Teller Operations and Cash Handling
The Teller Operations and Cash Handling domain tests the physical and procedural controls that keep a cash drawer, branch vault, and customer funds accurate. Expect questions on opening and closing counts, cash limits, dual control, counterfeit detection, transaction sequencing, and resolving overages and shortages.
Core controls
- Count your drawer at the start and end of every shift, sign the record, and lock the drawer when you step away.
- Use dual control for vault access, ATM servicing, large currency shipments, and negotiable-instrument logs. Never share your password, system ID, or drawer.
- Standard straps hold 100 notes of one denomination; a bundle is ten straps. Verify straps and bundles rather than trusting the band.
- Pay out cash only after confirming the debit, the customer, and the amount. Count large payouts twice and verify large bills using tactile, visual, and UV or pen checks together.
- Report any difference immediately. Do not force a balance, create an IOU, or move cash between drawers to hide a shortage.
Worked example
A teller starts with $5,000, takes a $600 cash deposit, pays a $1,200 withdrawal, and cashes a $300 check. Expected cash is $5,000 + $600 - $1,200 - $300 = $4,100. The closing count is $4,080, a $20 shortage. Recount, review each slip for a transposition, and check the cash straps. If the difference remains, report it to the supervisor and document the review; do not add personal cash or borrow from another drawer.
Traps that cost marks
Leaving a drawer open or unattended, accepting a banded bundle without counting it, treating a counterfeit-pen mark as proof of authenticity, and concealing a shortage with a later transaction are common test traps.