HAPPY READING

Dear reader here we are presenting syllabus of SBI PO exam 2014. This can be helpful to know the pattern and level of the questions asked in SBI Po exam.

State Bank of India (SBI) Probationary Officer (PO) 2014 syllabus is a very important thing that every candidate has to look into and it is also advisable to the candidates that they must continuously refer to the syllabus at the starting of the preparation and also while the preparation is going on. 

State bank of India Probationary officer (PO) exam consists of 2 sections namely:

1. Objective type paper-I  -  200 Marks           ( Total Time : 2 hours)

2. Descriptive type Paper-II - 50 marks           ( Total Time : 1 hour ) 

Note: Negative Marking : 1/4th of Marks

Syllabus includes of the following section:

1. Reasoning (HIGH LEVEL)

2. Data Interpretation

3. English Language

4. General Awareness + Computer + Marketing Awareness

The above mentioned sections are from the Objective paper of the Exam whereas; the Descriptive paper also includes the English Language.

BELOW MENTIONED IS THE DETAILED SYLLABUS OF SBI PO 2014 SYLLABUS:

Objective type paper-I  200 Marks

A). ENGLISH LANGUAGE SYLLABUS OF SBI PO 2014:

AREA	NUMBER OF QUESTION	DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Reading Comprehension	10+10	Moderate to Difficult
Faulty Construction	15	Easy to Moderate
Jumbled Sentences	5	Easy to Moderate
Close Passages	10	Easy

Note: According to the analysis of previous year question paper there were two Reading Comprehensions.

B). REASONING (High Level) 

NAME	NUMBER OF QUESTION	DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Input - output	5	Difficult
Sentence coding	5	Easy
Logical Reasoning	15	Easy to Moderate
Syllogism	5	Moderate
Puzzle / Seating Arrangement	10	Moderate
Data Sufficiency	5	Moderate
Direction &other problem	5	Easy to Moderate

C) GENERAL AWARENESS SYLLABUS OF SBI PO 2014

Area	NUMBER OF QUESTION	DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Banking Awareness	14	Moderate to Difficult
Current Affairs	16	Easy to Moderate
Computer Awareness	10	Easy to Moderate
Marketing	10	Easy

D) DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 

AREA	NUMBER OF QUESTION	DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Probability	5	Easy to Moderate
Line Graph	5	Moderate
Pie Charts	10	Moderate to Difficult
Bar Charts	15	Easy
Tables	15	Moderate to Difficult

DESCRIPTIVE SECTION SYLLABUS OF SBI PO – 50 Marks

1. Letter Writing

2. Paragraph Writing

3. Essay Writing

4. Precise Writing

5. Reading Comprehension

AREA	NUMBER OF QUESTION	TOPICS
Letter Writing	10	To a branch to close the saving account, To friend to attend a seminar on net banking, To a bank for higher education loan
Paragraph Writing	8	If I were an author, Rural Banking, Impact of autonomy provided to bank
Essay Writing	12	Right to education act, Financial Inclusion, How Technology can help banking sector
Precise Writing	10	Chief Vigilance Officer
Reading Comprehension	10	ATM and its uses

HAPPY READING

Dear candidates,

SBI PO 2014 notification is announced and online examination will be held in the month of June. So, you have two months to prepare for the exam. We understand that two months seems like a little time to crack SBI PO, but you should always keep in mind that it doesn't hurt to try.

SBI PO exam consist of:

1. Objective Tests of 200 marks and time 2 hrs.

2. Descriptive Test of 50 marks and time 1 hr.

The Objective Test will be in online mode, immediately after you have to give Descriptive Test. Candidates will have to answer Descriptive Test on paper/Pen mode.

Your selection is through written and interview. You have to focus on 4 sections:

1. Reasoning

2. Data Interpretation

3. English Language

4. General Awareness + Computer + Marketing

Number of Questions:        200

Number of Sections:           4

Questions Per section:       50

Marks per question:           1

Negative marking:            1/4th of marks

                                                                         

1. Reasoning (High Level):

i. Be mentally alert in reading the question

ii. Think logically for answers

iii. Practice similar questions from previous model papers/ previous year exam papers.

Questions are related to following topics:

Syllogism: 5 Qs

Data Sufficiency: 5 Qs

Miscellaneous – 5 Qs

Inequality or Decision Making: 5 Qs

Seating Arrangement/ Puzzle Test: 15 Qs

Input Output: 5 Qs

Logical Reasoning: 10 Qs.

Which questions you have to attend first: It’s better to attempt first with that section on which you are very confident and you can attempt in a minimum time.

For Ex:

1. Syllogism

2. Miscellaneous questions

3. Inequality or Decision Making

4. Data Sufficiency

5. Input Output

6. Logical Reasoning

7. Seating Arrangement/ Puzzle Test

Note: Please do not start with Seating Arrangement/ Puzzle type’s questions because once you stuck on this you will lose your valuable time.

