IBPS PO (Probationary Officer) Interview and Personality Test Syllabus

Interview and Personality Test syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Interview and Personality Test in IBPS PO (Probationary Officer), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Interview Preparation

   3 topics

   • Self Introduction and Bio-data
     • Educational and work background
     • Strengths, weaknesses and hobbies
   • Banking and Domain Knowledge
     • Why banking as a career
     • Role of a probationary officer
     • Current banking and economic issues
   • Behavioural and Situational Questions
     • Decision-making scenarios
     • Stress and conflict handling
2. 2

   Communication and Soft Skills

   3 topics

   • Verbal Communication
     • Clarity and confidence
     • Active listening
   • Body Language and Etiquette
     • Posture, eye contact and gestures
     • Dress code and interview etiquette
   • Group Discussion
     • Initiating and concluding a GD
     • Team participation and content quality
3. 3

   General Awareness for Interview

   3 topics

   • Current Economic Affairs
     • Recent RBI and government measures
     • Budget and financial sector news
   • Home Town and State Knowledge
     • Local economy and famous landmarks
   • Mock Interview Practice
     • Feedback and improvement
     • Common question handling

Interview and Personality Test flashcards for IBPS PO (Probationary Officer)

22 of 50 cards from the Interview and Personality Test deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In a structured personal interview, what is the standard format of a bio-data / personal data form (often called the 'Bio-Data Form' filled before the IBPS PO interview)?

   It is a form capturing personal details (name, DOB, category, address), educational qualifications (10th to graduation with percentages), work experience, and reasons for joining banking — submitted to the panel before the interview to base questions on.

2. What is the ideal length and structure of a 'Tell me about yourself' self-introduction in a PO interview?

   About 60-90 seconds, structured as: name and current status, educational background, relevant skills/achievements, hobbies, and a closing line linking your profile to a banking career.

3. In self-introduction, what should you avoid repeating that the panel can already see on your bio-data?

   Avoid merely reciting marks, dates, and addresses already on the form; instead highlight motivation, strengths, and unique points the form does not show.

4. What does the acronym 'STAR' stand for when answering behavioural/situational interview questions?

   Situation, Task, Action, Result — a structured framework to narrate a real experience with context, your responsibility, what you did, and the outcome.

5. What is the full form of IBPS, the body conducting the PO recruitment?

   Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.

6. What is the full form of 'PO' in IBPS PO?

   Probationary Officer.

7. In IBPS PO selection, what is the weightage split between the Main examination and the Interview for the final merit?

   80:20 — Main exam carries 80% weightage and the Interview carries 20% in the final merit list.

8. What is the minimum qualifying mark percentage generally required in the IBPS PO interview for general category candidates?

   40% (35% for reserved categories such as SC/ST/OBC/PwD).

9. What is the full form of RBI and what is its primary role relevant to a PO candidate's domain knowledge?

   Reserve Bank of India — the central bank that regulates monetary policy, issues currency, and supervises commercial banks.

10. What is the 'Repo Rate' that a PO candidate should be able to define in an interview?

    The rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities; raising it makes borrowing costlier and curbs inflation.

11. What is the 'Reverse Repo Rate'?

    The rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks by absorbing their surplus liquidity; it influences how much banks park with the RBI.

12. What is CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio)?

    The percentage of a bank's net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) that it must keep as cash reserves with the RBI, earning no interest.

13. What is SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio)?

    The minimum percentage of NDTL that a bank must maintain in the form of liquid assets like cash, gold, or approved government securities before lending.

14. What is a 'Non-Performing Asset' (NPA) in banking?

    A loan or advance on which interest or principal has remained overdue for 90 days or more; classified as substandard, doubtful, or loss asset.

15. What is the full form and purpose of KYC in banking?

    Know Your Customer — the mandatory process of verifying a customer's identity and address to prevent money laundering and fraud.

16. What does NEFT stand for and how does it differ from RTGS in settlement?

    National Electronic Funds Transfer — settles in batches (now near real-time) with no minimum limit; RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) settles individually in real time for high-value transfers of Rs 2 lakh and above.

17. What is the full form of UPI and who operates it?

    Unified Payments Interface — a real-time inter-bank payment system operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

18. What is a CASA ratio in banking?

    Current Account and Savings Account ratio — the proportion of a bank's total deposits held in low-cost current and savings accounts; a higher CASA means cheaper funds.

19. What is the difference between a 'Scheduled' and a 'Non-Scheduled' bank?

    A scheduled bank is listed in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act 1934 and meets the minimum paid-up capital requirement, gaining RBI facilities; a non-scheduled bank is not listed and lacks these privileges.

20. What is 'Priority Sector Lending' (PSL)?

    RBI-mandated lending by banks to sectors like agriculture, MSME, education, housing, and weaker sections — generally 40% of Adjusted Net Bank Credit for domestic banks.

21. What is the role of 'verbal communication' clarity in an interview, and what is the recommended speaking pace?

    Clear verbal communication conveys confidence and competence; the recommended pace is moderate (about 120-150 words per minute) with pauses, avoiding fillers like 'um' and 'you know'.

22. What are 'fillers' in verbal communication and why should they be minimised?

    Filler words such as 'um', 'aa', 'like', 'actually' that signal hesitation; minimising them makes speech sound confident and articulate.

See more Interview and Personality Test flashcards →

Planning Interview and Personality Test for IBPS PO (Probationary Officer)

Interview and Personality Test (IBPS PO (Probationary Officer)) FAQ