People who wish to make a flourishing career in the public sector often choose the banking division. Truly, the nationalised banks offer great flexibility and job satisfaction that employees crave in the private sector. In case you share similar aspirations, you must know how to clear the SBI PO exam.
SBI PO Exam Basics
PO stands for Probationary Officer. And if you are aware, SBI has already put up the registration details for its 2020-21 PO recruitment. Candidates do have a lot of speculations around the SBI PO question paper, like how tough it will be, whether there will be anything out of the syllabus, etc. Therefore, it is important for you to stay informed about the exam pattern.
The SBI PO exam is conducted every-year in three stages—the prelims, the main exam, and the group discussion & personal interview.
The Prelims or the Preliminary Stage is your first hurdle and the easiest. In 2020, it is held online, including 100 objective-type questions divided into three sections—English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. The total time duration for the prelims is 60 minutes.
Next, the Main Exam, which is also an online test, will have 155 objective-type questions and a 50-mark letter/essay writing scope. The objective half comprises four sections in total, dedicating 200 marks— Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General or Economical Banking Awareness, and English Language. For the descriptive (essay/letter writing) part, you will be allotted 30 minutes and 3 hours for the objective paper.
In both of the levels, 0.25 marks will be deducted as a penalty for the wrong answers. However, if you leave it blank, you can avoid such deductions. Once you are through the first two rounds, you will be invited to take part in a GD-PI or the group discussion (20 marks) & personal interview (30 marks) session where a panel of examiners will assess your general knowledge and discuss the past experiences.
Top Success Tips for SBI PO Exam
The SBI PO exams are known to be quite difficult. No matter how much you prepare, the possibility of making some silly mistakes cannot be ruled out. But as anyone would agree, the key to success was and always would be confidence. And to boost your confidence levels, you must study the previous year SBI PO question paper.
The advantages of solving the PO question papers of the last few years are:
- Honing your skills is necessary when you appear for similar competitive exams. And the previous year papers familiarise you with the difficulty levels.
- In general, many candidates who pass the Quantitative Aptitude or other sections with much ease are often in deep waters as they stumble upon the English language part.
The fact is, this specific part could be tricky unless your grammar and writing styles have been impeccable since your school days. But as you keep solving, say, last 7-8 years’ papers, your grip gets firmer, minimizing the errors. Also, this practice helps you understand the exam pattern and sets your expectations accordingly.
- Often the authority considers bringing a change in the question pattern. Now, if you have practised the previous 10-year questionnaire, you have mastered the existing patterns well, observed if there were any changes, and now are more optimistic about cracking the exam. So even if you come across a new style during the tests, you would be able to deal with it.
Based on the marks of your first two examinations and your performance in the final round, SBI will prepare a merit list. And if you also clear the overall cut-off range, you can expect your appointment letter to reach you. So go the extra mile and work on the SBI PO question paper. Best of luck!
