
SBI PO Syllabus 2026: The Syllabus plays a crucial role in the preparation. The SBI PO Mains exam was conducted on September 12, 2026 and Prelims exam was held on August 1 and 2. The SBI PO Mains syllabus consists of Data Analysis & interpretation, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness, English Language, and a Descriptive Test. The Mains exam will be held for 230 marks out of which 200 marks for the objective test and 30 marks for the descriptive test.
The SBI PO prelims exam is of qualifying in nature and Mains and Phase 3 marks together determine the final rank. The standard of the syllabus of SBI Probationary Officer is of Graduation level. Read below for more details on SBI PO syllabus 2026.
- SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026
- SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026
- SBI PO Exam Preparation 2026
- SBI PO Books
- SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026
- SBI PO Syllabus 2026 FAQs
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026
SBI PO mains syllabus comprises four subjects. The mains exam carries 230 marks. SBI PO exam syllabus for mains exam is given below.
Crack SBI PO Exam? Preparation Tips & Strategy
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SBI PO Mains Data Analysis & Interpretation Syllabus
| Tabular Graph | Line Graph |
| Pie Chart | Bar Graph |
| Radar Graph Caselet | Missing Case DI |
| Data Sufficiency | Probability |
| Permutation and Combination | - |
SBI PO Mains Reasoning Syllabus
| Verbal Reasoning | Syllogism |
| Circular Seating Arrangement | Linear Seating Arrangement |
| Input-Output | Blood Relations |
| Directions and Distances | Ordering and Ranking |
| Data Sufficiency | Coding and Decoding |
| Code Inequalities | Course of Action |
| Critical Reasoning | Analytical and Decision Making |
SBI PO Mains English Language Syllabus
| Reading Comprehension | Grammar |
| Vocabulary | Verbal Ability |
| Word Association | Sentence Improvement |
| Para Jumbles | Cloze Test |
| Error Spotting | Fill in the blanks |
SBI PO Mains General/Economy/ Banking Awareness Syllabus
| Financial Awareness | Current Affairs |
| General Knowledge | Static Awareness |
| Banking and Financial Awareness | - |
SBI PO Mains Computer Aptitude Syllabus
| Internet | Memory |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Computer Abbreviation |
| Microsoft Office | Computer Hardware |
| Computer Software | Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies |
| Networking | Operating System |
| Basic of Logic Gates | - |
SBI PO Descriptive Syllabus
The Descriptive Paper of 30 minutes duration with two questions for 30 marks will be a Test of English Language (Letter Writing & Essay). Besides the preliminary exam and the mains exam, psychometric test, interview and group exercises are conducted. The final merit list is made on the basis of marks obtained by a candidate in the mains exam and interview and group exercise.
SBI PO Psychometric Test
SBI PO psychometric test is conducted for personality profiling. The shortlisted candidates will appear for Group Exercises and Interview. Finding of the test may be placed before the Interview panel for having a thorough perspective on the candidates. The psychometric test is an objective way to measure the potential ability of candidates to perform well in the job. Psychometric tests measure a range of skills from cognitive abilities, knowledge to assessing their personality.
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SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026
The online exam of SBI PO is conducted in two stages-Prelims and Mains. Candidates need to qualify both the stages to be selected for the interview round. For each incorrect answer in the objective test, there is negative marking of 0.25 marks. SBI PO exam pattern for Prelims and Mains is given below.
| SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects | English Language | Quantitative Aptitude | Reasoning Ability |
| No. of Questions | 40 | 30 | 30 |
| Marks | 40 | 30 | 30 |
| Duration | 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 20 minutes |
| SBI PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | Data Analysis & Interpretation | General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness | English Language | Descriptive Test |
| No. of Questions | 40 | 30 | 60 | 40 | -- |
| Marks | 60 | 60 | 60 | 20 | 30 |
| Duration | 50 minutes | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | 40 minutes | 30 minutes |
SBI PO Exam Preparation 2026
Candidates can clear SBI PO exam through a proper preparation plan. They should know syllabus. It is also necessary to go through the exam pattern. Prepare study notes after completing chapters. This helps in revision. They should create timetable and follow it. Work on improving speed. Also practice writing for Descriptive test. Candidates should give ample of tests and should also learn from their mistakes. The strategy to crack the prelim and mains exams is given below.
- You should focus on the revision of critical topics.
- A number of video tutorials are available online for bank exam preparation. Short video tutorials are very helpful for revision.
- Candidate should take the sectional and full-length mock tests during preparation.
- Candidate must be clear with the concepts.
- Learn shortcuts for solving questions. Since there are sectional timings, learning shortcuts will help you to attempt maximum questions in less possible time.
- Practice with more and more sectional tests, and take one mock test every day.
- In SBI PO exam, there is a negative marking for incorrect responses. Therefore, you are advised not to do guesswork., etc.
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SBI PO Books
SBI PO books help candidates to clear the concepts of the topics given in the syllabus. They should refer to those books that are easy to understand and simple. The list of books is given below.
SBI PO Books for Quantitative Aptitude
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh Kumar Verma |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Magical Book on Quicker Maths | M Tyra |
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic; | Rajesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams | RS Aggarwal |
SBI PO Books for Reasoning
| Best Books for Reasoning Ability | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal and Non-Verbal | B.S. Sijwali and Indu Sijwali |
| Analytical Reasoning | MK Pandey |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
| How to Crack Test Of Reasoning | Jaikishan & Premkishan |
| Shortcuts in Reasoning for Competitive Exams | Disha Experts |
SBI PO Books for Computer Aptitude
| Best books for Computer Aptitude | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| Objective Computer Awareness for General Competitive Exams | Arihant Publications |
| Computer General Awareness | Dr. Alok Kumar |
| Computer Knowledge (SBI/IBPS Clerk/PO/RRB/RBI/SSC Railways Insurance Exams) | Shikha Agarwal |
| Kiran Objective Computer Knowledge & Literacy 2300+ Objective Question English | Pratiyogita Kiran & KICX Think Tank of Kiran Prakashan |
| Computer | Lucent |
SBI PO Books for English
| Best Books for English | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| Objective General English | SP Bakshi |
| Descriptive General English | SP Bakshi and Richa Sharma |
| High School English Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
SBI PO Books for Genaral Knowledge
| Economic Survey | Government of India Ministry of Finance |
| Static General Knowledge | Arihant Publications |
| Banking Awareness | Disha Experts |
| Banking & Financial Awareness | Kiran’s Publication |
SBI PO books are the best resource to prepare for the exam. Candidates must choose the ones that have covered the syllabus. The books should be simple to understand. This helps to clear the concept of the subjects given in the syllabus.
SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026
SBI PO prelims syllabus comprises three subjects. The total marks allotted to the prelims test are 100. We have provided below SBI PO syllabus for the prelims exam. SBI PO Prelims English Syllabus is given below along with the weightage of different topics.
English Language
| SBI PO Prelims English Language Syllabus | Weightage |
|---|---|
| 7-10 Questions |
|
| Cloze Test |
5-10 Questions |
| 4-5 Questions |
|
| Spotting Errors |
5-10 Questions |
| Fill in the blanks |
5-7 Questions |
| Vocabulary-based Questions |
4-5 Questions |
| Paragraph Completion |
3-3 Questions |
| Sentence Improvement |
5-8 Questions |
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Reasoning Ability
| Name of the Topic | Expected number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Puzzles and Seating Arrangement |
15-20 Questions (3-4 sets) |
| Syllogism |
4-5 Questions |
| Inequality |
4-5 Questions |
| Coding-Decoding |
3-4 Questions |
| Input-Output |
3-4 Questions |
| Series-based Questions |
4-5 Questions |
| Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order, Ranking, etc. |
5-7 Question |
| Data Sufficiency |
4-5 Questions |
Quantitative Aptitude
| Topics | Expected Questions |
|---|---|
| Number Series |
5 Questions |
| Simplification/Approximation |
5-7 Questions |
| Quadratic Equation |
4-5 Questions |
| Data Interpretation |
10-15 Questions (2-3 sets) |
| Miscellaneous Question |
10-12 Questions |
| Data Sufficiency |
4-5 Questions |
| Quantity Based questions |
4-5 Questions |
SBI PO Syllabus 2026 FAQs
Candidates can check below SBI PO syllabus FAQs.
The English Language section is also the most important in SBI PO Examinations, along with the Quantitative Aptitude section. This section holds 30 and 40 marks in Prelims and Mains examinations, respectively. Additionally, 50 marks are allotted to the descriptive test. The syllabus includes the following topics such as Reading comprehension, Error correction, Cloze Test, Para jumbles, Fill in the blanks, Idioms and phrases, Synonyms, Antonyms. Given below are the best books for SBI PO English:
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Descriptive General English by SP Bakshi and Richa Sharma
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
To get good marks in the English language section, candidates must improve their grammar and vocabulary. The standard of questions asked in this section is of high school level. This section appears in both prelims and mains exams.
Books for SBI PO mains exam are Objective English for Competitive Examinations by Hari Mohan Prasad and Uma Rani Sinha, Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R S Aggarwal, A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Aggarwal, The Complete Success Package for SBI PO by Disha Experts.
A psychometric test is conducted to assess the power of decision-making, and personality. The marks obtained in this test are not counted for final merit list.
The marks obtained in the prelims exam are not counted for the final merit list. Final selection of candidates is done based on the Mains exam and group exercises and interview. The weightage of marks given to the Mains exam are 75 and 25 to Interview & Group Discussion.
The prelims and mains exams of SBI PO are conducted online. The prelims exam of SBI PO carries a total of 100 marks. The mains exam of SBI PO carries 250 marks. Candidates qualifying the prelims exam are called for the mains exam. However, the marks of the prelims exam are not counted for the final merit list. Candidates qualifying the prelims exam are called for the mains exam.
Yes, there are sectional timings in SBI PO prelims and Mains exam. To answer each section in the prelims exam, candidates get 20 minutes. For descriptive test, candidates get 30 minutes. The duration of the Reasoning & Computer Aptitude is 50 minutes, Data Analysis & Interpretation is 45 minutes, General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness is 45 minutes and English Language section is 40 minutes.
After candidates undergo interview, a merit list is prepared by SBI based on the marks obtained in the Mains exam and interview. Based on the final SBI PO cutoff marks and available vacancies, candidates are offered letter of appointment for the post of Probationary Officer. 75 per cent weightage marks of the SBI PO Mains exam (out of 250 marks) and 25 per cent weightage marks of Group Exercise and Interview (out of 50 marks) will be considered. To compile the final merit list the aggregate scores (out of 100) will be calculated.
SBI PO Exam Pattern: Weightage of marks
The weightage of marks given to the Mains exam and interview & group exercises are given below.
| Test | Main Exam | Group Exercise & Interview | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Maximum Marks | 250 | 50 | 300 |
Normalized Marks | 75 | 25 | 100 |
SBI PO normalisation is not grace marks. The normalisation of marks is done to adjust the difficulty level of the question papers across various sessions. This process is followed since the exam is conducted in multiple shifts. The difficulty levels of the question papers are different.
The examination authority decides category-wise SBI PO cut off marks to select candidates for the next rounds of selection process. There is no sectional cut off marks. Candifdates need to secure only the overall cut off.
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