IBPS PO 2015 – How to prepare for IBPS PO Personal Interview – Part 1

Dear Readers,

Firstly, we congratulate all the candidates who have successfully cleared the IBPS CWE PO/MT 2015 Mains exam. IBPS has started issuing call letters to the shortlisted candidates for the third and final phase of the exam, which includes a Personal Interview (PI). We are posting a series of articles on ‘Preparation Strategy for IBPS PO/MT Interviews’, discussing all the core areas that need to be focussed on during your preparation and the actual interview. Here is the part 1 of this series.

While the common written examination only tests your aptitude skills, the third phase has different set of questions for every candidate, targeting his/her core personality. It tests your knowledge, conceptual depth, analytical prowess and attitude.

Worried?

Don’t be. Though it seems a tall order, in reality it is quite easy if you are well-prepared. You need to first understand the mindset of interviewers. i.e. What exactly are they looking for? While answering questions have a balanced approach on issues, communicate coherently and maintain your true persona. So, before formulating a PI strategy, let us thoroughly understand the pattern of phase-3.

Pattern of Phase-3:

The PI is worth 100 marks and is conducted by the participating organisations and coordinated by the nodal bank in each state/ UT with the help of IBPS.

For General category candidates, the minimum qualifying marks for the interview is not less than 40% and for OBC/SC/ST/PWD candidates it is not less than 35%. IBPS will release the final score based on marks obtained in the Mains exam as well as the interview in the ratio 80:20 respectively. After clearing the PI with high merit, you will be shortlisted for provisional allotment in one of the participating organisations.

Note: If the number of marks obtained in the final scorecard is the same for two or more candidates, the merit order will be decided based on their date of birth.

Panel of Interviewers:

i) Your interview will be conducted by a panel comprising 5-6 IBPS officials.

ii) The panel will consist of a main interviewer seated in the middle, who will ask questions based on your personality and aspirations. She/he will be the judge of your personality.

iii) One of the panel members with technical expertise will ask questions about Banking and your decision to pursue a career in the field.

iv) Another member will analyse your profile and ask questions based on facts mentioned in the same.

Nature & Scope of the PI:

To understand the nature of scope of the interview, we first need to know why an interview is a prerequisite in the selection process of PO/MT positions. The two major attributes IBPS is looking for in candidates competing for PO/MT posts are aptitude and social skills.

As written examination test your core aptitude, the interview is conducted to test your interpersonal skills and attitude.

i) Interviews test your capability to grasp ideas/thoughts as well as articulately communicate your own viewpoints.

ii) Interviewers also assess how you respond to pressure and your ability to tackle challenges.

iii) Interviews also test whether a candidate has an optimistic attitude with a solution-centric approach while tackling tough situations.

PI is does not have a set model because the scope of the interview changes based on each candidate’s profile. The set of questions may be different for a fresher and an experienced person. Questions can be based on his/her academic background, work experience, recent developments in their professional fields, candidate’s decision of changing the previous field of job, etc.

Now that we have discussed the nature of interviews, let us sum up the tools we have to build a good preparation strategy.

Interview Tools:

1) Personality: An honest personality and a healthy confidence while presenting it in front of the panel is your first weapon. Your manner of presenting your strengths and knowledge will surely pay off.

2) Academic Background: Your academic background gives an insight into your career choice. A graduate usually spends around 3-4 years to study and excel in a particular subject. It is thus natural to expect him/her to know about the field. Therefore, be prepared for questions on current developments in your field. If you have any interesting projects and summer internships in your profile, it will have a healthy impact on the interviewer.

3) Job Experience: A candidate with job experience should be ready to answer questions based on his job profile and work experience. Notable work/assignments that you took up in your previous job will be an added plus.

4) Aptitude: Though you are tested for aptitude in the previous phases of this exam, you can expect more questions based on current affairs. Your knowledge of relevant topics and your opinions about current and controversial issues will be tested in the PI.

Link to IBPS PO 2015 – How to prepare for IBPS PO Personal Interview – Part 2 https://www.pagalguy.com/articles/ibps-po-2015-how-to-prepare-for-ibps-po-personal-interview-p-387834…

Link to IBPS PO 2015 – How to prepare for IBPS PO Personal Interview – Part 3

https://www.pagalguy.com/articles/ibps-po-2015-how-to-prepare-for-ibps-po-personal-interview-p-388292…

Link to IBPS PO 2015 – How to prepare for IBPS PO Personal Interview – Part 4

https://www.pagalguy.com/articles/ibps-po-2015-how-to-prepare-for-ibps-po-interview-part-4-38829901

Link to IBPS PO 2015 – How to prepare for IBPS PO Personal Interview – Part 5

https://www.pagalguy.com/articles/ibps-po-2015-how-to-prepare-for-ibps-po-personal-interview-p-388307…

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