Bank PO Exam:
One of the most prestigious posts that one can acquire through a bank examination is that of the PO or the Probationary Officer. This post entails good promotional opportunities and a very high pay scale with perks in the long run and hence if one starts out early, then this is a really good post to aim for. There are some strict guidelines that will need to follow in order to sit for and clear the Bank PO Exam. This is not exactly an easy process and hence candidates have to work really hard to make sure that they make the cut and get the job offer. If you are thinking about aiming for the post of a probationary officer, then here are some pointers that you need to keep in mind for the Bank PO exam.
Who is a Probationary Officer in a bank?
The most fundamental duty of a probationary officer is to make sure that they can address all the queries that a customer might come up with. There might be customers who need some queries answered about their investments, or someone might even want their account balances checked. Some might have enquiries about the various finances that they make. Whatever the query might be and whichever department it might be related to, the bank PO will be in charge of answering them. This is why probationary officers are generally young and need to be enthusiastic about learning and helping others. Before you sit for the Bank PO Exam you need to know that as the name suggest this scale 1 level managerial job begins with a probationary period. It is during this period that the POs will be trained and then allotted respective appointments in different branches. This training and probationary period generally vary from one bank to another and it generally does not last more than 2 years.
Check out the complete list of bank PO Exams here.
What do you need to sit for the Bank PO Exam?
There are a few things that you need to clarify first before you can sit for the Bank PO Exam once the vacancies are out. First and foremost, you need to meet the eligibility criteria. The most important eligibility criteria for a candidate who is seeking a position as a Bank PO are that:
- The candidate must be in the age bracket of 21-30 years, and
- The candidate must have passed out with a graduation degree from a recognised college or university of the country.
The eligibility criteria are more or less the same for every other PO exam. It is also important to remember here that there are mainly three types of PO examinations that are conducted in the country. There is one which is conducted by the private banks, there is one which is conducted by SBI and is highly competitive and there is the common entrance examination for POs, which is conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection or the IBPS which is affiliated to the Indian government. You can sit for the Bank PO Exam of any one of these banks or apply in all of them, depending on where you wish to work.
Check out the detailed syllabus here.
How to become a Probationary Officer?
Becoming a probationary officer can prove to be quite a task. There are three stages that will help you to become one. In the first stage which is known as the prelims, you will have to clear a written examination which will consist of 100 questions. In the second stage which is known as the mains, you will have to attempt 200 questions and qualify for it. Once you qualify in the second step, then only will you be asked for a group interview and then finally a personal interview after which you will be allotted the bank branch where you will have to start your probationary period from.
Well, the PO vacancy posts need to be announced first by the respective banks and the application forms will be posted online on the official websites for interested candidates to access them. It is important that you start the preparation process, well before you fill out the application process. Keep a tab on websites that publish such notifications and also follow the newspapers for any Bank PO Exam vacancy updates. Once the notifications are out, check the eligibility criteria once more and then fill out the application form and submit it online. An admit card will be generated after a period of time, which you will have to carry on the day of the examination.
Preparation Time:
While you will have to keep in mind all the formalities that you will have to clear every step of the way, it is important to get ahead with your preparations as well.
In order to prepare yourself well for the prelims and the mains, you will need to focus on a few things. For starters, you will have to work on your skills of quantitative aptitude. This portion deals with arithmetic problems which are on a class IX and X grade. If you think you are weak in this portion then you have to start your practice as soon as you can. You need to have a good grasp of English grammar for your Bank PO Exam. You need to score well in logical reasoning as well if you want to clear the prelims. There will be both objective types as well as subjective type questions. For the mains, you will have to focus on the above mentioned three sections as well as current affairs and general knowledge, get an idea about the history of banking, important acts and regulations, commonly used banking terms etc and you will also need to have some basic computer knowledge and skill.
Click here to learn about the preparation strategy.
For the group discussion you will need to have logical points ready to be able to speak in a group and for the personal interview, it is important that you face the interviewers steadily and show them that you are enthusiastic to learn.
These are some of the basic pointers that anyone will need to follow in order to clear their Bank PO Exam. Get on with your preparations now!
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