A complete section-wise breakdown of the SBI PO 2026 syllabus and exam pattern, covering the English-heavy Prelims, the 170-question Mains, and the descriptive paper.
The State Bank of India recruits Probationary Officers through a three-stage process: Preliminary examination, Main examination, and a final Group Exercise plus Interview. Both written stages are computer-based tests (CBT) with objective questions, and the Mains adds a separate descriptive paper. Understanding the structure first helps you allocate study hours sensibly, because not every section carries equal weight or time.
A defining feature of SBI PO is the negative marking. For every wrong answer in the objective sections you lose 0.25 of that question's marks, while unattempted questions carry no penalty. This single rule shapes your entire strategy: accuracy matters as much as speed, and blind guessing quietly drains your score.
The Preliminary exam is a 100-question, 100-mark test completed in 60 minutes, with a strict 20-minute sectional time limit on each of the three sections. The most distinctive point, and the one candidates often underestimate, is that English Language carries the most questions here.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 60 minutes |
The Prelims carries 100 marks in total. Notice that English has 40 questions against 30 each for Quant and Reasoning. This English-heavy weighting is unique to SBI PO and means your verbal preparation cannot be an afterthought. A candidate strong in English can build a comfortable lead before even touching the numerical sections.
The syllabus is broad but predictable. Focus on the high-yield areas listed below for each section.
The Mains is a much heavier, more analytical exam. The objective part has 170 questions for 200 marks across four sections, completed in 180 minutes, and it is immediately followed by a descriptive English paper of 30 marks in 30 minutes.
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 |
| General/Economy/Banking Awareness | 60 |
| English Language | 40 |
| Total (objective) | 170 |
The four objective sections together carry 200 marks. The descriptive test of 30 marks is taken right after the objective paper and contains three tasks: an Email, a Situation Analysis, and Report or Precis writing. Each objective section has its own time allotment, so pacing across the 180 minutes is critical.
The Mains rewards depth, especially in awareness and data-heavy reasoning. Plan your topics like this:
A steady, sectional approach works best. Use the first two to three months to build concept clarity across all sections, then shift toward speed and full-length practice.
On Quiz4Exam you can take full mock tests, sectional tests, and topic-wise tests in a realistic CBT interface, attempt live mocks with an all-India rank, and study from detailed solutions with percentile analysis. Trilingual tests in English, Hindi, and Marathi let you prepare comfortably in your preferred language while still mastering the English-heavy SBI PO format.
SBI PO Prelims 2026 has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, split as English Language 40 questions, Quantitative Aptitude 30 questions, and Reasoning Ability 30 questions. Each section has a 20-minute sectional time limit, and English carries the most questions.
The SBI PO Mains 2026 objective paper has 170 questions for 200 marks in 180 minutes, across Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and English Language. A separate descriptive paper of 30 marks in 30 minutes follows it.
Yes. In all objective sections of SBI PO 2026 you lose 0.25 of the question's marks for every wrong answer. Unattempted questions carry no penalty, so accuracy is as important as speed.
In SBI PO Prelims, English Language has 40 questions while Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability have only 30 each. This higher English weighting is unique to SBI PO, so strong verbal preparation gives candidates a clear scoring advantage.
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