IBPS PO Interview Strategy 2023-24: Tips & Expected Questions

IBPS PO Interview Strategy 2023: The IBPS PO Mains result is expected to be declared by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection in November 2023. Candidates who will clear the mains exam will be preparing for the IBPS PO Interview 2023 so as to make sure that they are shortlisted in the final list which is likely to come out on April 1, 2024. IBPS PO Interview carries a weightage of 100. Out of 100, a General/ EWS candidate needs to secure at least 40 marks to pass the Interview round.

For the reserved category candidates, the minimum marks prescribed to pass the Interview are 35%. Now, If we talk about the weightage of the interview in the final selection, then it is 20%. The 80% weightage is assigned to marks secured by the candidates in the IBPS POMains exam. In this article, we will be providing you with a useful IBPS PO Interview Strategy that will help the candidates perform well in their Interviews. We will also be presenting Tips to crack the interview, Expected questions that can be asked in the interview, and other important instructions. Check out the article to learn more.

Also Read:IBPS PO Document Verification Process & Joining Formalities

IBPS PO Interview - Types of Questions Asked

The interviews for IBPS PO XII will be conducted in February 2024. The admit card for the interview is yet to be released. The IBPS PO Interview is basically divided into four parts. As discussed earlier, the interview will be conducted on 100 marks. There will be four members in the interviewing panel. Each of them will ask the questions. Your responses will be observed and marked by all of them. Apart from the questions and answer session, 10-15% of marks are also attributed to gestures, confidence, way of answering, and other such aspects.

Part - 1 

The first set of questions that are asked to the candidates is related to HR questions. These include questions such as “Tell me something about yourself”, “Family background”, “Educational background”, “Hobbies” and so on. Questions related to the city from which you hail have also been quite prevalent. The Interviewer may ask about some famous things from your city like monuments, railway stations, famous food, etc. Candidates who have work experience will be asked questions related to their domain. They can also ask what makes Banking a better career than your previous job. The important tip here will be that candidates should answer these questions honestly as there will be cross-questions on your educational background and Job experience. So any false approach may land you in an uncomfortable situation. 

Part - 2 

The second set of questions pertains to the Public Sector Banks. This will also include questions on the basis of your preference of the banks while filling out theIBPS PO Application form. The interviewer can ask questions about the headquarters of PSBs in India, their managing directors, the history of banks, etc. Candidates are advised to acquire detailed knowledge regarding the bank of their first preference as there may be questions requiring answers in depth pertaining to it. Also, have a justifying reason as to why chose that particular bank as preference 1. Learning about the quarterly income and performance will put the icing on the cake. 

Candidates can also expect generic questions regarding the privatization of banks, merger of banks and other related concepts. In part - 2, there will be questions on the job profile of a PO as well. 

Part - 3

This is an important part where the questions will be put up from banking awareness and general economic concepts. An important thing to note here is that unlike the banking awareness questions as asked in IBPS PO mains exam, like schemes launched by a particular bank, tie ups of banks, etc., questions in the Interview will mainly focus on important concepts like Rate of Interest for saving bank account, Repo rate, SLR, CRR, etc. The questions regarding types of bank accounts, NRE account, negotiable instruments and so on can also be asked. 

Part - 4

The fourth and last segment of the IBPS PO mains interview deals with current affairs. For the current affairs part, the newspaper will do the deed. Candidates are advised to go through the main headlines on the first page, national news page, sports page and business page for 10 - 15 days before the schedule of the interview. Also, go through the banking-related current affairs of the previous month of the interview schedule. A very common question nowadays in the banking interview is what is the headline on the main page of today’s newspaper. So, try to bring newspaper reading into practice. 

IBPS PO Interview - Preparation Tips

Most of the candidates are unable to figure out the correct preparation strategy for the IBPS PO Interview. The role that the interview plays is very much crucial in the final selection. Below are some important tips that will help you prepare for the interview:

Tip 1: Be confident. Dress up properly. The male candidates are advised to be formally dressed with an appropriate haircut. The female candidates can wear sarees or simple suits. Keep your body stiff and the posture must be right. Do wish all the panel while entering the Interview room. Also, make sure you sit down after you are told. 

Tip 2: Try to be very careful and as crisp as possible while answering the questions. There can be cross questions from everything you say. Therefore, project only the things you are confident about to avoid any counterback questions. 

Tip 3: Prepare the answer to personal questions like “Tell me about yourself” by writing. Structure the answer comprehensively and in an organized manner. Do prepare for the “WHY” which will be asked on the basis of your answers as to why you are choosing banking as a career after B.Tech, Why you took one one-year gap after graduation, and so on. The gap year should be justified well. 

Tip 4: Be honest while answering the questions. It has been seen that some candidates, just to project themselves as smart, amalgamate their answers. This will, however, most probably make a fool out of you as the interviewers are experienced and will anyhow be able to identify the real facts. Therefore, to avoid any inconvenience and for a successful interview, candidates are advised to answer the questions honestly. Replying as, “Sir, I don’t know this and I would read it” is a good option if you are unaware of something.

Tip 5: Read the newspaper regularly. Candidates who are well aware of the world around them always leave a good impression on the interviewers. The chances of selection are higher if a candidate answers the general questions correctly. Therefore, make a habit of reading the newspaper regularly at least for a month before the interview.

Tip 6: Prepare some basic concepts related to your educational background. In the IBPS PO Interview, questions can be related to the stream in which you have pursued your graduation. For a BSc graduate, questions about Newton’s law, names of chemical compounds, and Trigonometric identities are very much certain. 

Tip 7: Candidates are advised to answer the questions by standing in front of a mirror. Practicing this way will help you analyze yourself and build confidence. Candidates can also go for mock interviews which a lot of coaching institutes are offering. This will help you get feedback on your answers. Candidates will be able to amend and make the necessary changes in their answers. 

Tip 8: Be relaxed. Some candidates succumb to pressure thinking about the questions that can be asked from the banking sector. But the very fact is, even the interviewers know, that a person who comes from a different background will have little knowledge about core banking. Therefore, only the basic questions are asked. Don’t be nervous and stay confident. 

These tips can be considered for all the Upcoming Bank Exam Interviews.

Also Read:IBPS PO Salary: Check Basic, In-Hand Salary, Perks, Benefits, Job Roles