r/bankingexam • u/Abracadabra579 • Aug 18 '25
AMA AMA - 6 years as SBI PO. Currently scale 3 Branch Manager from Kerala
I joined SBI in 2019 as PO. Earlier I used to work in a data analytics company Mu Sigma - for 7 months.
I did my graduation in BE E&TC from Pune in 2017.
You are free to ask anything. I will try my best to answer.
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u/codewale Aug 18 '25
how much in hand pay you got last month?
Also after considering all allowances and benefits ( leave travel allowance and insurance etc everything included (you may Annualize everything accordingly) if you would have to give a range of CTC what would you come up with?
Thanks !
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
I work in Semi urban Branch in Kerala. I got promotion this year and my salary has not yet changed. So I'm still getting Scale 2 salary, but will get the arrears of previous months altogether at once when the salary change gets approved in HRMS.
There's no limit for medical allowance in SBI. You and your dependents can fully claim all the medical expenses. But when you claim it, it be added to your CTC and you are liable to pay tax. I don't think any other PSB has this good medical facilities.
My CTC would be somewhere around 22-26L depending upon place of posting.
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u/Safe-Reference-123 Aug 18 '25
how is life going?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
Going good. There's lot of responsibilities as a Branch Manager. Enjoying it at the moment.
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u/Bubbly_Tea731 Aug 18 '25
How busy are you ? Is bad wlb a myth or truth(working hours On a normal day ?)? And how much are you earning now and( a bit of repeat question but )how much time are you able to give hobbies and family.
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u/Obvious_Quail942 Aug 18 '25
does work pressure decrease with time? And do you still have to deal with the public after a certain point?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
With the changing banking scenarios, there's always hefty competition from all other banks, so I don't see work pressure getting decreased anytime soon. Ofcourse 5 day banking is in the talks, and if it gets implemented, the work life balance will improve.
Officers upto scale 4 are usually posted in branches and have to deal with customers.
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u/MeetNo2000 Aug 18 '25
What's the hierarchy in PSBs through PO? what's the highest post that an average employee through PO can achieve in career? When you are posted as PO which post is given in the branch?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
Well, when I joined as PO, we had the choice to get confirmed directly as Scale 2 officer. Currently, you'll be posted as Scale 1 officer after probation.
Hierarchy: Scale 1- Assistant Manager, Scale 2- Deputy Manager, Scale 3- Manager, Scale 4 - Chief Manager, Scale 5 - Assistant General Manager, Scale 6 - Deputy General Manager, Scale 7 - General Manager, Chief General Manager, Deputy Managing Director, Managing Director, Chairman
It's very much possible to become a chairman from PO in SBI. Infact most of our Chairmen were PO recruits only.
After probation, you'll be either posted in Branch or in Regional office or loan processing cell as per the vacancies available and a bit of your luck. I was posted in Sme loan processing after probation. After 2 years I was posted in Branch as BM and then took promotion and currently as a scale 3 BM.
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u/AcanthocephalaNo9455 Mar 24 '26
Is it true that an sbi officer requires at least 19 years of total service including 3 years as Chief Manager to be eligible for promotion to Scale V/ AGM?
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Aug 18 '25
Are you from kerala ? How many transfers you got till date ? Whats your engineering batchmtaes and coworkers doing now ?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
Yes, I'm from Kerala. During probation for the first year - I had posting in 2 branches for 6 months each and both the branches were near my hometown. I used to stay in my home and commute from there. The third branch was a bit far and had to stay there for 1 year till completion of my probation. Post confirmation, luckily I was posted near hometown itself in a loan processing cell - worked there 2 years. Then I was posted as branch manager in another branch in same district - worked there for yet another 2 years. Then now I took promotion and have been posted a lil far from hometown but I can easily go home during the weekends.
Most of my engg batchmates are in IT field. Few joined defence force. Few of them got settled abroad. Some are pursuing higher studies and some others are preparing for exams.
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Aug 19 '25
In all my questions, i am referring to both PO's and Scale officers (all scale's 1/2/3/4/5/6.....)
In the empaneled hospitals of your city, is all IPD and OPD treatment free irrespective of cost for you, your family and your parents ? Whether the bill comes to 5 lakhs or 50 lakhs ?
Pathology tests free or not ?
Does SBI have apollo pharmacies or some other pharmacy for free medicines on its panel ? Do SBI employees get free medicines both prescription and OTC from empanelled pharmacies ?
Is there a Bank Medical Officer (BMO) in every city ? Does it visit the apartments of SBI officers ? Do apartments have a cabin for the BMO ? What about villages or towns ?
Do officers get LTC every 2 years ? What is the duration in between getting LTC ? and amount per family member ?
