IBPS PO vs IBPS Clerk
The IBPS is expected to release the official notifications for IBPS PO and Clerk sometime soon. Every year lakhs of candidates sit for the IBPS PO and Clerk exams making them two of the most sought-after examinations conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.
We suggest you stop waiting for the notification & start your preparations for the exam. However, some of you may still be confused about which one to choose between the two.
Therefore, in the following article, we are providing you a brief comparison between IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk to help you make the right choice:
Salary, Promotions & Perks
IBPS PO
The basic salary of a Probationary Officer is 23,700/-. The in-hand salary drawn by an IBPS PO is approximately 38,360 to 40,700. However, the salary will vary according to the location of posting.
Perks: Dearness allowance, Special allowance, House rent allowance, City compensatory allowance, Travel allowance, Leased accommodation, Newspaper reimbursement, Medical aid, Benefits under the New Pension Scheme.
IBPS Clerk
The basic salary of a bank clerk is 11,765. The in-hand approximate salary of a bank clerk per month is 19,461/-. The salary will vary according to the location of posting.
Perks: Dearness allowance, House rent allowance, Medical allowance, etc.
Designation
IBPS PO
After appointment, candidates are given a 10 to 20 days (duration varies from bank to bank) induction training in Management Training Academics of the bank. After the completion of induction training, candidates can be posted anywhere in India since a Government Bank Officers service is pan-India. Assistant Managers have to go through a probation for 2 years.
During probation the officer is exposed to all kinds of work from different departments. The Officers may undergo frequent transfers or deputations during their probation period. Post-probation, the officers are confirmed as Assistant Manager and given a permanent posting.
Career progression:
This is what an ideal career progression of an IBPS PO looks like:
Junior Management Grade – Scale I: Probationary Officer
Middle Management Grade – Scale II: Manager
Middle Management Grade – Scale III: Senior Manager
Senior Management Grade – Scale IV: Chief Manager
Senior Management Grade Scale V: Assistant General Manager
Top Management Grade Scale VI: Deputy General Manager
Top Management Grade Scale VII: General Manager
Executive Director (ED)
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)
IBPS Clerk
Post-selection, the IBPS Clerk candidate has to undergo a probation for six months.
Career progression:
IBPS Clerks get a chance to get promoted to higher levels through promotional examinations within 2 years of joining the bank. Upon successful completion of the exam, clerks can get promoted to officer post, which increases their salary and changes their job profile.
This is what an ideal career progression of an IBPS Clerk looks like:
Bank clerk
Officer
Senior Officer
Assistant Manager
Manager
Senior Manager
Chief Manager
Assistant General Manager (AGM)
Deputy General Manager (DGM)
General Manager (GM)
Executive Director (ED)
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)
Clerks have two ways of getting promotions in a bank:
- Internal exam: Most effective
- Post-graduation degree
Increments of candidates while working as a clerk depends on their performance during probation as well as while working with various departments. After a few years of service, eligible bank clerks can take internal promotional exam to become a Trainee Officer (TO) and then later Probationary Officer.
Job Profile & Responsibilities
IBPS PO
Probationary Officers need to have knowledge in various departments like Finance, Marketing, Loans & Advances, Accounting, etc.
Following are some of the duties assigned to Probationary Officers in banks:
Managing the front-desk: Probationary Officers are responsible for guiding customers, handling their complaints, introducing new products and services to them, issuing Demand Drafts, Cheques, ATM cards, etc.
Bring new business: Probationary Officers are responsible for bringing the bank new business and marketing their schemes
Supervising work: Probationary Officers must supervise the work of Bank Clerks such as cash management, account opening, checking cash transactions and authorizing them, dealing with customers, proofreading data entry done by clerks.
Process loans: POs are also responsible for providing & documenting loans and supervising the transactions
IBPS Clerk
Bank Clerks serve as the first point of contact sought by customers for inquiries & guidance.
Following are some of the responsibilities of Bank Clerks:
- Deposit & withdrawal of cash by customers
- Receive demand drafts, cheques, pay orders, dividend warrants
- Issue ESI stamps & cash receipts
- Monitor the work of other bank clerks and the sub-staff
- Maintain record of balance on a daily basis
- Hold valuables of the bank in safe custody (cash, keys, etc.)
- Balance tally, ledger maintenance, data entry, etc.
- Issue cheque books
- Market products and services of the bank
After digitization of banking, bank clerks’ jobs are mostly related to working on computers and entering the daily transactions and other information served to customers.
Posting & Transfer
IBPS PO
Assistant Managers get transferred every 2 to 3 years. They’re posted to at least 3 different locations during their probation. Assistant Managers are posted mostly in urban and sometimes rural areas across the country.
IBPS Clerk
For bank clerks, chances of getting posted near their home towns or native places is less. Bank clerks are promoted every 3 to 4 years.
Selection Procedure
IBPS PO
IBPS PO Preliminary Exam
| Name of the section | No of questions | Max marks | Medium | Duration |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | English | 60 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | English and Hindi | |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | English and Hindi | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
IBPS PO Main Exam
| Name of the section | No of questions | Max marks | Medium | Duration |
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | English and Hindi | 60 mins |
| General/Economy/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | English and Hindi | 35 mins |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | English | 40 mins |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | English and Hindi | 45 mins |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours | |
| English Language (Letter writing & Essay) | 2 | 25 | English | 30 mins |
Phase 3: Personal Interview
Candidates who get shortlisted in the main examination will be called for a Personal Interview conducted by the participating organizations and coordinated by the nodal bank in each state/UT with the help of IBPS.
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IBPS Clerk
Phase 1: Preliminary Exam
| Sr. No | Name of the section | No of questions | Max marks | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 60 mins |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Phase 2: Main Exam
| Sr. No | Name of the section | No of questions | Max Marks | Duration |
| 1 | General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 mins |
| 2 | General English | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 mins |
| 4 | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 mins |
| Total | 190 | 200 | ||
Phase 3: Provisional allotment
The total marks secured by the candidate in the main exam out of 200, is converted to out of 100 for provisional allotment. A candidate should qualify in main exam with sufficiently high marks to be considered for provisional allotment.
Eligibility
IBPS PO
Candidates need to be between the age group 20 – 30 years to be eligible for IBPS PO.
Education: Graduate in any discipline from a University or any equivalent qualification recognized by Central Government.
IBPS Clerk
Candidates need to be between the age group 20 – 28 years to be eligible for IBPS Clerk.
Education:
- Graduate in any discipline from a University or any equivalent qualification recognized by Central Government
- Mandatory operating and working knowledge in Computer systems
- Proficiency in the official language of the State/UT
Important dates
IBPS PO
| Exam | Date |
| Preliminary Exam | 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th Oct 2017 |
| Main Exam | 26th Nov 2017 |
IBPS Clerk
| Exam | Date |
| Preliminary Exam | 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th Dec 2017 |
| Main Exam | 21st Jan 2018 |
We hope the above comparison helps you briefly differentiate between IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk exams, their salaries, job profiles, career growth, transfers, and selection procedures. Use this handy guide to make the right career choice.
Download this as a PDF.
Further reading:
IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Guide 2017
IBPS PO Reasoning Preparation Guide 2017
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