Bank jobs explained: IBPS, SBI and RBI
Last reviewed 05 Oct 2026 · by the RingMyJob team
Bank jobs are among the most popular government-sector careers in India. Recruitment is split between a few organisations, and knowing who does what helps you plan the year's exams.
IBPS: most public sector banks
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) runs common recruitment exams for most public sector banks. The main ones are:
- Probationary Officer / Management Trainee (PO/MT): entry-level officers.
- Clerk: customer service and office posts.
- Specialist Officer (SO): IT, agriculture, law, HR, marketing and other specialist roles.
- Regional Rural Banks (RRBs): officer scales and office assistant (multipurpose) posts in rural banks. Do not confuse these with the Railway Recruitment Boards, which share the same short name.
After the exams, IBPS allots successful candidates to the participating banks according to merit, vacancies and preferences.
SBI: its own recruitment
State Bank of India recruits its own probationary officers, clerks (junior associates) and specialist officers through exams it conducts itself, announced on SBI's careers page.
RBI and other regulators
The Reserve Bank of India recruits officers (such as Grade B), assistants and other staff through its own exams. Other financial institutions, such as NABARD and SIDBI, also run their own recruitments.
How selection usually works
- Officer posts: a preliminary exam, a main exam and an interview, with the final merit based on the main exam and the interview.
- Clerk posts: a preliminary and a main exam, usually without an interview. Many clerk recruitments are state-wise and include a test of the local language.
Each notice gives the eligibility, age limits, exam pattern and fee. Read our guide on how to read a job notification.
Private banks
Private banks recruit through their own careers pages, often all year round, and sometimes through tie-ups with training institutes. Be careful with offers that ask for training or "joining" fees; read our guide to spotting fake job notices.
Browse current openings on our bank jobs page.
This guide gives general information. Rules, dates and fees differ between recruitments, so always read the official notification before you apply.