Examinations Overview (2024)

Examinations are fundamental to the supervision of national banks. Examiners evaluate bank activities and management processes to ensure that banks operate in a safe and sound manner, do not take excessive risks, and comply with laws and regulations.

What is a bank examination?

The OCC examines national banks pursuant to the authority conferred by 12 USC 481 and the requirements of 12 USC 1820(d). These requirements establish minimum frequencies and scopes for examinations, known as the "supervisory cycle."

Two basic examination types:

1. Full-scope, on-site review of bank

  • Occurs once every "supervisory cycle" (generally, every 12–18 months)
  • Focuses on three main areas:
    • Competence of bank management
    • Quality of bank assets, principally loans ("safety and soundness")
    • Compliance with federal banking regulations

2. Review of specialty areas. Examiners are also required to ensure a bank is meeting its legal obligations in the following areas

  • Asset Management - includes trust and fiduciary activities, fiduciary-related services, transfer agent activities, and retail brokerage.
  • Bank Information Technology (BIT) - determining that the electronic records produced by a bank’s automated systems are valid and reliable.
  • Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) - verifying that a bank is keeping accurate records and filing necessary reports about currency transactions. Includes anti-money laundering measures and counter-terrorist financing measures.
  • Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) - the CRA requires that a bank's record in helping meet the credit needs of its entire community be evaluated periodically.

When and how the full-scope examination and the specialty examinations take place depends on the size and complexity of the bank. The exact process differs for

Related Links

Related News and Issuances

DateIDTitle
02/16/2024NR 2024-16Agencies Issue 2023 Shared National Credit Program Report
02/15/2024NR 2024-14OCC Releases Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test Scenarios for 2024
09/28/2023NR 2023-109OCC Releases Bank Supervision Operating Plan for Fiscal Year 2024
Examinations Overview (2024)

FAQs

How to answer exam questions you don't know? ›

If you don't know the answer, come back to it after you finish the rest of the test and make an educated guess. Other parts of the test may give you clues to what the answer may be. Read the question carefully and make sure that you answer everything that it asks for.

How will you pass the examination? ›

Top 10 tips for acing your exams!
  1. 1 Start preparing early. One of the most important factors for exam success is starting your preparation early. ...
  2. 2 Understand the exam format. ...
  3. 3 Take breaks. ...
  4. 4 Stay organized. ...
  5. 5 Use active study techniques. ...
  6. 6 Practice time management. ...
  7. 7 Get enough sleep. ...
  8. 8 Eat well.
Apr 24, 2023

How do you answer all exam questions? ›

Take a few minutes to think and make a mini-plan:
  1. Underline the key words in the question;
  2. Identify the main topic and discussion areas..
  3. Choose a few points/arguments about which you can write .
  4. Make a mini-plan which puts them in order before you start writing. You can cross it through afterwards.
May 14, 2024

How to answer examine questions? ›

  1. How to answer exam questions. If you were to ask an examiner the most common reason why some students do poorly on exams, it is likely that he/she would say that “students just don't answer the question”. ...
  2. List. ...
  3. State. ...
  4. Outline Just give the main features or general idea.
  5. Define. ...
  6. Describe. ...
  7. Distinguish. ...
  8. Explain.

What should I say if I don't know the answer? ›

Examples: That's not my area, but here's what I can tell you… I don't have the complete answer to your question, but I do know that… I don't have all the details now, but I'll make sure to respond by…

How do you answer questions without actually answering them? ›

Saying “No”
  1. I'm sorry, but I'd prefer not to say.
  2. I'm sorry, but I don't want to share that information.
  3. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want to answer that question.
  4. No offense, but I'd rather not say.
  5. Let's just say it cost more than my old one. ...
  6. All I will say is that both sides are happy with the result.
Apr 3, 2023

Is two weeks enough to study for an exam? ›

Two weeks is a short amount of time, but if you really stick to your schedule you'll be fine! Just don't overwork yourself because sleep is extremely important, especially before an exam!

Is 5 days enough to study for an exam? ›

In general, plan to start about 7-10 days in advance to make sure you maximize your study time. Remember, it is better to space your studying out over a period of days rather than clustering your studying just before the exam. Ten hours of studying over 5 days is better than 10 hours of studying over 2 days!

How can I focus 100% on studying? ›

7 tips for staying organised and focused while studying
  1. Make a plan. ...
  2. Create a relaxed study environment. ...
  3. Take regular breaks. ...
  4. Don't get distracted by social media. ...
  5. Drink plenty of water and eat well. ...
  6. Reward yourself. ...
  7. Don't do all-nighters, you will regret it!

How do you memorize exam answers? ›

Simple memory tips and tricks
  1. Try to understand the information first. Information that is organized and makes sense to you is easier to memorize. ...
  2. Link it. ...
  3. Sleep on it. ...
  4. Self-test. ...
  5. Use distributed practice. ...
  6. Write it out. ...
  7. Create meaningful groups. ...
  8. Use mnemonics.

How do you pass a short answer exam? ›

A few pointers should help you to be more effective when taking short-answer exams: Read the question and the directions carefully. Does the question ask you to “define,” “describe,” “name,” “compare,” etc.? This is crucial—If the instructor asks for a description, but you define, you are not likely to do well.

What is the easiest way to answer questions? ›

How to respond to questions effectively
  • Prepare for tough questions. ...
  • Pause before responding. ...
  • Monitor your body language. ...
  • Reword the question. ...
  • Take more time if you need to. ...
  • Acknowledge the other person's emotions. ...
  • Answer a portion of the question. ...
  • Ask questions about the question.
Jun 9, 2023

How do you analyze exam questions? ›

Apply the following steps to all question analysis:
  1. Read the whole question twice. It is important that you interpret the question accurately and clearly. ...
  2. Look for instruction words. ...
  3. Look for topic words (or keywords) ...
  4. Look for any other words that restrict the topic in any way. ...
  5. Rewrite the question.

How to think like an examiner? ›

think like an examiner – the examiner's aim is to set questions that enable candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject and their ability to write about it. know the rules – the types of questions you can expect, how many questions you have to answer, and how the marks are allocated.

How do you answer difficult exam questions? ›

Use logical reasoning. For each possible answer, ask yourself, "What would happen if… "? Use the process of elimination for multiple-choice questions where more than one option is correct: Pick out the options you are sure are correct.

How do you answer a question you don't understand? ›

Longer formal sentences
  1. Sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow you.
  2. Excuse me, could you repeat the question?
  3. I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you say it again?
  4. I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Would you mind speaking more slowly?
  5. I'm confused. Could you tell me again?
  6. I'm sorry, I didn't understand. ...
  7. I didn't hear you.

What to do when you don't know what to do in a test? ›

Attempt to answer every question. If you don't know the answer to something, write anything you think might be relevant – it may earn you a couple of extra marks. Often when you start writing something, more details will come to you. If you're running out of time, writing some dot points is better than nothing.

How do you answer a question you don't know in class? ›

There's no shame in saying “I don't know.” Just remember to be truthful above all. And then, clearly communicate what falls within your responsible scope of knowledge and research.

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