Apply for 160 Bank PO Jobs by mid-May!

Bank Probationary Officer Exam (BPOE) screens candidates to be placed at ‘Officer' level in banks. The actual job responsibilities may vary depending on what banks require at the moment. During the probation period, a Probationary Officer (PO) may be asked to do anything related to banking, right from posting to scrolling to advancing. However, they do earn a good salary and bank jobs have a reputation of offering stability, which is so rare in these tumultuous times.

Bank PO jobs are few and hence, the competition for getting your hands on a seat is difficult. Right now, there are 160 PO positions vacant in different banks, and the last dates to apply for their respective BPOEs are till mid-May.

                   Important Dates to Remember for Bank Probationary Officer Exam (BPOE)

BPOE Exam Format

Bank Probationary Officer Exam is conducted in three stages:

• BPOE Preliminary Examination: This is an objective-type examination which is usually of two hours. It has four sections:
  • Reasoning Ability
  • Quantitative Aptitude
  • General Awareness or Computer Knowledge
  • English Language
• BPOE Main Examination: Candidates who clear BPOE Prelims sit for BPOE Mains. This one has both objective-type and descriptive-type questions and is usually of three hours. It is further sub-divided into two parts:
  • The two-hour objective exam assesses a candidate on his/her:
    • Reasoning Ability
    • Data Analysis and Interpretation
    • Marketing Knowledge
    • English Language
  • The one-hour descriptive type exam tests English Language skills of a candidate.
• BPOE Group Discussion & Interview: Candidates who clear BPOE Mains are then called for GD & Interview round in which they are finally selected for the post of probationary officer in banks.

Eligibility for Bank PO Exam

To be eligible for Bank PO Exam, students should be citizens of India and have at least 60% marks in graduation. They must also be computer literate and within the age bracket of 21 years to 30 years.

Pay Scale and Career Scope for a Probationary Officer

The probation period for candidates who get selected as Probationary Officers is generally two years and it is their performance during that period, which decides where a person is placed at the end of it. During the probation period, officers get a basic pay of around Rs. 12000/- in the scale of Rs.10,000-470/6-12820-500/3-14320-560/7-18240, or whatever is the current pay applicable to Officers Junior Management Grade Scale I. They are also eligible for HRA, DA, and CCA as per the rules that are being followed at the time. In the metropolitan cities, POs get as much as Rs 17,000 along with DA, HRA, and CCA.

Bank CET by IBPS

The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) is attempting to streamline bank recruitment processes in public sector banks across India by conducting an All-India Common Entrance Test (CET) for banks from 2011. It will include exams for clerical staff, probationary officers and other entry-level officer exams such as Management Executives, EDP Officers, and Specialist Officers.

Bank recruitments in public sector banks take over a year. Separate banks conducting separate exams for PO recruitments made it difficult for the interested candidates to track and target them all. However, all-Indian Bank CET exams, conducted three to four times a year, will ensure that candidates get a fair chance of recruitment in all the member banks. Already, 20 public sector banks have joined hands with IBPS. However, State Bank of India (SBI) has opted out of Bank CET and will conduct its own BPOE.

After Bank CET results are declared, qualifying candidates will get a scorecard which will have a validity period of one to one and a half years, during which they can respond to bank advertisements and directly, sit for the interviews. In case, the validity expires before a candidate is able to get a job, he or she will have to again clear the exams for a new scorecard.

Kindly let us know what you think about Bank CET to be conducted in 2011. Are you interested in Bank Probationary Officer Exams (BPOE)? Do you think the new CET pattern will work? Keep visiting this page for some interesting discussions.

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha Team)

Date: 26th April, 2011

Please find related Courses and Colleges here.