#CareerBytes: SBI PO v/s IBPS PO- Everything you should know
The post of a Probationary Officer (PO) is one of the most coveted jobs in the banking sector as it offers job security and good pay. Lakhs of candidates appear for SBI PO and IBPS PO exams, which offer bright prospects. Having a clear understanding of these exams can help in deciding which one to appear for. Here is everything you need to know.
SBI PO exam is conducted for recruiting POs for State Bank of India branches across the country. The exam consists of several stages like Preliminary Exam, Main Exam with a descriptive test, Group Exercise, and Interview. IBPS conducts the PO exam for the selection of POs in numerous participating banks. The IBPS PO exam consists of Prelims, Mains with a descriptive test, and Interview.
SBI PO exam is considered more difficult to crack as its difficulty and competition levels are higher than that of IBPS PO exam. However, in SBI PO exam, there are no sectional cut-offs at Prelims and Mains levels. The candidate's result is based on the overall cut-off. Whereas, in the IBPS PO exam, there are sectional and overall cut-offs at Prelims and Mains levels.
The job profiles of both SBI PO and IBPS PO are similar. Typically, a bank Probationary Officer is involved in various tasks apart from the administrative work. The job profile of a PO generally comprises providing banking services to customers, improving the business of the bank, handling cash activities, managing the clearance of payments, managing customer accounts, handling official communications, etc.
The salary packages offered to SBI POs are quite attractive. Their total annual compensation ranges between Rs. 7.55LPA to Rs. 12.93LPA. Their basic pay is Rs. 27,620. On the other hand, IBPS POs get a basic salary of Rs. 23,700. Additionally, they are also entitled to several allowances like HRA, DA, Special Allowance, etc. So, their monthly gross pay is around Rs. 38,700.
Apart from attractive pay packages, bank POs are also entitled to additional perks. The perks offered to SBI POs and IBPS POs are almost similar, except for the difference in the amount of these perks. Some of the perks include accommodation/HRA and medical aid.
