Anangsha
Anangsha Patra
Deputy Manager – Editorial
Updated on Feb 15, 2023 12:54 IST

SBI PO 2020 Qualifier, Aman Kumar Shaw, has proved that it is possible to crack one of the most competitive banking exams in the country on the first attempt. He believes that to attain success it is important to sacrifice one’s comfort. In an interview with Shiksha, he shared his preparation strategy and tips for future SBI PO aspirants.

SBI PO Topper Interview: “Just Believe in Yourself and Attempt the Exam Confidently,” Says SBI PO 2020 Qualifier Aman Kumar Shaw

SBI PO Topper Interview: Know How Aman Cracked the Exam in First Attempt

SBI PO Topper Interview: State Bank of India (SBI) every year conducts SBI PO exam to select eligible candidates for the Probationary Officer (PO) post in its various branches spread throughout the country. Around 10 lakh candidates register for the exam every year. This exam is considered one of the most competitive banking exams in the country as a large number of candidates apply and appear for the exam. Though a large number of candidates appear for the exam, however, only a few can crack the exam. Where it becomes difficult for many candidates to crack the SBI PO exam after many years of preparation, this West Bengal boy, Aman Kumar Shaw, aced the exam on his first attempt and without any coaching. He is currently posted as SBI PO in the Raghumathpur branch in Purulia district for rural/semi urban assignment.

In an Interview with Shiksha, Aman shared that by cracking the SBI PO exam and getting the job, he has fulfilled his mother’s dream who raised him single-handedly. Besides SBI PO, Aman has also cracked IBPS RRB PO and IBPS Clerk in the same year.

Initially, he enrolled himself in Chartered Accountancy Course but had to leave it midway due to the duration of the course and financial problems. After this, he started preparing for bank exams. Sharing his roadmap to success, Aman said, “I took 1.5 years to learn and clear the concepts in order to crack the SBI PO exam. The main challenge I faced during preparation was that I did not buy any mock test series for which I could practice many questions before appearing in the exam. I did not take any coaching and relied on the online resources for preparation.”

Aspirants who are preparing for SBI PO exam should get their basic cleared for all the sections and attempt mock tests. They should practice simultaneously for prelims and mains exams as well. They should just believe in themselves and attempt the exam confidently,” Aman further added.

We have provided the full interview below where Aman shared his preparation strategy for SBI PO, good books and important tips for future SBI PO aspirants. Read below and know how Aman has cracked SBI PO exam on the first attempt without any coaching.

Also Read: 

SBI PO Exam Pattern

SBI PO Syllabus

SBI PO Topper Interview with Aman Kumar Shaw

Q: Tell us something about your background?

A: I have done my graduation in commerce. As my mother raised me single-handedly, it was important for me to get a job as early as possible. By getting this job, I have fulfilled my mother’s dream.

Q: What was your overall and section-wise marks/score in SBI PO exam? Which year did you qualify the exam and where you are currently working? Tell us something regarding your roles and responsibilities.

A: My overall score in SBI PO exam was 59/100 in prelims, 98/200 in mains and 43/50 in GD/Interview. I qualified the exam in 2020 and joined in March 2021. I am currently posted in the Raghunathpuram branch in the Purulia district (West Bengal) as my rural/semi-urban assignment. I am associated with the retail credit in the advances section where I am assigned to process loans and engage in cross-selling.

Q: What made you pursue a career in banking? Which other exams did you appear in and which all you have been able to crack?

A: As I have completed graduation from the commerce stream, therefore, I was looking for a career in Finance. I started my career by enrolling myself in Chartered Accountancy course but had to leave it midway due to financial problems and the duration of the course. It is after leaving the Chartered Accountancy course I started preparing for banking exams.

Q: How much time did you prepare for the SBI PO exam? Did you crack it on the first attempt?

A: It took 1.5 years to learn the concepts for clearing SBI PO exam. I cracked the exam on the first attempt. In 2019, I appeared for SBI Clerk exam but failed to crack it.

Q: Tell us regarding the challenges you faced while preparing for the SBI PO exam?

A: The problem I faced while preparing for SBI PO exam was that I did not buy mock test series for which I could not practice many questions before appearing in the exam.

Q: Did you take any coaching for the exam. If yes, from where and for how long?

A: I did not take any coaching and my only source of preparation was referring to the free online resources and practice sets. It is time taking process, as you need to search the contents but works appropriately if you are dedicated enough.

Q: How to prepare for SBI PO exam? Tell us the strategy you applied to prepare for the exam?

A: Aspirants need to clear their basic of all the sections. They need to attempt mock tests and practice simultaneously for prelims and mains exams. They should make a routine of reading current affairs on a daily/weekly basis. They should understand their strengths and attempt the exam accordingly.

Q: Is coaching important to crack the exam?

A: It is necessary for someone who wants to connect everything from the start. If your concepts are on the line, there are enough free online contents to help you.

Q: Tell us regarding the SBI PO study routine. What is the ideal time to begin SBI PO preparation?

A:  I had a routine of studying one subject for two days consecutively, on the first day I used to clear the concepts and the next day I attempted mock tests. I used to attempt two full-length mock tests. Candidates must begin their preparation for SBI PO exam immediately after graduation. I used to study for five to six hours regularly.

