SBI PO Syllabus 2026: Quick Answer
The SBI PO syllabus 2026 has three stages. Prelims tests English Language (40 questions), Quantitative Aptitude (30) and Reasoning Ability (30) in 1 hour. Mains has four objective sections (Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English) with 170 questions for 200 marks in 3 hours, plus a 30-mark descriptive test. Phase III is a psychometric test, a group exercise (20 marks) and an interview (30 marks).
Key takeaway: Every number in this note comes from SBI's official advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 (dated 18 June 2026, 1,500 vacancies). The one real change in 2026 is the descriptive test: now 30 marks (3 questions) instead of 50, so the Main exam is out of 230, not 250. The objective paper is still 170 questions (General Awareness 60, English 40). Many popular websites still show a "155-question" Mains, or mix up SBI PO Prelims with the IBPS PO 30-35-35 split; both are wrong for SBI PO.
If you are also writing IBPS PO, compare this page with our IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern note, because the two exams look similar but differ in section sizes, marking and the final merit formula.
SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026 at a Glance
| Stage | What it is | Questions / Marks | Time | Counts in final merit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I: Prelims | Online objective test, 3 sections | 100 Q / 100 marks | 60 min (20 min per section) | No (qualifying only) |
| Phase II: Mains (Objective) | Online, 4 sections | 170 Q / 200 marks | 3 hours (sectional timing) | Yes |
| Phase II: Mains (Descriptive) | Typed on computer, right after the objective test | 3 Q / 30 marks | 30 min | Yes |
| Phase III: Psychometric Test | Personality profiling, results go to the interview panel | Not scored | As decided by SBI | No marks, but must be attempted |
| Phase III: Group Exercise | Group task / discussion | 20 marks | — | Yes |
| Phase III: Interview | Personal interview | 30 marks | — | Yes |
Negative marking: 1/4 of the marks of a question are deducted for every wrong answer, in both Prelims and Mains. A blank question gets no penalty.
SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 (Phase I)
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 (100 marks) | 60 minutes |
- No sectional cut-off in SBI PO Prelims. SBI draws a category-wise merit list on the aggregate score only. This is a big difference from IBPS PO, where you must clear every section.
- About 10 times the vacancies in each category are shortlisted for Mains.
- Prelims marks are not added to the final merit list.
SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026: English Language (40 questions)
| Topic | Usual number of questions (2025–2026 papers) |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (1–2 passages) | 8–10 |
| Cloze Test | 5–6 |
| Para Jumbles / sentence rearrangement | 5 |
| Fillers (single / double) | 5 |
| Word Swap / Word Usage | 3–5 |
| Error Detection | 3–5 |
| Phrase Replacement / Sentence Improvement | 3–4 |
| Column-based sentence connectors | 2–3 |
The counts are what candidates reported from the August 2026 shifts (for example, one 2 August 2026 shift had RC 10, cloze 6, para jumbles 5, double fillers 5, word swap 5). SBI does not publish topic weightage, so treat them as a guide, not a rule.
SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026: Quantitative Aptitude (30 questions)
- Data Interpretation: table, bar, line, pie and caselet DI (usually 2 sets, 8–10 questions).
- Arithmetic word problems: percentage, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, average, ages, mixture and alligation, partnership, time and work, pipes and cisterns, speed-time-distance, boats and streams, mensuration, probability, permutation and combination.
- Quadratic equations (3–5 questions).
- Number series: missing number or wrong number (0–5 questions).
- Simplification / approximation (asked in some shifts, often skipped in recent PO papers).
SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026: Reasoning Ability (30 questions)
- Puzzles and seating arrangement: circular, linear/parallel row, floor and flat, box, month/day/year based, designation and comparison puzzles. In 2026 most shifts had 20–25 puzzle questions out of 30.
- Small topics: inequality (direct and coded), syllogism, blood relation, direction sense, order and ranking, coding-decoding, alphanumeric series, number/letter pair counting.
Puzzle speed decides the reasoning score. Our linear seating arrangement, floor puzzle and box puzzle notes cover the methods step by step.
SBI PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 (Phase II)
| Test | Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 min |
| II | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 min |
| III | General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 min |
| IV | English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 min |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 3 hours | |
| Descriptive: Communication Skills | 3 | 30 | 30 min | |
| Grand total | 230 | 3 hours 30 min |
Descriptive paper (2026): one email (choice of 1 out of 2), one situation analysis (1 out of 2), and either report writing or précis writing (1 out of 2). Answers are typed on the computer immediately after the objective test.
Shortlisting for Phase III: you need a minimum score in each of Tests I–IV and the descriptive paper separately, plus a minimum aggregate. Up to about 3 times the category-wise vacancies are called for Phase III.
