IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story: Deepanjan's Journey

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IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story: Deepanjan Das, currently working as a Marketing Officer at Bank of Baroda, shares his journey of perseverance and strategic preparation that led to his success in the IBPS Specialist Officer exam.

IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story Deepanjan’s Journey

Hailing from Silchar, Assam, Deepanjan completed his B.Tech in Automobile Engineering in 2012, followed by an MBA between 2012 and 2014. Although he briefly worked in the private sector, his aspirations soon shifted toward public sector banking. With determination, he began preparing for bank exams, starting with the IBPS SO Exam.

That attempt ended in disappointment—he missed the final cutoff by just 1.8 marks. While the result was disheartening, it also reaffirmed his belief that with the right strategy and effort, success was within reach.

Learning from Experience

Initially, Deepanjan had no clear plan or direction. He scoured the internet for tips, strategies, and resources. It was during this phase that he discovered Oliveboard and subscribed to their mock test series, which played a crucial role in helping him improve both his speed and accuracy. Over the next exam season, Deepanjan appeared for:

IBPS RRB PO
IBPS RRB Office Assistant
IBPS PO
IBPS Clerk
IBPS SO (Marketing Officer)

He successfully cleared the written stage of all these exams, ultimately receiving multiple job offers. He chose to join Bank of Baroda as a Marketing Officer, where he currently serves. Some of these offers were

Bank of Baroda as a Specialist Officer (Marketing)
Assam Grameen Vikas Bank as an Office Assistant
Bank of India as an Assistant
IBPS PO Reserved List (awaiting allotment)

Preparation Strategy and Insights

Deepanjan’s core advice to aspirants is to focus on selected topics rather than trying to master every area. Banking exams are time-bound and heavily emphasize speed and accuracy, not comprehensive subject mastery. Here are the key topics he recommends:

Quantitative Aptitude

Data Interpretation
Simplification
Number Series

Reasoning Ability

Syllogism
Coding-Decoding
Blood Relations
Input-Output
Puzzles

English Language

Reading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Double Fill-in-the-Blanks
Error Spotting

General Awareness, Computers, and Marketing Knowledge

To strengthen these sections, Deepanjan used a combination of standard reference materials and online resources:

GK and Banking Awareness: BSC Publications, GK Capsules, GKToday
Computer Awareness: Arihant’s Computer Awareness Book
Marketing Aptitude: Philip Kotler’s Marketing Management, MCQs from Kotler, and marketing91.com for conceptual clarity

Exam Experience: IBPS SO (Marketing Officer) 2016

According to Deepanjan, the level of the IBPS SO (Marketing Officer) 2016 exam was moderate. The professional knowledge section heavily tested core marketing concepts. Candidates with a solid foundation in marketing could answer confidently.

Branding
Buyer Behavior
Distribution Channels
Marketing Planning
4 Ps and 7 Cs of Marketing
Services Marketing
Marketing Research
Pricing and Promotion
Segmentation
Product Life Cycle
Types of Markets

The Quant, Reasoning, and English sections were comparatively easier than those in the IBPS PO exam.

IBPS SO (Marketing) Interview Experience

Deepanjan emphasizes that confidence is critical in interviews. Without it, even well-prepared candidates may falter. To prepare, he created a list of frequently asked banking and HR questions, crafted well-thought-out answers, and practiced delivering them aloud—often in front of a mirror. Some of the key questions he faced during his interview at UBI Towers, Kolkata (14/03/2016, Panel IV) included:

Why pursue an MBA after engineering?
Why not join the automobile industry after graduation?
Why did you leave your job, and why wasn’t it listed in the application form?
Questions about family background, including his father’s role in SBI
Hobbies: biking and travel (with follow-up questions about bike models and travel experiences)
Marketing-specific questions: ECGC, CRISIL, marketing strategies, and financial products
Basic banking knowledge: types of accounts, profit models, balance sheet components
Willingness to relocate to various Indian states

Final Advice to Aspirants

Deepanjan leaves aspirants with a strong message: give it your best shot. Success in competitive exams doesn’t always come on the first attempt. What matters most is consistency, smart preparation, and confidence—especially during interviews.

Oliveboard

The most comprehensive online preparation portal for MBA, Banking and Government exams. Explore a range of mock tests and study material at www.oliveboard.in