Facts you should know about PSU Exams

Public Sector undertakings (PSU) are government-owned companies. The state and central government hold a total of 51% share in these companies. The rise of PSU in India was prominent after independence when the economy was in bad shape. Over the years, there have been many economical changes made to this sector which contributes a maximum share to the nation as a whole. In the year 1951, there were only five enterprises in the public sector in India. This was further increased to around 300-350 by the year 2019. 

As with the rise in the number of companies, it has become a lucrative career opportunity for the youth. There are lakhs of applicants appearing for PSU exams in India. List of some top companies are as follows:

1. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGG)
2. Natural Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
3. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
4. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
5. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
6. Power Grid Corporation of India  
7. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
8. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
9. Mahanagar Telephone Nagar Limited (MTNL)
10. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

These PSU companies offer various benefits to the employees. The two most important things that make this sector more attractive among individuals is financial stability and job security. As one can notice that today no private sector can guarantee job security, individuals are always under the pressure of working in such an environment. PSU companies along with these two things provide perks such as work-life balance, housing and transport facility, loans at a lower rate, grooming sessions, chance to study further, etc. With these benefits, individuals often opt for a PSU job. 

On the other hand, clearing a PSU exam is not an easy task. A candidate has to either clear a GATE exam or appear for private exams conducted by the PSU companies itself. Clearing either of these requires a lot of hard work. The exams are tough but if candidates plan to study efficiently, they can surely score well in these exams. 

Let’s take a look at the differences in these two exams:

Opting through Gate:

Duration of the paper- 3 hours 

No of Questions - 65 

Weightage- 100 marks 

Syllabus- General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Technical Subject 

Negative Marking- ⅓ for each 1 Mark MCQ answered wrong, ⅔ for each 2 marks MCQ answered wrong. 

Opting through Private Exam:

Duration of the paper- 2-2 ½ hours

No of Questions- 120-200 

Weightage- Can vary from one company to another 

Syllabus- General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Technical Subject

Negative Marking- ⅓ marks for each MCQ 

An important thing to remember is that the GATE scores are valid for a period of that particular year only. If a candidate fails to score and is not eligible for a job at a PSU company, he/she must give the exam next year again. Generally, the GATE scores are valid for three years but only for those who wish to opt for their further studies i.e. PG program.  

The exam application process for PSU in India is either offline or online. For online application, one needs to keep a check on the online portal of the companies they wish to apply for. The date for the PSU exams is announced generally after the GATE commencement. While registering through GATE, candidates need to preserve the unique enrollment ID which can be used to login further. The gate exam is conducted in the first or second week of February. The results are out by March and the candidates are further shortlisted based on Personal Interview or GD round.

In case of a private examination, the application form is released on the online portal of the companies. The exam is generally held on Sunday. After the candidates are shortlisted based on their scores, further they have to attend Personal Interview Round, GD round and medical examination. Note that the rounds can vary from one company to another. 

PSU in India has and will continue to rise as it provides tons of attractive opportunities to individuals. This exam has taken a turn among the various sectors for providing jobs among individuals. Candidates are advised to check the official notifications on the online portal of each company.