What changed in the SBI PO Mains pattern in 2026?
| Item | 2025 cycle (CRPD/PO/2025-26/04) | 2026 cycle (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09) |
|---|---|---|
| Objective test | 170 Q, 200 marks, 3 hours | 170 Q, 200 marks, 3 hours (no change) |
| Descriptive test | 3 questions, 50 marks, 30 min | 3 questions, 30 marks, 30 min |
| Main exam maximum | 250 | 230 |
| Final merit weightage | Mains 75 : Phase III 25 | Mains 75 : Phase III 25 (no change) |
Watch out: pages that list "155 questions" with General Awareness 50 and English 35 are describing an older pattern. SBI's own 2025 and 2026 advertisements both show 60 GA questions (1 mark each) and 40 English questions (0.5 mark each).
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
- High-level puzzles and seating arrangements (often 3–4 sets with 15–20 questions)
- Input–output, data sufficiency, coded inequality, syllogism (including "only a few"), blood relations, direction sense
- Logical reasoning: statement and assumption, course of action, cause and effect, strengthening/weakening arguments, inferences
- Computer aptitude: basics of hardware and software, operating systems, MS Office, internet and networking, cyber security, shortcut keys, computer abbreviations
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026: Data Analysis & Interpretation
- Mixed and radar DI, caselets, missing-data DI, arithmetic DI
- Data sufficiency (quant), quantity comparison, probability, permutation-combination
- Advanced arithmetic on the same chapters as Prelims, at a higher level
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026: General / Economy / Banking Awareness
- Current affairs of the last 4–6 months (national, international, sports, awards, appointments, summits)
- Banking awareness: RBI and its functions, monetary policy (repo, SDF, MSF, CRR, SLR), types of banks, NPAs, Basel norms, financial inclusion schemes, payment systems (NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI), banking acts and committees
- Economy: GDP and national income, inflation, Union Budget, Economic Survey, fiscal policy, government schemes
- Static GK: bank headquarters and taglines, national parks, currencies and capitals, important days
SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026: English Language
- Long reading comprehension passages, para jumbles, sentence connectors, word usage, error detection, paragraph completion, odd sentence out, cloze test
SBI PO Phase III and Final Selection 2026
The psychometric test profiles your personality; it has no marks, but its findings are placed before the interview panel. The group exercise (20 marks) and interview (30 marks) carry 50 marks in total, and SBI decides the minimum qualifying marks.
Final merit formula (official):
| Component | Maximum marks | Converted to |
|---|---|---|
| Main Exam (objective 200 + descriptive 30) | 230 | 75 |
| Group Exercise + Interview | 50 | 25 |
| Total | 280 | 100 |
You must qualify in Phase II and Phase III separately.
Preparing for Phase III? Read the SBI PO psychometric test 2026 guide (test on 31 October 2026) and the SBI PO group exercise topics and interview guide 2026 (GE and interviews from 18 November 2026).
Solved example: a candidate scores 138 out of 230 in Mains and 34 out of 50 in Phase III. Converted score = 138 × 75 ÷ 230 + 34 × 25 ÷ 50 = 45.00 + 17.00 = 62.00 out of 100.
SBI PO Eligibility 2026 (Age, Qualification, Attempts)
| Item | Official rule (2026) |
|---|---|
| Age | 21 to 30 years as on 01.04.2026 (born between 02.04.1996 and 01.04.2005) |
| Age relaxation | OBC (NCL) 3 yrs, SC/ST 5 yrs, PwBD 10/13/15 yrs, ex-servicemen 5 yrs |
| Qualification | Graduation in any discipline; final-year students can apply if they pass by 30.09.2026 |
| Number of attempts | General/EWS 6, OBC and General/EWS PwBD 9, SC/ST no limit (only appearing in Mains counts as an attempt) |
| Application fee | ₹750 for General/EWS/OBC; nil for SC/ST/PwBD |
| Starting basic pay | ₹48,480 plus 4 advance increments (JMGS-I); SBI quotes an approximate CTC of ₹21.97 lakh at Mumbai |
| Service bond | ₹2 lakh to serve at least 3 years |
| Credit history | Adverse CIBIL record must be cleared before joining |
How to Prepare for the SBI PO Syllabus (Section-wise Strategy)
- Start with Prelims English. With 40 questions and no sectional cut-off, English gives SBI PO aspirants the easiest marks. Practise one RC and one cloze test daily.
- Make puzzles a daily habit. Solve at least 3 puzzle sets a day, timing each set (target 4–5 minutes per 5-question set).
- Quant: DI + arithmetic first. DI and arithmetic make up most of the 30 questions. Learn quadratic equations and series as quick scorers.
- Start banking awareness early. Mains GA has 60 questions (1 mark each); read RBI press releases and PIB summaries each week and revise our banking awareness notes.
- Write one descriptive answer a week. Practise emails and situation analysis within a 10-minute limit each.
- Take full mocks under real timing. Use sectional timers of 20-20-20 minutes for Prelims and 50-45-45-40 for Mains.
