Every year, the State Bank of India hires suitable applicants for the position of Probationary Officers through a recruitment procedure. It is one of the most sought-after jobs and millions of Indians apply for it. The Preliminary Exam, Main Exam and Interview are the three stages of the selection procedure. To be selected as a PO in SBI branches, candidates must pass all three phases.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who are interested to apply for the SBI PO must fulfil the following eligibility criteria –
- Nationality – Applicants should either be:
- Indian citizens, or
- A subject of Bhutan or Nepal, or
- A person of Indian descent (PIO) who has migrated to India from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam or East African countries including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi or Zambia, to establish a permanent residence in India, or
- A Tibetan refugee who arrived in India before January 1, 1962, to establish a permanent residence.
- Educational Qualification – Applicants should be a graduate of a recognized university, in any discipline, or have an equivalent qualification that is recognized by the Central Government of India. Candidates in their last year or semester are also eligible to apply, provided that they can give proof of graduation on the day of their SBI PO interview.
- Age Limit – Candidates must be at least 21 years old, but not above the age of 30, at the time of registration to apply for the SBI examination. Aside from that, according to government regulations, there is age relaxation for some categories of candidates.
Selection Procedure
The three stages of the SBI PO selected process include Prelims, Mains and Interview. Each round is equally significant, and thus, qualifying in each round is necessary to advance to the next round.
- Phase 1 – Prelims
- This is the first phase in which the applicants’ general aptitude is tested.
- It is a one-hour online objective test.
- Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and Reasoning Ability are the three sections of the exam.
- In this exam, there will be no sectional cut-off. However, the bank will determine an overall cut-off based on the candidates’ categories.
- The candidates that are shortlisted for the Main Examination are approximately 10 times the number of vacancies in every category.
- Phase 2 – Mains
- This is the next phase of the SBI PO selection procedure.
- Candidates who pass the SBI PO Preliminary Exam will be eligible to take the SBI PO Mains Exam.
- There are two types of tests in the SBI PO Mains Exam: Objective and Descriptive.
- This exam will be divided into four sections – Quantitative Aptitude, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language, and Logical Reasoning and Computers.
- The descriptive test takes place right after the objective test and is worth 50 marks.
- There will be no cut-off for sections.
- A merit list will be created for each category based on the total marks obtained in the Main Examination.
- The number of candidates shortlisted for the group exercise and interview is approximately 3 times the number of vacancies, provided the candidate obtains a minimum qualifying score.
- Phase 3 – Interview
- Candidates who pass the SBI Mains Exam will be invited to participate in the interview and group exercise round, the last phase of the SBI PO selection procedure.
- This round is crucial in determining whether the candidate gets selected or not.
- The final selection of candidates is based on their performance in the SBI Mains exam as well as the interview.
Study Plan
To prepare for the SBI PO prelims and main exam in 30 days, candidates should follow certain tips, including –
- Solid understanding of the syllabus and exam format: Candidates must be aware of the syllabus as well as the format for the SBI PO exams. This will assist them in creating a study schedule. Candidates can begin their preparation by sorting the important chapters according to the relevant themes.
- Make a preparation schedule and assign tasks: Calculate how much time you have to prepare for the exam and then prioritise the things you need to learn. Make a schedule to fulfil your daily objectives and devote more time to the areas of the curriculum you are weak in.
- Make notes: While preparing for the exam, make notes because writing can help you retain what you’ve learnt for longer. You can also refer to your notes for a quick revision session. You won’t have to reread all the chapters at the last minute, before your exams.
- Go through previous year’s papers: Refer to the previous year papers to get an idea about the type of questions asked in the exam. You will also get an idea about the most important chapters and topics, which you can focus more on while preparing. You can also familiarise yourself with the paper pattern and difficulty level.
- Get the correct books: It is important to study from the right books for the SBI PO exams. Sometimes, students tend to get the wrong books while preparing for their exams and end up studying topics that are not in the syllabus. This can waste your precious time.
- Practice: Candidates should solve all the solved example problems as well as questions from different books to understand their level of preparation as well as their weak and strong areas.
- Give mock tests: Attempting several SBI PO mock tests will help you enhance your time management skills so that you can increase your speed and efficiency as well as complete the whole paper on time.
- Be up to date: You should read newspapers or watch the news to be up-to-date with the latest happenings all over the world. This will help you prepare for the general awareness section of the exam as well as the interview. Give special attention to the financial and banking area. Reading newspapers and other books or magazines will also help you improve your English skills and vocabulary.
Follow these tips to prepare for the SBI PO exam in 30 days and crack it, to pave the way for your dream job as a probationary officer at SBI.