Which Is Better: SSC Or Bank PO?

Which exam – SSC or Bank PO is best suited to a candidate’s career?

This is one question that most of the students seek answers after graduation; they might seek guidance from friends or family or any aspirant who can generally guide them.

Nowadays, a considerable number of students aspire to appear in various Government Exams or opt for Bank Exams because of job security in both sectors. The concrete answer here is everything depends on a candidate’s area of interest.

In this article, we shall look into, which is the best-suited career for candidates by analysing the difference between Bank exams and SSC Exams.

Difference between Banking and SSC Exams

1. Different examinations

SSC Exams

Every year, the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruits staff to various posts in departments, ministries and organisations under the Government of India.

Given below is the list of online exams conducted by SSC yearly:

1. SSC GD
2. SSC CGL
3. SSC CHSL
4. SSC JE
5. SSC CPO
6. SSC MTS
7. SSC Stenographer

SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission, Combined Graduate Level) is the biggest Government Job recruitment exam conducted in India. The SSC conducts CGL exam for various government posts such as Central Secretariat Service, CAG, Exercise Inspector, Statistical Investigator, Central Vigilance Commission, AO, Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Railways/ Defence/ External Affairs, CBI and a few others Ministries.

SSC CGL is purely a government job. On the other hand, SBI and different banks recruit numerous aspirants each year through various SBI exams or IBPS exams for a variety of posts. The number of job vacancies in banks is much higher as compared to vacancies in SSC CGL.

To explore more about various SSC Exams, check at the linked article.

Bank Exams

In India, bank exams are often considered in high regard by aspirants who want to step into the banking industry. Given below are the list of major bank exams conducted across the length and breadth of the country:

1. SBI PO
2. SBI SO
3. SBI Clerk
4. IBPS PO (CWE PO/MT)
5. IBPS SO (CWE SO)
6. IBPS Clerk (CWE Clerical)
7. IBPS RRB (CWE RRB)
8. RBI Officer Grade B
9. RBI Officer Grade C
10. RBI Junior Engineers (JE)
11. NABARD

To learn about different SBI Exams in detail, check at the linked article.

2. Different Syllabus

The syllabus of both Bank and SSC is similar in terms of subjects that includes (Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English, and General Awareness) in common, but if compared topic-wise, the syllabus for both the exams differs.

• The reasoning part of bank exams is tougher than the SSC exam as it more concept based.
• Though the Quantitative Aptitude Section is almost the same for both exams, candidates preparing for SSC CGL need to focus more on conceptual topics like trigonometry, Algebra, etc.
• Bank exams, especially for PO posts, give more importance to computer aptitude section, which is not the case with SSC.
• The English section of both Bank and SSC are of the same level. SSC focuses more on the usage of language and cover topics like idioms, spotting the error, synonyms and antonyms, etc. Whereas, Bank throes more questions on vocab and grammar. Topics like syllogism and reading comprehension are given more weightage in banking exams. Candidates can check English for competitive exams for assistance.
• Knowledge of Current Affairs and General awareness is important in every competitive exam. However, coverage of topics may differ. Bank exam focusses more on Banking awareness, current affairs on Economy and finance, trending issues related to banking. In contrast, the SSC general Awareness or current affairs section covers questions more on Static GK.

Complete Comparison: Bank PO vs SSC Jobs

Here we bring the complete points of comparison between a Bank PO and SSC job:

1. Job Profile

Bank PO Job Profile:

A bank PO is a slightly more exciting job. The following list displays the duties of a Bank PO job:

• Provide service to the customers.
• Enhancement of business of the Bank.
• Management of accounts of customers.
• Customer service. (Official communication)
• It’s a target-based job.
• Work pressure is high as compared to SSC but more exciting.
• Issue management related to customers.

SSC Job Profile:

As an SSC officer, a candidate starts work from scratch. Hence, the work expectations are as follows:

• Clerical work like answering RTI queries.
• General administration work as a start.
• Make notes and filing work.
• Get to do field jobs that involve travelling.
• Get to put in work in the development of nationwide policies by looking after bank office work.
• Carry out inspections, raids, surveillance etc.

To know more about IBPS Exams, check at the linked article.

2. Work Pressure

Bank PO work pressure:

• High work pressure as a Bank PO deals with people directly.
• As a starter pack work included for bank PO is administrative tasks, general banking or any other task bestowed by the management.
• As a Bank PO, a candidate has to go through a rigorous training session before performing the regular duties; the sessions include marketing, billing, investment, finance, accounting, human resource, general banking, agricultural banking etc. 

SSC work pressure:

• The SSC job is more relaxed in comparison to a Bank PO job.
• An SSC staff gets to work on different tasks such as Administrative Task, supervision or any other tasks as asked by the senior official.
• SSC jobs ensure an excellent work-life balance.
• Sometimes in SSC, there may be situations that demand employees to work during elections etc.
• There is no customer interaction in an SSC job.

To know more about RBI Exams, check at the linked article.

3. Working Hours

Bank PO working hours:

• The proper work schedule of a Bank PO is six days working except 2nd and 4th Saturday.
• Regular work schedule but some transactional activities need to be done after office hours as well.
• Work pressure is immense during the year-end/quarter-end or month ends.

To make better bank exam preparation, candidates can check the links below:

• IBPS Mock Test
• RBI Mock Test
• SBI Mock Test

SSC working hours:

• Five days working.
• Proper timed work, no extra hours.
• No working in shifts.

Candidates can take the SSC Mock Test to make better preparation for the exam.

4. Transfer

Bank PO transfer:

• A transfer is likely to take place once every 2-3 years.
• Transfer happens on the basis of seniority or promotion.

SSC transfer:

• A transfer takes place once every 4-5 years.
• Transfers as per the requirement of different government departments.

Important Bank/Govt Information:

5. Salary

Bank PO Salary:

• As a Bank PO job is a transferable job so most of the time a Bank PO has to incur additional expenses in relocation and covering other expenses.
• The Bank PO salary is about 38,000-42,000/- per month.
• A Bank PO receives extra perks in addition to his/her Bank PO salary.

To more about the salary and perks of Bank PO, check the links below:

• SBI PO Salary
• IBPS PO Salary

SSC Salary:

• SSC salary is subject to revision under the 7th pay commission.
• The salary of an SSC employee is roughly between 39,000-45000/- in hand.

To know more about SSC salary, check the links below:

• SSC CGL Salary
• SSC CHSL Salary
• SSC JE Salary

6. Future Growth

Bank PO future growth:

• Promotions happen once every 2-3 years, which gives better growth aspects to a Bank PO.

SSC future growth:

• Promotions of an SSC employee happen once in 4-5 years. For instance, An Auditor becomes a Senior Auditor in 3-4 years.

To explore more bank exam preparation, check at the linked article.

7. Pros and Cons

Bank PO:

SSC:

We hope that the provided information helps the prospective candidates to make the right choice while deciding between the two given options. However, we would always mention that ultimately everything depends on a candidate’s area of interest and determination to either crack a Bank PO or SSC exam.

To know at length about the different upcoming bank exams, click at the linked article.

For more assistance, candidates can check out BYJU’S website for more such useful content on Bank exams and various SSC exams.