SBI SO 2020 Exam Pattern and Syllabus
Updated On -
Oct 20, 2020
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State Bank of India (SBI) conducts SBI SO 2020 exam to recruit Specialist Officers as Assistant Managers, Engineers, Officers, Architects, designers, administrators, Tester, Manager, Analysts, Developers, Test lead, innovation specialist, and various other Posts on the regular/ contractual basis. Online registration starts on January 23, 2020. The application form for SBI SO 2020 closes on February 12, 2020. The tentative date for availability of admit card is February 21, 2020. The tentative date on which the exam will be held in March 8, 2020.
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- The exam will be conducted in online mode.
- Candidates can choose their exam center at the time of filling up application form and under no circumstances they will be permitted to change the center later.
- 0.25 Or ¼ mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
- The exam can be attempted in English and Hindi both.
- For each course, there will be 2 exams.
- The exam will be objective or MCQ type.
- A total of 200 questions will be provided to the candidates having 5 options each.
- The subjects that will be included in almost all courses are Reasoning, Quantitative aptitude, English and General Knowledge.
SBI SO 2020 Exam Pattern Highlights
| Exam Pattern Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Number of papers | 2 |
| Question Paper Type | MCQ |
| Exam language | English/ Hindi |
| Posts offered | Assistant Managers, Engineers, Officers, Architects, designers, administrators, Tester, Manager, Analysts, Developers, Test lead, innovation specialist, and various other Posts on the regular/ contractual basis |
| Number of questions | Depends on the post you are applying for |
SBI SO 2020 Exam Pattern
There is a separate exam to recruit Specialist Officers as Assistant Managers, Engineers, Officers, Architects, designers, administrators, Tester, Manager, Analysts, Developers, Test lead, innovation specialist, and various other Posts on the regular/ contractual basis. The exam pattern for each of them is different.
SBI SO Exam Pattern (For Systems, CA and Engineering Officers)
The exam for the post of Systems, CA and Engineering Officers will be conducted in two parts. Candidates will have to attempt Question Paper 1 and Question Paper 2. Question paper 1 will be conducted for 90 minutes. Candidates will be asked to answer 120 questions from three sections namely, English Language, Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude. Similarly, question paper 2 will have questions related to professional knowledge. The detailed exam pattern has been tabulated below:
Question paper 1
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English language | 35 | 35 |
| 2 | Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Total | Time Duration- 90 Minutes | 120 | 120 |
Question paper 2
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 |
| Total | Time Duration- 45 Minutes | 50 | 100 |
SBI SO Exam Pattern (For Law Officers)
For the post of Law Officers, applicants will have to attempt 2 papers- Question Paper 1 and Question Paper 2. Question paper 1 comprising 50 questions from the English Language while 70 questions from Reasoning Ability will be asked. In question paper 2, professional knowledge will be tested for a maximum of 50 marks. The details are as follows:
Question paper 1
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English language | 50 | 50 |
| 2 | Reasoning Ability | 70 | 70 |
| Total | Time Duration- 90 Minutes | 120 | 120 |
Question paper 2
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 |
| Total | Time Duration- 45 Minutes | 50 | 100 |
SBI SO Exam Pattern (For Official Language Officers)
Official Language Officers will be required to have proficiency in Hindi and English language along with the possession of some reasoning abilities. Based on these skills the exam will be conducted. Question paper 1 shall be conducted for 90 minutes. Question paper 2 will be consisting of professional knowledge questions. The details are:
Question paper 1
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Language (Hindi & English) | 70 | 70 |
| 2 | Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 |
| Total | Time Duration- 90 Minutes | 120 | 120 |
Question paper 2
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 |
| Total | Time Duration- 45 Minutes | 50 | 100 |
SBI SO Exam Pattern (For Economist)
Unlike other exams, candidates for this post are required to appear for 3 papers. Question Paper 1 shall be attempted within 90 minutes’ time. While Question Per 2 and Question Paper 3 will be conducted in 45 minutes for each paper. The details of each paper have been listed below:
Question paper 1
| Sr. No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English language | 35 | 35 |
| 2 | Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Total | Time Duration- 90 Minutes | 120 | 120 |
Question paper 2
| S.No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional Knowledge | 50 | 100 |
| Total | Time Duration- 45 Minutes | 50 | 100 |
Question Paper 3
The third question paper for the post of ‘Economist’ will be of a descriptive nature. Candidates will be asked to write an essay on a topic related to Economics. The question paper will be of 50 marks. 45 Minutes will be provided to the candidates to solve the question paper.
SBI SO 2020 Marking Scheme
The marking scheme is such that, questions asked in question paper 1 will be comprising one mark for each correct answer. 0.25 Or ¼ mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. In question paper 2, 50 questions for a total of 100 marks will be asked. There will be different exams which carry different marks and also time allotted to them is different. Candidates have to score minimum qualifying marks to crack this exam
SBI SO 2020 Syllabus
There are various posts which SBI recruits through SBI SO examination and there are different question papers are set for all the aspirants of different posts. Below the professional knowledge section of the question paper has been provided according to the posts under SBI SO.
