Promit Pramanik | Updated: Dec 4, 2022 14:46 IST
Difference Between SBI PO And SBI Clerk: State Bank of India popularly known as SBI is one of the biggest state-owned financial institutions in India. SBI every year recruits candidates for the post of clerk and Probationary Officer (PO) respectively. Lakhs of candidates appear for the examination to get into SBI. SBI itself is the conducting authority for both exams. A decent salary, additional allowance, and perks attract aspirants to aspire for this job. The syllabus for SBI Clerk and SBI PO is almost similar but still, there are some differences in both these exams, which are mentioned below.
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Let’s have a look at the basic differences between SBI PO and Clerk
| Differences | SBI PO | SBI Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | Probationary Officer | Junior Associate |
| Selection Stages | Phase-I (Prelims)Phase-II (Mains)Phase-III (Group Exercise & Personal Interview) | Phase-I (Prelims)Phase-II (Mains)Phase-III (Language Proficiency Test) |
| Mode of Exam | Online Except for GE/PI | Online |
| Cadre | Officer Cadre | Clerical Cadre |
| Age Limits | 21 – 30 Years | 20 – 28 Years |
| Responsibility | SBI PO has to work as Public Relation Officer | SBI Clerk has to work as Single Window Operator |
| Work Area | SBI PO should manage cash flow, supervise clerical work and be aware of the latest developments | SBI Clerk on the other hand needs to deal with customer inquiries and deal with cheques, demand drafts, etc. |
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The pattern of preliminary tests for both the exam SBI PO and SBI Clerk is exactly the same. But in SBI PO preliminary exam the difficulty level of questions would be slightly on the higher side.
| SL No | Name of the Test | No of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| – | Total | 100 | 100 |
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There is a distinguishable difference when it comes to the main exam for SBI PO and SBI Clerk. Let’s check this out.
| SL No | Subject | SBI PO | SBI Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General English | 35 questions (40 minutes); 40 minutes | 40 questions (40 marks); 35 minutes |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitiude | – | 50 questions (50 marks); 45 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 50 questions (50 marks); 45 minutes | 50 Questions (60 Marks); 45 minutes |
| 4 | Data Analysis and Interpretation | 35 questions (60 marks); 45 minutes | – |
| 5 | General Awareness (Includes Banking and Financial Awareness) | 40 questions (40 marks); 35 minutes | 50 questions (50 marks); 35 minutes |
| 6 | Descriptive Test | 2 questions (50 marks); 30 minutes | – |
Important Note: Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Analysis section of SBI PO and SBI Clerk are overlapping with each other. The questions on Data Interpretation are found in the “Quantitative Aptitude” section of the SBI Clerk Main Exam. Likewise, there is a number of questions from Quantitative Aptitude in the “Data Interpretation and Analysis” section of the SBI PO Main Exam.
The Descriptive Test in the SBI PO Main Exam will test your writing skill for Essay and Letter. You have secure the passing marks to qualify for the Descriptive Test. Descriptive Paper will be evaluated only for those candidates who have scored qualifying marks in Objective Test.
In SBI PO and SBI Clerk main there is no sectional cut-off.
Based on the number of questions and the allocation of time, let’s have a look at how many minutes you will be having per question in SBI Clerk Mian as compared to the SBI PO Main.
| SL No | Subject | SBI PO | SBI Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Awareness (Includes Banking and Finance Awareness) | 0.9 minutes /question | 0.7 minutes /question |
| 2 | General English | 1.1 minutes /question | 0.9 minutes /question |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis and Interpretation | 1.3 minutes /question | 0.9 minutes /question |
| 4 | Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 1.3 minutes /question | 0.9 minutes /question |
Now let’s talk about the difference between SBI Clerk and SBI PO in terms of salary, perks, and allowance.
| SL No | Topic | SBI PO | SBI Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Pay | Starting Basic Pay is INR 27,620 with 4 advance increments on a scale of 23,700-980/7-30560-1145/2-32850-1310/7-42020 | Starting Basic Pay is INR 11,765 with possible increments along the scales of 11765-655/3-13730-815/3-16175-980/4-20095-1145/7-28110-2120/1-30230-1310/1-31450. |
| 2 | Gross Emoluments | Total pay inclusive of allowances for a probationary officer would range from INR 68,333 – 1,08,500/- per month depending on the place of posting. | Total pay inclusive of allowances for an employee of a clerical cadre would be INR 23,600/- per month in a metro city such as Mumbai. |
| 3 | Perks and Allowances | Leased house accommodation, Dearness Allowance, City Compensatory allowance, Medical allowance, Travelling allowance, etc. | Dearness allowance, House accommodation, Pension, Medical Insurance, Provident Fund. |
| 4 | Career Progression | Starting Rank: Probationary OfficerPromotion #1: Junior Management Grade Scale-I (JMGS-I)Promotion #2: Middle Management Grade Scale-II (MMGS-II). | Starting Rank: SBI ClerkPromotion #1: Trainee Officer (TO) following 3 Years of Service + Written Test & Interview. Promotion #2: Middle Management Grade Scale-II conditional on successful completion of the probationary period |
| 5 | Highest Attainable Rank | Chairman | Deputy General Manager |
SBI PO exam is held every year to recruit candidates for Officer Scale – 1 post.
The SBI Clerk exam is held every year to recruit candidates for Clerical Cadre Positions.
The State Bank of India conducts both SBI PO and SBI Clerk exams.
SBI PO is held once a year.
SBI Clerk is held once a year.