In this article, we shall discuss the complete SBI PO syllabus. Aspirants can also download the SBI PO Syllabus PDF for Prelims and Mains given here. The SBI PO exam is one of the most sought after exams in the country and lakhs of candidates appear for the exam each year.
The SBI PO Exam is considered to be a coveted job opportunity by banking aspirants across India. The State Bank of India conducts the SBI Probationary Officer (PO) exam annually to recruit new entrants for managerial cadre positions.
The SBI PO syllabus is quite similar to any other bank exam syllabus.
To know about other bank exams , check at the linked article.
The syllabus of SBI PO exam is segregated into three tiers:
Candidates who qualify in the SBI PO Prelims exam will be eligible to move to the next level, i.e., Mains exam.
To explore other Govt Exams , check at the linked article.
Before aspirants go through the SBI PO syllabus, they should understand the 3 tier SBI PO exam pattern. The SBI PO syllabus for prelims and mains exam is almost the same. Only an extra section of General and Banking awareness is added to the SBI PO mains syllabus.
Given below is the latest SBI PO exam pattern in brief:
| SBI PO Exam Pattern | ||||
| Preliminary Exam | Subjects | Number of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes | |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes | |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes | |
| Mains Examination | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 45 | 60 | 60 minutes | |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes | |
| General & Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes | |
| English (Descriptive Test) | 2 | 50 | 30 minutes | |
| Group Discussion | — | — | 20 | — |
| Interview | — | — | 30 | — |
Candidates looking for the latest notifications regarding the upcoming Government exams can refer to the linked article.
We have stated earlier that the SBI PO exam syllabus is similar to the curriculum of any other PSU banks. The SBI PO Prelims syllabus primarily consists of three major sections that a candidate needs to ace before moving to the next level, i.e. Mains.
The SBI PO Preliminary Exam syllabus comprises three sections:
Each of these sections has an enormous array of topics on which the questions are based.
To explore other SBI exams , check at the linked article.
Candidates should refer to the prior years’ question papers to get a feel of the real test and understand the weightage of each topic.
Here is the detailed SBI PO syllabus of the Preliminary examination:
| SBI PO Prelims Syllabus – Detailed | ||
| SBI PO Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus | SBI PO Reasoning Syllabus | SBI PO English Syllabus |
| Simplification/ Approximation | ||
Candidates can get the maths shortcut tricks at the linked article.
The syllabus of SBI PO for the Mains Examination constitutes of four major sections (Objective-type questions):
Aspirants can also check the General English for Competitive exams, to check the syllabus for the English language section.
The SBI PO Mains syllabus comprises a descriptive test as well. The descriptive test consists of two questions, one letter writing and one essay. Candidates need to score passing marks in the descriptive test as well to qualify the SBI PO mains exam.
Here is the SBI PO syllabus topic-wise as per the Mains exam pattern:
| SBI PO Mains Syllabus (topic-wise) | |||
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | Reasoning | General/Economy/Banking Awareness | English Language |
| Tabular Graph | Syllogism | Current Affairs | Reading Comprehension |
| Line Graph | Verbal Reasoning | Financial Awareness | Grammar |
| Bar Graph | Circular Seating Arrangement | General Knowledge | Verbal Ability |
| Charts & Tables | Linear Seating Arrangement | Static Awareness | Vocabulary |
| Missing Case DI | Double Lineup | Banking Terminologies Knowledge | Sentence Improvement |
| Radar Graph Caselet | Scheduling | Banking Awareness | Word Association |
| Probability | Blood Relations, Critical Reasoning | Principles of Insurance | Para Jumbles |
| Data Sufficiency | Input-Output, Analytical and Decision Making | Error Spotting | |
| Let it Case DI | Directions and Distances | Cloze Test | |
| Permutation and Combination | Ordering and Ranking, Code Inequalities | Fill in the blanks | |
| Pie Charts | Data Sufficiency | ||
| Coding-Decoding, Course of Action | |||
Apart from the SBI PO Prelims and Mains exam, there is another phase of the PO exam – Group Exercise & Interview process, which is the final stage of selection for successful candidates who qualify the first two phases of SBI PO exam.
Candidates can get the tips to prepare for SBI PO Descriptive paper at the linked article.
Also, to know the correct Letter Writing Format, candidates can visit the linked article.
Candidates who clear all the phases of the exam receive the Letter of Appointment from SBI stating the joining formalities, joining date, place of joining, etc.
Candidates can know about the upcoming bank exams from the linked article.
Related Links:
Candidates preparing for the SBI PO exam must note that the SBI PO syllabus is vast and the competition is very tough. SBI has removed the sectional cut-off for the SBI PO exam 2019 and is expected to remove it for the coming years as well. This gives aspirants preparing for the SBI PO exam to strategise a study plan and prepare themselves accordingly.
Candidates can consider the below-mentioned preparation tips for better preparation for the upcoming bank exams, based on the SBI PO syllabus for prelims and mains exam:
Given below are a few preparation links which may help you prepare for the upcoming SBI Probationary Officer exam:
To learn more about SBI PO Preparation , check at the linked article.
Given below is a list of books that candidates can refer to while preparing for the SBI PO exam:
| SBI PO Exam Booklist | |
| English for Bank Exams (Prelims and Mains) by S. Chand Publishers | A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal |
| Comprehensive Guide to SBI PO Exam (Prelims and Mains) by Disha Experts | How to prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Arun Sharma |
| Pratiyogita Darpan (Monthly Edition) | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by Arun Sharma |
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | Banking Awareness by B.K. Publications |
Candidates who wish to crack the SBI PO exam need to put in a lot of hard work, be patient and stay determined during their bank exam preparation . You can refer to BYJU’S study materials which are well-structured and help you to understand the core concepts in a lucid manner.
Ans. Yes, there is a penalty for wrong answers in both SBI PO prelims and mains exam. There is a penalty of ¼th marks for every wrongly answered question in both objective papers.
Ans. No, The State Bank of India has removed sectional cut off from both SBI PO Prelims and Mains examination. Only an overall cut off will be considered for the selection of candidates.
Ans. No, the SBI PO preliminary exam is only qualifying in nature and the marks scored in prelims will not be calculated for the final selection of Officers. The final merit list is declared based on the aggregate marks secured in the mains examination and the group discussion & interview.
Ans. The initial basic SBI PO salary is Rs. 27,620 in the scale of 23700 – 980/7- 30560 – 1145/2 – 32850 – 1310/7 – 42020. The total compensation is approximately Rs. 8.20 lakhs to Rs. 13.08 lakhs. Candidates can check the detailed SBI PO salary at the linked article.
