. It helps you focus on topics that really matter for the exam. It is typically divided into two phases, i.e. prelims and mains exam. The IBPS SO Law Officer exam evaluates candidates in areas like English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge.
Candidates aiming for this exam should carefully analyse the IBPS Law Officer syllabus and exam pattern. The Preliminary Exam carries 125 marks, while the Mains Exam carries 225 marks. This article covers the expected syllabus for the IBPS SO Law Officer exam based on past trends and analysis, along with the latest pattern, preparation tips, and best books.
Check the Complete IBPS Law Officer Notification for 2026 Exam.
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus 2026
IBPS has announced 105 vacancies for the recruitment of Law Officer (Scale I). Those planning to appear in the written exam should understand the syllabus. This helps them avoid unnecessary topics. They will be able to give sufficient time to relevant topics, along with regular practice and revision. The selection process is divided into three stages: prelims, mains, and interviews.
The preliminary exam syllabus covers four subjects: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge. On the other hand, the main exam syllabus has five subjects: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge, and Descriptive Paper (English). Here are the key highlights of the recruitment drive for reference.
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Conducting Body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Post Name | Law Officer (Scale I) |
| Vacancies | 105 |
| Registration Dates | July 1 to 21, 2026 |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
| Sections | Prelims: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge Mains: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge, and Descriptive Paper (English) |
| Maximum Marks | Prelims: 125 marksMains: 225 marks |
| Negative Marking Scheme | 1/4th mark for every wrong answer |
| Official Website | https://www.ibps.in/ |
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus 2026 – Prelims & Mains
The IBPS SO Law Officer syllabus is divided into two parts, i.e. Prelims and Mains Exam. Both exams comprise sections such as English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge. However, the IBPS Mains exam also includes one extra section, i.e., the Descriptive Paper (English) section. IBPS have not yet released the official Law Officer syllabus. However, candidates can check the expected IBPS Law Officer syllabus for prelims and mains shared on this page.
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus for Prelims (Expected)
The IBPS Law Officer prelims exam syllabus covers 4 sections: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge. Aspirants have to qualify in each of the four tests by securing the minimum cutoff marks to be prescribed by IBPS.
However, the marks obtained in the prelims exam will not be counted to determine final merit. Candidates should master concepts and advanced topics to prepare well. Check the expected IBPS SO Law Officer syllabus for the prelims exam below:
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus for English Language
This section assesses your grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. It may include the following topics:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Fill in the Blanks
- Sentence Completion
- Grammar Rules
- Error Spotting
- Parajumbles
- Tenses
- Word Association
- Vocabulary
- Sentence Improvement
- Paragraph Completion
- Error Spotting, etc
IBPS SO Law Officer Syllabus for Reasoning
The reasoning section is designed to test the candidate’s logic, analytical thinking, and decision-making skills. It may include the following topics:
- Seating Arrangement
- Data Sufficiency
- Directions
- Blood Relations
- Alphabet Test
- Ranking and Order
- Coding-Decoding
- Tabulation
- Alphanumeric Series
- Coded Inequalities
- Puzzles
- Input-Output
- Logical Reasoning
- Syllogism, etc
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus for General Awareness
This section checks your knowledge of the latest events and Static GK with special Reference to the Banking Industry. It may cover the following areas:
- Current Affairs
- General Knowledge
- Financial Awareness
- Static Awareness
- Banking Awareness
- Banking Terminologies, etc
IBPS SO Law Officer Syllabus for Professional Knowledge
Professional Knowledge is the most important section of the exam as it carries the highest weightage. This section assesses your legal knowledge, conceptual thinking, and ability to apply legal principles to real events. Check the expected topics below:
- Constitution of India
- Companies Act
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
- Banking Regulation Act
- Indian Contract Act
- Information Technology Act
- RBI Act
- Negotiable Instruments Act
- Banking Laws
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)
- Legal Aptitude
- Consumer Protection Act, etc
IBPS Law Officer Syllabus for Mains
The IBPS SO Law Officer Main syllabus covers 5 sections: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge, and Descriptive Paper (English). In the Main examination, all tests except Professional Knowledge will be qualifying in nature.
The merit list will be prepared based on candidates’ scores in the Professional Knowledge. Check the expected IBPS SO Law Officer syllabus for the mains exam below:
| Subject | Important Topics (Expected) |
| English Language | Reading Comprehension Cloze Test Fill in the Blanks Sentence Completion Grammar Rules Error Spotting Parajumbles Tenses Word Association Vocabulary Sentence Improvement Paragraph Completion Error Spotting, etc |
| Reasoning | Seating Arrangement Data Sufficiency Directions Blood Relations Alphabet Test Ranking and Order Coding-Decoding Tabulation Alphanumeric Series Coded Inequalities Puzzles Input-Output Logical Reasoning Syllogism, etc |
| General Awareness | Current Affairs General Knowledge Financial Awareness Static Awareness Banking Awareness Banking Terminologies,etc |
| Professional Knowledge | Constitution of India Companies Act Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) Banking Regulation Act Indian Contract ActInformation Technology Act RBI Act Negotiable Instruments Act Banking Laws Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Legal Aptitude Consumer Protection Act, etc |
| Descriptive Paper | Formal Letter Writing Business/Official Communication Writing Essay Writing Report Writing Precis Writing, etc |
Before applying, check the detailed IBPS Law Officer Salary 2026.
