The State Bank of India, the country’s leading public sector bank, holds a prestigious position when it comes to job opportunities. Every year, lakhs of aspirants apply for the annual recruitment conducted for the posts of Officers and Junior Associates, but only a few thousand manage to achieve their goal.
Over the past few years, the competition has also seen an upward inclination with the number of applicants multiplying each year. Of the many posts for which SBI conducts examinations, the Probationary Officer post is highly sought after.
One of the key driving factors that encourages one to opt for a career in the banking sector, especially as a PO, is the respectable job profile and the perks offered to the employee. The SBI PO Salary is one of the reasons why candidates get attracted to this profile and choose it as a career option.
Thus, having the best knowledge about the entire recruitment process – the syllabus, exam pattern, etc. along with an appropriate strategy to crack the exam, is of utmost importance. Further below in this article, we bring to you all the prospects of the SBI Probationary Officer examination for your reference and a better understanding.
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SBI PO 2022 – All You Need to Know
The release of the official notification marks the beginning of the recruitment process. The notification for the 2021 exam was released on October 4, 2021. This mentions all the details about the application process, vacancy distribution, updated exam pattern, documents required, eligibility, probation period and more. Given below are details of a few of these:
Selection Procedure:
The exam is divided into three stages:
- Prelims (Objective Type)
- Mains (Objective+Descriptive Type)
- Interview/ Group Discussion
Syllabus for Online Exams:
Combining the two papers together, the subjects included in the syllabus for SBI PO prelims and mains are:
- English Language
- Reasoning Ability
- Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpreparation
- General Awareness
Eligibility Criteria:
- Indian National
- Minimum Bachelor’s Degree
- Age must not be less than 21 and more than 30 years
Exam Dates 2021:
Since the notification for 2022 is yet to be released, candidates can refer to the 2021 dates as the exam is conducted around the same time every year:
| Stage of Exam | Important Dates |
| Prelims | November 20th, 21st and 27th, 2021 |
| Mains | December 2021 |
| Interview | 2nd/3rd week of February 2022 |
Once a candidate gets completely familiar with the recruitment procedure, the next step is to strategise a study plan that can result in the desired outcome. Given below are the tips that can prove to be beneficial for all aspiring candidates.
Preparation Tips to Crack the Bank PO Exam
- Set a Proper Time Table – Having a strategic plan and then following it to the core is the first step for bank exam preparation. This is because the syllabus is exhaustive, and to cover all the topics under each subject can be challenging for aspirants. Thus, having a set timetable simplifies the preparation plan.
- Equal Time for Each Subject – Though SBI removed sectional cut-off in 2019, yet candidates must focus equally on each subject. This will boost your overall scores, thereby, increasing the overall total. Also, relying on a few subjects is not the right plan to proceed with the question paper.
- Gather the Best Study Material – Books, notes, and other study material are available online as well as offline, and candidates must gather the same from reliable sources for factually correct information. If the study material is apt and available at your convenience, any external help like coaching can also be avoided
- Focus on Time Management – This plays a very important role in competitive exams. Every section in the prelims and mains exam is timed for a specific duration, after which the section gets locked. So, catching up to speed to ensure that you manage to solve more questions within the stipulated time, is a must.
- Look for Tricks and Shortcuts – To attempt more questions correctly in a shorter time period, aspirants must look for shortcuts to get the answer quickly. This can save up a lot of time in the final paper and simplify the lengthy solutions.
- Solve Mock Tests – One of the best ways to practise the entire syllabus in one go, is by solving mock tests. Many online portals provide multiple mock tests based on the latest exam pattern for free. Candidates must solve as many practice tests as possible to improve their overall performance and build their confidence based on the marks scored in each of these tests.
- Analyse the Previous Year Question Papers – This gives a better understanding of the paper pattern, helps apprehend the topics important from an examination perspective and gives an opportunity to comprehend the standard of examination. Thus, aspirants must review the previous year papers before appearing for the final exam.
Beginners or candidates who shall be applying for the Probationary Officer post in the State Bank of India in the coming years, must first carefully review the SBI PO Syllabus and then based on their understanding, strengths and weaknesses, start off with their preparation.
Applicants for the 2021 recruitment drive must focus and put in all their efforts to excel in the examination and in the first attempt. Those who wish to apply next year must not wait any further, and kickstart their preparation now.
