SBI PO Syllabus 2026 PDF for Prelims and Mains, Exam Pattern (Detailed)

The State Bank of India Probationary Officer is one of the most sought-after job opportunities in the Banking & Financial sector. Its preparation requires a complete understanding of the SBI PO Syllabus, consistency and the willpower to crack SBI PO Exam and make the dream come true. There are three stages in SBI PO: Preliminary, Mains & Interview, and the official Syllabus and Exam Pattern is mentioned in the official notification.

Aspirants who are preparing for the SBI PO 2026, can check the latest SBI PO Exam Pattern and Syllabus here for Prelims and Mains exams. This article covers the topics to be covered for both Objective and Descriptive papers and the syllabus has been provided in PDF format which can be easily downloaded.

SBI PO Syllabus 2026

​Both Prelims and Mains are held online with objective-type questions, while the Mains also includes a descriptive section. ​The Prelims syllabus covers English Language (comprehension, grammar, vocabulary), Quantitative Aptitude (simplification, data interpretation, arithmetic), and Reasoning Ability (puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, coding-decoding).

The Mains syllabus is more detailed, including Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and advanced English Language, along with a descriptive paper on essay and letter writing. Overall, the syllabus is structured to evaluate both speed and accuracy in Prelims and in-depth conceptual understanding and awareness in Mains.

SBI PO 2026 Syllabus and Exam Pattern- Highlights

Here, we have shared a few highlights of the syllabus for the candidates.

SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026

SBI has made a few updates to the marking scheme and the use of sectional cut-offs in both the Prelims and Mains exams. All the changes are explained in detail below.

SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

The following points are the highlights of the Prelims Exam Pattern:

1. There will be no sectional cut-off. However, there will be an overall cut-off.
2. There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer
3. Total Duration: 60 minutes, Section-wise Duration: 20 minutes
4. A Category-wise merit list will be drawn based on the aggregate marks scored in the Preliminary Exam.

SBI PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026

This main paper will have four sections for a total of 200 marks, and the duration of the Mains Exam will be 3 hours. The Descriptive Test has a duration of 30 minutes with a score of 50 marks. There will be a sectional cut-off. Candidates will get a penalty of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer. This test is conducted to test the writing skills of candidates via Letter Writing and essay Writing.

Note: The descriptive paper of a candidate will be checked only if they qualify in the Objective test as per the qualifying marks decided by the Bank.

SBI PO Marking Scheme 2026

The details of the SBI PO Marking Scheme 2026 have been mentioned in the table given below for the candidates.

SBI PO Prelims Syllabus 2026

The Prelims Syllabus is not very vast, and candidates can cover it easily within a month or two with proper preparation and practice. The subjects included are Reasoning, English, and Quantitative Aptitude. The chapter-wise syllabus for each section has been mentioned below.

SBI PO Mains Syllabus 2026

The SBI PO Mains Syllabus comprises four sections:

1. Data Analysis & Interpretation
2. Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
3. General/Economy/Banking Awareness
4. English Language

Data Interpretation and Analysis Syllabus

The following topics are covered under the Data Analysis section:

1. Tabular Graph,
2. Line Graph,
3. Pie Chart,
4. Bar Graph,
5. Radar Graph Case-let,
6. Missing Case DI,
7. Let it Case DI,
8. Data Sufficiency,
9. Probability,
10. Permutation and Combination

Reasoning Syllabus

The following topics are covered under the Reasoning section:

1. Verbal Reasoning,
2. Syllogism,
3. Circular Seating Arrangement,
4. Linear Seating Arrangement,
5. Double Lineup,
6. Scheduling,
7. Input-Output,
8. Blood Relations,
9. Directions and Distances,
10. Ordering and Ranking,
11. Data Sufficiency,
12. Coding and Decoding,
13. Coded Inequalities,
14. The course of Action,
15. Critical Reasoning,
16. Analytical and Decision Making

English Syllabus 

The following topics are covered under the English Language section:

1. Reading Comprehension,
2. Grammar,
3. Vocabulary,
4. Verbal Ability,
5. Word Association,
6. Sentence Improvement,
7. Para Jumbles,
8. Cloze Test,
9. Error Spotting,
10. Fill in the blanks

General Awareness/ Economy/ Banking Awareness Syllabus

The following topics are covered under the Economy section:

1. Financial Awareness
2. Current Affairs
3. General Knowledge
4. Static Awareness
5. Banking and Financial Awareness

Computer Aptitude Syllabus

The following topics are covered under the Computer Aptitude section:

1. Internet,
2. Memory,
3. Keyboard Shortcuts,
4. Computer Abbreviation,
5. Microsoft Office,
6. Computer Hardware,
7. Computer Software,
8. Operating System,
9. Networking,
10. Computer Fundamentals/ Terminologies

SBI PO Interview 2026

Psychometric Test – The bank will conduct a psychometric assessment to evaluate the personality traits of candidates shortlisted for the Interview. The results of this test will be shared with the interview panel to provide deeper insights into each candidate's personality. This is the final stage and the Group Discussion carries 20 marks, and the Interview carries 30 marks.

Download SBI PO Syllabus PDF

Candidates appearing in the examination must download the SBI PO Syllabus PDF to understand the complete structure of the examination and the subject-wise topics they need to prepare. The direct link to download the syllabus PDF is provided below for the convenience of candidates.

SBI PO Syllabus 2026 PDF-Click to Download

SBI PO Selection Process 2026

The final selection for the SBI PO Exam is determined based on the following criteria:

• Marks obtained in the Preliminary Exam (Phase 1) are not included in the final selection.
• Candidates must qualify in both Phase 2 (Mains) and Phase 3 (Group Discussion and Interview) individually to be considered.
• Scores from the SBI PO Mains Exam, which are out of 250, are scaled down to 75 marks.
• Similarly, the scores from the Group Exercises and Interview, totalling 50 marks, are scaled down to 25.
• These converted scores (75 from Mains and 25 from GD/PI) are combined to form a final score out of 100.
• This overall score is used to prepare the final merit list for each category, and candidates with the highest ranks in their respective categories are selected.