SBI PO Syllabus, Exam Pattern — Probationary Officer Recruitment (Advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09)
| Conducting body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Graduation in any discipline |
| Selection process | Phase-I Prelims → Phase-II Mains (Objective + Descriptive) → Phase-III (Psychometric Test, Group Exercise & Interview) |
| Negative marking | 1/4th of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer in the objective tests (Prelims and Mains). There is no penalty for a question left blank. |
| Official website | sbi.bank.in |
Exam Pattern
Phase-I: Preliminary Examination (qualifying)
There is NO sectional cut-off in the Preliminary Examination — shortlisting (about 10 times the vacancies) is on the aggregate score.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
Total: 100 questions, 100 marks, 1 hour
Phase-II: Main Examination — Objective Test
A minimum qualifying score is required in EACH section of the Main Examination, including the descriptive paper.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 minutes |
Objective total: 170 questions, 200 marks, 3 hours
Phase-II: Descriptive Paper (Communication Skills)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email (1 of 2 options) + Situation Analysis (1 of 2 options) + Report Writing or Precis Writing (1 of 2 options) | 3 | 30 | 30 minutes |
Typed on the computer immediately after the objective test. Phase-II grand total: 230 marks, 3 hours 30 minutes.
Phase-III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise & Interview
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychometric Test (personality profiling, placed before the interview panel) | — | Qualifying | — |
| Group Exercise | — | 20 | — |
| Interview | — | 30 | — |
Phase-III total: 50 marks. Final merit: Main Examination (230 marks) is weighted to 75 and Phase-III (50 marks) to 25, out of 100. Prelims marks are NOT added.
Syllabus — Topics to Prepare
Note: this body does not publish a topic-wise syllabus — the pattern above is official, and these are the standard topics asked under each section. Treat them as an indicative preparation list.
English Language
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Para Jumbles
- Error Detection & Sentence Correction
- Fill in the Blanks
- Synonyms & Antonyms
- Idioms & Phrases
- Sentence Improvement & Completion
Quantitative Aptitude & Data Analysis
- Number Series
- Simplification & Approximation
- Quadratic Equations
- Data Interpretation (tables, bar & line graphs, pie charts, caselets)
- Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Average
- Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest
- Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance
- Partnership, Mensuration (basic)
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
- Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
- Syllogism
- Blood Relations, Direction Sense
- Alphanumeric Series, Inequality
- Coding-Decoding, Order & Ranking
- Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning
- Computer basics, terminology and internet banking concepts
General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge
- Banking, economy & financial awareness
- RBI / SEBI updates, Budget & government schemes
- Current affairs — national & international
- Digital banking, payments & financial inclusion
- Awards, books, sports & important days
Descriptive Paper (Communication Skills)
- Email writing
- Situation analysis
- Report writing
- Precis writing
Sources (official documents)
Checked: Pattern verified from SBI's official detailed advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09. Always confirm with the latest advertisement before applying.