SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Which One is Better and Tougher?

SSC CGL vs Bank PO

SSC CGL, aka Staff Selection Commission, Combined Graduate Level, Examination is one of the biggest government job recruitment exams in India. Every year, the Staff Selection Commission conducts the SSC CGL exam for recruitment in various Central Government Departments like Central Secretariat Service, Income Tax Inspector, Excise Inspector, CAG, Statistical Investigator, AO, Central Vigilance Commission, Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Ministry of Railways / External Affairs / Defence and a few other Ministries. SSC CGL Job is completely a government job.

On the other hand, Banks recruit thousands of youngsters every year through the IBPS exam, a Combined Written Examination for the appointment of Probationary Officer. SBI conducts the SBI PO exam on a separate basis which is not included in the IBPS PO exam.

Therefore to guide you all with the important aspects of both jobs we are going to discuss the Bank PO vs SSC CGL comparison on various factors depending upon which you can decide which one is the better option SSC CGL or Bank PO.

Which is Better SSC CGL or Bank PO?

These days, students choose to take government exams because of the great career stability in those fields. Two of the most sought-after exams are SSC CGL and Bank PO, for which thousands of applicants apply each year. But candidates often get confused about which one is better and which exam leads to a better career path. If you are one of them and often wonder about which job Bank PO or SSC CGL is better, you have landed on the right page!

Direct answers to this issue are quite challenging because both of these job roles are extremely important in the government sector for a variety of reasons. Below we are going to provide the difference between SSC CGL and Bank PO on several parameters.

Difference between SSC CGL and Bank PO

The comparison of both SSC CGL vs Bank PO job profiles on various factors is given below to acquaint the candidates with all the details of the exams.

SSC CGL vs Bank PO Eligibility

There are different criteria that candidates need to keep in mind while applying for these two exams. The eligibility criteria for SSC CGL and Bank PO are as follows:

Educational Qualification: The eligibility criteria for SSC CGL & Bank PO are generally the same as both the profiles generally require graduation from any discipline from the recognized university. However, for certain SSC CGL Posts, there is some additional desirable qualification required which is not the case with Bank PO exam.

Age Limit: Depending on various job profiles included in SSC CGL Exam, the age limit criteria is 18 to 32 years, whereas for Bank PO the required age limit is 20 to 30 yrs.

SSC CGL vs Bank PO Selection Process

The conducting authority has prescribed different selection processes for both these exams. The SSC CGL Selection process comprises 2 stages, whereas Bank PO comprises 3 stages. Check out the detailed selection process for SSC CGL vs Bank PO in the table below.

SSC CGL Selection Process	Bank PO Selection Process
Tier 1: Computer-Based Objective Test	Preliminary Exam: Computer-Based Objective Test
Tier 2: Computer-Based Objective Test	Mains Exam: Computer-Based Objective and Subjective Test
Document Verification	Interview

SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Posts and Vacancies

Through SSC CGL, candidates are posted in various departments which are mentioned in the tabulated data below. Also, for this year’s recruitment drive, the commission has announced a total of approximately 20,000 SSC CGL Vacancies. However, candidates must note that these are tentative vacancies.

SSC CGL Post	Department/Ministry	Classification of Post
Assistant Section Officer	Central Secretariat Service, Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Railway, AFHQ	Group “B”
Assistant Accounts Officer	Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG	Group “B” Gazetted (Non-Ministerial)
Assistant Audit Officer	Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG	Group “B” Gazetted (Non-Ministerial)
Inspector (Central Excise)	CBIC	Group “B”
Statistical Investigator Grade-II	Registrar General of India	Group “B”
Inspector of Income Tax	CBDT	Group “C”
Assistant	Other Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations	Group “B”
Assistant Enforcement Officer	Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue	Group “B”
Sub Inspector	Central Bureau of Investigation	Group “B”
Auditor	Offices under C&AG, CGDA	Group “C”
Inspector	Central Bureau of Narcotics	Group “B”
Junior Statistical Officer	M/o Statistics & Programme Implementation	Group “B”
Tax Assistant	CBDT/ CBIC	Group “C”
Upper Division Clerks	Government Departments	Group “C”
Accountant or Junior Accountant	Other Departments/ Ministry	Group “C”
Senior Secretariat Assistant/ Upper Division Clerks	Central Govt. Offices/ Ministries other than CSCS cadres	Group “C”
Postal Assistant/ Sorting Assistant	Department of Post, Ministry of Communication	Group “C”

Where for Bank PO the total vacancies are approximately 9,000-10,000 for both IBPS PO & SBI PO combined.

SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Salary

SSC CGL salary is one of the important factors considered by the candidates while applying for the exam. SSC has categorized posts on the basis of grade pay and cities. There are a total of 5 grade pays in CGL jobs which are 4800, 4600, 4200, 2800, and 2400. While for Bank PO the Basic Pay is Rs, 36,000 INR.

SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Syllabus

The disciplines from which questions are drawn in the SSC CGL and Bank PO exams are the same: English, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. The syllabus for the two exams does, however, differ slightly when compared in terms of topics and the difficulty level of the exam depends upon various sections. The reasoning is slightly tough in the Bank PO exam as compared to the SSC CGL Syllabus, whereas General Awareness in the Bank PO exam is more focused on the banking & Insurance part while for SSC CGL it is more generalized. The maths and English Section is almost similar in both exams in terms of difficulty level.

On various other factors, the comparison of SSC CGL vs Bank PO is as follows:

1. Job Profile

SSC CGL

As an officer recruited through SSC CGL, you are expected to:

• Do clerical work in the office (like answering RTI queries)
• Make notes and handle filing work
• Handle general administration work
• Carry field Jobs (that involve travelling)
• Carry out raids, Inspections, surveillance etc
• Help in shaping Nationwide policies ( by looking after the back office work)
• Inspect various organizations’ balance sheets
• Get a Permanent job in Delhi if recruited by CSS

IBPS PO

• Dealing with customer
• Targeted Job
• Handle cash activities
• Manage Clearance of Payments
• Manage various issues and problems related to the customer
• Work pressure is very high
• Official communication

2. Work Pressure

SSC CGL

• Work pressure is less and the job is more relaxed in comparison to that of a Bank Probationary Officer.
• You have to perform various tasks that include supervision, Administrative tasks, or any other post-related work assigned by the senior officials.

Bank PO

• Work pressure is HIGH as bank PO deals directly with the public.
• Work includes General Banking, Administrative tasks, or any other task assigned by the management.
• As a Bank PO, you will undergo rigorous training to understand the nitty-gritty of Banking. Training for accounting, marketing, investment, billing, finance, human resources, agriculture banking, and general banking will be provided.

3. Working hours

SSC CGL

• In SSC CGL, you will have a proper work schedule.
• Proper timing means No extra hour of work (Except in the case of field postings i.e Raids, Audits etc)
• FIVE days working

Banks

• There will be a proper working schedule but due to the heavy workload, you may have to work even after closing hours.
• Conditions are hectic during the closing time (in the month of March)
• SIX days working except 2^nd and 4^the Saturday.

4. Transfer

SSC CGL

• Transfers mostly take place every 4-5 years (except CSS posts).

Bank PO

• Transfers mostly take place every 2-5 years. In both Organisations, the transfer is on the basis of seniority/ promotion.

5. Salary & Growth

• SSC CGL officer salary is high after the 7^th pay commission rule.

6. Career Growth & Promotion

SSC CGL

• Promotions in SSC take place every 4-5 years.
• As per your post, you will be promoted to the next higher level.
• Auditor will become Senior Auditor in 3 years.
• Assistant Enforcement Officer will become Enforcement Officer in 4-5 years.
• Income Tax Inspector will become Income Tax Officer, then Assistant Commissioner, then Deputy Commissioner and Finally Commissioner.
• Assistant in CSS will be promoted to the next post – SO (which is a Group-B Gazetted Officer post) and can go up to Joint Secretary.

Bank PO

Promotions in Banks take place every 2-3 years in the following scale:

• Assistant Manager
• Branch Manager
• AGM
• GM

Promotion in banks is faster as the Banking Policies ensure a steady procedure for promoting a probationary officer at a regular time period. On the other hand in SSC CGL, everything depends upon your concerned department/ Sector.

7. Social Status in Society

• Many people work in banks and hence people don’t consider it a symbol of status.
• SSC CGL job has a status in society (with power in hand). There is also a Gazetted officer job in SSC CGL (Assistant Audit Officer).
• So, Social status-wise, the SSC CGL job is better than Bank PO.

SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Pros & Cons

Everything has its own pros and cons, and same is the case with SSC CGL & Bank PO exam. The pros and cons of SSC CGL and Bank PO are tabulated below.

Exams	SSC CGL	Bank PO
Pros	High chances of Promotion, Respect in society, Immense Power, Overall exposure	High Promotional chances, Low Transfer cycle, Good Salary, Lower Loan rates
Cons	Posting far away from home, Bureaucratic Pressure	Rural Postings, Customer Dealings, High work pressure

SSC CGL vs Bank PO: Which One Should You Choose?

At last, it all depends upon you, which job you choose for yourself based on your interest.

So, what will you choose? SSC CGL or Bank PO? Tell us in the comment section below!

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SSC & Railway Exams

SSC CGL Previous year Papers

SSC CGL Job Profile

SSC CGL Books

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