2. Data Analysis & Interpretation:

To score good marks in this section, you have to be quick in solving mathematical calculations. You should have good command on topics like Ratio, Percentage, and Average as in D.I. section mostly questions come on the basis of these topics.

Data Analysis & Interpretation mainly contains, Pie Charts, Bar Diagrams, Tables, Graphs, Probability & Data Analysis

It is one of the time consuming section. You have to practice more than 400+DI Sums to become master in it. So better prepare 5 sets of D.I. per day within 30mins.

In exam just attend only those questions in which you are sure to give accurate answer. Don’t do guess work over there. Don’t try to answer all DI questions.

If a DI consists of 5 questions just answer the easiest question first. Don’t do long calculations, multiplications etc..You just leave that and switch over to other question. If we do it confidentially there is no problem in scoring 25+

Note: 1. Have a fair clarity on how to get the right option in minimal time.

2. Have speed in solving this section.

3. Learn the Square till 30 and tables till 20.

3. English Language

SBI PO English paper is tough, if we compare with other competitive exams.Focus on English grammar & its deep concepts like verbs, adverbs, adjectives, noun, pronoun etc. And a good command on vocabulary would help you overcome the questions asked in the paper.

Which questions you should attempt first:

1. Fill in the Blanks.

2. Cloze Test

3. Common Error in Sentence

4. Para Jumbled

5. Passage Based questions

We recommend you to read comprehensions, if you have time at last, because if you are not able to understand in the middle of the passage, your time will be wasted. If you want to answer early, don’t spend too much of time for it. Set some time and follow the same.

Many candidates spend too much time to read passage. If you are not good in reading comprehensions so it is better to skip it. You can answer the questions just by reading the option and eliminate the option by reading the passage.  You will get idea which answer is too close to the question.

We strongly recommend you to learn the grammar part as much you can. If you are good at grammar, you can answer easily within less amount of time.

It is very important in PO exams that you have to know which question you have to leave and which question you have to answer first. There will be 20 questions from grammar section. If you can answer at least 15, you will be in safe zone.

4. General Awareness/Marketing/Computer Knowledge: This is the easiest section in SBI PO Exam.

For GK, please read the newspaper daily and make a notebook for that and note down the important news which is relevant for exam. Read the Daily Gk Updates on daily basis which is posted on our site Bankers Adda.

Note: In Gk section questions asked in a detail way. So you have to study the banking awareness and current affairs in a detail way.

For Ex;

Qs. Consider the following with respect to different liabilities of a bank:

(A) Demand Drafts (DDs)

(B) Outstanding Telegraphic Transfers (TTs)

(C) Unclaimed deposits

Which of the above is/are categorized as the Demand Liabilities of a bank?

(1) Only A                                (2) Only A & C

(3) Only A, C & D                     (4) All the above

(5) None of these

Ans is 4. All the above

Computer Awareness: Just know what are computer, how it works and its history. Try to learn each and every detail which helps the computer to perform. Also focus on MS Word, Excel and Power Point chapters.

Marketing Awareness: This section is based on Fundamental of marketing and how to serve the customer.

Also topics include:

1. Banking policy

2. Basic concept (7Ps of Marketing and 7 S of Marketing).

3. Product life cycle

4. Developing stage of organization

5. Segmentation, positioning and targeting.

Keep checking BankersAdda.com for Banking Awareness and Current Affairs. Also we will post Quiz on Computer and Marketing Awareness. So keep visiting our site.

Note: We will also publish Gk Capsule For SBI PO exam 15 or 20 days before exam, which will contain past 5 months Current and Banking Affairs events.  So this will really help in your Gk section.

5. Descriptive: Descriptive paper contains, Letter Writing, Precise Writing & Questions based on comprehension passage.

This section is really concern for many candidates who do not have good writing skills and they fear while attempting this section. Many candidates don’t know what to write and how to give answers of the questions in descriptive paper.

For this you have to read the articles/ editorial of the English News Paper and try to understand then what has been written in the given passage and after that try to write the gist of the article/editorial/passage in your own language. It will improve your vocabulary too and understanding ability of the passages.

Note: Don’t forget to read the English newspaper daily.

Map your speed: Keep Practicing:

You have to answer 200 questions with accuracy in 2 hours, which required good speed. But it is not possible to answer all the 200 questions in given stipulated time.

How to improve speed: 

1. For improving your speed just buy Online Mock Test Series for SBI PO exam because this time SBI is going to conduct online written exam.

2. You can also buy books of previous year question papers, Model Practice sets so that you will get an idea about the pattern and types of questions which was asked in previous years SBI PO exam.

3. Now, this is the easiest part of your preparation, as everyone knows that the only way to improve your speed is by PRACTICE.

Start taking one test per week for the next 2 months

You should follow all exam related instructions while giving the test. Please remember that this test is for your benefit. After the test is over, revise all the answers and see where you have made mistakes and what all questions you could have easily answered but couldn’t. This would help you in improving your score in subsequent tests that you would take.

