Lakhs of candidates try to obtain their dream job as an SBI PO officer every year but only a couple thousand are selected. This shows the high demand involved with the job of a Probationary Officer in the State Bank of India. In this dynamic world, one cannot afford to lag behind. We must constantly be up to date with all that is happening around us. This is why lucrative exams like this can provide us with a lot of opportunities that will help us thrive. People spend years trying to prepare for competitive exams. However, in order to crack any exam, you need to have a solid strategy that will enable you to attain all the goals and targets that you want to hit. With the SBI PO Exam just around the corner, we are here to help aspiring candidates crack this exam in one go.
SBI PO Exam Pattern and Syllabus
In case you are not aware of the exam pattern of the SBI PO exam, there are 3 rounds of examinations that the candidates have to appear for. The first exam is referred to as the preliminary exam which is essentially just a screening test. After this, candidates have to sit for SBI PO Mains. According to the marks you obtain in this exam, a merit list is prepared. If 2000 seats are vacant, almost 19000 to 20000 candidates will be included in the merit list. For the final examination, the candidates are called for an interview based on this list that was previously prepared. Aspirants higher up on the merit list are obviously given more preference.
SBI PO Main Exam:
Let’s talk about the main exam that holds the most value. This is a lengthy paper for which students are given a time frame of 3 hours. The marking scheme varies with each section.
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude: Candidates appearing for the exam are expected to complete this section in 1 hour. 45 questions are asked in the Reasoning and Computer Aptitude subsection, making up a total of 60 marks. The syllabus includes:
- Arranging Data
- Knowing about various Operating Systems
- Networking
- Being proficient in Microsoft Office
- Linear Seating Arrangement skills
- Being aware of the basics of the internet
- Knowing computer hardware terminology
- Double Lineup
- Coding Inequalities
- Analytical and Critical Reasoning
- Knowing about essential computer software
- Coding and Decoding
- Circular Seating Arrangement
- Blood Relations
- Decision Making
- Verbal Reasoning
- Syllogism
- Scheduling
- Being well versed in reading different types of graphs and pie charts
- Being fluent in mathematical probability
- Permutation and Combination
- Missing DI
- Data Sufficiency
- Verbal Ability and Comprehension
- Word Association
- General Grammar and Vocabulary
- Sentence Construction
- Reading and Cognitive Ability
- General Knowledge including Static Awareness and some aspects of Financial Awareness
- Current Affairs
- Banking Awareness
SBI PO Preliminary Exam:
This exam has a duration of 1 hour and the entire paper rounds up to a total of 100 marks. Although this is just a screening test, you have to appear for it in order to be eligible for SBI PO Mains. 20 minutes are allotted for each section in the question paper.Quantitative Aptitude: This section also consists of 35 long and short questions. The syllabus is:
- Basic maths including the concepts of Work and Time
- Knowing Surds and Indices
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Number Systems
- Mensuration calculations for Cylinder, Cone, Sphere
- Data Interpretation and Evaluation
- Knowing different Sequences and Series
- Ratio and Proportion
- Profit & Loss
- Permutation, Combination and Probability
- Percentage
Reasoning Ability: This is the part of the paper where your analytical power is tested. Aspirants have to answer 35 questions that are worth 1 mark each, rounding up to a total of 35 marks.
- Basic tabulation
- Syllogism, which is also important for the Mains exam
- Solving puzzles
- Logical Reasoning
- Data sufficiency
- Coding and Decoding
- Knowing different Alphanumeric series
- Reading and Comprehension
- Sentence Framing
- Grammar
Tips To Crack The SBI PO Exam
- Be well acquainted with what you need to study – Go through the syllabus and marking scheme provided above multiple times. You should have it nearly memorised. Only once you know what you have to study can you start actually studying it. The syllabus requires candidates to have a lot of conceptual knowledge and an analytical mind. You should not take the SBI Mains exam lightly in particular.
- Now, make an effective study schedule – Once you are aware of the topics that you need to know, make a dedicated study plan. Give more time to the topics that you are weak in. Spend at least an hour a day practising aptitude and data analysis questions. These are extremely important sections of the paper that candidates often end up scoring fewer marks in.
- Give mock tests – Mock tests are the best way for students to evaluate how prepared they are. You can also practice SBI PO mock test to assess your weak and strong areas. It will also help you manage time all while acquainting you with the format of the paper you will have to attempt on the main day of the SBI PO examination. Mock tests are available for both the preliminary and main exams.
- Prepare for the interview simultaneously – The interview also holds quite a lot of significance. In the interview, your communication and speaking skills are judged. Go through common interview questions on YouTube in order to prepare better. You have to get selected for the interview to be able to secure the SBI PO job.
