SBI PO Syllabus 2026: Complete Prelims & Mains Syllabus, Exam Pattern, and Topic-Wise Weightage

SBI PO Syllabus 2026 — complete Prelims and Mains subject-wise syllabus, latest exam pattern, marking scheme, descriptive test details, and a smart preparation strategy for the State Bank of India PO exam.

If you’re preparing for the SBI Probationary Officer (PO) 2026 recruitment, the single most important document you need before you open a single book is the syllabus. State Bank of India releases the notification for thousands of PO vacancies every year, and lakhs of candidates compete for a limited number of seats. In a exam this competitive, knowing exactly what to study — and how much weight each topic carries — is what separates a focused 4-month preparation from a scattered one.

This guide breaks down the complete SBI PO syllabus for both Prelims and Mains, explains the updated exam pattern for 2026, and gives you a topic-wise weightage table so you know where to spend your limited study hours

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Quick Overview: SBI PO Selection Process 2026

SBI PO recruitment happens in three stages, and only the last two count toward your final score:

Phase	Stage	Purpose
Phase 1	Preliminary Exam	Qualifying only — not counted in final merit
Phase 2	Mains Exam	Counts for 75% of final merit
Phase 3	Psychometric Test + Group Exercise + Interview	Counts for 25% of final merit

This is worth repeating because many first-time aspirants make the mistake of over-preparing for Prelims and under-preparing for Mains. Prelims only decides whether you move forward — Mains decides where you rank.

Key Changes in the SBI PO 2026 Pattern

Before diving into the syllabus, note these updates from the latest notification, since they directly affect strategy:

• Descriptive Test marks have been reduced from 50 to 30 (the 30-minute duration is unchanged)
• Total Mains marks now stand at 230 (200 objective + 30 descriptive), down from 250
• Attempt limits have increased — General/EWS candidates now get 6 attempts (up from 4), OBC candidates get 8 (up from 7)
• Prelims no longer has any sectional cut-off — only an overall cut-off applies

SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026

The Preliminary exam has 100 objective questions across three sections, and you get 60 minutes total, split into three fixed 20-minute slots — you cannot borrow time from one section to finish another.

1. Reasoning Ability

This section tests logical thinking speed. Focus areas:

• Puzzles and seating arrangement (circular, linear, floor-based, box-based)
• Syllogism
• Inequality (direct and coded)
• Coding-Decoding
• Blood relations
• Direction and distance
• Alphanumeric series
• Ranking and order
• Data sufficiency
• Input-output

2. Quantitative Aptitude

Speed and accuracy with numbers matter more than raw theory here:

• Simplification and approximation
• Number series
• Quadratic equations
• Data Interpretation (tables, bar graphs, pie charts, caselets)
• Percentage, ratio & proportion
• Profit and loss
• Simple and compound interest
• Time, speed and distance
• Time and work
• Mensuration
• Permutation, combination and probability

3. English Language

• Reading comprehension
• Cloze test
• Para jumbles
• Error spotting / error detection
• Fillers (single and double)
• Sentence improvement and rearrangement
• Vocabulary-based questions
• Word usage and phrase replacement

Prelims Topic-Wise Weightage (Approximate)

Section	High-Weightage Topics	Approx. Questions
English Language	Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles	20–25
Reasoning Ability	Puzzles & Seating Arrangement	15–20
Reasoning Ability	Syllogism, Inequality, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding	10–12
Quantitative Aptitude	Data Interpretation	10–15
Quantitative Aptitude	Arithmetic word problems (Profit/Loss, SI-CI, Time & Work)	7–8

Takeaway: Puzzles/Seating Arrangement and Data Interpretation together decide most of your Prelims score. If you’re short on time, prioritize these two over rarer topics like data sufficiency.

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SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026

Mains is where the real selection happens. It has 170 objective questions plus a separate descriptive paper, spread across four objective sections and one writing section.

1. Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

Reasoning in Mains is noticeably tougher than Prelims — expect multi-layered puzzles, not single-variable ones.

• Advanced seating arrangement and puzzles (scheduling, double lineup)
• Machine input-output
• Coded inequalities and coded directions
• Critical reasoning and course of action
• Analytical and decision-making questions
• Computer Aptitude: MS Office, hardware, software, networking, memory units, keyboard shortcuts, internet basics

2. Data Analysis & Interpretation (DAI)

This is the most calculation-heavy and time-consuming section of the entire exam.

• Tabular, line, bar, and radar graphs
• Missing case DI and caselet DI
• Pie charts
• Data sufficiency
• Probability and Permutation-Combination
• Quantity comparison type questions

3. General, Economy & Banking Awareness

Unlike the other sections, this one rewards consistent daily reading rather than problem-solving practice.

• Current affairs (last 6–8 months, with strong focus on banking/finance news)
• Static general knowledge
• Banking terminology and history
• Financial awareness (repo rate, monetary policy, budget terms)
• Basics of insurance

4. English Language

• Reading comprehension (often based on economic/banking themes)
• Grammar-based error spotting
• Vocabulary in context
• Para jumbles and sentence connectors
• Cloze test with new-pattern variations

5. Descriptive Test (Separate Paper)

Conducted online immediately after the objective test, and typed rather than handwritten.

Component	Choice	Marks
Letter Writing / Precis / Report	1 out of 2 given options	15
Essay Writing	1 out of 2 given options	15
Total	2 questions	30

Preparation tip: Practice 250–300 word essays on recurring themes — digital banking, financial inclusion, CBDCs, women in the workforce, climate finance. For letters, practice formal formats: a complaint to a bank manager, a request letter to RBI, or a letter to a newspaper editor on a banking/economic issue. Reading editorial pages daily (not just headlines) improves both your vocabulary and your argument structure — that’s what raises a descriptive score from average to strong.

Mains Topic-Wise Weightage (Approximate)

Section	High-Weightage Areas	Approx. Questions
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude	High-level puzzles & seating arrangement	18–22
Data Analysis & Interpretation	Advanced/multi-step DI sets	15–20
General/Economy/Banking Awareness	Current affairs (last 6 months)	20–25
English Language	Reading comprehension + para jumbles	combined focus area

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SBI PO 2026 Exam Pattern (Full Breakdown)

Prelims Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration
English Language	40	40	20 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	30	30	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	30	30	20 minutes
Total	100	100	60 minutes

• Negative marking: ¼ mark deducted per wrong answer
• No sectional cut-off — only an overall cut-off applies
• Roughly 10 times the number of vacancies (category-wise) are shortlisted for Mains

Mains Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude	40	60	50 minutes
Data Analysis & Interpretation	30	60	45 minutes
General/Economy/Banking Awareness	60	60	45 minutes
English Language	40	20	40 minutes
Descriptive Test	2	30	30 minutes
Total	172	230	3 hours 30 minutes

• Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies to the objective paper only, not the descriptive test
• Mains has sectional cut-offs in addition to an overall cut-off — you must clear every section individually
• Roughly 3 times the category-wise vacancies are called for Phase 3

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Phase 3: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise & Interview

Component	Marks	Duration	What It Evaluates
Psychometric Test	Not scored	90 minutes	Personality traits and behavioural tendencies (shared with the interview panel)
Group Exercise	20	20–25 minutes	Communication, teamwork, leadership, active listening
Personal Interview	30	15–20 minutes	Banking awareness, current affairs, background, motivation

Final Merit Calculation

Stage	Raw Marks	Weightage in Final Merit
Mains Examination (Objective + Descriptive)	230	75
Group Exercise + Interview	50	25
Final Merit	—	100

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Prelims vs Mains: Key Differences at a Glance

Parameter	Prelims	Mains
Purpose	Qualifying only	Determines final merit
Counted in Merit?	No	Yes (75% weightage)
Total Marks	100	230
Sections	3	4 objective + 1 descriptive
Sectional Cut-off	No	Yes
Reasoning Difficulty	Basic to moderate	Advanced, multi-variable
DI Difficulty	Simple tables/graphs	Caselets, missing DI, radar charts

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How to Prepare: A Practical Strategy

1. Start with Prelims-level basics first, even if your target is Mains — a shaky foundation in arithmetic and reasoning shows up later in advanced puzzles.
2. Treat puzzles and DI as daily practice, not one-time topics. These two areas alone can make or break both stages.
3. Read financial news daily, not just the day before the exam. Banking awareness rewards habit over cramming.
4. Take sectional mock tests for Mains, since sectional cut-offs mean you can’t rely on one strong section to cover for a weak one.
5. Don’t ignore the descriptive paper. Many candidates lose out at the margin because they never practiced typing a structured essay under time pressure.

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Reading the syllabus is only step one — the real preparation edge comes from practicing under exam-like conditions. The TazaQuiz SBI PO 2026 Complete Course is built strictly on the syllabus and pattern covered in this article, so nothing you practice is off-target.

What’s Included in the Complete Course

Feature	What You Get
Full-Length Mock Tests	Prelims + Mains, latest pattern, real exam interface
Sectional Tests (TOI)	Topic/Subject-wise tests for Reasoning, Quant, English, DI, and Banking Awareness
Study Notes	Concept notes for every subject, updated for 2026
PYQs	Previous Year Papers with detailed, video-backed solutions
Performance Analysis	All-India rank, percentile, and section-wise strength/weakness report

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the SBI PO syllabus for 2026? Prelims covers Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Language. Mains covers Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, plus a separate Descriptive Test.

Q2. Is there negative marking in SBI PO? Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer in the objective sections of both Prelims and Mains. The descriptive test has no negative marking.

Q3. Is there a sectional cut-off in SBI PO Prelims? No. Only an overall cut-off applies in Prelims. Mains, however, has both sectional and overall cut-offs.

Q4. How many questions are in the SBI PO Mains descriptive test? Two questions — one letter/precis/report and one essay — for a combined 30 marks in 30 minutes.

Q5. How is the final SBI PO merit list prepared? Mains marks are normalized to 75 marks and combined with 25 marks from Group Exercise + Interview, for a final total out of 100.

Q6. Is the SBI PO syllabus the same as IBPS PO? Around 90% of the syllabus overlaps. The main difference is that SBI PO includes a separate online descriptive test, while some other differences exist in exam pattern and marks distribution.

Q7. Which topics carry the highest weightage in SBI PO Prelims? Puzzles & Seating Arrangement in Reasoning, and Data Interpretation in Quantitative Aptitude, typically carry the most questions.

Q8. What is tested in the SBI PO Group Exercise? A group of candidates discusses a current affairs, social, or banking-related topic, and are evaluated on communication, logical argument, leadership, and teamwork.

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This article reflects the SBI PO exam pattern as per the latest available notification. Candidates should always cross-check exam dates and any pattern updates against the official SBI recruitment notification before finalizing their preparation strategy.