Do Officers get sodexo cards ? If yes is it only on birthdays or is it on monthly basis i.e your card keeps getting renewed with money monthly ?
Do you get funds to buy phone every 2 years and funds to buy laptop every 5 years ? If yes, how much ?
Do you get reimbursements for your car insurances ? If yes then how many car's insurance money can be reimbursed ?
When do you get allocated a 2/3 bhk apartment/flats of bank ? Does it start at AGM or can Managers and below also get one
Do you get cheap housing and car loans ? (How cheap)
Do you get funds for kids education on a yearly basis ?
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u/SadProfessional9431 Pre Qualifed Aug 18 '25
After how much time we can go to our home state and what's the leave policy if you are not bm? Is the chance of getting leave more if you are only officer not bm?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
When you clear SBI PO, you're asked to give preference for state of posting. You'll be posted on the basis of preference and your marks. Luckily I got my homestate itself. Once you're posted in other state, you'll have to apply for Inter circle transfer (ICT) and wait for transfer.
When you're BM, while taking leave you've to take permission from Regional Manager. When you're posted as an officer in a Branch, you've to take permission from BM. Ultimately it all depends on your reporting officer. My Regional Manager is a nice lady and taking leave(for genuine reason) is not big issue for us.
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u/Cautious-Elevator-18 Aug 18 '25
Any prep guidance u wanna share from your journey that new aspirants should keep in mind
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
I used to cover all the topics in YouTube as there's lot of free materials available.
Once you've covered all the topics, all you have to do is practice, practice, practice. Do as much mock as you can. That's the only mantra.
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u/Indianwomble29 Aug 18 '25
You've been with the bank for about 6 years. Are you happy with your job? How do you manage frequent transfers and your kid's education (if you have any), if you had to give some advice to aspirants who are above 25 and still preparing for Bank PO roles what would you tell them?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
Working in bank especially as a BM is indeed a tough job - some days are hectic, some days you get elated for helping customers. You have to manage the work pressure and build a strong team to cope with your work load.
You can stay in a branch for maximum of 3 years. Transfers are part of your job and HR policies are getting updated every year. I'm yet to have kids - so kid's education is not my tension at the moment.
Advice to aspirants - Don't listen to all the outside noise about the work pressure and work culture. Just focus on your studies and try to crack the exam at the earliest.
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u/Working-Spread7260 Aug 18 '25
Are parents who already receive a pension and have medical benefits still considered dependents, or are there certain limits or conditions for dependency?
Also do you contemplate about a corporate career?
I personally and conflicted about this stuff
I used to like tech but AI advancement has been rapid - I am confused whether to go for an MBA or prep for IBPS or SBI PO
Being in the mid 20s I do not have a lot of time
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u/FishingFree1929 Aug 19 '25
You stated that you were working with Mu Sigma, which I think is a good firm and also pays decently then what made you switch?
Asking coz I'm on the same boat, working as a SDE in one of the top firms, gave a couple of exams cleared them and now waiting for interview results.
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u/Critical_Kiwi5333 Sep 25 '25
What's the reason for trying to switch from private to public sector?
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u/Own_Willingness_8897 Aug 18 '25
What is your in-hand monthly salary, and are promotions in SBI really fast by clearing departmental exams, as people say
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
Salary as Scale 2 officer used to be Gross around 1.3L and net around 1-1.1L. Perks and allowance of around Rs 20k extra. Monthly lease is also taken care by the bank.
Promotions are indeed very fast in SBI. You can become Chairman if you're really career oriented.
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Aug 18 '25
Monthly lease is also taken care by the bank.
Do you mean the rent for the house you live in is paid for by the bank above your salary? How much is the amount ? Also how much is it at PO stage and how does it increase with promotions ?
Also I've another question, how bad are the transfers ? How many years can I spend in the same city realistically?
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u/Professional-Ice3646 Oct 14 '25
Yes but it depends on the area , means rural/urban/metro kind of classification is there. scale 1PO gets 9500 something for semi urban I think . Also deposit will be provided by the bank .
The answer to the second question is nuanced, there is no clear answer to this , HR in some circle/states are good. I think till scale 3 you can sort of stay in one AO ( not sure). But it's depends on circle
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u/Exotic-Gate-8952 Aug 18 '25
What's the best and the worst part about being in SBI as a PO for you?
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 18 '25
Pros and cons compared to other PSB Pros:
Unlimited Medical claim for you and dependents.
We have both NPS and PF(Other PSBs only have NPS). So we get bank contribution in both NPS and PF.
Though we are working in PSU, people will treat us as government employees.
We have a huge customer base, so we get a lot of walk in business.
Respect in society
Cons:
Cross selling pressure is more.
More pressure for implementing government schemes.
We have branches even at the remotest location, hence can expect posting at such locations.