IBPS SO Law Officer Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates should always check the exam pattern before preparing for the IBPS SO Law Officer Exam. It helps them understand the paper format, the number of questions asked, and the marking scheme. The preliminary exam will carry a total of 125 marks, whereas the main examination carries 225 marks.
There will be a negative marking of 1/4th or 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in the objective papers. Check IBPS SO Law Officer exam pattern for prelims and main examination below:
IBPS Law Officer Prelims Exam Pattern
The IBPS SO Law Officer Prelims exam will be conducted online and comprises 4 sections. The medium of the question paper will be English and Hindi, except for English Language. It consists of 100 questions carrying 125 marks. Each section has a time limit of 20 minutes, making the overall exam duration 80 minutes. Check the IBPS SO Law Officer Prelims Exam Pattern below:
| Sr. No. | Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 25 | 25 | English | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 25 | 25 | English and Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 3 | General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 25 | 25 | English and Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 4 | Professional Knowledge | 25 | 50 | English and Hindi | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 125 | 80 minutes |
IBPS Law Officer Mains Exam Pattern
The IBPS SO Law Officer Mains exam will be held online. It contains both objective and descriptive types of tests. The medium of the exam will be English and Hindi, except for the English Language and Descriptive Paper (English) section. The main exam carries a total of 225 marks. The overall exam duration will be 155 minutes. Check the IBPS SO Law Officer Mains Exam Pattern below:
| Sr. No. | Name of Tests | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Medium of Exam | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | English | 25 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 40 | 40 | English and Hindi | 35 minutes |
| 3 | General Awareness with Special Reference to Banking Industry | 30 | 30 | English and Hindi | 20 minutes |
| 4 | Professional Knowledge (Objective) | 50 | 100 | English and Hindi | 45 minutes |
| Total | 150 | 200 | 125 minutes | ||
| 5 | Descriptive Paper (English) | 2 | 25 | English | 30 minutes |
| Total | 225 | 155 minutes |
How to Cover IBPS SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026
Preparing for the IBPS SO Law Officer exam requires smart planning and consistency. You should first understand the syllabus and clear the concepts to avoid confusion. Here are tips and tricks to perform well in the written exam:
- Understand the syllabus to cover all the exam-oriented topics.
- Examine the exam pattern to get an idea of the question type, number of questions, and marking scheme.
- Create an effective study plan that ensures balanced coverage of the syllabus.
- Attempt mocks and PYQs to improve speed, accuracy, and decision-making.
- Revise all the topics regularly to retain concepts.
Best Books for IBPS SO Law Officer Preparation
The right set of books can help you stay on track throughout the IBPS SO Law Officer exam preparation. It will simplify the concepts and help you focus on topics that actually matter. Here is the list of the best IBPS SO Law Officer books for preparation:
| Subject | Book Name | Author/Publisher |
| Reasoning | A New Approach to Reasoning: Verbal and Non-Verbal | B.S Sijwali and Indu Sijwali |
| Verbal Reasoning | RS Agarwal | |
| Analytical Reasoning | MK Pandey | |
| English Language | English Grammar & Composition | Wren and Martin |
| Arihant Objective General English | S.P. Bakshi | |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | |
| General Awareness | Manorama Year Book | – |
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | Dr Binay Karna | |
| Arihant General Knowledge | Manohar Pandey | |
| Professional Knowledge | IBPS SO Law Officer with 1500+ MCQs | Diksha Singh |
| Singhal’s MCQs for SEBI (Law) Officer & IBPS Law Officer Exam Preparation Guide | Singhal’s and Sudhir Ahlawat | |
| Legal Examination Study Guide | DR. Mamtta Sahdev |
FAQs About IBPS Law Officer Syllabus
The preliminary exam syllabus covers four subjects: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Professional Knowledge.
The main exam syllabus has five subjects: English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge, and Descriptive Paper (English).
Yes. There will be a negative marking of 1/4th or 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in the objective papers.
The preliminary exam will carry a total of 125 marks, whereas the main examination carries 225 marks.
Best books are Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey, Arihant Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi and Lucent’s General Knowledge by Dr Binay Karna.
Candidates should analyse te syllabus, clear the concepts and practice mocks to prepare well for the exam.
Explore Other Law Exams in India: