We will give you an idea about the SBI paper pattern and how to ace each section with best books for SBI PO Exam 2017 available in the market.
As one would expect, due to a combination of lucrative salary, attractive perks, and job stability, competition to gain entry in the banking sector is increasing rapidly. And for jobs in this sector, State Bank of India (SBI) is one of the most sought after bank in India. SBI conducts exams for the recruitment of Probationary Officers (PO) every year. Around 15 to 20 lakhs aspirants take this exam against 2000 posts. Therefore, the cut-offs are very high and the exam is considerably difficult as compared to other banking exams.
This year, SBI has advertised 2313 Probationary Officer posts. Candidates had to apply online from 07-02-2017 to 06-03-2017.
SBI PO Exam Pattern
The SBI PO selection procedure includes three phases:
- In Phase I (preliminary exam), there will be an objective based online paper of 1 hour. This will include the following sections.
- English Language — 30 Questions — 30 marks
- Quantitative Aptitude — 35 Questions — 35 marks
- Reasoning Ability — 35 Questions — 35 marks
- Phase II (main exam) will consist of two tests, an objective test for 200 marks and a descriptive test. Both in online mode. The descriptive test will be administered immediately after completion of the objective test.
A. Objective Paper – Questions from the following Sections will be asked in the Objective Test which will be of 3-hour.
| Sr. No. | Name of test | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration (in Minutes) |
| 1 | Reasoning and Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 |
| 2 | Data Analysis and Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 |
| 3 | English | 35 | 40 | 40 |
| 3 | General / Economy / Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 |
| Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours |
B. Descriptive Paper
- The Descriptive Test will be of 30 minutes duration comprising of 50 marks.
- The test will be of English Language (Letter Writing and Essay).
- The candidates are required to qualify in the Descriptive Test by securing passing marks.
- Descriptive Test paper of only those candidates will be evaluated who have scored qualifying marks in the Objective Tests and are placed adequately high as per total marks in Objective Test.
Negative Marking- For each wrong answer, one fourth of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
3. Phase III- Group Discussion and Personal Interview
The Group Discussion will carry 20 marks and Interview will carry 30 marks. Candidates who qualify the main examination will be called for GD & PI according to their ranks.
Books For SBI PO Exam 2017
To excel in any competitive exam, one needs a smart plan, good study material, focused hard work, and perseverance. I have compiled for you a list of the best books that can be used for the preparation of Part A and B of SBI PO Exam 2017.
Section-wise preparation
If you feel you are not fully prepared in a certain section, I would suggest you pick up a book for that section. First get your concepts right and understand the solved examples. Once you have understood the approach to these questions then you can try to learn the shortcuts as well. After you are well-versed with that section, go for model practice papers.
I have prepared a comprehensive list of SBI PO books for each section and hope you will find them useful in your preparation. Also, I have included links for both English and Hindi medium books.
Books For Quantitative Aptitude For SBI PO Exam 2017
For English medium candidates
| Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Agarwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Quicker Mathematics by M. Tyra | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Arihant’s Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Advance Maths for General Competitions by KD Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
For Hindi medium candidates
| Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Agarwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Quicker Mathematics by M. Tyra | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Arihant’s Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Books For English Section
| English Grammar by Wren and Martin | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Essential English Grammar by Raymond Murphy | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective General English by S P Bakshi | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Quick learning Objective General English by RS Aggarwal & Vikas Aggarwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Books For General Intelligence & Reasoning Section
For candidates preparing SBI PO Exam 2017 in English medium.
| Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Aggarwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Analytical Reasoning by M K Pandey | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal and Non-Verbal by B S Sijwali, Indu Sijwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Logical and Analytical Reasoning (English) by A.K Gupta | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Quick learning Objective General English by RS Aggarwal & Vikas Aggarwal | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
For Hindi medium aspirants, here is the book list for SBI PO Reasoning
| Master Reasoning Book Verbal, Non-Verbal & Analytical by Arihant Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Reasoning Test: Verbal & Non-Verbal by RPH Editorial Board | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Tricky Approach To Competitive Reasoning Verbal & Non-Verbal (Fully Solved) by Kiran Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Books For General Awareness
These are the book in English for candidates giving their SBI PO 2017 exam in English medium.
| Manorama Year Book 2017 | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Current Affairs Yearly 2017 by Arihant Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| India 2017 | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
For aspirants giving their SBI PO Exam 2017 in Hindi
| Manorama Year Book 2017 | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Current Affairs Varshiki 2017 by Arihant Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Bharat 2017 | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Books For Marketing
For English Medium Candidates
| