Bank PO stands for bank Probationary Officer. Banking sector basically recruits staff for officer grade and clerk grade . Probationary Officer (PO) is the name of post at the officer level. It is a highly reputed and very popular job among the job seekers today. Read this article carefully to find How to Prepare for IBPS / SBI PO?

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IBPS / SBI PO Exams : Complete Details for Your Success

IBPS / SBI PO Exams offers a very promising career to the young graduates. Besides Probationary Officers, banks also recruit Management Trainee (MT) and Special Officer (SO) which require specialized qualification.

In brief , a Probationary Officer is basically an Assistant Manager of Scale I in a bank and hence also called Scale I officer .

After final selection , a Probationary Officer is given an intensive training at the Institute of Banking Management (IBM ) .

Normally , a PO’s probation period lasts for 2 years . However , it may differ from bank to bank.

A PO is given rigorous training on  multiple subjects such as finance, accounting, billing, investment and above all customer care . Business promotion is of utmost importance for a sustainable growth of any bank  to remain a profit making entity.

After probation period , the Probationary Officer is given more serious responsibilities like business planning, budgeting, loaning, fund management etc.

To be precise , a Probationary Officer’s position in a nationalized bank has become focus of attraction among the job seekers .

The main reasons behind this craze are :

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Good Salary and Perks : IBPS / SBI PO

• Job Security 
• Low Work Pressure 
• Easy Loan at a attractive Rate of Interest 
• Opportunity to progress fast & become a Senior Officer in a short span
• Social Status

Every year thousands of vacancies are declared by various public sector and cooperative banks . However, the completion has become tough as a very large number of candidates apply for the job . 

IBPS and SBI are the two main recruiting bodies for the bank probationary officers  . SBI fills its vacancies through its own independent recruitment process . Besides , a number of other banks also  invite applications every year for selection of bank PO .

What is IBPS / SBI PO Recruitment Procedure?

Young job seekers often ask such questions as “How to become an IBPS/SBI PO ?” or what is the “bank PO syllabus?”

 In fact, IBPS and SBI  Probationary Officers’ Examination consists of three  stages :

1.    Preliminary Examination (NRA CET)

2.    Mains Examination

3.    Personality Test  / Interview

In order to qualify for IBPS or SBI Probationary Officers’ Examination, the aspirants are required to pass all the three rounds with good marks as it is a competitive examination.

Preliminary Exam: This is the very first step of the recruitment process. If a candidate qualifies this phase then he/she’ll be able to appear in the next round .

Only the candidates who qualify the preliminary examination are given Admit cards for the main examination .

Mains Exam : The overall marks score in IBPS or SBI Probationary Officers’ Mains Examination is  considered while making the  merit list for interview.

Group Discussion & Interview: The candidates who successfully qualify the mains are invited to appear  in GD & Interview .

The interviewers assess the candidates personally and rate them accordingly.

Final Selection: On the basis of candidates’ combined performance in Mains and Interview , the final list of successful candidates is declared . Provisional Allotment :  The official website releases the list of finalized candidates along with their allotted banks .

The provisional allotment of  IBPS Banks is done on the basis of candidates’ preferences which were made at the time of applying online .After the provisional allotment,  the respective banks intimate candidates about their joining dates and further procedure .

This pattern may differ for different Bank PO Examinations . The candidates are advised to properly check , on the official website of the concerned bank/organization , the eligibility criteria , syllabus and  selection process before applying for the post .

Note : Private sector banks like ICICI , Axis Bank etc. has their own selection process to fill their vacancies .

What is the Job Profile of a Bank PO?

A Probationary Officer performs number of duties as assigned by the bank .

Routine Banking Work : It includes maintenance of customer’s current and savings accounts, issuing drafts, clearing cheques, accepting deposits (long and short term), issuing debentures and processing loans .

Bank Supervision and Maintenance : A Probationary Officer is also expected to assign and check duties of subordinates and ensure proper delivery of uninterrupted routine banking services with full customer satisfaction under the bank rules and regulations .

Miscellaneous Work : A Probationary Officer can be assigned to handle any other banking tasks under normal or emergency situations to ensure the perfect routine banking activities and high customer satisfaction . The nationalized banks have their well-defined system for selection of officer and clerical staff .

Career Growth of Probationary Officer

The Probationary Officers join as Grade I Officer . However , within 3-5 years they can jump to Grade II officer.

The Probationary Officers are required to give a few written examinations and go through an interview process to get promoted to a higher designation .

Grade I >> Grade II >> Manager >> Assistant General Manager >> General Manager etc.

Thus we can see that Bank PO offers a very promising career option for the youth who desire to make their career in Banking sector.

So, the simple answer to those candidates who ask “Why Bank Probationary Officer  is a Good Career Option ? ” is that banking sector offers one of the best and most satisfying career growth . The following are some of the attractions for the young job seekers :

• Excellent Promotion Policies ( Fast Growths in Career from Probationary Officer to General Manager ) .
• Wonderful Salary Packages : Rs. 38000 per month plus Perks like Travelling, Housing, Medical Insurances and many others  .
• Fix Working Hours .
• Easy Loan Sanction at Lower Interest Rates .

So, the above details well answers students query like “ Why should one become a bank PO ?” or “Which is better bank PO or IT” ?

Important Tips : IBPS / SBI PO Exams

Students often ask “How to prepare for IBPS or SBI PO”.  First of all, students after deciding to choose banking as a career must check the eligibility criteria set by IBPS and SBI .

After that if, they are eligible to take the bank PO examinations , they must get acquainted with the complete examination pattern and start their preparation for the examination well in advance .

Since bank PO is a prestigious job , the competition is also high as thousands of graduates from different streams apply for the job every year .

Only systematic self-study , following the examination guidelines, can give you an edge over other applicants .

Since a major part of the syllabus is not normally taught in school or college levels , hence it is highly recommended the you prepare under someone’s proper guidance so that you may come out successful .

You should also keep in mind that your every second is precious hence you should always give preference to self-study rather than wasting your time in going to coaching center .

Here , you may take resort to e-books and Test Series by taking learning package of some good institution so that you may study under actual examination pattern and environment .

Also , since IBPS and SBI PO Preliminary and Main Examinations are conducted on-line , you must take up the on-line tests of various subjects , offered by the on-line institute . It will help you to practice under the actual examination environment .

In brief, it is of utmost importance that you solve all the online tests given by the institute before you take the actual examination.

Enroll now to Success Bureau online Bank PO programs now to ensure your success in the forthcoming IBPS / SBI PO examinations .

Major Recruiters : IBPS / SBI PO

Public Sector Banks are the major attraction for the job aspirants in India, because of the attractive salary structure , job security and other benefits . 

They are  :

• State Bank of India
• Nationalized Banks  which include Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Dena Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, Syndicate Bank, UCO Bank, United Bank of India , Union Bank of India etc .
• Other Public Sector Bank  :  IDBI Bank Limited  .
• Private Sector Banks  :  The major recruiters in the private sector include the ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Federal Bank, Centurion Bank of Punjab, Indus Ind Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, ING  Vysya  Bank, Bank  of  Rajasthan, Karur  Vysya  Bank, Karnataka Bank,  Jammu & Kashmir  Bank,  South  Indian  Bank,  Bharat  Overseas  Bank  etc .
• Co-operative Banks : All major National and State Co-operative Banks and Scheduled Urban Co-operative Banks conduct their own examination to recruit Officers . 
• RRBs ( Regional  Rural  Banks )  :  Regional rural banks in India have penetrated every corner of the country and extended a helping hand in the growth process of the country . There are a total of 82 banks across the country .

>>List of Banks in India

To become a banker , you can opt for the following  examinations  :

• NRA CET : First Level Examination
• IBPS PO     : As the name suggests , this examination is for Probationary Officers’ recruitment for  various participating banks .
• IBPS Clerk : This examination recruits Clerical staff or various participating banks .
• NIACL Assistant : New India Assurance Company Ltd. Recruits a large number of candidates for the post of Assistant . It is a very popular examination in which lakhs of candidate appear every year .
• RBI Grade B : This is one of the most sought after examinations among the banking job seekers . It is also conducted every year by the Reserve Bank of India which is a central bank .
• SBI PO
• SBI Clerk
• IBPS SO ( Special Officers )
• NABARD Assistant Manager Grade “A “and “B” . National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development recruits candidates for the post of Assistant Manager in Grade ‘A’ & Manager in Grade ‘B’ .  NABARD basically provides finance ( and refinance ) for development of agriculture and rural economy .

It is a financial institution  and  supervises  RRBs ( Regional Rural banks ) and Rural Cooperative Banks . It plays a major role in regulating supply of credit to rural and agriculture sector .

Career as Bank PO / Clerk/ SO

The Banking sector is one of the most preferred employment destinations in India . Recently, banking sector announcer over 14,500 jobs as a Clerk , Probationary Officer ( PO ) and Specialist Officers across India .

Indian banks conduct recruitment tests for the following cadres  :

1. Bank Probationary Officers ( PO ) 
2. Bank Clerks or Probationary Clerks 
3.  Bank Specialist Officers ( SO )

Career as a Bank Probationary Officer

This is entry level post for the managerial positions in banking industry. A Probationary Officer starts as a trainee officer in the Junior Management Grade Service (JMGS) of the bank and can rise to the highest grades of the bank in his career becoming a General Manager, a Director or even the Chairman of the Bank . 

A  Bank Probationary Officer is the most coveted post and is seen with tremendous respect in the society .

Therefore, each year bank Probationary Officers’ Examination attracts lakhs of talented graduates, post-graduates and professionals to compete for a few hundred or thousand vacancies notified by the banks.

Types of Bank Examinations

In nutshell , the Bank recruitment examinations are of the following types :

1. A series of Common Written Examinations ( CWEs ) conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) as a prerequisite for the selection of personnel for Probationary Officer / Management Trainee / Clerk / Specialist Officer posts in Public Sector banks ( other than SBI ) and for Officers and Office Assistants in Regional Rural Banks .
2. Examinations conducted by SBI for recruitment to the posts of Clerks and Officers .