One month before the exam, evaluated your strengths and weaknesses:

This would help you in formulating your strategy for the ‘BIG DAY’. Let say, if I found that I am relatively weaker in English as compared to other sections, I would allocate more time for English while giving the test as I need to score a minimum cut-off marks in English to pass the exam.

We should also not forget that marks scored in the written exam have almost 80% weight age in the final selection. Hence, scoring more is equally important as qualifying all the sections of the paper. So, you need to score as much as you can in your stronger section.

Once you have made your strategy, start taking 2 tests per week in the month before the exam

 Practice, Practice and more practice: Practice makes a man perfect it is said and this is definitely not without reason. More the time spent in practicing, better is the efficiency in the examination. Higher the efforts prior to the examination, better is the efficiency during the examination.

Hence, a serious contender who is keen to land a job in banking needs to put in hours and hours of hard work, which has the ability of providing rewards in multiples.

The practice must be well directed: For any examination, practice has to be focused and in line with the requirements.

A professional guidance in understanding the areas which require practice will go a long way in making one better equipped to crack the bank examination.

Strategies and Plan: It’s better to decide that from which section you have to start the exam before appearing in the exam and how much time you have to spend on each section.

Section	Total Qs 200 Time 120 Min.	Time
GK+ Comp+ Mark		15 min
Eng		25 min
Reasoning		35 - 40 min
D.I.		40- 45 min

Note 1: Try to practice Online Mock Test on the basis of the above given strategies, which will be easy and more comfortable for you to solve all the section.  

Note 2: For practice for SBI PO exam you can also prefer Career Power SBI PO Online Test Series which will improve your speed,efficiency and also provide the way to success. 


All the Best for upcoming SBI PO 2014 Exam

HAPPY READING

RECRUITMENT OF PROBATIONARY OFFICERS IN STATE BANK OF INDIA GUIDELINES FOR SCANNING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND SIGNATURE     Before applying online, a candidate will be required to have a scanned (digital) image of his/ her photograph and signature as per the specifications given below. Your online application will not be registered unless you upload your photograph and signature as specified. On uploading your photograph and signature as specified your online application will be provisionally registered. (i) Photograph Image: Photograph must be a recent passport size colour picture. Make sure that the picture is in colour, taken against a light-coloured, preferably white, background. Look straight at the camera with a relaxed face If the picture is taken on a sunny day, have the sun behind you, or place yourself in the shade, so that you are not squinting and there are no harsh shadows If you have to use flash, ensure there's no "red-eye" If you wear glasses make sure that there are no reflections and your eyes can be clearly seen. Caps, hats and dark glasses are not acceptable. Religious headwear is allowed but it must not cover your face. Dimensions 200 x 230 pixels (preferred) Size of file should be between 20kb-50 kb Ensure that the size of the scanned image is not more than 50KB. If the size of the file is more than 50 KB, then adjust the settings of the scanner such as the DPI resolution, no. of colours etc., during the process of scanning. (ii) Signature Imaging : The applicant has to sign on white paper with Black Ink pen. The signature must be signed only by the applicant and not by any other person. The signature will be used to put on the Attendance Sheet. If the applicant’s signature on the answer script at the time of the examination does not match the signature on the Attendance Sheet/ Hall Ticket, the applicant will be disqualified. Dimensions 140 x 60 pixels (preferred) Size of file should be between 10kb - 20kb Ensure that the size of the scanned image is not more than 20KB Scanning the photograph & signature: (1) Set the scanner resolution to a minimum of 200 dpi (dots per inch) (2) Set Color to True Color (3) File Size as specified above (4) Crop the image in the scanner to the edge of the photograph/signature, then use the upload editor to crop the image to the final size (as specified above). (5) The image file should be JPG or JPEG format. An example file name is : image01.jpg or image01.jpeg Image dimensions can be checked by listing the folder files or moving the mouse over the file image icon. Candidates using MSWindows/ MSOffice can easily obtain photo and signature in .jpeg format not exceeding 50kb and 20kb respectively by using MSPaint or MSOffice Picture Manager. Scanned photograph and signature in any format can be saved in .jpg format by using ‘Save As’ option in the File menu and size can be reduced below 50kb (photograph) & 20kb (signature) by using crop and then resize option (Please see point (i) & (ii) above for the pixel size) in the ‘Image’ menu.  Similar options are available in other photo editor also. If the file size and format are not as prescribed, an error message will be displayed. While filling in the Online Application Form the candidate will be provided with a link to upload his photograph and signature. Procedure for Uploading the Photograph and Signature (i).There will be two separate links for uploading Photograph and Signature (ii).Click on the respective link "Upload Photograph / Signature" (iii).Browse and Select the location where the Scanned Photograph / Signature file has been saved. (iv).Select the file by clicking on it (v).Click the 'Upload' button Your Online Application will not be registered unless you upload your photograph and signature as specified. Note: (1) In case the face in the photograph or signature is unclear the candidate's application may be rejected. (2) In case the photograph or signature is unclear, the candidate may edit his application and reupload his photograph or signature prior to submission.