There are many who are gearing up for the IBPS PO 2017 exam and here is all you need to know about it. IBPS PO exam is a national examination conducted by The Institute of Banking Personnel Section (IBPS) in order to give employment for the posts of Probationary Officers or Management Trainees in various public sector banks. IBPS is an organization that operates from Mumbai and is tied up with banks, corporations and firms to conduct exams and hire qualified staff for them.
IBPS PO exam was first conducted in the year 1975 and later on became an independent entity in 1984. IBPS takes complete charge from designing the exams to recruitment, placement and promotion of selected candidates in the banking sector. IBPS PO exam is highly recommendable because it is not specifically for a single bank, but there are 20 public sector banks that a candidate can likely be employed at through this one exam. Every year thousands and lakhs of candidates appear for IBPS PO exam and there is a cut-throat competition. But with well-planned strategy, practice and time-management, it is possible to efficiently crack it.
- Eligibility Criteria
- IBPS 2017 exam has a fair eligibility criterion, where the candidates must complete graduation from a recognized university with a score of 60% or above. Candidates are required to submit their marks as per the mark sheet while filing the form.
- The applicants should be the citizen of India, Nepal or Bhutan. Tibetan refugees and migrated people from certain specified countries are allowed to partake in this exam.
- The lower and upper age limit for the candidates is 20-30 years respectively, as of 1st July 2017. Age relaxations are provided to people falling under following categories:
- Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe- 5years
- Other Backward Classes- 3years
- Ex-Servicemen and Commissioned Officers- 5 years
- Domiciled citizens of Jammu &Kashmir during the period of 1-1-80 to 31-12-1989- 5years
- Persons affected by 1984 riots- 5years
- Disabled Persons- 10years
- Exam Pattern
IBPS PO 2017 exam can be broadly divided into 3 phases: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam and Common Interview. Candidates can elevate their scores by solving Sample Test Papers and giving Mock Tests offered online.
Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Exam is conducted online and the format of questions is Objective. The duration of this exam is 1 hour and has 100 questions. The Preliminary Exam paper has 3 sections that are English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability. The maximum marks for this section are 200 with a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each section along with a sectional cutoff. Quantitative Aptitude is all about mathematical abilities and Reasoning also has equal allocation of marks, so candidates should brush up their knowledge for these sections with a lot of practice.
Main Examination
Those candidates who are shortlisted in the Preliminary Examination then appear in the Main Examination. This exam also has the same Objective format but it’s more tedious. There are 5 sections in this exam that are: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, Computer Knowledge and Reasoning Ability. The number of questions are 200 with 2 hours allotted to solve them. The maximum marks are 200 with 0.25 negative marking and sectional cut off. Reading English newspapers can increase general awareness and improve the English language ability required for the second section. Computer Knowledge is based on basic applications and candidates can refer NCERT or beginner level computer books to learn more.
Common Interview
Earlier the interviews were conducted by the participating banks but IBPS took over the process since 2012. This is the last stage after the verification of documents and before the allocation of banks. A panel interviews the candidate to check their attitude and general knowledge and their competency to sustain in the respective sector.
- Application and Admit Card
The forms for IBPS PO 2017 exams will be filled and submitted online. Forms submitted through other means are not acceptable. Every year the forms are tentatively available in the month of July/August and the exam is conducted usually in October/November.
Once the student visits the IBPS website to fill the examination form, they must have a valid email id and password for further communication. Scanned copy of applicant’s photograph and signature is also required to be uploaded while filling the form. The applicant should be prepared for payment via online channels or through Challan. The application fee for Non-Reservation candidates is Rs. 600/- and that of the ST/SC/PWD category candidates is Rs 100/-
Candidates appearing for IBPS PO 2017 must print their Admit Card and take it with them to the examination centre, as it is mandatory for entry. The IBPS Admit Card is issued and updated in the official site of IBPS PO and Registration Number and Password/Date of Birth are required to download it. IBPS PO Admit Card has information about the examination centre date and time. Candidate must paste their passport size coloured photograph in the given section of the Admit Card. The Admit Card also contains some general instructions, space for signature of candidate, invigilator and thumb impression. The candidates are also required to bring a photo ID proof that they submitted while filling the form along with the IBPS PO Admit Card.
- Career Prospects
The career trajectory of a Probationary Officer/ Management Trainee is very secure and high. Job security is probably the biggest perk for a Bank PO. The salaries of different banks through IBPS PO exam vary, but they are all well-paying. Many banks offer Concessional Loans to their employees, which allows them to pay lesser monthly instalments than public. In comparison the other government offices, it is known that bank officers are eligible for promotion once in every 3-4 years. Apart from this there are other awards and recognition offered based on the employee performances. Entering the public banking sector through IBPS PO examination with a promising career growth is worth all the hard work.
- List of Banks
There are 20 banks that participating under IBPS PO 2017 exam, which are:
- Allahabad bank
- Andhra Bank
- Bank of Baroda
- Bank of India
- Bank of Maharashtra
- Canara Bank
- Central Bank of India
- Corporation Bank
- Dena Bank
- IDBI Bank
- Indian Bank
- Indian Overseas Bank
- Oriental Bank of Commerce
- Punjab National Bank
- Punjab & Sind Bank
- Syndicate Bank
- UCO Bank
- Union Bank of India
- United Bank of India
- Vijaya Bank