BANKING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1.Tell me something about yourself?
Generally this is the first question which is put up in front of the candidate appearing in the interview. To answer this, the candidate must tell his name, place of residence and his current work or educational degree along with a very brief note on his family-father, mother and siblings. He/she can also tell about his father or mother’s occupation. Some key points to note here are:-
He must know the meaning of his name and specific reference with his name if any. For ex:- a boy named “Prashant” was asked about the geographical connection of his name i.e. Prashant Mahasagar or Pacific Ocean.
The answer should be precise and questions like- if your father is a teacher then why do you want to become a banker? can come up from your answer to the first question. Be prepared with the answers to these expected questions.
Because this is the first question so the candidate must give a short and effective answer. You might be nervous at the beginning but remember to keep a smile on your face.
2.Where have you come from and what is famous in your city?
The candidate must tell about his place of living- city and state. If the board further asks about any specifications, then name of the district etc. should be told. He/she must tell about the famous things of his place. For ex:- a candidate from Lucknow may tell about Imambara, chicken clothes, “tehzeeb” of Lucknow etc. The key things to deal this question effectively are:-
– The candidate must know about the local MLA and MP from his area. If any renowned personality belongs to that area, you should be aware of the details.
– He must have full knowledge about that place, its history, famous monuments, personalities, rivers, at times even number of railway stations in the city etc., also about the politics of that state-CM and ruling party and all other nitty gritties of his place.
For ex: – A candidate from Ghazipur, U.P. was asked about cultivation of “Poppy seeds” as Ghazipur is famous for cultivation of poppy seeds.
– At times, questions about local politics are also put forward like a candidate, from Amethi was asked about the electoral battle between Rahul Gandhi and Kumar Vishwas form Amethi.
– A good answer to such questions leaves a very positive impact on the board as it demonstrates your awareness about the surroundings and the fact that you are well prepared puts you ahead of others.
3.Why do you want to join the banking industry?
To answer this question, you can say something like –“I want to join this industry because it can provide me a stable career with good growth prospects. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the nation and provides great career opportunities.
There could be many other reasons for you wanting to join the bank industry for e.g. it is an honest organization, good working conditions, chances to directly interact with public etc. The choice of reason could be anything that suits you as a person.
This is a very commonly asked question and you must be prepared to answer it.
4.Please tell us about your strength and weaknesses?
Here, the answers vary from candidate to candidate. But the strength and weakness should be such that they match up to or are in synchronization with the personality of the candidate. For ex:- If a candidate says that his strength is is general awareness while in reality he possesses least knowledge of current affairs – cross questioning can easily unveil him and could actually land him in trouble. Some key things to answer this question effectively are:-
– Try to put forward a strength which is useful in the banking sector. For ex: – good communication skills, adjustable etc. The strength should bring about a positive aspect of your personality in front of the board.
– This is a question from which you can actually turn the interview in your favour. For ex:- If you say something like, “I have won many awards in debate competitions so I would think that good oratory skills are my strength.”
– This way I can inform the board about my previous achievements also and can get an advantage over others.
– They may ask how your quality/strength will be helpful to bank. Be prepared with an answer.
– Weakness should not be very negative like short temper, irregular etc. as they leave a bad impression.
– Remember, this question is the golden chance for you to turn the ball in your court. In the answer you must introduce all your unique talent in front of the board. So that the interview enters in your own comfort zone.
5.After doing B.Sc / B.Tech / MBA / MA why do you want to choose banking? Why not something related with you field of education?
You must give honest and sensible answers to such question. For ex:- A MBA candidate may say that there are hardly good jobs in MBA as of now. Banking is a safe sector providing great employment opportunities. In the answer, you must show your keen interest in joining banking sector and it should not look like you don’t have an option so you are choosing it.
You can also expect some questions from academics. A science stream student may be asked about about Newton’s Law etc. So, you must also prepare the subjects studied by you in the degree.
6.What are the basic documents a person requires to open an account?
The RBI has advised banks to follow the Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines where some personal information of the account holder is obtained by the bank. This information includes: – photograph, proof of identity and proof of address. In 2013, AADHAR cards and MNREGA cards are included in KYC papers. Without these documents a person can’t open his account.
Key points:-
– The interviewer might ask whether you have a bank account or not.
– It is preferable to have an account and to know about the process because it will only help you if such questions come up.
7.Who is the governor of RBI?
As of today (March’14), you can answer this as, Mr. Raghuram Govind Rajan is the 23rd governor of RBI. Before taking reins as RBI governor he was an officer on special duty in RBI. He has also served as economic advisor in PMEAC. His tenure is of 3 years ending in September 2016.
Key points:-
– In IBPS interviews, you must have a quick read about the prominent personalities of banking industry, especially governor and deputy governors of RBI.
– You must address the name of personalities by using Mr. or Madame in case of male and female respectively.
– Try to keep yourself updated about the recent happenings of at least the month prior to interview.
8.Tell us something about the 27th or latest public sector bank in India.
Sir, the 27th public sector bank in India is Bhartiya Mahila Bank. It was created by Finance Bill 2012. The first BMB was opened in Mumbai on 19th November 2013 on the 94th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. India is the third country in the world to have a bank especially for women after Pakistan and Tanzania.
– Tagline- “women empowerment economically”.
– Head- Usha Anantha Subramanayam
– The bank allows deposit from everyone, but lending will be focused for women.
– This bank is very important because it is the latest and 27th PSB of India. So, try to know every basic point about BMB.
Initial capital of Rs. 1000 crore.
Similarly, if there has been some other initiative in that year, you should be well aware of it.
9.What do you understand by the GDP of the country?
The final value of all the goods and services produced under the geographical area of a country is the Gross Domestic Product of that country. GDP is calculated at consumption, investment and exports and imports are subtracted from the sum of these three.
10.Who are the Bharat Ratna awardees, 2014?
Sir, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar and Mr.C.N.R rao are the two recent awardees of Bharat Ratna award. Both of them are the 42nd and 43rd recipients of the award. CNR Rao received the award for his contribution in the field of chemistry whereas Mr. Tendulkar received the award for his contribution in the game of cricket. Also, he is the first sportsperson to have recived the highest honor of India.
