The State Bank of India (SBI) has released the official notification for the Circle-Based Officer (CBO) recruitment 2026, offering 2,050 vacancies across various circles. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed breakdown of the SBI CBO Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern to help you structure your preparation effectively.
The selection process for SBI CBO 2026 consists of three stages: Online Written Examination, Screening of Experience, and Interview.
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Online Objective Test | 120 marks (2 hours) |
| Online Descriptive Test | 50 marks (30 minutes) |
| Screening | Verification of work experience against Scale-I Generalist Officer profile |
| Interview | 50 marks |
| Final Selection | 75% weightage to Online Test + 25% weightage to Interview |
Candidates must qualify in both the Online Test and Interview separately to be considered for final selection .
The objective test consists of 120 multiple-choice questions with a total of 120 marks. There is NO negative marking for incorrect answers . Each section has a dedicated time limit that must be adhered to.
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 30 minutes |
| Banking Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness / Economy | 30 | 30 | 30 minutes |
| Computer Aptitude | 20 | 20 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 120 | 120 | 2 Hours |
Key Points:
There are no sectional qualifying marks — only minimum aggregate qualifying marks apply .
The test is conducted online in both English and Hindi languages (except the English section) .
The descriptive test is conducted immediately after the objective test and must be typed on the computer .
| Component | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter Writing | 1 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Essay Writing | 1 | 25 | |
| Total | 2 | 50 | 30 Minutes |
This section tests grammar proficiency, vocabulary, comprehension, and sentence construction skills .
Key Topics:
Reading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Spotting Errors / Sentence Correction
Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement
Fill in the Blanks
Word Rearrangement & Swap
Misspelled Words
Word Usage / Phrase Replacement
Approximate Topic Weightage :
| Topic | Approx. Marks |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 8–10 |
| Cloze Test | 5–6 |
| Error Detection | 4–5 |
| Para Jumbles | 4–5 |
This section carries the highest weightage and demands focused study on foundational and current banking concepts .
Key Topics :
RBI Structure & Functions — Monetary Policy, Repo Rate, CRR, SLR
Financial Markets — Money Market, Capital Market, Derivatives
NBFCs — Types and regulations
NPA & SARFAESI Act — Asset classification, recovery mechanisms
Basel Norms — Basel I, II, III (capital adequacy, risk management)
Payments Bank & Small Finance Banks
NPCI Products — UPI, IMPS, AEPS, RuPay
Banking Terms & Abbreviations
Latest Banking Awareness — Appointments, mergers, circulars
Approximate Topic Weightage :
| Topic | Approx. Marks |
|---|---|
| RBI & Monetary Policy | 5–6 |
| Banking Regulations (Basel, NPA, SARFAESI) | 6–8 |
| Banking Terms & Concepts | 6–8 |
| Current Banking Updates | 6–8 |
This section tests awareness of current affairs, especially related to the Indian economy and banking industry .
Key Topics :
National & International Current Affairs
RBI in News — Recent policy announcements
Government Schemes (Central Govt. initiatives)
Economic Survey & Union Budget highlights
Indexes, Rankings & Reports
Awards & Honors, Nobel Prize winners
Banking & Insurance News
Agreements & MoUs
Static GK — Capitals, currencies, headquarters
Approximate Topic Weightage :
| Topic | Approx. Marks |
|---|---|
| Banking & Financial Current Affairs | 10–12 |
| Government Schemes | 5–6 |
| Economic Survey & Budget | 4–5 |
This section includes a mix of basic computer awareness and reasoning-based aptitude questions . Based on previous exam analysis, a significant portion of questions may come from reasoning topics .
Computer Awareness Topics :
History & Generation of Computers
Computer Hardware & Software
Operating Systems
Internet & Networking Basics
MS Office — Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Computer Memory & I/O Devices
Computer & Network Security
Reasoning Topics Under Computer Aptitude :
Puzzles (Seating Arrangement, Floor/Box-Based)
Input-Output
Syllogism / Venn Diagrams
Inequality
Coding-Decoding
Blood Relations & Direction Sense
Data Sufficiency
Logical Reasoning — Cause & Effect, Course of Action
Approximate Topic Weightage
| Topic | Approx. Marks |
|---|---|
| MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) | 5–6 |
| Internet & Networking | 4–5 |
| Computer Fundamentals | 4–5 |
Formal letter writing on banking-related topics. Common themes include :
Complaint letter regarding unauthorized transactions
Request to improve branch infrastructure
Communication explaining revised KYC/loan documentation
Proposal for financial literacy workshops for rural customers
Essays on current banking, economic, and socio-economic themes. Sample topics :
Impact of Digital Banking and UPI Growth on Traditional Banking
Role of Financial Inclusion in Strengthening India’s Rural Economy
Measures to Prevent Cybercrimes and Enhance Customer Data Security
Rising NPAs in India: Causes, Effects, and Preventive Strategies
Focus on accuracy + comprehension speed
This section carries maximum weightage (40 marks)
Focus on last 6 months current affairs
Banking Knowledge is Critical — With 40 marks, this section deserves maximum attention .
No Negative Marking — Attempt all questions without fear of penalty .
No Sectional Cut-offs — Focus on overall aggregate score .
Descriptive Test Matters — Marks from letter and essay contribute to the 75% weightage of the Online Test in final merit .
Computer Aptitude Includes Reasoning — Don’t limit preparation to theory; practice reasoning questions too .
| Component | Marks | Weightage in Final Merit |
|---|---|---|
| Online Test (Objective + Descriptive) | 170 | Converted to 75 marks |
| Interview | 50 | Converted to 25 marks |
| Total | 100 marks |
Candidates must clear the screening of experience before being called for the interview. The Screening Committee verifies whether the candidate’s work experience substantially matches the profile of a Scale-I Generalist Officer at SBI.
Q1: Is there negative marking in the SBI CBO 2026 exam?
No, there is no penalty for wrong answers in the objective test.
Q2: What is the total duration of the online written exam?
The objective test is 2 hours, and the descriptive test is 30 minutes — conducted back-to-back.
Q3: Are there sectional qualifying marks?
No, SBI does not prescribe sectional cut-offs for the CBO exam .
Q4: What topics should I focus on for the Banking Knowledge section?
Focus on RBI policies, monetary policy instruments, NPA management, Basel norms, and current banking awareness (appointments, mergers, circulars) .
Q5: Is the Computer Aptitude section only about computer theory?
No, based on previous exams, this section includes reasoning-based questions like puzzles, coding-decoding, and input-output .
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