As soon as students aspiring for a government job complete their graduation, or master's, they straight away face the dilemma of whether to prepare for the SBI PO examination or the SSC CGL recruitment. While both the papers are equally challenging, and at the same time achievable with hard work and dedication, it is mostly the factors like job profile, career growth, and others which confuse the students in choosing the correct pick for them.
So, if you are also one of those students who are not sure about which way to go, and whether to give it all to the SBI PO examination or the SSC CGL exam, we have come to your rescue. Today, we lay down all the major and minor differences between the two recruitments in order to give you a better idea of what each of these two jobs requires from you from filling the application form to appearing for the prelims, and the role that you will have to play if you grab the opportunity.
A quick comparison between the two recruitments:
| Matter | SBI PO | SSC CGL |
| Job Profile | Dealing directly with the public | On-site inspection or Documentation |
| Promotion | After 2 to 3 Years | After 4 to 6 Years |
| Posting | Urban or Rural | Urban |
| Transfer | Recurring | After 4 to 6 years |
| Recruitment Stages | Prelims - Mains - Interview | Tier I, II, III, and IV |
| Bond | ₹ 2 Lakh and 3 Years | None |
The trend of the number of vacancies:
| Year | SBI PO | SSC CGL |
| 2017 | 2313 | 8121 |
| 2018 | 2000 | 11271 |
| 2019 | 2000 | 8582 |
Selection procedure:
| SBI PO | SSC CGL |
| Online objective type Preliminary Exam | Online objective type Tier I Exam |
| Online objective type Mains Exam + Descriptive Test | Online objective type Tier-II Exam |
| Personal Interview | Descriptive type Tier III Exam |
| Data Entry Speed Test and Computer Proficiency Test Tier IV Exam |
Different stages of recruitment explained for SBI PO:
| Prelims | |||
| Section | Total Questions | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 Questions | 100 Marks | 1 Hour |
| Mains | |||
| Section | Total Questions | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 Minutes |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 Minutes |
| General Awareness (with special reference to the banking industry) | 40 | 40 | 35 |
| Total | 155 Questions | 200 Marks | 3 Hours |
Descriptive Test: Following the online objective type Mains Exams, candidates are required to take an online Descriptive Test, which involves testing the candidate’s proficiency in the English Language via Letter and Essay writing. The 50 mark test has to be completed in 30 minutes.
Personal Interview: The last stage of the SBI PO recruitment is the Personal Interview, where the shortlisted candidates are tested for their knowledge concerning the banking sector as well as other personality characteristics.
Different stages of recruitment explained for SSC CGL:
| Tier I | |||
| Section | Total Questions | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 1 Hour |
| General Intelligence And Reasoning | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 Questions | 200 Marks | |
| Tier III | |||
| Section | Total Questions | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
| English | 200 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Statistics (For Statistical Investigator and Compiler) | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| General Studies (For Asst. Audit Officer Post) | 100 | 200 | 2 Hours |
| Tier III | |
| Descriptive Test in English or Hindi | |
| 100 Marks | 60 Minutes |
| Tier IV | |
| Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) and Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) | |
| 45 Minutes |
SBI PO vs SSC CGL Job Profile comparison:
| SBI PO | SSC CGL |
| Playing the role of a public relations officer, handling customer complaints, and attending to customer related issues | Desk Jobs: |
| Taking care of customer transactions, managing cash balance, passing a cheque, draft issuance, cash management etc. | Appointed as Upper Division Clerks, Assistants, Auditors, Tax-Assistants, etc. |
| Issuing of ATM cards, chequebooks, Demand Drafts etc. | Field Jobs: |
| Administration of clerical work | Appointed as Inspectors (preventive officers, examiners, excise and income tax), CBI and narcotics officers, etc. |
The difference in Salary:
| SBI PO | SSC CGL |
|||
| ₹ 7.55 Lakhs (minimum) to ₹ 12.93 lakhs (maximum) per annum | Pay Level | Gross Salary |
||
| Other Perks | X Cities | Y Cities | Z Cities | |
| Contribution Pension Scheme/New Pension Scheme | Pay Level 4 | 39,555 | 37,515 | 33,675 |
| LTC | Pay Level 5 | 44,772 | 42,436 | 38,300 |
| Home Travel Concession/ Leave Fare Concession | Pay Level 6 | 53,514 | 50,682 | 46,050 |
| 100 % Medical Aid for self and 75% for family | Pay Level 7 | 66,909 | 63,317 | 57,925 |
| Concessional interest rates for Housing/Car/Personal Loans | Pay Level 8 | 70,716 | 66,908 | 63,100 |
| Salary revised every 5 years | ||||
Lastly, while a career as an SBI PO may look more lucrative due to higher salary and relatively easier exam pattern and stages, it is, however, a much more demanding job profile than SSC CGL which exerts a comparatively low work pressure on its employees. On the other hand, the chances of moving up through the ranks by gaining regular promotions is an uphill task in SSC CGL, whereas one can achieve higher ranks in a much shorter period after becoming an SBI PO.
With that said, we hope the situation for you now isn’t as vague as before, and you are ready to pick your choice and go ahead with the preparations. Stay tuned with Exammr for more such pieces and all the latest happenings from in and around the education and government job sector.
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