SBI PO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern

SBI runs its own Probationary Officer examination rather than using the IBPS common process. Prelims is a 100-question sectionally-timed screening test; Mains adds Data Analysis & Interpretation in place of plain quantitative aptitude, a heavy General/Economy/Banking Awareness section and a descriptive English paper. Group Exercise and Interview follow.

4 papers 74 topics listed State Bank of India (SBI) SBI PO previous year papers

SBI PO exam at a glance

Conducting body	State Bank of India
Post	Probationary Officer
Stages	Prelims → Mains → Group Exercise & Interview
Prelims	100 questions · 100 marks · 60 minutes (sectional timing)
Mains objective	155 questions · 200 marks · 3 hours
Mains descriptive	2 questions · 50 marks · 30 minutes
Group Exercise	20 marks
Interview	30 marks
Official website	sbi.co.in/careers

SBI PO selection process

Each phase has to be cleared before the next one opens.

1
Phase 1
Preliminary Examination (objective, screening)
2
Phase 2
Main Examination (objective + descriptive)
3
Phase 3
Group Exercise and Interview

SBI PO Preliminary Examination syllabus

Three sections with separate 20-minute timers. Prelims is a screening test — the score does not carry into the final merit.

Prelims

Questions: 100
Marks: 100
Duration: 60 minutes, sectionally timed

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration
Quantitative Aptitude	35	35	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 minutes
English Language	30	30	20 minutes
Total	100	100	60 minutes

Quantitative Aptitude

Simplification and approximation
Profit and loss
Mixtures and alligations
Permutation, combination and probability
Work and time
Sequence and series
Simple interest and compound interest
Surds and indices
Mensuration — cylinder, cone, sphere
Time and distance
Number systems
Data interpretation
Ratio and proportion, percentage

Reasoning Ability

Alphanumeric series
Logical reasoning
Data sufficiency
Ranking and order, directions, alphabet test
Seating arrangement
Coded inequalities
Puzzle, tabulation
Syllogism
Blood relations
Input–output
Coding–decoding

English Language

Reading comprehension
Fill in the blanks
Cloze test
Para jumbles
Vocabulary
Paragraph completion
Multiple meaning / error spotting
Sentence completion
Tenses rules

SBI PO Main Examination syllabus

Four objective sections, each separately timed, plus a descriptive English test taken immediately afterwards. The Mains score is what carries into the final merit alongside the Group Exercise and Interview.

Mains — Objective Test

Questions: 155
Marks: 200
Duration: 3 hours, sectionally timed

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration
Reasoning Ability	45	60	60 minutes
Data Analysis and Interpretation	35	60	45 minutes
General and Banking Awareness	40	40	35 minutes
English Language	35	40	40 minutes
Total	155	200	180 minutes

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Tabular graph
Line graph, bar graph, radar graph
Pie charts
Charts and tables
Missing case DI, "let it" case DI
Caselet
Probability
Permutation and combination
Data sufficiency

Reasoning

Syllogism
Verbal reasoning, critical reasoning
Circular seating arrangement, linear seating arrangement
Double lineup
Scheduling
Blood relations
Input–output
Analytical and decision making
Directions and distances
Ordering and ranking, coded inequalities
Data sufficiency
Coding–decoding, course of action

General / Economy / Banking Awareness

Current affairs
Financial awareness
General knowledge
Static awareness
Banking terminologies knowledge
Banking awareness
Principles of insurance

English Language

Reading comprehension
Grammar
Verbal ability
Vocabulary
Sentence improvement
Word association
Para jumbles
Error spotting
Cloze test
Fill in the blanks

Mains — English (Descriptive Test)

Questions: 2
Marks: 50
Duration: 30 minutes

Descriptive English

Essay writing
Letter writing
Assessed for structure, clarity and correctness of expression

SBI PO Group Exercise and Interview syllabus

Candidates shortlisted from the Mains face a Group Exercise worth 20 marks and a personal Interview worth 30 marks.

Phase III

Section	Marks
Group Exercise / Discussion	20
Interview	30

Practise the SBI PO syllabus, section by section

Reading the syllabus tells you what is examinable; previous year papers tell you how it is actually asked. Every SBI PO paper on AI Test Planet runs in a real exam interface with worked solutions and a topic-wise breakdown of where you lost marks.

SBI PO previous year papers Browse all exams NCERT source books

SBI PO syllabus — frequently asked questions

Is SBI PO Prelims sectionally timed?+

Yes. Each of the three sections has its own 20-minute timer, so you cannot carry unused time from Quantitative Aptitude into English.

How is SBI PO Mains different from Prelims?+

Mains replaces plain Quantitative Aptitude with Data Analysis and Interpretation, adds a 40-question General and Banking Awareness section, and follows the objective test with a 30-minute descriptive English paper.

What is asked in the SBI PO descriptive paper?+

Two questions worth 50 marks in 30 minutes — typically one essay and one letter.

How much do the Group Exercise and Interview carry?+

The Group Exercise is worth 20 marks and the Interview 30 marks, on top of the Mains score.

Syllabus of exams SBI PO aspirants also write

IBPS PO Syllabus

The same Probationary Officer role across public sector banks.

View syllabus

SSC CGL Syllabus

A parallel government track with shared aptitude preparation.

View syllabus

Where this syllabus comes from

State Bank of India, SBI PO exam pattern and syllabus (Preliminary, Main and Phase III). Confirm the current cycle against the notification on sbi.co.in/careers.

Last verified on 13 August 2026.Commissions revise patterns between cycles — confirm anything decisive against the current notification on sbi.co.in/careers.