Banking
Learn from the prime Success Mantra faculty members and give a solid foundation to your preparation. Banking exams are competitive tests conducted by public and private sector banks to recruit candidates for positions like clerks, probationary officers, and specialist officers.
About Banking Exam
Banking exams in India are conducted for recruitment into public sector banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), and specialist roles. Major exams are conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), State Bank of India (SBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and other banks. These exams typically assess reasoning, quantitative aptitude, English, and general awareness.
Types of Banking Exams
• IBPS PO (Probationary Officer): For probationary officers in various public sector banks.
• IBPS Clerk: For clerical cadre positions in public sector banks.
• IBPS RRB (Regional Rural Bank): For positions like Officer Scale-I, II, III, and Office Assistant in RRBs.
• SBI PO (Probationary Officer) and SBI Clerk: For PO and clerical positions in SBI.
• RBI Grade B: For Grade B officers in the Reserve Bank of India.
• RBI Assistant: For clerical roles in RBI.
• Specialist Officer (SO): For specialized roles like IT Officer, Marketing Officer, Law Officer, etc., in banks through IBPS and SBI exams.
Eligibility Criteria & Educational Qualification
• Age Limit: Usually between 20 to 30 years for most exams, with age relaxations for reserved categories.
PO and Clerk: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
SO: Bachelor’s degree in a specific field like IT, Law, Marketing, or Agriculture (depending on the role).
RBI Grade B: Bachelor’s degree with at least 60% marks or equivalent.
RBI Assistant: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum qualifying percentage.
Exam Pattern
Most banking exams have a similar structure:
• Preliminary Exam (Qualifying Round):
Covers three sections: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability.
Generally consists of 100 questions in 60 minutes.
• Main Exam:
Includes additional sections: General Awareness (with a focus on Banking Awareness) and Computer Knowledge.
Objective questions with a time limit for each section; the total duration ranges from 2 to 3 hours.
• Descriptive Test (For PO exams):
Essay and letter writing to assess written communication skills.
• Interview:
Conducted for PO, SO, and some RRB roles. Final selection is based on the combined score of the Main Exam and Interview.
Syllabus
• Quantitative Aptitude:
Simplification, arithmetic, data interpretation, algebra, time and work, etc.
• Reasoning Ability:
Coding-decoding, puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, direction sense, and logical reasoning.
• English Language:
Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence rearrangement, and error detection.
Banking and financial awareness, current affairs, economy, static GK.
• Computer Knowledge:
Basics of computer hardware/software, MS Office, internet, networking basics.
Application Process
• Mode: Online through the official website of the respective conducting body (IBPS, SBI, RBI).
• Fee: Usually around ₹600 for general category and ₹100 for reserved categories (may vary).
• Documents: Educational certificates, caste certificate (if applicable), Aadhaar, photograph, and signature.
Selection Process
• Prelims: Qualifying exam, scores do not contribute to the final merit list.
• Mains: Marks are considered in the final merit list.
• Interview: For PO and SO roles, interview performance is critical.
• Final Selection: Based on scores in Mains and Interview, followed by document verification and medical examination.