The State Bank of India is the leading Public Sector Bank in the country and to acquire a job in the largest Indian PSB is a dream for many. Each year SBI releases vacancies for various posts and lakhs of aspirants apply for both Officer and clerical positions. job flyer
With the increasing competition, the conducting body is gradually upgrading the standard of the exam, which is ultimately making it tougher to crack it. However, there are certain topics that are common and questions about such concepts are asked almost every year.
Thus, in this article, we bring to you the list of important topics from each section included in the Bank Probationary Officer exam syllabus. This will help in sorting out the priority concepts, where more preparation is required. To know more about the SBI PO exam, candidates can visit the linked article.
List of Important Topics: Section-wise
There are four main subjects that are included in the SBI PO Prelims and Mains exam combined together. These include:
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
- General Awareness
The composition of questions asked changes each year and so does their level of difficulty. So, with more questions a candidate solves, he/she can analyze their preparation accordingly.
Given below is the list of important topics from each section included in the bank exam syllabus. Candidates can refer to these and start their preparation.
English Language
Of the most common topics, a few of them include:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Phrase/ Sentence Rearrangement
- Error Detection
- Synonyms/ Antonyms
- Idioms and Phrases
Apart from these, the candidate must focus on grammar as it would make answering questions in this section a bit easier. Also, in the SBI PO Mains, there is a descriptive paper, comparing two questions. One is letter writing and the other is essay writing.
Quantitative Aptitude
- Data Interpretation – Bar graph, line graph, caselet, tabular format, etc.
- Simplification/ Approximation
- Missing/ Wrong Number Series
- Quadratic Equations
- Data Sufficiency
- Word Problems – Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest, Age Problems, Speed, Time & Distance, Probability, Mensuration, Percentage, Average
A major part of the numerical ability section is covered with DI-based questions and work problems. Since this section involves complex calculations, candidates must focus on time management during preparation.
Reasoning Ability
- Puzzles
- Seating Arrangement
- Syllogism
- Blood Relations
- Direction Test
- Alphanumeric Series
- Data Sufficiency
- Machine Input and Output
- Coding and Decoding
This section requires the candidate to apply both logical and analytical reasoning to answer any questions but can be one of the most scoring sections in the bank exams.
General Awareness
Included only in the SBI PO Mains syllabus, the General Awareness syllabus is vast and no specific topics can be said to be of importance alone. Thus, candidates must focus on the following:
- Banking Awareness
- Financial Awareness
- Current Affairs
- Static GK
- Important days and dates
Reading the newspaper on a daily basis will prove to be the most helpful to score more in the General Awareness section.
SBI PO Exam Preparation Tips
Since the competition is very tough and the number of applicants is way more in comparison to the number of vacancies released, candidates need to devote at least 4 to 5 hours a day to exam preparation and can also refer to the following tips:
- Start with sorting out a systematic and strategic study plan, ensuring that sufficient time is devoted to the preparation of each subject
- Solve mock tests and question papers to experience an exam-like environment
- Analyze previous year’s question papers to apprehend the standard of the examination
- Make proper notes which are easy to understand
- Prepare with a positive attitude as the correct approach will make the work done
- Although SBI has removed the sectional cut off and the shortlisting of candidates shall be done on the basis of the final scores, candidates must prepare for each subject equally well as it will improve their overall marks
Candidates who are willing to get the detailed exam pattern for the upcoming Probationary Officer exam can visit the SBI PO Syllabus page and know the detailed prelims and mains exam structure.
The conducting body is expected to release the SBI PO notification 2020-21 anytime soon now. Thus, candidates must go through the list of important topics given here and accordingly start with their preparation.
