IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story: Aditya's Journey

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IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story: Aditya Singh, currently serving as an IT Officer at Punjab National Bank, shares his inspiring journey of cracking the IBPS SO exam. His experience reflects the resilience and focused strategy required to succeed in one of the most competitive exams in the banking sector.

Here’s Aditya’s IBPS SO IT Officer Success Story

Aditya began his preparation journey in August 2015. Like many aspirants, his path was not straightforward. He appeared in multiple government exams before finally achieving success in the IBPS SO (IT Officer) exam. These attempts were not failures but stepping stones that helped him understand the pattern, refine his preparation strategy, and build resilience.

Here are the exams he attempted before finally succeeding:

NABARD – Cleared Prelims and Mains but missed out in the interview
SBI Clerk – Cleared
SBI PO – Could not clear the Mains
LIC AAO – Did not clear, but it helped him understand the pattern of GA questions
RBI Grade B – Could not clear the Mains
IBPS PO – Cleared but did not join
IBPS SO IT Officer – Finally selected and joined Punjab National Bank

Section-wise Preparation Strategy

Aditya followed a methodical, subject-wise strategy tailored to the IBPS SO Exam.

Quantitative Aptitude

As a science graduate, Aditya found Quantitative Aptitude to be his strong area. He focused on intensive practice using R.S. Agarwal’s book, which he completed three times. He ensured that he practiced every question, including those at the end of each chapter, to build speed and accuracy.

Reasoning Ability

Reasoning became stronger over time with consistent practice. Puzzles were the most challenging part, but also the most scoring. According to Aditya, solving all puzzles correctly on the exam day can often be enough to clear the section. His key takeaway here is simple: the more you practice, the more confident and accurate you become.

English Language

Aditya considered English his comfort zone and did not spend excessive time preparing for it. However, he emphasized the value of reading The Hindu newspaper daily. It not only improved his comprehension and vocabulary but also kept him updated on current affairs, acting as a dual-purpose resource for English and General Awareness preparation.

General Awareness

Initially his weakest area, General Awareness became one of his strengths thanks to his experience with the LIC AAO exam. That attempt revealed the unpredictable nature of GA questions. He began following daily GA updates religiously from multiple online sources, eventually building a strong command over the section.

Professional Knowledge

This was the most crucial section of the IBPS SO (IT Officer) exam. Aditya focused primarily on three topics:

DBMS (Database Management Systems) – Fundamentals of Database Systems by Elmasri & Navathe
Operating Systems – Operating System Concepts by Silberschatz, Galvin & Gagne
Networking – Data Communications and Networking by Forouzan

Among these, DBMS proved to be the most significant, with nearly 60–70% of the questions in the exam coming from this area. Aditya advises aspirants to thoroughly revise these topics, focusing on theory rather than numerical problems, as the questions are largely theoretical in nature.

General Advice to Aspirants

Aditya encourages all aspirants to shift from traditional pen-and-paper study to online preparation, as exams today require speed and adaptability. He highlights the importance of:

Solving mock tests regularly
Spending time on detailed analysis of those mocks
Identifying three sections to focus on and turning them into strengths

According to him, success does not come just from hard work—it comes from working hard in the right direction.

Role of Oliveboard

Aditya credits a significant part of his success to Oliveboard’s preparation platform. He made full use of their mock tests, sectional tests, and topic-wise practice questions. The platform acted as his online classroom for a year, helping him stay disciplined and focused. He also appreciated the support and responsiveness of the Oliveboard team, which helped him clarify doubts and stay motivated throughout his preparation.