Understanding IBPS exams: Types, eligibility, and career opportunities

In India, the IBPS (Indian Banking Personnel Selection) exams are competitive tests conducted to recruit individuals who are passionate about building a career in public sector banks, RRBs (Regional Rural Banks), and various other finance institutions. These exams are highly sought after because they can offer a secure and rewarding career in the government banking sector.

IBPS is referred to as both an autonomous body conducting the recruitment and various exams administered by it for multiple roles. It has a well-structured selection process involving three stages – preliminary, mains, and interview, with each stage targeting areas such as quantitative aptitude, reasoning ability, English language, general aptitude, financial knowledge, computer awareness, and overall communication skills. IBPS ensures transparent hiring for a wide range of roles such as Probationary Officers (PO), Clerks, Specialist Officers (SO), and RRB Officers.


So, if you plan to take IBPS exams, here’s a quick breakdown of the most common exams to help you get clarity around which one aligns the best with your career goals.

1) IBPS PO – This exam is designed to recruit candidates as probationary officers in public sector banks. They are expected to supervise bank operations, manage customer relations, and ensure a smooth flow. The selection process includes a Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Interview. As per the eligibility criteria, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline and must be between 20 – 30 years of age. Upon selection, officers undergo a 2-year probationary period during which they are trained and evaluated for leadership roles.

Key benefits include regular promotions with potential to moving to senior management roles like Branch Manager, Zonal Manager, and even Chairperson. Medical benefits, allowances, and pension are additional perks that one is promised through this role.

2) IBPS Clerk – This exam is conducted to recruit candidates for clerical positions in public sector banks across the country. They play a vital role in smooth functioning of banks by handling customer service activities, data-entry and record-keeping transactions, account-related tasks such as issuing cheques and passbooks, and cross-selling bank products like loans, insurance, and mutual funds.

The eligibility requirements mandate a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a renowned university, proficiency in the official language of state/union territory, and computer literacy. The minimum age for application is 20 years and maximum is 28 years, with relaxations for reserved categories. The exam is carried out in two phases, both conducted online – Preliminary and Mains. There is no interview stage for this exam.

Also, with experience and by clearing internal exams, clerks can easily get promoted to office-level positions.

3) IBPS SO – The IBPS SO (Specialist Officer) exam is conducted to recruit individuals for specialized roles in the public sector banks. It is one of the most competitive banking exams that allows individuals with adequate technical knowledge or specialized qualifications to work in the niche areas. Selected candidates can get into roles such as IT Officer, Agricultural Field Officer, Law Officer, HR Officer, and Marketing Officer, all under the category Officer Scale I.

The eligibility requires the candidate to be an Indian citizen between the age bracket of 20-30 years. The educational qualification varies by role; for instance, to be a marketing officer, a degree in marketing would be required.

The exam has a three-tier selection process – Preliminary exam, Main exam, and Interview. Here, the Preliminary exam has objective type questions to assess areas like reasoning, English Language, and either Quantitative Aptitude or General Awareness. Whereas, the Mains exam focusses on domain-specific knowledge.

4) IBPS RRB – Just as the name suggests, IBPS RRB (Regional Rural Banks) exam focusses on recruiting individuals for various positions in the regional rural banks. This exams acts as a great opportunity for individuals interested in working in the rural banking sector, serving the rural people and contributing to the overall development of the nation. What makes this exam highly beneficial is that it appoints candidates for both clerical and officer-level positions.

These positions are divided into Officer Scale and Officer Assistant categories such as Officer Scale I, Officer Scale II, Officer Scale III, and Office Assistants. To apply for these positions, candidates must be Indian citizens and fall within the age bracket of 18-40 years, depending on the role one is applying for. Additionally, usually a bachelor’s degree in any discipline is necessary with additional qualifications for specialized roles. Moreover, many RRBs require proficiency in local languages.

In terms of the exam pattern, there is a two-tier structure, consisting of the Preliminary Exam and the Main exam. Please note that there is no interview stage for this exam.