Bank PO Vs CAT Exam Syllabus: Know the Similarities & Differences

Bank PO Vs CAT Exam Syllabus: Know the Similarities & Differences

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Anangsha
Anangsha Patra
Deputy Manager – Editorial
Updated on May 1, 2024 18:04 IST
Bank PO and CAT exam syllabus are more or less the same. However, the difference is that General Knowledge and Computer Aptitude are a part of the Bank PO syllabus and not CAT. The syllabus for CAT is more comprehensive compared to the Bank PO. Check here the differences between Bank PO vs CAT syllabus.

Bank PO and CAT exam syllabus are more or less the same. However, one difference is that General Awareness/Banking Awareness/General Knowledge and Computer Aptitude is not a part of CAT exam but it is a part of the Bank PO exam. Check here the differences and similarities in the Bank PO and CAT Syllabus.

Bank PO Vs CAT Syllabus

Bank PO Vs CAT Syllabus

Bank PO Vs CAT Syllabus: Common Admission Test or CAT is one of the sought-after competitive exams in the country for admission to IIMs and several other top B-Schools in India. The exam is of the hardest and most competitive exams to crack. On the other hand, bank PO exam is conducted by the State Bank of India (SBI) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) to select candidates for the post of Probationary Officers/Management Trainee.

Several aspirants prepare for both CAT and bank exams together opening a wide range of career opportunities. Preparing for bank PO and CAT exams is an easy possibility and several individuals have aced both the exams in the past. Bank PO and CAT exam syllabus are more or less the same. However, one difference is that General Awareness/Banking Awareness/General Knowledge and Computer Aptitude is not a part of CAT exam, which is a part of Bank PO exam. In this article, we have discussed in detail the similarities and differences Bank PO and CAT syllabus.

Table of contents
  • Is Bank PO and CAT Syllabus Same?
  • Is CAT Exam Tougher than Bank PO?
  • Can a Bank PO Prepare for CAT?
  • Which is better MBA or bank po?
  • Should I prepare for CAT or bank po?
  • Bank PO and CAT: Understanding of Exam Pattern
  • Bank PO Vs CAT: Similarities & Differences in Syllabus
  • Bank PO vs CAT syllabus FAQs
View More

Is Bank PO and CAT Syllabus Same?

The syllabus for a CAT and Bank PO Exam are more or less the same. CAT exam is more difficult than Bank PO exam. Questions from English, Maths, and Reasoning are asked in both CAT and Bank PO. GK is not the part of CAT exam, however, Bank PO covers GK.

Is CAT Exam Tougher than Bank PO?

CAT exam is tougher than Bank PO. With regard to Quantitative Aptitude, CAT is tougher than IBPS PO, SBI PO. In CAT, topics such as Permutations and Combinations and Probability are given more emphasis. Bank PO exam adopts a balanced approach across various topics.

Can a Bank PO Prepare for CAT?

Aspirants who are preparing for Bank PO exam, can definately prepare for CAT as well as crack it. All aspirants must have a good preparation strategy for both CAT and bank po exams. The difficulty level of Bank PO is low compared to CAT, therefore, you need to study for both the exams simultaneously.

You can definitely crack bank PO exam if you have prepared well for cat exam. The difficulty level of bank PO exam is low as comapred to cat exam so its easy to crack bank PO exam if you have prepared well.

Candidates choose bank PO jobs over MBA degree because of the decent salary. There is a decent salary in bank PO jobs. The bank PO salary is high in comparison to the salary of MBA student upon placement. Besides, bank PO is entitled to various benefits and allowances.

Should I prepare for CAT or bank po?

Bank PO and CAT: Understanding of Exam Pattern

Before proceeding with the syllabus, it is important to understand the exam pattern of both the exams first. There is a difference in the exam pattern of CAT and Bank PO.

CAT Exam Pattern

  • The CAT exam pattern includes multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and Type In The Answer (TITA) questions
  • CAT question paper is divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
  • The test will have a total of 100 questions in MCQ and non-MCQ format
  • The exam will be coducted in three slots and the duration of CAT 2020 will be 120 minutes. Each section will be for 40 minutes
  • Total marks allotted to the exam are 300

Bank PO

Bank PO exam pattern for SBI and IBPS is divided into prelims, mains exam, and interview. Candidates can check below bank PO exam pattern for prelims and mains exams.

Prelims

  • The prelims exam comprises three sections: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning
  • The test paper will have a total of 100 objective-type multiple-choice questions
  • Maximum marks allotted to the test are100
  • The duration of the test is 60 minutes.
  • Time allotted to each section is 20 minutes

Mains

  • The mains exam comprises both objective and descriptive type tests
  • Questions in the objective test are asked from Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis and Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness and English Language
  • Questions in the descriptive section are asked from English Language (Letter Writing & Essay)
  • The exam is held for three and a half hours
  • The total marks allotted to the SBI PO mains exam are 250 while it is 225 for IBPS PO

Also Read:

IBPS PO Pattern

SBI PO Pattern

Bank PO Vs CAT: Similarities & Differences in Syllabus

We have already mentioned above that the syllabus of Bank PO and CAT are more or less the same, except the General Knowledge and Computer Aptitude section. CAT is more difficult than Bank PO exam. The standard of English, Maths and Reasoning of CAT is higher than that of Bank PO.

