Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association Requests Bank to Reschedule Internal Promotion Exam

Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association Mumbai has requested the bank management to reschedule the internal promotion exam, as it clashes with the IIBF CAIIB exam. The examinations are scheduled to be held on 7th December 2025. The association’s President – Mr. Shakti Singh, has written a formal letter to Mr. Shailendra Singh, CGM, HRM and Marketing, Bank of Baroda.

CAIIB’s November–December 2025 examinations, conducted by the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF), are scheduled between 30th November and 21st December 2025. A large number of bank officers are appearing for both the CAIIB and the promotion examination. Holding both examinations in this close proximity creates genuine difficulty and unnecessary stress among officers, especially those who have already enrolled for CAIIB.

Last year, the Bank of Baroda had kindly considered a similar situation and scheduled the promotion examination on 22nd December 2024, after the CAIIB exams were over. This year also, the association expects the bank management to do the needful.

The association has suggested that the promotion examination be scheduled on 27 December (4th Saturday) or 28 December 2025 (Sunday), or on any suitable date after the CAIIB examinations are completed. The association has also requested the bank management to allot exam centres close to the candidates’ residences. Last year, many Mumbai-based officers were assigned centres in Pune, which caused unnecessary hardship. Such allotment had never happened before and created genuine inconvenience for Mumbai officers. There are enough computer-based examination centres in Mumbai where IBPS and IIBF regularly conduct exams. Officers should be allotted centres nearest to their place of posting to save travel time and cost.

The association has suggested that branches and offices should allow one day of special leave before the examination when the allotted centre is outside the officer’s posting location. If there are limitations in the number of centres or issues related to centre costs, Mumbai may be retained as an exam centre for lady officers and Persons with Disabilities (PWD), keeping their comfort and safety in mind.

Further, if the examination is scheduled on 27 December 2025, which is the fourth Saturday and a bank holiday, special leave may be given on 26 December 2025 (the previous working day) so that officers can travel and reach the venue on time. If the exam falls on a second or fourth Sunday, special leave may not be necessary.

The association has requested the bank management to improve the transparency of the examination process. The association has suggested that the marks obtained by candidates should be displayed immediately on the screen after they complete the online test, similar to the practice followed by IIBF in the JAIIB and CAIIB examinations. This will not only improve transparency but will also help officers who score lower marks to prepare more effectively for the interview stage, while successful candidates can plan their preparation with greater focus.