SBI PO Syllabus Practice Questions with Answers
Q1. (Quant, Quadratic) I. x² − 11x + 30 = 0, II. y² − 15y + 56 = 0. Find the relation. (a) x > y (b) x < y (c) x ≥ y (d) x = y or no relation Answer: (b). x = 5, 6 and y = 7, 8, so every x is smaller than every y.
Q2. (Quant, Arithmetic) A sum amounts to ₹12,100 in 2 years at 10% per annum compound interest (compounded annually). Find the principal. (a) ₹10,000 (b) ₹10,500 (c) ₹11,000 (d) ₹9,800 Answer: (a). P × 1.1² = 12,100, so P = 12,100 ÷ 1.21 = ₹10,000.
Q3. (Quant, Simplification) 35% of 840 + 18² = ? (a) 594 (b) 618 (c) 624 (d) 642 Answer: (b). 294 + 324 = 618.
Q4. (Quant, Series) 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ? (a) 125 (b) 126 (c) 127 (d) 129 Answer: (c). Each term = previous × 2 + 1; 63 × 2 + 1 = 127.
Q5. (DI-style) A bank's deposits rose from ₹2,400 crore to ₹2,760 crore. What is the percentage increase? (a) 12% (b) 15% (c) 18% (d) 13.5% Answer: (b). (2,760 − 2,400) ÷ 2,400 × 100 = 360 ÷ 2,400 × 100 = 15%.
Q6. (Reasoning, Inequality) Statement: P > Q ≥ R = S < T. Conclusions: I. P > S, II. T > Q. (a) Only I follows (b) Only II follows (c) Both follow (d) Neither follows Answer: (a). P > Q ≥ R = S gives P > S. T and Q are linked only through S < T and Q ≥ S, so no relation can be fixed.
Q7. (Reasoning, Syllogism) Statements: All banks are offices. Some offices are towers. Conclusions: I. Some banks are towers. II. Some towers are offices. (a) Only I follows (b) Only II follows (c) Both follow (d) Neither follows Answer: (b). "Some offices are towers" converts to "some towers are offices". The towers may lie outside the banks circle, so I is not definite.
Q8. (English, Error Detection) "Neither the manager nor the clerks was present at the meeting." Choose the correct form. (a) were (b) is (c) has been (d) No correction Answer: (a). With "neither…nor", the verb agrees with the nearer subject, "clerks", which is plural.
Q9. (Mains GA, Banking) What is the RBI policy repo rate as of October 2026? (a) 5.25% (b) 5.50% (c) 5.75% (d) 6.00% Answer: (b). The MPC raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50% on 7 October 2026. See repo rate history.
Q10. (Mains, Pattern) How many questions does the SBI PO 2026 Mains General / Economy / Banking Awareness section have? (a) 40 (b) 50 (c) 60 (d) 35 Answer: (c). 60 questions for 60 marks in 45 minutes, as per the 2026 advertisement.
SBI PO Syllabus and Exam Pattern FAQs
What is the SBI PO syllabus 2026 for prelims?
English Language (40 questions), Quantitative Aptitude (30) and Reasoning Ability (30), with 20 minutes for each section. Key topics are reading comprehension, cloze test and para jumbles; DI, arithmetic and quadratic equations; and puzzles, seating arrangement and inequality.
Is there a sectional cut-off in SBI PO prelims?
No. SBI's 2026 advertisement says the Prelims merit list is drawn on aggregate marks with no sectional cut-off. Mains does have sectional cut-offs for all four tests and the descriptive paper.
How many questions are there in SBI PO Mains 2026?
170 objective questions for 200 marks in 3 hours, plus a 30-mark descriptive test of 3 questions in 30 minutes.
Is there negative marking in SBI PO?
Yes. One-fourth of the marks of a question are cut for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains.
Are prelims marks counted in SBI PO final selection?
No. Only Mains (objective + descriptive, scaled to 75) and the group exercise + interview (scaled to 25) make up the final 100.
What is the age limit for SBI PO 2026?
21 to 30 years as on 1 April 2026, with the usual category relaxations.
Is computer aptitude part of the SBI PO syllabus?
Yes, in Mains. It is combined with reasoning in Test I (40 questions, 60 marks, 50 minutes).
Practice Next
- Full-length practice: SBI PO Prelims Full Mock Test 15 and the actual SBI PO 2025 Prelims memory-based paper (4 August, Shift 1).
- Mains sectionals: SBI PO Mains Reasoning & Computer Aptitude Mock Test 06, SBI PO Mains Banking Awareness Mock Test 03 and SBI PO Current Affairs Mock Test (October 2026).
- Topic practice: SBI PO Puzzle and Seating Mock Test 08, SBI PO Caselet DI Mock Test 03.
- Related notes: IBPS PO syllabus and exam pattern, SBI Clerk syllabus and exam pattern, quadratic equation tricks, caselet DI, CRR and SLR rate 2026.
- Jobs: SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026.
- Browse all study notes.