Q: What should be the section-wise strategy for SBI PO exam?

A: The section-wise tips to crack SBI PO exam is given below:

Reasoning: It is a dynamic subject, instead of referring to the books, learn the concepts online and practice thoroughly to improve your timing.

Quants: Analyse your strong and weak points. Concept building is an important part so invest yourself in building concepts. Attempt the questions which you are confident of.

English: Read newspaper or storybooks and understand them in your own language. Tense, voice, subject-verb agreement, and narration are some important topics to learn.

General awareness: Make a habit of reading current affairs and making notes as it will help in revision.

Q: Share your interview experience with us. What kind of questions are asked in the interview?

A: In interview, questions are asked about family background, educational qualification, current affairs, hobbies, economic affairs, etc. It is important to remain honest while answering questions during interview.

Q: Any message or advise to the future banking aspirants?

A: Just believe in yourself and attempt the exam confidently then success is yours. To attain success, one needs to sacrifice their comfort.

Read More: 

SBI PO Books

SBI PO Preparation Tips

About the Author
author-image
Anangsha Patra
Deputy Manager – Editorial
A mass communication and journalism post-graduate, Anangsha has worked as a reporter and sub-editor and enjoys working in the education domain.
Download Important Dates for Sarkari Exams Exams

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News

Explore Other Exams

12 Oct '25

IBPS PO Main Exam 2025

6 Oct '25 -

12 Oct '25

IBPS PO 2025 Prelims Scorecard

22 Aug '25 -

31 Aug '25

IAS Main 2025 Exam Date

25 May '25

IAS Prelims 2025 Exam Date

Oct '25

IBPS Clerk Prelims Result 2025

29 Nov '25

IBPS Clerk 2025 Mains Exam

Dec '25

SSC JE Tier 1 Exam 2025

30 Jun '25

SSC JE Tier 1 Notification 202...

22 Nov '25 -

23 Nov '25

IBPS RRB PO 2025 Prelims Exam

6 Dec '25 -

7 Dec '25

IBPS RRB Clerk 2025 Prelims Ex...

Oct '25

SBI Clerk Prelims Result 2025

15 Nov '25 -

16 Nov '25

SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2025

Dec '20

Conduct of Interview

Sep '20

Mains exam

7 Oct '25 -

7 Nov '25

UGC NET 2025 Dec Application

7 Nov '25

UGC NET 2025 Dec Application f...

Aug '25

Kerala SET 2025 July Exam

12 Jun '25

Kerala SET 2025 July Applicati...

The list of exams are recommended based on what other exams do the students in your area show interest in
qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a week ago

You can prepare for SBI PO exam through self-study. However, to understand the techniques of solving questions it is always advised to take coaching.

M

Mani Shukla

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

SBI PO prelims result 2025 was announced on September 1, 2025. The result was announced on the official website of SBI. The direct link to check the result is provided on this page. Candidates can check their results by logging with the required credentials.

C

Chanchal Jain

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

The distribution of questions in the Quant section of SBI PO 2025 prelims exam is given below.

TopicNo. of Questions

Pie chart DI (based on variable)

6

Bar graph DI + Table DI

(related graduate, post-graduate students in college)

6
Caselet DI5
Quadratic equation3
Arithmetic problems10
Total30

J

Jasleen Harsha

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

The distribution of questions in the prelims exam is given below.

TopicNo. of Questions
Parallel row seating (single variable, 14 persons)5
Circular seating (7 persons, double variable, inside facing)5
Age puzzle (single variable)5
Box puzzle (single variable)5
Month-based puzzle5
Syllogism3

Misc.

Meaningful word - 1

Forward, backward -1

2
Total30

R

Raushan Pradhan

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

SBI PO 2025 prelims good attempts refer to the number of questions attempted successfully by candidates. The number of good attempts is given below.

SectionsTotal QuestionsGood Attempts
Reasoning Ability3019-25
Quantitative Aptitude3016-22
English Language4024-30
Overall10059-77

S

Sumridhi Singh

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

The authority released the tentative dates for the SBI PO 2025 exam. The SBI PO prelims exam was conducted on August 4, 2025. The prelims exam of SBI PO comprises three sections-English, Quant and Reasoning. The total marks allotted to the test are 100. 

S

Satyendra Garg

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 months ago

SBI PO Mains cut off 2024 is given below.

CategoryCutoff

General

87.5

OBC

75

EWS

87.5

SC

75

ST

75

LD

75

VI

75

HI

-

B

Bhumika Arora

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

SBI PO prelims cut off 2024 is given below.

CategoryCut Off Marks
UR61.75
SC55
ST49
OBC60.50
EWS60.25
VI47.50
HI19.75
LD49.75
D&E9.50

A

Abhishek Kumar

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

SBI PO exam dates 2025 were announced. SBI PO prelims exam was conducted on August 4, 2025. SBI PO Mains exam will be conducted on September 13, 2025. The Phase 3 exam will be conducted in October/November 2025. 

A

Anangsha Patra

Contributor-Level 10