For years it has been the dream of the candidates to get a job in a nationalized bank. If that job is of a Bank Probationary Officer, then it's a wonderful task they have achieved. There are some candidates who try hard to become IAS, IPS, but due to some reasons they could not, then they also start applying for Bank PO jobs. Although becoming a bank PO is not at all easy, but here in this article you will get information about how you can easily become a bank PO by working hard in the right direction.
The role of a Probationary Officer (PO) involves overseeing the management of a bank or a company associated with the banking sector.
Individuals typically begin their career as entry-level officers and can be promoted to Assistant Managers and then to Probationary Officers after gaining several years of experience.
To become a Probationary Officer in a bank, individuals must pass the Bank PO exam, which is conducted by various public sector banks for recruitment. This post is highly coveted in the banking sector, and aspirants from all over the country apply for it annually.
To be eligible for the role of a bank Probationary Officer, candidates must have a Bachelor's/Master's degree in any stream and be an Indian citizen between 20 to 30 years of age at the time of application. However, the age limit may differ depending on the bank, and relaxations may be given for reserved categories.
Various entrance exams are conducted for the role of a Probationary Officer, including SBI PO, IBPS PO, IBPS RRB PO, and exams held by private banks such as HDFC, ICICI, Axis Bank, YES Bank, IDFC, and others.
Candidates from any stream can apply for the role of a bank Probationary Officer, provided they have a Bachelor's/Master's degree from a recognized university. Those awaiting their graduation results may also apply. To be considered for selection in various banks, a valid scorecard from the PO entrance exam is required.
Internships are frequently offered by banks to students interested in pursuing a career in the banking sector. These internships provide practical experience, skill-building, and additional weightage to their educational qualifications, which can be advantageous for future job prospects. Interns may work in positions such as analysts, associates, and other roles that assist bankers.
The salary of a Probationary Officer varies depending on the bank of employment. The average starting salary is Rs 3 lakh per annum, which increases with seniority to Rs 8.5 lakh per annum.
Bank PO: Essential Academic Qualifications
Graduation in any discipline from a recognised University or any equivalent qualification recognised as such by the Central Government. Those who are in the Final Year/ Semester of their Graduation may also apply provisionally subject to the condition that, if called for interview, they will have to produce proof of having passed the graduation examination on or before the cutoff date.
Bank PO: Selection Procedure
The selection for Probationary Officers will be done through a three-Phase process:
Phase-I: Preliminary Examination:
Preliminary Examination consisting of Objective Test for 100 marks will be conducted online. The test will have of 3 Sections (with separate timings for each section) as follows:
| S. No. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | Total Maximum Marks 100 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 20 minutes | |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 20 minutes | |
| Total | 100 | 1 hour |
Selection criteria for Main Examination: Category wise merit list will be drawn on the basis of the aggregate marks scored in the Preliminary Examination. There will be no sectional cut-off. Candidates numbering 10 times (approx.) the numbers of vacancies in each category will be short listed for Main Examination from the top of above merit list.
Phase-II: Main Examination:
Main Examination will be conducted online and will consist of Objective Tests for 200 marks and Descriptive Test for 50 marks. The Descriptive Test will be administered immediately after conclusion of the Objective Test and candidates will have to type their Descriptive Test answers on the computer.
(1) Objective Test: The duration of objective test is 3 hours, and it consists of 4 Sections of total 200 marks. There will be separate timing for every section.
| Test | Name of the test | No. of Qs. | Max. Marks | Duration |
| I | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 50 | 50 minutes |
| II | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| III | General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| IV | English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours |
(2) Descriptive Paper
| English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) | 2 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Grand Total | 250 |
Phase-III: Psychometric Test
The Bank may conduct Psychometric test for personality profiling, of those candidates who will be shortlisted for Phase-III. Finding of the test may be placed before the Interview panel for having a through perspective on the candidates.
III Phase Comprise of:
| TEST STRUCTURE | GROUP EXERCISE | INTERVIEW | TOTAL |
| Maximum Marks | 20 | 30 | 50 |
The minimum qualifying marks will be decided by the Bank.
Final Selection
The candidates will have to qualify both in Phase-II and Phase-III separately. The marks obtained in Main Examination (Phase-II), both in the Objective Test and the Descriptive Test, will be added to the marks obtained in Phase-III for preparing the final merit list. The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination (Phase-I) will not be added for preparing the final merit list for selection.
Steps Involve from Application to Appointment
Firstly, you'll need to meet the eligibility criteria, which typically includes having a bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Next, you'll need to clear the entrance exam conducted by the respective bank or an organization authorized by them.
After that, you'll need to clear the interview and group discussion rounds. If you successfully clear all these stages, you'll be selected as a Probationary Officer and will undergo training before being posted at a bank branch.
