Students at an exam centre during the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Bangalore on May 1, 2014.
With an eye on creating job opportunities for educated yet unemployed youths, the government of India has decided to make way for as many as 85,000 jobs in the banking sector during the three years between 2010 and 2013. As part of its large scale recruitment process 34,000 employees at the officer level and 51,000 employees at the clerical level will be recruited. In order to give shape to the process of recruitment; the "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection" has come forward with its detailed schedule in respect of holding common entrance exam for bank jobs.
Common entrance exam for bank jobs (at the clerical level)
- IBPS- to hold the common entrance examination
- Score card & its validity
- Eligibility and registration
- Other relevant points for online registration
- Procedure of testing/marking
- Points to keep in mind
The self-directed body of IBPS has been authorized by Indian Banking Association to conduct the exam. Thus, as per plan a written exam is going to be held. With nineteen banks from public sector participating in it, the self governing forum is committed towards holding entrance exams for bank jobs at least two to three times a year.
According to one of its relevant provisions the scorecard obtained by a student will make him eligible for application to any of the participating banks. Moreover the result of the common entrance exam will be valid for one to one and a half year. Thus depending on the vacancy and issue of notification; you will be free to apply within the valid time frame. Following your application, the respective bank will play its needful role in respect of recruitment. Besides bearing in mind your score card, it may also hold interviews and group discussion to evaluate the merit of your selection.
There exist facilities for online registration. The candidate seeking registration should conform to the bare minimum age limit of 20- 30. In order to be eligible for registration and the written exam following it, the candidate needs to be a graduate- having completed graduation from an accredited university of India. In case you have to register yourself, you also need to pay Rs. 450 as application fee. The money payable to any one of the involved banks needs to be paid in credit card or by means of NEFT. Following the payment of application amount, your candidature will be accepted and registered.
In case, you opt for the online mode of registration, you need to fulfill the following formalities. You need to inform the authority of a legitimate e-mail id. Secondly, detail of a phone number- preferably one with the facility for SMS should be provided. You also need to provide scanned passport size photograph along with your similarly scanned photograph.
With the total marking scheme of 250 marks, equal importance is given to objective in addition to subjective tests. There will be provision for negative marking. For each answers wrongly given, you are likely to lose .25 marks .
According to its need and factors of convenience, IBPS is authorized to issue official orders regarding the eligibility criteria and other associate modalities in respect of the common entrance exam for bank jobs. Thus in years to come, you can expect changes in respect of age limit, minimum qualification, application fee and modes of payment. It is also important to keep in mind that respective banks participating in the process of requirement are authorized to issue separate notifications regarding vacancy and other conditions of eligibility such as age, qualification and the bare minimum score required in the common written exam.
Common entrance exams for bank jobs (at the managerial level)
- The same body to hold common written exam for recruitment of officers
In order to create employment opportunities for probationary officers and those aspiring for managerial posts, IBPS plans to hold a separate written test for the mentioned category. Though the basic eligibility criteria in terms of age and minimum age and educational requirements are more or less similar to those mentioned earlier; respective banks are free to issue separate notification with regard to eligibility conditions and final prospect of appointment.
Preparation for common entrance tests for bank jobs
- Books and question banks
- Relevant subjects for study
Study material has been specially designed to look after the prospects of the aspiring examinees. It includes model questionnaires, set of guidance and mock test papers as well.
Objective type questions generally gear to the evaluation of English language, reasoning, knowledge of computers, banking as well as general awareness and your overall quantitative aptitude. You can avail of notes, books and referential question papers taking care of each and every category. In case you want to make it to the managerial category, thorough analysis of the book by the name of "Probationary Officer & Management trainee CWE" will serve as an effective instrument of preparation for common entrance test .