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SBI SO Syllabus, Exam Pattern and
Criteria

The State Bank of India (SBI) Specialist Officer (SO) Exam is conducted to recruit candidates for Specialist Cadre Officer (SCO) positions across various SBI branches. The SBI SO Exam Pattern provides essential details about the number of questions, sections, marking scheme, time duration, and weightage given to different components of the exam. Candidates preparing for the SBI SO must understand the exam pattern thoroughly to optimize their preparation strategy. The selection process consists of a written exam followed by an interview, and the final merit list is prepared based on marks normalization from both stages.

SBI SO Syllabus

The SBI SO Exam is divided into two parts:

  • Paper 1 (General Aptitude): Tests logical reasoning, numerical ability, and English language skills.
  • Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge): Evaluates subject-specific knowledge required for the respective specialist officer role.

The Professional Knowledge section carries the highest weightage, making it the most crucial part of the exam. The other sections in Paper 1 are qualifying in nature, meaning they are used for shortlisting but do not contribute to the final merit list.

SBI SO Exam Overview

Below table presents the highlights of the SBI SO exam and its selection process.

Particulars Details
Organization Name
State Bank of India
Exam
SBI Specialist Officer
Mode of Exam
Online
Post Name
Specialist Officer
Category
Syllabus
Age Criteria
Varies by position, with relaxations applicable for reserved categories as per government norms
Selection Process
a) Paper 1`
b) Paper 2
c) Interview
Location
Central Level Vacancy
Vacancy
To Be Notified
Educational Qualification
Relevant degrees from recognized universities or institutions, specific to the job role.​
Application Fee
SC/ST/PWD- NIL
General and Others- Rs. 750/-
Participating Banks
State Bank of India
Official Site

SBI SO Exam Pattern and Syllabus

SBI SO exam is conducted in Two phases: a online exam and Interview. The exam pattern and syllabus of these steps are mentioned below

SBI SO Online Exam Pattern

SBI SO Paper 1 Exam Pattern for General Aptitude (Qualifying in Nature)

This section tests candidates on reasoning ability, mathematical skills, and English proficiency. The marks obtained here do not contribute to the final merit list but must be cleared to qualify for Paper 2.

  • Subjects Covered in Paper 1 – Test of Reasoning (15 Marks), Quantitative Aptitude (15 Marks), and English Language (20 Marks)
  • Time – The total time allotted for Paper 1 is 45 minutes.
  • These sections help in assessing basic aptitude and communication skills.
  • Only qualifying marks are required in this section; no impact on final ranking.

SBI SO Paper 2 Exam Pattern for Professional Knowledge (Most Important Section)

This paper assesses technical and professional knowledge relevant to the job role applied for in the Specialist Cadre Officer (SCO) exam.

  • Subjects Covered in Paper 2 – General IT Knowledge (For IT-based roles), Banking and Finance Knowledge (For Finance-based roles), Legal Aspects (For Law Officer roles), Data Analytics & Statistics (For Statistician roles), and Accounting & Auditing Standards (For Chartered Accountant roles).
  • The Professional Knowledge section carries 100 marks.
  • This is the most crucial part as it determines the final selection.
  • The total time allotted for Paper 2 is 75 minutes.
SBI SO Prelims Exam Pattern in detail
Paper Section No. of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
General Aptitude
English Language
20
20 Marks
45 Minutes
Numerical Ability
15
15 Marks
Reasoning Ability
15
15 Marks
Total
50
50 Marks
Professional Knowledge
General IT Knowledge
60
100 Marks
75 minutes

SBI SO Syllabus

Now, let’s have a look at the topics to be prepared under each section. Here is the detailed SBI SO Syllabus for Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, General IT Knowledge, and Role Based Knowledge. 

