SBI PO 2025-26 Exam Study Plan for Beginners

Home
/
Government Jobs
/
SBI PO 2025-26 Exam Study Plan for Beginners

SBI PO 2025-26 Exam Study Plan for Beginners
- Posted On 2025-06-25
The State Bank of India Probationary Officer exam ranks as the top competitive banking examination throughout India. The high number of applicants competing for restricted job openings demands strategic preparation together with commitment and regular practice to succeed in the SBI PO exam 2025-26 on your first try. The following blog provides a detailed study plan for beginners to guide your path toward passing the SBI PO exam in your initial attempt.

Understanding the SBI PO Exam Pattern

Before jumping into the study plan, it is essential to understand the exam pattern. The SBI PO exam is conducted in three stages:
- Preliminary Exam (Objective, 100 marks, 1 hour):
  - English Language (30 questions, 30 marks)
  - Quantitative Aptitude (35 questions, 35 marks)
  - Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 35 marks)
  - Note: There are sectional time limits: 20 minutes per section. There is a negative marking of 0.25 for each wrong answer.
- The Main Exam consists of Objective and Descriptive parts, which total 250 marks for evaluation..
  - The Objective Test consists of a three-hour exam with 200 marks.
    - Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (40 questions, 50 marks, 50 minutes)
    - Data Analysis & Interpretation (30 questions, 50 marks, 45 minutes)
    - General/Economy/Banking Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks, 45 minutes)
    - English Language (35 questions, 50 marks, 40 minutes)
  - Descriptive Test (50 marks, 30 minutes): Letter and essay writing.
  - Note: The examination implements negative marking of 0.25 marks for incorrect responses.
- Group Discussion & Interview (50 marks):
  - Tests communication skills, personality, and banking awareness.
The final selection is based on the Main Exam (Objective + Descriptive) and GD/Interview scores, normalised to 100.

6-Month Study Plan for Beginners:

Six months of dedicated preparation are required for a fresh candidate to successfully clear the SBI PO examination. A month-wise study plan giving a structured routine would go:

