Entry Process in Indian Banks

Selection procedure for RBI

The Reserve Bank of India is the topmost financial institution in India which makes all the policies and regulations for the other banks. It conducts tests for three types of entry level positions:

1. Clerical grade
2. Grade A officers
3. Grade B officers

The entry point for clerical staff is in the cash department as examiners of coins and notes. They are promoted to the next grade when they successfully clear the relevant examinations after 5-10 years of service.

There is an All India Exam conducted for class I posts. Graduates, Post Graduates, CA's, MBA's in the 21-26 years of age group are eligible. The candidates are tested in logical reasoning, mental ability, numerical aptitude and general English.

The examination is in parts.

1. Paper I is a written test comprising of General Mental Ability (Objective type).
2. Paper II is a subjective one which has English Essays/Comprehension/Precise writing etc. Paper III is on Economics and Social problems.

Selected candidates are shortlisted for an interview which forms the basis for the final selection.

Selection procedure for other Nationalised Banks

Recruitment for the public sector banks is done through the Banking Service Recruitment Boards (BSRBs). The advertisements for recruitment appear in newspapers as well as the Employment News. Recruitment is done on the basis of a written test, which consists of:

1. Test of Reasoning
2. Quantitative Aptitude
3. General Awareness
4. English Language
5. Descriptive Test

The test is qualifying in nature and the marks obtained are not added in the final merit list. Except for the descriptive portion, all other sections contain objective-type questions. In Reasoning, there is verbal and non-verbal sections. In English, the test is aimed at judging the overall comprehension and understanding of the language. The descriptive paper can be answered in English or Hindi. It judges the written expression of the candidates. All sections must be qualified.

Foreign banks pick up their personnel management institutes, from interviews held in the premier management institutes, from among finance professionals such as Chartered Accountants, Cost and Works Accountants and Chartered Financials Analysts and also from the fold of experienced personnel of the apex financial institutions and public sector commercial banks. Private banks recruit Officer Trainees from amongst first class graduates, Management Trainees from amongst MBAs, and also recruit experienced personnel from the banking sector for middle and higher management positions.

One can do a specialised course in banking from a number of universities offering such courses. The eligibility criteria is different for different courses and candidates are advised to check these out directly from the universities concerned.