Bank PO and CAT: Section-wise Syllabus

Let us check out the section-wise difference in Bank PO and CAT syllabus.

Section

Bank PO

CAT Exam

English Section

In the Bank PO English section, a lot of questions are related to vocabulary and grammar in addition to other topics.

Whereas, CAT Exam has seen a decreasing trend of both these topics in recent years.

 

Reasoning Section

In the Reasoning section of Bank PO, maximum questions are related to Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Input-Output, etc.

In the Logical Reasoning section, candidates can expect a wide variety of topics that include questions on games and tournaments, optimal path methods, relationship-based questions, and others.

 

Data Interpretation

The quantitative Ability syllabus is more or less the same. However, the CAT exam mostly focus on Data Interpretation Questions based on a bar chart, pie chart, etc.

 

GK

This portion focus on Banking Awareness and Current Affairs.

 

No questions are asked

Bank PO and CAT: Topics

Section

Bank PO

CAT

English Language

Reading Comprehension

Cloze Test

Para jumbles

Miscellaneous

Fill in the blanks

Error Spotting

Paragraph Completion

Fill in the blanks

Verbal Reasoning

Sentence completion

Grammar

Syllogisms

Jumbled paragraphs

Para Completion and inference

Contextual usage

Foreign language words used in English

Reading Comprehension

Analogies

Sentence correction

Verbal Logic

Different usage of same word

Idioms

Parajumbles

Antonyms

One word substitution

Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation

Tabular Graph

Line Graph

Pie Chart

Bar Graph

Caselets

Data Sufficiency

Probability

Simplification

Profit & Loss

Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices

Work & Time

Time & Distance

Data Interpretation

Ratio & Proportion, Percentage

Data Arrangement

Data Structures

Sets & Caselets

Data Structures

Tables& Pie Charts

Data Sufficiency

Bars & Line Graphs

Reasoning Ability

Logical Reasoning

Alphanumeric Series

Coded Inequalities

Seating Arrangement

Syllogism

Puzzles

Blood Relations

Input Output

Coding Decoding

Verbal Reasoning

Blood Relations

Series

Proposition

Direction Sense

Coding-Decoding

Assumptions

Puzzles

Statements

Family Tree

Seating Arrangement

Syllogism

General Knowledge

Financial Awareness

Current Affairs

General Knowledge

Static Awareness

Banking and Financial Awareness

-

Computer Aptitude

Internet

Memory

Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Office

Computer Hardware

Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies

Number System

-

Read More:

Bank PO vs CAT syllabus FAQs

What is Bank PO syllabus?

Bank PO syllabus is given below:

English Language

Reading Comprehension

Cloze Test

Para jumbles

Miscellaneous

Fill in the blanks

Error Spotting

Paragraph Completion

Quantitative Aptitude

Tabular Graph

Line Graph

Pie Chart

Bar Graph

Caselets

Data Sufficiency

Probability

Simplification

Profit & Loss

Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices

Work & Time

Time & Distance

Data Interpretation

Ratio & Proportion, Percentage

Reasoning Ability

Logical Reasoning

Alphanumeric Series

Coded Inequalities

Seating Arrangement

Syllogism

Puzzles

Blood Relations

Input Output

Coding Decoding

Verbal Reasoning

General Knowledge

Financial Awareness

Current Affairs

General Knowledge

Static Awareness

Banking and Financial Awareness

Computer Aptitude

Internet

Memory

Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Office

Computer Hardware

Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies

Number System

What is Bank PO eligibility?

According to Bank PO eligibility, the age limit of candidates should be 20 to 30 years. The educational qualification required for the exam is graduation. Cadidates who are in the final year of graduation are not eligible to apply for the exam.

Is bank PO easier than CAT?

The CAT exam is often regarded as more competitive due to its extremely high difficulty level and the limited number of seats in top MBA programs. Bank PO exams are competitive but have a broader candidate base. 

What is the primary purpose of the CAT exam, and how does it differ from the Bank PO exam?

CAT exam is conducted for admission to the MBA courses offered by the top business school. Bank PO is a recruitment exam which is conducted to select candidates for the post of Probationary Officers.

About the Author
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Anangsha Patra
Deputy Manager – Editorial
Anangsha Patra is MA in Mass Communication & Journalism with more than 10 years of experience in the field of Journalism, Content Writing and Editing. At Shiksha.Com, she works as Deputy Manager-Content for the Sark
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Comments

(1)

M

Md Firoz

3 years ago

Hey Anangsha, a well written researched article on CAT VS IBPS PO exams. Kudos

Reply to Md Firoz