SBI conducts recruitment for the post of Probationary Officer in two stages. The exam is usually held between September and October. It is the one of the exams attended by most of the candidates who wishes to pursue a career in banking. This exam is conducted at centers throughout India.

Structure of SBI PO Exam

Step 1

Written Test

Candidates have to attend a written examination. It will be both objective and descriptive paper. The question paper will be in English and Hindi except the paper on English language. The first section will hold 125 multiple choice questions which have to be answered within 135 minutes. Again there are four sections: 75 Questions from Reasoning, 50 Question from Quantitative techniques, 50 Question from English and 50 Question from General Awareness.

For every in correct answer 1/4 marks will be reduced. The second section which consists of the descriptive type of test will hold questions on English language. The duration of this test is 45 minutes.

This test will help calculate the student’s language skills, analyzing abilities etc. Three questions have to be answered out of the four. There are no negative markings in this section.

Step 2

Group Discussion & Interview:

Those who qualify in the written test will have to attend Group Discussion and Interview. Those who are qualified in this level will be selected for the post.

Eligibility Criteria

Following requirements are necessary to apply for the post:

Educational Qualification

Candidates belonging to general category should be a graduate in any stream or its equivalent. The minimum mark required is 65% or more. Those belonging to other classes are eligible to apply if they are a graduate in any stream or its equivalent with 60% or more. Moreover the candidates should also have some knowledge in computers. He should have done his training from a recognized institution.

Age

The age limit is 21 to 30 years. There are exceptions in case of upper age limit fro those belonging to other classes.

Nationality

The candidates should be Indian citizen. Those who have an eligibility certificate from the Indian Government can also apply.

Syllabus for the Exam

Test of Reasoning:

This section consists of verbal and non-verbal questions. It will have questions from

Analogies, visual memory, figure classification, relationship concepts, judgment, similarities, number series, differences etc. It will also focus on student’s abilities to solve abstract ideas, arithmetical computation etc.

Test of English Language

In this section candidates knowledge in English would be tested. There will questions based on grammar, sentence correction, opposites, usage, synonyms, comprehension etc

Test of Numerical Ability:

This area is mainly based on arithmetical problems, fractions, decimals, whole numbers etc. It will not deal with any complicated arithmetical problems.

Test of General Knowledge and General Awareness

This section aims on candidate’s aptitude and accuracy. They have to mainly deal with questions related to differences and similarities between figures, numbers or names. It will also cover topics like abbreviations, filing, indexing etc.

How to Apply?

Students can download the cash voucher from the official website of SBI. It is a duplicate copy. Now they need to submit this voucher with the required amount in any branch of SBI. They should submit the fee before the last date.

After submitting the fees and the voucher the candidates will be given a copy of the voucher. Candidates should check that the receipt has all the informations like the branch name, journal number, date of deposit, branch code number etc. Candidates must carry this receipt when they enter the examination hall. Before filling the online application form the candidates should keep a scanned copy of the photograph ready along with a signature. They are required to upload these files along with the online application form.

Guidelines for filling application form

Candidates are required to have an e-mail id. This will help them in receiving call letter and also few advices on exam structure and syllabus. The application should be registered before the last date.

Important Dates

There are no specific dates. The bank conducts the test according to the vacancies. Usually two or more test is held in one year. For recent vacancies candidates are asked to keep an update with the announcement from the Banks.

List of SBI PO Exam centers

• Agartala
• Agra
• Ahmedabad
• Aizwal
• Ajmer
• Allahabad
• Ambala
• Asansol
• Aurangabad
• Bangalore
• Bareilly
• Berhampur (Ganjam)
• Bhagalpur
• Bhavnagar
• Bhopal
• Bhubaneswar
• Chandigarh
• Chennai
• Coimbatore
• Cuttack
• Dehradun
• Dibrugarh
• Dispur
• Gangtok
• Gorakhpur
• Gulbarga
• Guwahati
• Gwalior
• Hazratganj
• Hubli
• Hyderabad
• Imphal
• Indore
• Itanagar
• Jabalpur
• Jaipur
• Jalandhar
• Jammu
• Jodhpur
• Kanpur
• Kochi
• Kohima
• Kolkata
• Kottayam
• Kozhikode
• Lucknow
• Ludhiana
• Madurai
• Meerut
• Mumbai
• Muzaffarpur
• Mysore
• Nagpur
• Nainital
• New Delhi
• Nungambakkam
• Palampur
• Panaji (Goa)
• Patiala
• Patna
• Port Blair
• Puducherry
• Pune
• Raipur
• Rajkot
• Ranchi
• Sambalpur
• Shillong
• Shimla
• Silchar
• Siliguri
• Surat
• Thampanoor
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Tiruchirapalli
• Tirupati
• Udaipur
• Vadodara
• Varanasi
• Vijayawada

Contact Address for the SBI PO Exam

For Complete Details: visit www.sbi.co.in

• Central Recruitment & Promotion Deptt, Tulsiani Chambers, 1st Floor,(West Wing), 212, Free Press Journal Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400 021

Reference Books for SBI PO Exams

There are number of books available for reference. To prepare for numerical ability the mathematics books of 10th and plus two are good. For English one can purchase books which give us more knowledge on Basic language awareness and on certain specific areas like sentence construction, essay writing and so on.

• Galgotia State Bank Probationary Officers Guide by Ravi Chopra
• Oswaal Chapter-Wise Solutions of BANK P.O. (10 Years Solved Papers)
• R. S. Aggarwal’s book on reasoning
• Ramesh Bank P. O. Prev. Solved Papers by RPH Editorial Board
• Ramesh SBI & Associate Banks PO Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board
• Upkars State Bank Probationary Officers Examination by T. S. Jain

Coaching Centers for SBI PO Exam

• Brilliant Tutorials Pvt Ltd
• TIME
• Gandhi IAS Study Circle
• Pace Setter
• AAA Bright Academy
• Miglani Tutorials
• Tara Institute
• Ekantik
• Mr. Madhava Janarthanan K.P
• APEX Academy
• Axiom Academy
• Career Plus

Study Plan

Candidates have to answer above 200 questions within 120 minutes. So in order to qualify they need to sharpen their mathematical skills and develop shortcut method to solve the problems. They should practice as many questions s possible. The questions usually asked are confusing. They should approach a systematic time table and work hard.

The mathematical section consists of algebra, profit and loss etc. There also may be problems based on figures statements, assumptions etc. A good practice is the only way to solve the problems within the time limit.

The English test comprises of basic knowledge in the language. One should also try reading magazines or newspapers to develop their vocabulary in English General and computer awareness mainly deal with questions related to current affairs, books & authors, general knowledge etc.

One of the basic requirements of this test is time management. By practicing old question papers students can develop accuracy and speed. Candidates should never try to make a wild guess and mark the answers. There are negative marks for every incorrect answer.

How and Where To Get the Results?

Results of candidates who qualify in first phase will be published on the official website of SBI. Candidates can follow this link www.sbi.co.in. Results will also be available in the employments news or in rozgar samachar.

Expected sectional Cutoff

The Cutoff marks are based on the pattern of the paper. If it is a easy paper then the cutoff marks will be very high. Previous years papers were considered as an average paper. The cutoff limit was:

• DI: 22.5
• Reasoning: 20
• English: 18.5
• General Knowledge: 20.5
• Overall: 92/200

Score Validity

The validity of the score is only till there is a vacancy period in the bank.