Note : Recruitment by Private banks and PSBs through one year Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance ( PGDBF ) course                  in Manipal Global Education Services Pvt Ltd. Bangalore ( MaGE ) and Nitte Education International Pvt Ltd. Greater Noida ( NEIPL ) .

About IBPS – CWE

The Banking Industry is recruiting in a big way. In the next few years, banks will have to recruit lakhs of candidates.

IBPS (Institute of Banking Personnel Selection) conducts series of CWEs in a year – once for each of PO (General Banking Officer – GBO), Clerical (Single Window Operator – SWO), Specialist Officers for recruitment  into the Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks to cater to the need of the industry and also to the needs of job aspirants .

This means that aspirants are clear about when they should apply, and can plan their preparation in an organized and effective manner.

Participating  Banks

Almost all the major Public Sector Banks, except  SBI , participate in the CWE. The 20 banks which are participating in the CWE are Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Dena Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Syndicate Bank, Union Bank of India, United Bank of India, UCO Bank and Vijaya Bank.

Cut – Off  Score 

Each candidate will be required to obtain a minimum score in each section. There will be a second level cut-off point on total as per requirement. Depending on the number of vacancies available, cut-offs will be decided and candidates will be shortlisted for interview      ( For PO ) .

Prior to the completion of the interview process, scores obtained in the on-line examination will not be shared with the candidates shortlisted for interview .

There are no interviews for Clerks. Final selection for Clerks is based on the marks obtained in Main Examination .

Marks obtained only in the Main examination will be considered for short listing for interview ( for PO ) and also for Final merit listing .

Common Interviews for Bank Jobs

To put a check on multiple selections, IBPS has introduced a system of common interview  :

• Candidates who qualify in the CWE will be called for a Common Interview to be co-ordinated by IBPS .
• Order of preference for Banks will be obtained from candidates at the time of applying for the CWE.
• Candidates, successful in qualifying in both the CWE and Common Interview will be listed in the order of merit .
• Based on the total marks ( CWE + CI ) as well as the indication of order of preference of Banks and available vacancies, candidate will receive through a computerized system an offer from one of the Participating Public Sector Banks.
• Vacancies remaining unfilled on account of candidates declining offer, will be filled from among the remaining candidates .

Cut – Offs

The Job aspirant  should not  plan his/her preparation based on the cut-offs . One needs to score exceptionally high in written examination in order to be called for Interview.

Students often ask “How to prepare for IBPS or SBI PO”.

First of all , students after deciding to choose banking as a career must check the eligibility criteria set by IBPS and SBI .

After that if, they are eligible to take the bank PO examinations , they must get acquainted with the complete examination pattern and start their preparation for the examination well in advance .

Since bank PO is a prestigious job , the competition is also high as thousands of graduates from different streams apply for the job every year .

Only systematic self-study , following the examination guidelines, can give you an edge over other applicants .

Since a major part of the syllabus is not normally taught in school or college levels , hence it is highly recommended the you prepare under someone’s proper guidance so that you may come out successful .

You should also keep in mind that your every second is precious hence you should always give preference to self-study rather than wasting your time in going to coaching center .

Here , you may take resort to e-books and Test Series by taking package of some good institution so that you may study under actual examination pattern and environment .

Also , since IBPS and SBI PO Preliminary and Main Examinations are conducted on-line , you must take up the on-line tests of various subjects , offered by the on-line institute . It will help you to practice under the actual examination environment .

There are some online coaching institutes which focus more and more on teaching through Short –Cut  or Time – Saving Methods   .

Hence, it is advisable that before choosing an online institute , you must enquire whether  they give stress on Time – Saving Methods of not .

Special Note

If you are planning to appear in the forthcoming bank PO examinations, then you must read the above article It will give answer to all of your queries in this regard and keep you updated about the latest examination pattern and selection process.

The young job seekers want to know about “ Bank Probationary Officer ( Bank PO ) – Job , Profile , Career Scope , Recruitment , Salary”.

They often ask “What to do after 12th to become a bank PO” or What is the salary of bank PO” or “ What is better IBPS PO or Bank PO” or “What is the salary of a bank PO” or “ How can I study to become a bank PO” or “ what does a bank PO  work ?

What is “eligibility to be a bank PO” or “Why should one want to become a bank PO” or “What are the best ways to prepare for a bank PO job” or “What is the procedure to become a bank PO? ” or “What is the bank PO full form” ? You can Find Detailed Answers to All such Queries in the above Article.

Take Away

Now it is clear that in the first phase the government has introduced NRA CET to a limited number of Exams Like SSC CGLE, IBPS. However, Gradually, NRA CET would become the first level of the selection process of most of the government recruitment tests. Hence, it should give you the answer to the question “NRA CET: Why not Apply? ” Yes, since you have got complete details about this exam in this article “NRA CET: Why not Apply? you must apply for NRA CET Exam if you want to get a government .

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• Bank PO Syllabus