Month 1: Build a Strong Foundation
- Goal: The study objective involves mastering the syllabus along with basic concept understanding and developing customized study plans.
- Daily Schedule (6-8 hours):
  - Quantitative Aptitude (2 hours): Basics like number system, simplification, percentage, profit and loss, and simple ratio.
  - Reasoning Ability (2 hours): Fundamental concepts of puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, and blood relation.
  - English Language (1 hour): The study period includes one hour of English Language instruction that focuses on grammar-tenses and prepositions alongside subject-verb agreement and vocabulary development through The Hindu newspaper reading and cloze test and error detection practice.
Month 2: Strengthening Core Concepts
- Objective: The second month focuses on building core concepts. The objective requires students to understand moderate-level topics while developing speed in their work.
- Day-wise Plan:
  - Quantitative Aptitude (2 hours): Practice time & work, time & distance, simple interest & compound interest, and data interpretation (table and bar-graph).
  - Reasoning Ability (2 hours): Work on complex puzzles (floor, circular seating), coding-decoding, and inequalities.
  - English Language (1 hour): The English Language course for one hour requires students to finish exercises involving reading comprehension and para jumbles and sentence connectors. Students need to acquire 10 to 15 new words each day.
  - General Awareness (1 hour): Study banking awareness (RBI functions, monetary policies, NPAs). The apps Gradeup and Oliveboard serve as useful tools for providing daily quizzes.
  - Computer Aptitude (30 minutes): Learn computer hardware basics and software fundamentals along with MS-Office functions.
- Tips:
  - Students should begin analyzing their mock test results because it shows their current position between strong and weak areas.
  - Students need to complete 3-4 mock tests each week.
Month 3: Practice and Speed Building:
- Goal: Improve accuracy and time management.
- Daily schedule:
  - Quantitative Aptitude (2 hours): Advanced topics, i.e., quadratic equations, probability, and permutation and combination, are to be done. DI sets with pie charts and caselets have to be solved.
  - Reasoning Ability (2 hours): Puzzles such as input/output and data sufficiency at higher levels.
  - English Language (1 hour): Descriptive writing: formal letter, essay, etc. Reading Comprehension: Inference-based questions.
  - General/Banking Awareness (1 hour): Revise static GK (capital cities, national parks, banking terms). Current affairs from the last 3 months should be read.
  - Computer Aptitude (30 minutes): Study internet basics, networking, and cybersecurity.
- Tips:
  - Give 1 full-length Prelims mock test per week. Aim to get 60-70 marks.
  - Practice using a stopwatch for sectional timing, i.e., 20 minutes per section.
Month 4: Focus on Mains Preparation
- Goal: Start preparing for Main Exam along with revision of Prelims topics.
- Daily Schedule:
  - Data Analysis & Interpretation (2 hrs): Complex DI (missing DI, arithmetic-based DI) type is done. Practice data sufficiency.
  - Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (2 hrs): Focus on critical reasoning, machine input-output, and computer-based puzzles.
  - English Language (1 hr): Write 1 essay and 1 letter weekly. Practice advanced RC and sentence rearrangement.
  - General/Economy/Banking Awareness (1.5 hrs): Study budget highlights, economic survey, and banking reforms. Revise 4 months' current affairs.
- Tips:
  - Take 1 Mains mock every 10 days. Analyze descriptive answers.
  - Join study groups online for GD/Interview prep.
Month 5: Heavy Practice Touring and Rehearsing:
- Goal: Studying all subject matters under examination conditions.
- Daily Schedule:
  - Mock Tests (3 hours): Attempt 2 full-length Prelims mock tests and 1 Mains mock test every week. Emphasis to be placed on time management.
  - Weak Areas (2 hours): Work on one's weak topic through short notes.
  - General Awareness (1 hour): Revision of current affairs and banking terms for the last 5 months.
  - Descriptive Writing (1 hour): Writing essays on banking, economy, and social issues.
- Tips:
  - Prelims mock tests of 80+ marks and Mains mock tests of 100+ marks should be the objective.
  - Practice GD topics such as digital banking, NPAs, or fintech.
Month 6: Final Revision and Strategy
- Goal: Make your exam strategy perfect and gain confidence.
- Daily Timetable:
  - Mock Tests (3 hours): A Prelims mock test every two days and a Mains mock test every week.
  - Revision (2 hours): Revision of formulas, acronyms, and short notes, and current affairs (last 6 months).
  - GD/Interview Practice (1 hour): Practice answering questions based on banking, personal background, and current affairs, including body language and communication.
  - Descriptive Writing (1 hour): Two essays and two letters to be written per week.
- Tips:
  - Try not to pick up new things for the last fifteen days.
  - Keep calm and concentrated on accuracy while taking mock tests.
Key Tips to Crack SBI PO in First Attempt:
- Time Management: Sectional timings should be strictly adhered to in Prelims (20 mins/section) and Mains. Easy questions should be done first all the time.
- Mock Tests: At least 20-25 Prelims tests and 10-15 Mains tests must be attempted. Analyze mistakes minutely.
- Current Affairs: Read newspapers every day and revise compilations by Bankersadda or Testbook every month.
- Descriptive Writing: Write essays and letters mostly with a word processor to get used to typing with speed and clarity.
- GD/Interview: Also keep updated about the trends in Banking and practice mock interviews.
- Health and Mindset: Sleep for 7-8 hours, keep exercising, and remain positive. Do not burn out.
You can successfully crack the SBI PO 2025-26 examination on your first try through disciplined study methods. Use this 6-month study plan combined with consistent practice and current affairs updates. Prepare for GD/Interview with confidence after identifying your weak points and practicing mock tests under exam conditions. Your determination combined with proper strategy will enable you to obtain your SBI Probationary Officer dream job! Best of luck!