Bank exams are one of the most sought after government exams in India. There are a number of posts in the banking sector and they all have different bank exams. So if you are a candidate who aspires to work in the banking sector, you should be aware of all these exams and know what exam you want to appear for.

If you go and apply for the bank exam without doing some prior research and without considering what post in the banking sector suits your educational qualifications and your requirements, you have very less chances of clearing the exam and securing a job in the banking sector.

There are different bank exams for seven different posts conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) in India. In order to know which is the right exam for  you, you should be aware of these posts and apply to the exam that suits your requirements and qualifications best.

Choosing the Right bank Exam

Before applying to a bank exam you should look at the eligibility criteria for that exam and check if it matches your qualifications. If you apply without considering this, you may not clear the exam and lose your chances of getting a job in the banking sector.

The three most popular posts that bank exams are conducted for are Probationary Officer or PO, Bank clerk and Specialist Officer or SO. Both SBI and IBPS popularly conducts exams for all these posts which are called SBI PO,  IBPS PO, SBB Clerk, IBPS clerk, SBI SO and IBPS SO.

1. Probationary Officer or PO

If you are a candidate who aspires to apply for the job of Probationary Officer or PO you would need to first clear the common written examination. But before applying make sure to carefully check the eligibility criteria for the post of PO. 

Once you have applied to the exam for PO and cleared the common written exam, you will have to go through three phases including the preliminary exam, the mains exam and the personal interview. You can only take the main exam if you clear the preliminary exam. After clearing both prelims and mains, you can get a call for the personal interview.

The pattern for SBI PO exam and IBPS PO exam will be different so you would have to check  the one you wish to apply for.

2. Bank Clerk

This is another post that most candidates opt for. If you want to apply for the post of bank clerk you have  to first check the eligibility criteria and clear the common written exam.

Once you clear the common written English exam, you qualify for the preliminary exam, on which you can attempt the mains exam. Only after clearing both the preliminary and mains exam, you can get a call for a personal interview.

The pattern for the SBI clerk exam and IBPS clerk exam is different, and you should study according to the pattern of the exam you are planning to apply for.

3. Specialist Officer or SO

If you want to apply for the position of Specialist Officer or SO, you must know that this position requires someone who can deal with competencies in the area of marketing and human resources.

Again, you would need to clear the common written exam for going through with the SO exam. SBI SO and IBPS SO exams are your two popular options.

Apart from these popularly chosen exams, there are other exams that are conducted by the private banks for different posts in the banking sector. The candidates who have been chosen by the common written exam will have to undergo training for a few months before gaining a permanent position in the bank.

Some exams are also conducted in the rural sector, that are the common written exams only for the rural sector and candidates can apply to these exams at a regional level.

When you are choosing the bank exam, keep in mind to check the eligibility criteria and only apply to the exam that matches your qualifications and your requirements so that you have maximum chances of clearing the exam and securing a job.