All you need to know about IBPS PO

What is IBPS PO Exam?

• It is important to know first that each private bank has its own system of hiring applicants which is through a written examination followed by an interview.
• Though SBI is a public undertaking sector bank, it conducts its own separate examination for the PO and the clerical posts.
• Then there is the IBPS or the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection which conducts a common entrance test for all the other PSU banks that are registered with it, the IBPS is affiliated to the Government of India.
• The IBPS exam started in the year 2011 and accepts applications via the online mode only.
• It is now known as the IBPS Common Written Examination and selects candidates for 27 public sector banks and RRBs.

IBPS PO 2018 Dates

For the session 2017-18, the preliminary exam is scheduled to take place on the 13^th, 14^th, 20^th as well as 21^st October 2018 whereas the main examination is scheduled to take place on the 18^th of November 2018. These are tentative dates and students are advised to keep a check on the official site for more information. The registration process is to start in the month of August the official announcement of which will be made soon.

How To Apply?

1. The application is to be done online. The student will need an email ID, scanned photo and scanned signature.
2. The application fee will have to be paid online. It is Rs. 600 for general and others and Rs. 100 for SC/ST/PWD.
3. The candidates then will have to download the admit card from the official website and keep a hard copy of the same.
4. The same has to be carried for the preliminary and main exam the date of which needs to be checked online.
5. The students qualifying for both exams will be called for an interview.
6. Allotment schedule will be given out.
7. Final placement will be a decision of the respective banks and organizations. To know more about related topics, click here.

Syllabus IBPS PO

The IBPS doesn’t release any detailed syllabus for the exam. However, based on the previous year papers, the following is the syllabus of the IBPS PO. You can find the detailed syllabus here.

Quantitative Aptitude

Check the complete IBPS PO Syllabus here.

General Awareness

Check the complete IBPS PO Syllabus here.

Reasoning Ability

Check the complete IBPS PO Syllabus here.

Computer Aptitude and Knowledge

Check the complete IBPS PO Syllabus here.

English Language

Check the complete IBPS PO Syllabus here.

It is to be noted that the syllabus for both, mains and preliminary remain the same. Just that mains has all subjects whereas preliminary has quants, English and reasoning.

Selection Process

More than 20 lakh candidates appear for the examination but IBPS provided only 3562 vacancies. This is expected to be more or less the same this year.

The notification is expected to be released shortly after which the recruitment process will start. The candidates who are interested and eligible must register for the recruitment on the official website of IBPS.  The selection process includes three steps, the first being the preliminary exam followed by the main exam and the interview. It is a step-by-step process and students need to pass one to qualify for the other.

IBPS Exam Stages

Stage 1: Preliminary Exam

This is an online examination. Students need to clear this in order to qualify for the mains. The total duration for this is 60 minutes and consists of 3 sections, English language (30 questions), numerical ability (35 questions) and reasoning (35 questions), carrying 100 marks in total. Each correct answer carries 1 mark whereas a wrong answer leads to a deduction of 0.25 marks. This is in a multiple choice format.

Stage 2: The Mains Exam

This is an online stage and has two separate parts. The first part has 4 sections namely: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (45 questions), English (35 questions), Data Interpretation and Data Analysis (35 questions) & General Economy & Banking Awareness (40 questions) adding up to a total of 155 questions carrying 200 marks. The duration of the first part is 3 hours and has only the MCQs. The second part is comprised of English essay writing which is descriptive in nature. The student is given 30 minutes while the total mark allotted to this section are 25.

Stage 3: Personal Interview

Qualifying in the mains can result in the student getting a call for the interview. These carry 100 marks with the minimum pass marks as 40. The duration can depend from person to person but usually lasts for 15-25 minutes. A panel, comprising of bank officials, ask questions on the banking sector, general knowledge, candidate themselves, etc. The student must be polished and must carry the necessary documents.

Post Exam 

The final merit list depends on the marks of the mains exam and the interview with the weightage proportion as 80:20 respectively. 80 for the mains stage and 20 for the interview.

Provisional Allotment

This is released on the official website and is allotted on the basis of the candidate’s preference. However, the final decision lies in the hands of the respective banks.

There are various centres throughout the country that host the exam. Students have the option of mentioning their preferred location for the same. However, that doesn’t guarantee the centre of choice, as it is dependent on the availability of seats. IBPS is the head authority to make decisions on the exam centres and students are expected to abide by them.