The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk exams to recruit eligible candidates. There is always confusion in the minds of banking aspirants between these two job opportunities for getting into the sector.
Many students prepare for both simultaneously, but you can focus on one by deciding the right one. This article will discuss the detailed information on IBPS PO Vs IBPS Clerk.
Checkout : Difference Between IBPS SO VS IBPS PO
IBPS PO Vs IBPS Clerk
IBPS PO and Clerk are golden opportunities for aspirants. The dilemma between these two can be solved by comparing them on the basis of eligibility criteria, exam pattern, salary, etc. Let’s discuss them all in detail.
| Particulars | IBPS PO | IBPS Clerk |
| Age Limit | The minimum age to apply for IBPS PO is 20 years. The maximum age limit to apply for IBPS PO is 30 years. | The minimum age to apply for IBPS Clerk is 20 years. The maximum age to apply for IBPS Clerk is 28 years. |
| Educational Qualification | Candidate should have a graduation degree in any stream. | Candidate should have a bachelor’s degree to apply for IBPS clerk exam.Some salient features of educational qualification for IBP clerk –Computer literacy is a mandatory requirement.Candidate should be able read and write in the official language they preferred.Ex-servicemen (not graduated) should have a matriculation certificate along with 15 years of service. A special Army certificate of Education or its equivalent in Air Force or Navy is compulsory. |
Exam Pattern of IBPS PO
Prelims Exam Pattern
- The prelims exam of IBPS PO is constant. The exam consists of one paper with 100 objective questions from three sections. Those sections are as follows-
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
- English Language
- Candidates get 60 minutes to solve the paper, with twenty minutes as the sectional time for each section.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Mains Exam
The IBPS PO mains exam has two papers and is online. One is an objective paper, and the other is a Descriptive test. The objective paper has four sections-
- Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
- English Language
- Data Analysis & Interpretation
- General Awareness, Economy & Banking Awareness
The descriptive paper asks you to write an essay and letter in English. The time to solve the paper is 30 minutes. The detailed information is below in tabular form-
| S. No. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Medium of Examination | Time Allotted |
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (Section A and Section B) | 45 | 60 | English & Hindi | 60 minutes |
| 2 | English Language (Section A and Section B) | 35 | 40 | English only | 40 minutes |
| 3 | Data Analysis and Interpretation (Section A and Section B) | 35 | 60 | English & Hindi | 45 minutes |
| 4 | General, Economy/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | English & Hindi | 35 minutes |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 180 minutes | ||
| English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) | 02 | 25 | English | 30 minutes | |
| Total | 157 | 225 | 3 hours 30 minutes |
IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern
The institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts IBPS Clerk exam to recruit eligible candidate. The exam pattern of IBPS Clerk exam has two stages –
- IBPS Clerk Prelims
- IBPS Clerk Mains
Let’s discuss them in detail below.
Prelims Exam
There are four sections in IBPS Clerk Prelims exam –
- English Language
- Numerical Ability
- Reasoning Ability
The detailed information is in the table below.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam
The second phase of the exam is the IBPS Clerk Mains Exam. Unlike the IBPS mains exam, there is only an objective paper in the IBPS Clerk Mains exam. Here are the detail information on the same.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 |
| General English | 40 | 40 |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 |
| Total | 190 | 200 |
IBPS PO vs IBPS Clerk – Job Profile
Two crucial aspects of a job are salary and job profile. The amount of work and accountability of the work with salary helps you decide on your career. IBPS PO and Clerk have different job profiles. Let’s compare them to know the differences.
IBPS Clerk –Job Profile
IBPS Clerk’s responsibilities are high and require multi-tasking. The important task of an IBPS Clerk is to deal with the customers and help them solve their issues. They need to make customers aware of different documentation and formalities. Here are some of the responsibilities of IBPS Clerk-
- They have to manage the receipts, inquiry corners, withdrawals, etc.
- The clerk is responsible for opening new accounts, issuing bank statements, cash collection, mail, delivery, etc.
- The clerk is responsible for the verification of documents and proofs submitted by the customers.
- Updating the passbooks of the account holders.
- You are responsible for handling bank cash, documents, keys, etc.
- The clerks have to issue the Demand Drafts (DDs), cash receipts, and Sanctioning withdrawals by the customers.
- Maintaining balance sheets, documents, and ledger.
- Resolving the issues of customers.
IBPS PO -Job Profile
IBPS PO is a respected job and provides many benefits to the employees.
An IBPS PO is a multitasker to perform operations like finance, billing, collection, accounting, revenue, investment, etc. Here are some of the responsibilities of an IBPS PO –
- An IBPS PO is responsible for resolving customer queries.
- They need to maintain and supervise the other bank activities.
- You have to look out for public relations, address their issues, and resolve the complaints of the customers.
- Daily transactions of customers
- You are responsible for processing loan(s) detail
IBPS PO VS Clerk – salary
As said before, the two crucial aspects of choosing your career field depend on the job profile and salary. Salary is the most fascinating attribute of a job that makes you work hard for it. Let’s compare them to make it easier for you to choose the one.
IBPS Clerk Salary
The salary of an IBPS Clerk depends on the post and city of posting. The basic pay of an IBPS Clerk is INR 19,900. You get DA, HRA, and a medical assurance of Rs.2, 000/- annually. You also get traveling allowances, but that varies from bank to bank. The salary structure of IBPS Clerk is below in the tabular form-
| Particulars | Amount |
| Basic Pay in India | Rs. 19,900/- |
| Dearness Allowance | Rs. 5,209/- |
| House Rent Allowance | Rs. 2,039/- |
| Traveling Allowance | Rs. 757/- |
| Special Allowance | Rs. 4,118/- |
| CCA | Rs. 0/- |
| Gross Pay | Rs. 32,023/- |
| Deduction (Union Fee, NPS Fund) | Rs. 2,571/- |
| Salary In-hand | Rs. 29,452/- |
IBPS PO salary –
IBPS PO salary is slightly better than IBPS Clerk’s and has increased after the 11th bipartite settlement. The in-hand salary of IBPS PO is 52000/-55000. The PO officer receives the salary after numerous deductions and additions. The salary also depends upon the bank and location. Here is the salary structure of IBPS PO.
| Particulars | Amount |
| Basic Pay | RS. 36,000 |
| Special Allowance | Rs. 5,904 |
| Dearness Allowance | Rs. 8593.20 |
| CCA (City Compensatory Allowance) | Rs. 1400 |
| Learning Allowance | Rs. 600 |
| DA Others | Rs. 1552.50 |
| House Rent Allowance | Rs.3240 |
| Gross Salary | Rs. 57289.70 |
| Deduction (Tax & NPS) | Rs. 4659.32 |
| In-hand Salary | Rs. 52630.38 |
Conclusion
IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk are reputed jobs and provide a stable career with career growth and opportunities. If we compare them based on salary, IBPS PO has a better salary package and is quite impressive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1-What is the procedure for an IBPS Clerk promotion?
A1- There are internal interviews and exams for the promotions. You can take these exams and get a promotion.
Q2-Is IBPS PO better than IBPS clerk?
A2- IBPS PO is a higher-ranked job and provides a better salary. Both IBPS Clerk and IBPS PO provide stable income and advanced career growth.