- Chartered Accountant: Accounting Standards, Accounting Guidance Note, Financial Report Standards, Indian Accounting Standards, Corporate Financial Reporting, Accounting and Reporting of Financial Instrument, Share-based Payment, Liability Valuation, Share, Business valuation, Inflation Accounting, Indian Capital Market, Mutual Funds, Foreign Exchanges, Auditing etc.
- Statistician: Basic Statistical Methods and Inference, Uni-Variate Data, Bi-Variate Data, Time series forecasting, Sampling Concepts, Sampling Distribution, Estimations Theory, Simple Regression, Multiple Regression, Variance Analysis, Banking-Insurance, Financial Market, Foreign Exchanges, Forecasting Portfolio etc.
- Law Officer: Banking Regulated Laws, Banking Security Laws, Negotiable Instruments, Ethics and Corporate Governance in Banking, Financial Analysis, Banking Operational Laws, Banker-Customer Relations, Electronic Banking, Loans and Advances, Compliance and Legal Aspects, Security Types and Regulatory Frameworks etc.
- Systems Officer/IT Officer: Computer Networks and Basic Programing Languages (C, C++, Java), Data Base Management Systems (DBMS), Basic concepts of Software and Hardware, Data Structures, Computer Organization, Computer Networks, Network Programming, Algorithms, Digital Electronics, Web Technologies, Information Systems and Software Engineering etc.
Question paper 1 mainly consists of the topics from Reasoning Abilities, Quantitative Abilities and English Language. The topics covered in this section are as follows:
| Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | English |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Numeric Sequence Puzzle. | Averages. | Articles. |
| Alphabet Test. | Boats & Streams. | Cloze Test. |
| Arithmetical Reasoning, Classification. | Clocks. | Comprehension. |
| Clocks & Calendars. | Decimal & Fractions. | Conclusion. |
| Data Sufficiency. | HCF & LCM. | Fill in the Blanks. |
| Deriving Conclusions from Passages. | Line Graphs. | Para substitution |
| Direction and distance Sense Test. | Logarithms. | Para Jumble |
| Inserting The Missing Character. | Mensuration. | Close test/ passages |
| Time sequence test | Mixtures & Allegations. | Synonyms/Antonyms |
| Analytical reasoning | Compound Interest | Choosing the appropriate word |
| Cause and effect Input and output arrangements | Time, Speed and Distance | Spelling check |
| Seating arrangements | Profit and Loss | Idioms & Phrases. |
| Coded inequalities | Permutation and Combination | Completion of a Sentence. |
| Decision making, | Probability | Correction of a Sentence. |
| Logical Sequence of Words. | Data Interpretation and sufficiency (will include Pie charts, Data table, Bar Graphs, Line graphs, Mixed graphs, case study etc.) | Re-arrangement of a Sentence. |
| Logical Venn Diagrams. | Permutation & Combination. | Subject-Verb Agreement. |
| Statement – Conclusions. | Problems on Ages. | Tenses. |
| Theme Detection, Alphabet numbers | Problems on Trains. | Theme detection. |
| Series Test, Syllogism | Roots. | Unseen Passages. |
| Analogies/Decision-making | Simplification. | Verb. |
| Coding/Decoding | Time and Work. | Word Formation. |
| Blood Relations | Volume & Surface | Vocabulary |
| Odd one out Number | Area. | Grammar |
| Ranking | Number system and simplification | Identification of errors |
| Statement and assumptions | Unitary Method | - |
| Course of action | Problem-based on numbers | - |
| Passage and conclusion test | Ration and Proportion | - |
| Assertion and reason Statement and course of action | Partnership | - |
| Non- verbal reasoning will include sense test, odd figures, analogy etc. | Simple Interest Compound interest | - |
Professional Knowledge (Common for all IT Posts)
- DataBase Management System (DBMS)
- Data Communication & Networking
- Computer organization & Microprocessor
- Data structure
- Integrated circuits
- Programming language C, C++ and OOPS
- Cyber Security and Threats
- Operating system & amp; system programming
- Compiler design
- Software engineering
- Mobile Technologies
- Digital electronics
- Basic Terms
Professional Knowledge (Common for all Finance Posts)
- Direct and Indirect Taxes
- Cost Accounting Concepts
- Management Accounting Concepts
- Basic Accounting concepts and principles
- Accounting Standards
- Auditing standards
Recommended Books
The following books are to be consulted for preparation of SBI SO:
| Book Name | Author/ Publisher |
|---|---|
| SBI Specialist Officer Exam (E) | Arihant |
| The C Programming language | Brian W Kernighan |
| Classic Data Structures | Debasis Samanta |
| Introduction to Algorithms | Udi Manber |
| Operating System Concepts | Silberschatz, Galvin, Gagne |
| An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata | Peter Linz |
| Quantitative aptitude | R S Agarwal |
| General Awareness & Current Affairs | Manohar Pandey |
| English Language | Lucent’s General English |
| Electronic devices and circuits | Bogart |
| Electronic devices and circuits | Millman and Halkias |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.