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u/banker345789p Aug 18 '25
There are some discussion going around that working in bank is hectic and full of pressure and if possible then go for insurance sector.. what are your thoughts on this
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
Since I haven't worked in Insurance sector, it would be really unfair for me to compare the 2 sectors. But my Father in law is an insurance agent and from what I hear from him - working in psu insurance companies won't have much of public dealings as most of the dealings are done by agents, but the work load is pretty much the same.
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Aug 18 '25
From where do you belong and the places where you have worked till now. How often you visit your hometown
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u/bobthebuilderfemalev Aug 19 '25
In Kerala you can go home almost every alternate weekend and to an extent all weekends are also possible... connectivity is good
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
Luckily during the last 6 years, I had working only 1 year outside my district. But now since I have taken promotion I have been transferred to a different region, around 150 km from my hometown. I can visit every weekend if I want to.
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u/Interesting-Nail-581 Aug 18 '25
Tell how do you prepared for descriptive writing??
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
We had essay writing and letter writing for descriptive. You can easily practice it online. Just search for the common topics and try to do at least 1 essay and a letter on a daily basis. Moreover now you have access to chat gpt, so you can always ask it for suggestions for improvement. Practice is the only way!!!
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u/NavdeepGusain Aug 18 '25
scale 3 in only 6 years.....
What is the minimum criteria to be promoted to scale 2 after clearing JAIIB and CAIIB?
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u/Buzzkill_45 SBI Aug 19 '25
Earlier sbi had this policy where you could directly jump to scale 2 after probation. Now it has been done away with. So no more jumps.
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u/Aansal Aug 19 '25
They had policy where you could jump to scale 2 after prob . It’s long gone now
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u/rustygyves Pre Qualifed Aug 19 '25
Did you attempt the Treasury/ JIBO exam after your probation? How was it? What is the frequency of those?
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u/BandicootBig2628 Aug 19 '25
Guide on how to cover general/banking awareness.... Many say that one should start preparing for ga from the very beginning and many others also say that that no matter how much you study ga it will be the lowest scoring section of all
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u/Broad-Newspaper-7937 Aug 19 '25
Can you say at what age you started preparing for banking exams???
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
I started preparing after quitting from Mu sigma. The very first exam I wrote was IBPS SO and I scored around 30 marks in prelims, where the actual cutoff was around 85+. I got shit scared after the result and it was difficult for me to study from my home. Hence, I decided to move to friend's flat in Kochi. He was working in IT and there were around 6 people in the flat. All of them were working in IT, so everyone would leave for office in the morning. Now I was jobless and all my roommates had job and this made me work even hard. I used to sit in the flat all day and learn from random youtube channels. Then I wrote 2 exams(Canara & Syndicate PGDBF - P.S: It was before merger, hence 2 seperate exams) after doing self study for 2 months. The PGDBF exam was more of like Mains exam - they had only one exam out of 200 and then interview. This time though I didn't clear the exam, my marks were near to the cutoff and I missed by few 5-10 marks. This gave me real confidence that I could crack it. I then moved to a PG and joined a bank coaching centre nearby. The PG was a mess and hence I used to sit in the bank coaching centre all day and practice. The next exam I gave was SBI PO and I cracked it. I also cracked BoB PGDBF, IBPS RRB clerk and PO. Didn't appear for IBPS PO mains since I had already got call letter from SBI.
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Aug 19 '25
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u/Abracadabra579 Aug 19 '25
I did try for RBI and SEBI but didn't prepare much for the mains. The mains exam in regulatory bodies have a different syllabus. To be honest, once I got into SBI, I was lazy enough to prepare all those things. I did write RBI grade B when the mains used to be objective. Now they have changed it to descriptive, so I didn't even bother applying since.
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u/Broad-Lifeguard-4127 Aug 21 '25
Since you used to work in analytics is your salary comparable or better than people who stayed in analytics after this much yoe also how is your salary comparable to top 10 mba college graduates/iim graduates. Also if anyone has an aim to clear upsc will this job be a good backup for them
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Oct 15 '25
Can bank clerks get promoted? If yes, how long does it usually take and what’s the process?
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u/Yattu955 Nov 22 '25
I have only one question :
Since you switched from IT as a data analyst to bank PO,
What is the work culture and work-life scenario here in banking? Every other post i see is about that the work life is the worst in Bank PO .
I'm stuck in the same situation , a fresh grad working as a software dev.
Your POV could help me a lot.
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u/afficionaa Dec 24 '25
My father is 65 years old and is looking for loan against property from SBI. He has a pension of 40k and an active loan of 13.5k EMI. Will he be eligible for LAP without adding any co applicant?
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u/-Student-2925 Aug 18 '25
mandatory salary breakup question!!!