SBI PO Syllabus: Every Section, Prelims to Descriptive
Five subject areas across three phases. Here is what each section actually asks.
The SBI PO syllabus covers five subject areas: Quantitative Aptitude and Data Analysis, Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, English Language, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and Descriptive Writing. The same subjects repeat across prelims and mains, but the depth changes sharply between the two phases.
This page lists every topic under each section and notes where prelims-level coverage stops and mains-level difficulty begins. For how the phases are timed and scored, see the exam pattern page. This page is about what to study, not how the marks are computed.
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Syllabus at a Glance: Sections by Phase
Which sections appear where. Prelims tests three of the five areas; mains tests all of them.
English Language
Prelims
30 questions
Mains
40 questions
Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis & Interpretation
Prelims
35 questions
Mains
30 questions
Reasoning / Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
Prelims
35 questions
Mains
40 questions
General / Economy / Banking Awareness
Prelims
Not tested
Mains
60 questions
Descriptive Writing (essay + letter)
Prelims
Not tested
Mains
2 tasks, 30 marks
| Section | Prelims | Mains |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 questions | 40 questions |
| Quantitative Aptitude / Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 questions | 30 questions |
| Reasoning / Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 35 questions | 40 questions |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | Not tested | 60 questions |
| Descriptive Writing (essay + letter) | Not tested | 2 tasks, 30 marks |
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Analysis & Interpretation
Arithmetic and DI carry this section. In mains, DI sets grow multi-graph and caselet-based, and this is where SBI PO's reputation for difficulty is earned:
- check_circleData Interpretation: tables, bar, line and pie charts, caselet DI, missing-data DI
- check_circleNumber Series and Quadratic Equations
- check_circleSimplification and Approximation
- check_circleArithmetic: percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest
- check_circleTime, Speed and Distance; Time and Work; Mixtures and Alligations
- check_circlePermutation, Combination and Probability; Mensuration
- check_circleData Sufficiency
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude
Puzzles and seating arrangements dominate the marks. Computer aptitude appears only in mains, folded into the reasoning section rather than tested separately:
- check_circlePuzzles and Seating Arrangement: linear, circular, floor-based, box-based
- check_circleSyllogism, Inequalities, Blood Relations, Direction Sense
- check_circleCoding-Decoding and Order & Ranking
- check_circleInput-Output (machine) problems
- check_circleData Sufficiency and Logical / Critical Reasoning
- check_circleStatement and Assumptions
- check_circleComputer fundamentals, MS Office, networking basics, keyboard shortcuts
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English Language
Tested in both phases. Prelims leans on speed; mains adds denser reading comprehension:
- check_circleReading Comprehension
- check_circleCloze Test and Fill in the Blanks
- check_circlePara Jumbles and Para Completion
- check_circleSentence Correction and Error Spotting
- check_circleSentence Rearrangement and Phrase Replacement
- check_circleVocabulary, Word Usage, Idioms and Phrases
General / Economy / Banking Awareness
Mains only, and the section where daily habit beats cramming. It carries as many questions as any other mains section:
- check_circleCurrent affairs, national and international, roughly the last 6 months
- check_circleBanking and financial awareness
- check_circleRBI, monetary policy and its functions
- check_circleThe Indian financial system and its institutions
- check_circleBanking terms and abbreviations
- check_circleGovernment schemes and the Union Budget
- check_circleEconomic and business news, financial markets, static GK
Descriptive Writing
A separate typed paper in mains, worth 30 marks:
- check_circleEssay writing, typically on banking and economy themes
- check_circleLetter writing, formal and informal formats
The Prelims-Mains Depth Gap Is the Syllabus's Real Trap
The topic lists overlap heavily between phases, which tempts candidates into treating mains as a harder rerun of prelims. It is not. Mains DI and puzzles are a different difficulty class, computer aptitude and banking awareness only appear in mains, and the descriptive paper has no prelims equivalent at all. Study the syllabus phase-wise, not as one flat list.
SBI PO Syllabus FAQs
What are the subjects in the SBI PO syllabus?expand_more
Five areas: Quantitative Aptitude with Data Analysis and Interpretation, Reasoning with Computer Aptitude, English Language, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and Descriptive Writing (essay and letter). Prelims tests English, quant and reasoning; mains tests all five.
Is the SBI PO syllabus the same for prelims and mains?expand_more
The core subjects repeat, but mains adds General/Economy/Banking Awareness, Computer Aptitude and the descriptive paper, and raises difficulty sharply in DI and puzzles. Prelims covers only English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning.
Is there a separate computer knowledge paper in SBI PO?expand_more
No. Computer aptitude is tested inside the mains Reasoning & Computer Aptitude section, not as a standalone paper. Expect fundamentals, MS Office, networking basics and shortcuts.
Does SBI PO test general awareness in prelims?expand_more
No. General/Economy/Banking Awareness appears only in the mains objective test, where it carries 60 questions. Prelims is limited to English, quant and reasoning.
Next steps
- Exam Patternarrow_forward
- Study Materialarrow_forward
- Descriptive Testarrow_forward
- Preparationarrow_forward
- SBI PO Guidearrow_forward
The whole syllabus, timed and scored like the real paper.