SBI PO Syllabus

State Bank of India recruits Probationary Officers through its own exam, separate from IBPS. Selection has three phases: a Preliminary exam, a Main exam (objective and descriptive) and a final phase of psychometric test, group exercise and interview.

View complete syllabus – subject-wise chapters and topics, preparation tips and practice links for SBI PO.

SBI PO Selection Process

1. Phase I – Preliminary Examination – Online objective test with no sectional cut-off. Qualifying for the Mains; its marks are not added to the final merit.
2. Phase II – Main Examination – Online objective test (200 marks) followed by a descriptive Communication Skills test (30 marks), with a minimum score in each section.
3. Phase III – Psychometric Test, Group Exercise & Interview – For candidates shortlisted on the Main exam. The psychometric test profiles personality for the interview panel; the Group Exercise carries 20 marks and the Interview 30 marks. Final merit normalises Phase II (230 marks) to 75 and Phase III (50 marks) to 25, a 75:25 ratio.

SBI PO Exam Pattern

Preliminary Examination

Main Examination

The Preliminary exam carries 100 marks in all; the notification does not split them by section. The Main exam totals 230 marks in 3 hours 30 minutes. Each section is separately timed. For each wrong answer in the objective tests, one quarter (0.25) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted.

Subject-wise Syllabus (Summary)

Reasoning Ability

Prelims & Mains: Tests logical thinking under time pressure. Puzzles and seating arrangements carry the most weight, especially in the Mains.

Quantitative Aptitude

Prelims: Arithmetic, number series, quadratic equations and data interpretation. Calculation speed decides most of the score.

Data Analysis & Interpretation

Mains: The PO Mains quantitative section. Most questions come as data sets, so accuracy in reading the data matters as much as calculation.

English Language

Prelims & Mains: Reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. Reading comprehension usually carries the largest share of the section.

General / Financial / Banking Awareness

Mains: A Mains-only section on banking, the economy and current affairs. It needs no calculation, so good preparation saves time for other sections.

Computer Aptitude

Mains (with Reasoning): Asked together with Reasoning in the Mains. Questions test basic computer awareness rather than programming.

Descriptive Paper (Communication Skills)

Mains (descriptive): A typed descriptive test of communication skills taken immediately after the SBI PO Mains objective test.

Chapter-wise topics for every subject: View complete syllabus

Source: SBI advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 (June 2026). Exam pattern and selection process may vary by recruitment notification. Candidates should check the latest official notification.