Banking, Finance & Insurance

Bank PO exams are conducted by every bank that wishes to recruit officers. This is one of the best ways for graduates to enter the field of banking. Probationary officers, as the name suggests, work on probation for two years during which they undergo extensive on-the-job and off-the-job training and get to learn the nuances of banking. The PO's performance during these two years decides his next allocation. Every bank has its own PO exam which is conducted whenever the need for fresh recruits arises. POs take on managerial responsibilities later. The exam is not tough if one has been regularly preparing for it.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria might differ slightly from bank to bank. A general outline of the same:
The aspirant must be an Indian national
The aspirant must have completed his/her graduation with at least 60 % aggregate from a recognized University/institute to be able to apply
The aspirant must be computer literate to be eligible to apply
The aspirant must be above 21 years of age and must not be more than 30 years of age. The age criterion also differs from bank to bank. Rely only on the information provided on the bank's website or advertisement
How To Prepare
The written test is a cakewalk for those who have been preparing for competitive exams like CAT, XAT etc since the areas tested remain the same. The difficulty level is less for the PO exam. The method of preparation too will be similar. There are a lot of good books on Data Analysis & Interpretation and Reasoning in the market which have numerous solved and unsolved questions for practice. Marketing & Computers is a relatively new area being tested in the PO exam; books for the same are also easily available. For quantitative section, practice is the key. One must be thorough with the basics of mathematics especially till Xth Std. Prepare topics like algebra, profit loss, percentage etc. Apart from class X textbooks, some of the reference books are Sultan Chand publications'- Quantitative aptitude, Abhijit Guha, R.S. Agarwal & R.K. Gupta. To score well in the general awareness section, one must keep themselves abreast with the current affairs. Make reading the newspaper a daily habit. GK books like the Manorama yearbook also are of great help.