RBI Assistant is one such exam which is very popular among the Bank Exam Aspirants despite being a clerical cadre exam. The reason is pretty clear here. Apart from offering a decent salary, posting in the home state not to mention the work-life balance, it gives an opportunity to work, learn and grow in India’s Central Bank responsible for formulating, implementing & monitoring the Monetary Policy & is the regulator of the entire Banking system in India, with the brightest minds having expertise in Economics and Finance. A candidate who joins as an RBI Assistant is presented with numerous opportunities to learn and grow within the organization.
Bank Exam aspirants who wish to join the Banking sector, are often confused between the posts of IBPS Probationary Officer (IBPS PO) and RBI Assistant. Often there is comparison between the salaries, job profile, place of posting, promotional opportunities etc between the two posts. So, let us not waste anymore time and have a look at the comparison between the two.
RBI Assistant vs IBPS PO – Few Highlights
| Exam | RBI Assistant | IBPS PO |
| 1. Conducting Body | Reserve Bank of India | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection |
| 2. Selection Scheme | (i) Prelims, (ii) Mains & (iii) Language Proficiency Test | (i) Prelims, (ii) Mains & (iii) Interviews |
| 3. Mode of Examination | Online | Online |
| 4. Post Offered | Assistant (Clerical Level) | Probationary Officer (Scale 1 Officer Level) |
| 5. Participating Organisations | Reserve Bank of India | Public Sector Banks (PSBs) |
RBI Assistant vs IBPS PO – Detailed Comparison
Let us make this comparison more detailed so that you could decide which one is more suitable for your career path. The posts will be compared using the below given pointers.
- Exam Pattern
- Pay Scale
- Job Profile
- Career Prospective
- Exam Difficulty Level
- Exam Pattern
| RBI Assistant | IBPS PO |
| 1. Prelims · There will be 3 sections namely English Language, Reasoning Ability and Numerical Ability in the test with 20 minutes of time allotted to each section. · Total marks for the exam will be 100. · 1/4th Negative Marking will be applicable for every wrong answer | 1. Prelims · There are 3 sections in this exam viz. English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability with time allotment of 20 minutes to each section and an overall time of 1 hour. · 1/4th Negative Marking will be applicable for every wrong answer. Candidates need to clear sectional and the overall cut-off to appear for the mains exams. Total marks for this exam also account for a total of 100. |
| 2. Mains · There will be 5 sections in the exam namely Test of Reasoning (30 min) Test of English Language (30 min), Test of Numerical Ability (30 min), Test of General Awareness (25 min), Test of Computer Knowledge (20 min). · The maximum marks are 200. · 1/4th Negative Marking will be applicable for every wrong answer | 2. Mains · In this exam candidates are challenged in 4 sections with an additional descriptive writing section at the end. The sections are as follows – Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, Data Analysis which will be followed by Descriptive Writing questions at the end. · The total marks are 225. · Candidates will be judged for the selection of the PO position based on Mains score and the performance in the interview. IBPS generally does consider Prelims exam as an elimination round. |
| 3. Language Proficiency Test · The candidates provisionally shortlisted from the main on-line examination will have to undergo a Language Proficiency Test (LPT). · The Language Proficiency Test will be conducted in the Official / Local Language of the State concerned as detailed below). · Candidate not proficient in the Official / Local Language shall be disqualified. | 3. Interview · Candidates who clear the IBPS PO Main examination will subsequently be called for the IBPS PO Interview to be conducted by the Participating Organisations and coordinated by the Nodal Bank in each State/ UT with the help of IBPS. |
- Pay Scale & Allowances
| RBI Assistant | IBPS PO |
| Salary · Assistants will draw a starting basic pay of ₹ 14,650/- per month. · Initial monthly Gross emoluments for Assistants approximately Rs 36091/- | Salary · IBPS Probationary Officers draw a basic pay of Rs 23700. · The gross salary of a Bank PO is 37,360 – 38,700 depending on the bank and location of posting. |
| Other Perks and Allowances · Housing accommodation · Book grant, newspaper and briefcase · Reimbursement of vehicle maintenance expenses · Leave Travel Concessions for the employee’s family once every two years · Interest-free Festival Advance · Reimbursement of medical expenses for hospitalization and OPD treatment · Advances and loans at concessional interest rates for car, housing, education, personal computer, consumer articles, etc. | Other Perks and Allowances · Dearness Allowance · House Rent Allowance · Special Allowance · City Compensatory Allowance |
- Job Profile
| RBI Assistant | IBPS PO |
| The job responsibilities of an RBI Assistant include: 1. Maintaining files – It includes collection of receipts, maintaining of Ledger, Balance tally etc. 2. Data Entry – Entering of day-to-day transactions (Computer-based working) 3. Replying and maintaining Email logs 4. Responding to RTI Queries 5. Currency Issue & Circulation 6. Verification of Banking Documents 7. Attending to the Government Treasury Work 8. Co-ordinating with the higher authorities in terms of work. | 1. During the Probation Period, the candidate is exposed to different practical aspects of Banking such as Marketing, Finance, General Banking, Investment, Cash Management, Deposits, Billing, Loan Processing, Front desk, Issuing of Demand Drafts, Cheques, etc. and various other banking activities to help them get familiar with the working of the banks. 2. After the probation period, the PO is confirmed as Assistant Manager and has the following responsibilities. · Manage the job at the Front Desk · Bring in New Business to the Bank · Supervise Work · Handle various Departments & Coordinate work among Department · Processing of Loans · Accounts and cash handling · Reporting and Verification |
- Career Growth & Promotions
| RBI Assistant | IBPS PO |
| · After completing two years of service period as an RBI Assistant, if you qualify the examination, you will be promoted to be “Grade A” Officer or the Assistant Manager, which is the lowest grade in the hierarchy of Officer Cadre. · After that, if you apply again for the promotion test, you will be promoted to “Grade B” or Managerial Level, then likewise to “Grade C” or Assistant General Manager, “Grade D” or Deputy General Manager, “Grade E” or General Manager and finally to “Grade F” or Deputy Governor | · The promotion grades after the IBPS PO are Manager (Scale II), Senior Manager (Scale III), Chief Manager (Scale IV), AGM (Scale V), DGM (Scale VI) and GM (Scale VII). · After that Executive Director and CMD (Chairman and Managing Director) are appointed by the Govt of India. · Almost all EDs and CMDs of banks started their career as PO. A few selected ones also get a chance to become Deputy Governor (DG) in RBI |
- Exam Difficulty Level
- The exam difficulty level of these two exams is more or less similar to each other. Both of these exams test student’s aptitude in Numerical, Reasoning, Languages, Time Management skills, and Stress Handling Skills.
- It is all about the speed and accuracy in these exams. For the prelims of both of these exams, a candidate needs to attempt maximum number of questions with high accuracy.
- The prelims phase of both these exams is qualifying in nature. Prelims level of exam in IBPS PO as well as RBI Assistant are not considered when the final merit list is in making, this reflects that Prelims of IBPS PO, and RBI Assistant are more or less an elimination round.
- The mains phase of both these exams are concept based, tricky and calculative. Therefore, a concept of each of the subjects need to be strong.
- The competition in these two exams is extremely high given the number of vacancies that are announced every year.
We hope that you gain useful insights from this article and prepare for your exam with a clearer approach and understanding.
RBI Assistant online applications have started, and one can apply for the same using the link given in the RBI Notification.
Always remember that practice and timely preparation is the key to clearing any competitive Exam. Swear by Oliveboard’s Motto “Learn, Practice & Improve” and we bet that success in yours.