SBI SO Syllabus: Paper 1 (General Aptitude)
English Language Quantitative Aptitude Reasoning
Homonyms
Antonyms
Synonyms
Word Formation
Spelling
Spotting Errors
Idioms and Phrases
Direct and Indirect Speech
Active/Passive Voice
Theme Detection
Passage Completion
Topic rearrangement of Passage
Deriving Conclusion
Cloze Test
Para Jumbles
Reading Comprehension
Miscellaneous
Fill in the Blanks
Sentence Improvement
Ratio and proportion
Averages
Time and work
Ages
Speed Distance and time
Mixture and allegation
Percentages
Partnership
Permutation and combinations
Simple and compound interest
Probability
Profit Loss and Discount
Problem on Trains
Boat and Stream
Mensuration
Data Interpretation
Simplifications
Number Series
Quadratic Equations
Word formation
Syllogism
Analytical Reasoning
Coding-Decoding
Blood Relations
Passage and conclusions
Alphabet test
Alphanumeric Series
Order and Ranking
Direction sense Test
Data Sufficiency
Decision-making test
Input/output
Assertion and reasoning
Sitting Arrangement
Inequality
Puzzles
Series test
Miscellaneous Test
SBI SO Syllabus: Paper 2 Part 1(General IT Knowledge)
General IT Knowledge
Working with Internet
Operating System
Cyber Security
Software Packages
MS Word, Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft Access
Introduction to Computer Science
Computer Networks
Data Structures
MS PowerPoint
Spreadsheet
Basic Concepts
SBI SO Syllabus for Role-Based Knowledge (Paper 2 Part 2)

Part 2 of SBI SO Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge) includes questions from Role-Based Knowledge and a few of the subjects has been covered in this section. 

SBI SO Syllabus for Chartered Accountant
  • Accounting Standards, Accounting Guidance Note, Financial Report Standards
  • Inflation Accounting
  • Accounting and Reporting of Financial Instrument
  • Indian Accounting Standards, Corporate Financial Reporting
  • Share-based Payment, Liability Valuation, Share, Business valuation
  • Indian Capital Market, Mutual Funds, Foreign Exchanges, Auditing, etc.
SBI SO Syllabus for System/IT Officer
  • Computer Networks and Basic Programing Languages (C, C++, Java)
  • Computer Organization, Computer Networks, Network Programming, Algorithms, Digital
  • Electronics, Web Technologies
  • Data Base Management Systems (DBMS), Basic concepts of Software and Hardware, Data Structures
  • Operating system & amp, System programming
  • Software engineering
  • Compiler design
  • Information Systems and Software Engineering, etc.
SBI SO Syllabus for Statistician
  • Basic Statistical Methods and Inference
  • Uni-Variate Data, Bi-Variate Data Variance Analysis
  • Financial Market
  • Simple Regression, Multiple Regression
  • Time-series forecasting, Sampling Concepts
  • Banking-Insurance
  • Foreign Exchanges, Forecasting Portfolio
  • Sampling Distribution, Estimations Theory, etc.
SBI SO Syllabus for Finance Officers
  • Direct and Indirect Taxes
  • Management Accounting Concepts
  • Accounting Standards
  • Auditing standards
  • Cost Accounting Concepts
  • Basic Accounting concepts and principles
  • Indian Capital Market, Mutual Funds, Foreign Exchanges, Auditing, etc.
SBI SO Syllabus for Law Officers
  • Banking Regulated Laws
  • Negotiable Instruments
  • Financial Analysis
  • Banker-Customer Relations
  • Compliance and Legal Aspects, Security Types
  • Banking Security Laws
  • Ethics and Corporate Governance in Banking
  • Banking Operational Laws
  • Electronic Banking, Loans and Advances
  • Regulatory Frameworks, etc.
SBI SO Marks Weightage Written Test & Interview

The final merit list is prepared based on normalized marks from both the Written Test and Interview.

  • Candidates must perform well in both the written test and the interview.
  • The higher weightage (70%) is given to the written exam, making Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge) the most crucial section.
Grade Written Test Weightage Interview Weightage
JMGS-I & MMGS-II
70%
30%
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