IBPS PO vs RBI Assistant-Which is more difficult?

IBPS PO vs RBI Assistant: The IBPS PO Prelims Exam is scheduled to be conducted on 04.12.2021 and 11.12.2021 Tentatively, following Mains Exam on January 2022. As per the latest IBPS PO notification, there are over 4,135 vacancies are available for POs, and the application process for IBPS PO 2021 will begin on 20th October 2021. And as countless students might be developing an interest in taking either the IBPS PO or RBI Assistant Exams, they would be curious to compare them, before making an informed choice. And that is the purpose of this article. Read on to get important comparative details!

Undoubtedly, IBPS PO and RBI Assistant exams are amongst the most sought-after banking exams in India. Lakhs of aspirants indulge in cut-throat competition to either become a part of RBI or IBPS as POs and clerks or assistants every year. One is a clerical cadre exam and the other one is an officer-level exam.

As both the exams are due in 2021, let’s compare them from different angles and perspectives to get a better understanding of these two posts.

Highlights-IBPS PO vs RBI Assistant

Exam	IBPS PO	RBI Assistant
Conducting Body	Institute of Banking Personnel Selection	Reserve Bank of India
Selection Stages	Prelims Mains Interviews	Prelims Mains Language Proficiency Test
Exam Type	Online	Online
Post Offered	Probationary Officer (Officer Level)	Assistant (Clerical Level)
Participating Organisations	Total 21 Banks	Reserve Bank of India

The difference

The differences in both the exams could better be understood by comparing the Exam Pattern, Salary or Pay Scale, responsibilities, Career growth, and Difficulty Level.

Here we go!

Exam Pattern Comparison between IBPS PO & RBI Assiatant

IBPS PO	RBI Assistant
Prelims: This exam consists of 3 sections in the Prelims exam. You will get 20 minutes for each section. The overall time allotment is 1 hour. The total marks for this exam will be 100. A negative marking of 0.25 is there. You will have to clear the sectional and the overall cut-off to reach the mains phase or exam.	Prelims: This exam consists of 3 sections namely English language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Ability. You will get a total of 1 hour to complete the exam. 0.25 will be deducted by way of negative marking in case you’ll give a wrong answer. You will have to clear the sectional as well as the overall cut-off in order to reach the mains phase of the exam. Total marks for the exam will be 100.
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 awareness, English Language, DI which will be followed by the Descriptive writing questions at the end. A negative marking of 0.25 is there. 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 the Prelims exam as an elimination round.	Mains:   The candidates will be tested in 5 sections of this exam namely Computer, English Knowledge, Bank/economy/general awareness, numerical ability, and computer aptitude. The total time allotment to the exam is 2 hours. Candidates will have to clear the sectional as well as the overall cutoff in this exam also clear the level. A negative marking of 1/4th is there in the exam.

Job Profile Comparison between IBPS PO & RBI Assiatant

IBPS PO	RBI Assistant
· Manage the job at the Front Desk · Bring in New Business to the Bank · Processing of Loans · Accounts and cash handling · Supervise Work · Handle various Departments & Coordinate work among Department · Reporting and verification	JOB PROFILE · Maintaining files · Data Entry · Respond to RTI Queries · Currency Issue & Circulation · Replying and maintaining Email logs · Verification of Banking Documents

Pay Scale & Allowances difference between IBPS PO & RBI Assiatant

RBI Assistant	IBPS PO
Basic Pay-13150/- INR	Basic Pay-23700/- INR
Pay Scale – 13150-750(3)-15400-900(4)-19000-1200(6)-26200-1300(2)-28800-1480(3)-33240-1750(1)-34990(20 years)	Pay Scale – 23700 – 980 – 30560 – 1145 – 32850 – 1310- 42020
Gross Salary-36091/- INR	Gross Salary-38703/- INR
Other Perks and Allowances include: -Housing accommodation -Book grant, newspaper, and briefcase -Reimbursement of vehicle maintenance expenses -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. -Leave Travel Concessions for the employee’s family once every two years	Other Perks and Allowances include: -Dearness Allowance -House Rent Allowance -Special Allowance -City Compensatory Allowance

Difference in Career Growth Prospects

IBPS PO-Career Growth Prospects: The promotion grades 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

RBI Assistant-Career Growth Prospects: After completing two years of the service periods as an RBI Assistant, if you qualify for 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

Exam Difficulty Level-A Comparison

As you would have noticed from the comparisons made above, the difficulty level of both these exams is similar to some extent. These exams are designed to test a candidate’s ability, time management, and stress handling skills. You need to be accurate in giving answers. The more accurate you are the more are the chances of your success. You need to keep in mind that the Prelims in IBPS PO is more of an elimination round and is not considered while making the final merit list. There is a cut-throat competition in these two exams because of the few vacancies, and this makes both IBPS PO and RBI Assistant Exams tough nuts to crack.

Mock Tests are the best key to unlocking the door to success! Hence, you need to attempt Mock Tests regularly to make your success journey easy!