Avenues

Secure your future

Amit Sinha

The State Bank of India exam for Probationary Officers is round the corner. To crack it, aspirants must attempt as many questions as possible and develop speed & accuracy, says Amit Sinha

From time to time State bank of India invites application for the post of Probationary Officer (PO) in State Bank of India. SBI PO is one of the most lucrative opportunities for young graduates who wish to enter the banking profession.

Guidelines

  • Preliminary Exam
  • Main Exam
  • Group Discussion/Exercise and Interview

Preliminary exam consisting of objective online test of 100 questions needs to be completed within 60 minutes. The section on English language will have 30 questions and the quantitative and reasoning ability section will have 35 questions. Each question will carry one mark and for every wrong answer one fourth of the marks allotted to that question will deducted. Thus, candidates need to answer the questions while managing both Time and Accuracy.

Pattern

The main exam is segregated into two stages:

  • Objective Test
  • Descriptive test: The objective test will be of 200 marks with 155 questions. It needs to be completed within 180 minutes.
  • The objective test includes four sections. Every section has separate time limits.
  • Reasoning and computer aptitude: No of questions 45; total marks 60; time durations 60
  • Data Analysis and Interpretation: No of questions 35; total marks 60; time 45
  • General/Economy/Banking Awareness: No of questions 40, total marks; 40; time 35
  • English language: No of questions 35, total marks 40; time 40. Total No of questions 155, total marks 200; time 180 (three hours)
  • The candidates need to qualify each of the sections by securing qualifying marks as decided by the bank.
  • For every correct answer the candidate will be awarded one mark and for every wrong answer one fourth marks will be deducted.
  • Immediately after the completion of the Objective examination, the descriptive examination will be administrated
  • Descriptive exam comprises 50 marks. The section has a time limit of 30 minutes.
  • Candidates are required to qualify in the descriptive test by securing pass marks as decided by the bank.
  • The test is conducted in English language to judge the writing skill (essay and letter writing) of candidates

After the completion of the main exam, successful candidates will be called for group discussion/exercise by the bank. The final selection depends on the cumulative score of the mains, group discussion and interview.

Prep tips

  • The Prelims exam is about maintaining the balance of speed and accuracy. Focus first on accuracy, while practising. You can always increase your speed later.
  • This stage of the exam is qualifying in nature so you need to clear the sectional and overall cut off. Attempt questions sufficiently to clear your sectional cut off correctly in your weaker areas and cover up for the gap with areas that you are strong at.

For example, there is no point wasting 15-20 minutes on English and doing only 10-12 right when you can score 15-20 or more marks in reasoning in the same time.

  • Sincere and serious study with planning is the most important part. With potentially lakhs of applicants, it will not be a cakewalk to crack the SBI PO.
  • Read English books, magazines and newspapers to keep yourself updated with new vocabulary and phrases.
  • Attempt online mock tests regularly to analyse speed and accuracy.
  • Strong basics are critical for the prelims. Do revise them first.
  • Keep yourself motivated. Don’t think anything negative about the examination. Similarly don’t be overconfident about your performance.

Time management

  • Generally students tend to panic during the exam due to lack of practice. Practise enough to avoid this issue.
  • During the exam you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses. First attempt those questions that you feel you are comfortable at. Then attempt the time consuming sections.

Eligibility

Academic qualification, (as on 01-07-2017): Candidates must be graduates in any discipline from a recognised college/university. Final year/semester students are also eligible provided they are able to produce proof of having passed the graduation examination on or before 01-07-2017.

Age limit: In the general category, students between 21 to 30 years can appear in the examination although age relaxation is applicable to the students from OBC (of three years) and SC/ST (of five years) category.

limitations to appear in exam: For general category candidates maximum permissible is four attempts. For persons with disabilities, OBC and SC/ST it is seven.

— The writer is General

Manager (Sales), TIME, New Delhi