State Bank of India Probationary Officer Exam
Exam Date: 29 Apr 17
SBI PO is one of the most coveted jobs in Banking industry and a dream job for millions of aspirants across India. SBI PO is considered as a premium job opportunity in Banking sector because of following reasons:
• Brand value of SBI and reputation associated with SBI-PO post
• Lucrative pay scale which is highest among PSU Banks
• Growth opportunities where even a PO can progress to the level of Chairperson
• Job satisfaction and social prestige
The SBI PO recruitment exam is the most premier among the public-sector bank exams in India. It is considered a little difficult compared to the bank entrance exams conducted by IBPS. The recruitment process for Probationary Officers at SBI consists of 3 stages:
Preliminary Examination
Main Examination
GD/Interview
Exam Information
Eligibility
The candidate must fulfill the following two criteria to be eligible for the SBI PO Exam 2017:
• Age Limit: The candidate must be 21 Years to 30 Years as on 01.04.2017 i.e. candidates must have been born between 02.04.1987 and 01.04.1996 (both dates inclusive)
• Educational Qualification: The candidate must be a graduate in any discipline from a recognized University or any equivalent qualification recognized as such by the Central Government. Those who are in the Final year/Semester of their Graduation may also apply provisionally subject to the condition that, if called for interview, they must produce proof of having passed the graduation examination on or before 01.07.2017. Candidates with Integrated Dual Degree (IDD) certificate must ensure that the date of passing the IDD is on or before 01.07.2017. Candidates with Chartered Accountant certification may also apply.
SBI PO Selection Procedure: Important Points
The candidates should keep in mind the following points related to the SBI PO selection process:
• Biometric Verification: To ensure an error-free and secure selection procedure for SBI PO 2017, the bank may digitally capture the thumb impression of the candidate. This is done to verify the genuineness of the candidates. Any inconsistency in the biometric verification will lead to rejection of the candidature and punitive legal actions. Candidates are thus advised not to apply any kind of external matter like ink, mehandi, chemical etc. on their hands.
• Number of Attempts: The maximum number of chances are fixed for each category. Candidates who have used up all the chances are not eligible to apply. Appearing in Preliminary Exam is not counted as an attempt but appearing in Mains Exam is counted.
Registration Date
Fees
Exam Duration
3 hoursResults
17th May 2017syllabus
Phase-1: SBI PO Preliminary Examination
This is an online examination where the candidates must solve the question paper in one 1 hour for 100 marks. The test consists of 3 sections and candidates must clear the cut-off for each section. The cut-off or minimum passing marks for each section is decided by the Bank each year depending on the difficult of the test. The section-wise division of the marks is given below:
1) English Language
No. of Questions: 30 Maximum Marks: 30
2) Numerical Ability
No. of Questions: 35 Maximum Marks: 35
3) Reasoning Ability
No. of Questions: 35 Maximum Marks: 35
Composite time of 1 Hour
Phase-2: SBI PO Mains Examination
The SBI PO Main Exam has a total of 250 marks, consisting of an objective test of 200 marks followed by a descriptive test of 50 marks. Both the Objective and Descriptive Tests will be online. Candidates must answer Descriptive test by typing on the computer. The Descriptive Test will be administered, immediately after completion of Objective Test. There is separate timing for each section.
1) Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
No. of Questions: 45 Maximum Marks: 60 Duration: 60 minutes
2) Data Analysis & Interpretationy
No. of Questions: 35 Maximum Marks: 60 Duration: 45 minutes
3) General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness
No. of Questions: 40 Maximum Marks: 40 Duration: 35 minutes
4) English Language
No. of Questions: 30 Maximum Marks: 30 Duration: 40 minutes
Total: 3 hours
Paper Pattern
The SBI PO selection process consists of 3 stages. The written examinations are conducted online, followed by an interview round. The structure of exams is as follows:
Phase-1: SBI PO Preliminary Examination
This is an online examination where the candidates must solve the question paper in one 1 hour for 100 marks. The test consists of 3 sections and candidates must clear the cut-off for each section. The cut-off or minimum passing marks for each section is decided by the Bank each year depending on the difficult of the test.
Phase-2: SBI PO Mains Examination
The SBI PO Main Exam has a total of 250 marks, consisting of an objective test of 200 marks followed by a descriptive test of 50 marks. Both the Objective and Descriptive Tests will be online. Candidates must answer Descriptive test by typing on the computer. The Descriptive Test will be administered, immediately after completion of Objective Test. There is separate timing for each section.
Descriptive Test: The Descriptive Test has a duration of 30 minutes with a maximum score of 50 marks. This is used to test the writing skills in English Language via Letter Writing & Essay Writing. Descriptive Test paper of only those candidates will be evaluated who have scored qualifying marks in the Objective Tests and are placed adequately high as per total marks in objective test.
Penalty for Wrong Answers: There is a penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests of both Preliminary and Mains exams. A wrong answer to an objective question by the candidate will lead to a penalty of one fourth of the marks assigned to that question. For example, 0.25 marks will be deducted as penalty for wrong answer to a question that carries 1 mark. There will be no penalty for leaving a question blank, i.e. if no answer is marked by the candidate.
Phase-3: Group Exercises & Interview
The aggregate marks of candidates qualifying in both the Objective Tests and Descriptive Test will be arranged in descending order in each category. Adequate number of candidates in each category, as decided by the Bank will be called for Group Exercises and Interview. The qualifying marks in Group Exercises & Interview will be as decided by the Bank. Group exercises account for 20 marks while Interview accounts for 30 marks.
Final Score Calculation for SBI PO Exam:
The final score for the SBI PO exam is calculated keeping the following points in mind:
• Marks obtained in the Preliminary Exam (Phase-1) will not be considered for selection • Candidates must qualify Phase-2 and Phase-3 separately to be eligible • Marks secured by the candidates in the Mains Exam (out of 250 marks) are converted to out of 75 and marks secured in Group Exercises & Interview (out of 50 marks) are converted to out of 25. This makes the new total score (Mains + GD/PI) to be 100 • The aggregate score out of 100 is used for the final merit list for each category.Candidates with top merit rank in each category are finally selected.
