About you and why banking
Practise these-
1. Tell me about yourself.
What they look for: Keep it short: background, education, any work experience, and why banking.
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2. Why do you want to join a bank, especially after your degree?
What they look for: Engineers and graduates from other fields get this a lot. Talk about job stability, customer impact, growth, and how your skills fit.
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3. Why do you want to leave your current job for banking?
What they look for: Focus on what attracts you to banking, not what you dislike about your job.
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4. Are you ready to work in rural branches?
What they look for: Say yes honestly and mention how you would adapt. Postings in rural branches are common early in the career.
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5. What do you know about the bank you are interviewing for?
What they look for: Know its headquarters, recent news, and one or two schemes or products it is known for.
Banking awareness
Practise these-
6. What is the difference between CRR and SLR?
What they look for: CRR is cash a bank keeps with the RBI; SLR is liquid assets like cash, gold or government securities a bank keeps with itself. Know why each exists.
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7. What is a repo rate and how does it affect loans?
What they look for: The rate at which the RBI lends to banks. When it rises, loans usually become costlier. Check the current rate before your interview.
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8. What is an NPA and how can banks reduce them?
What they look for: A loan where repayment is overdue for 90 days or more. Talk about better credit checks, monitoring and recovery mechanisms.
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9. What is financial inclusion? Name a scheme that supports it.
What they look for: Bringing banking to people without access. PM Jan Dhan Yojana is the most common example.
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10. How has UPI changed banking in India?
What they look for: Mention reach, instant payments, lower cash use, and the new risks like fraud that banks must handle.
Situations
Practise these-
11. An angry customer shouts at you in the branch. What do you do?
What they look for: Stay calm, listen, apologise for the inconvenience, solve what you can, and escalate if needed.
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12. A customer asks you to bend a KYC rule. What will you do?
What they look for: Refuse politely, explain why KYC exists, and help them complete the proper process.
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13. How would you sell a bank product to a customer?
What they look for: Understand their need first, then suggest the right product. Mis-selling is a serious issue — say you would avoid it.
Frequently asked questions
How many marks is the IBPS PO interview?
The IBPS PO interview is out of 100 marks. The final merit list combines Mains and interview scores.
Can I answer the bank interview in Hindi?
Usually yes. Most bank interview panels allow English or Hindi, and some allow the regional language. Choose the one you are most comfortable in.
Do IBPS Clerk or SBI Clerk exams have an interview?
No. Clerk-level recruitment is based on the written exams only. Interviews are for officer-level posts like PO.