SBI PO Syllabus

Prelims Syllabus (Phase 1 — Screening)

The Prelims exam is a qualifying stage with three sections. Marks scored here do not count toward the final merit — the purpose is to shortlist candidates for Mains. You must clear the sectional cutoff in each section AND the overall cutoff to qualify.

Prelims: English Language (30 Questions, 30 Marks, 20 Minutes)

• Reading Comprehension (2 passages, 10 questions)
• Cloze Test (5–7 questions)
• Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement
• Error Spotting / Sentence Correction
• Fill in the Blanks (single/double)
• Sentence Improvement / Phrase Replacement
• Word Usage / Vocabulary in Context

Prelims: Quantitative Aptitude (35 Questions, 35 Marks, 20 Minutes)

• Number Series (5 questions — missing/wrong number)
• Simplification / Approximation (5 questions)
• Data Interpretation — Tables, Bar Charts, Pie Charts (5–10 questions)
• Percentage, Profit & Loss, Discount
• Simple & Compound Interest
• Ratio & Proportion, Partnership
• Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns
• Time, Speed & Distance, Boats & Streams
• Averages, Mixtures & Alligation
• Probability, Permutation & Combination (1–2 questions)

Prelims: Reasoning Ability (35 Questions, 35 Marks, 20 Minutes)

• Seating Arrangement — Linear & Circular (10–15 questions)
• Puzzles — Floor-based, Box-based, Scheduling (10–15 questions)
• Syllogisms (3–5 questions)
• Inequalities (3–5 questions)
• Blood Relations
• Direction Sense
• Coding-Decoding
• Order & Ranking
• Alphanumeric Series
• Data Sufficiency (1–2 questions)

Mains Syllabus (Phase 2 — Merit-Based)

The Mains exam determines your merit rank for the final GD+Interview stage. It has four objective sections with sectional time limits, plus a descriptive English paper (essay + letter writing, 30 minutes, 25 marks). Mains marks carry 75% weight in the final selection; GD+Interview carry 25%.

Mains: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (45 Questions, 60 Marks, 60 Minutes)

• Seating Arrangement & Puzzles (high-level, 15–20 questions)
• Input-Output Machines
• Logical Reasoning / Critical Reasoning
• Coding-Decoding (new pattern)
• Blood Relations (advanced)
• Direction & Distance (complex)
• Computer Fundamentals — Hardware, Software, OS
• Networking Basics — LAN, WAN, Internet Protocols
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Database Concepts & DBMS
• Cyber Security & Privacy Basics
• Number System (Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal)

Mains: Data Analysis & Interpretation (35 Questions, 60 Marks, 45 Minutes)

• Data Interpretation — Bar, Line, Pie, Tabular, Radar (10–15 questions)
• Caselet / Paragraph-based DI (5–10 questions)
• Missing Data DI
• Data Sufficiency (3–5 questions)
• Probability
• Permutation & Combination
• Quantity Comparison (I vs II type)

Mains: General / Economy / Banking Awareness (40 Questions, 40 Marks, 35 Minutes)

• Banking Terminology & Operations (NEFT, RTGS, UPI, IMPS)
• RBI — Functions, Monetary Policy, Repo Rate, CRR, SLR
• Fiscal Policy & Union Budget Concepts
• Financial Institutions — NABARD, SIDBI, SEBI, IRDAI, NHB
• Government Schemes related to financial inclusion
• Static GK — Headquarters of banks, regulatory bodies
• Current Banking & Economic Affairs (last 6 months)
• International Organizations — IMF, World Bank, ADB
• Insurance & Capital Markets Basics

Mains: English Language (35 Questions, 40 Marks, 40 Minutes)

• Reading Comprehension (advanced, inference-based, 2 passages)
• Vocabulary-based Questions (idioms, one-word substitution)
• Grammar-based (error detection, sentence correction)
• Para Jumbles (5 or 6 sentence sets)
• Cloze Test (new pattern — sentence-level fillers)
• Sentence Connectors / Starters
• Column-based Matching

Mains: Descriptive English (2 Questions, 25 Marks, 30 Minutes)

• Essay Writing (one topic, ~250 words) — typically economy/banking/social issues
• Letter Writing (formal letter — to editor, to manager, complaint) — ~150 words

Final Stage: Group Discussion & Interview

Candidates who clear Mains are called for GD+Interview. Group Discussion tests communication, leadership, and team dynamics. The Personal Interview assesses personality, banking awareness, career motivation, and general knowledge. The final selection uses a combined score: 75% Mains + 25% GD+Interview.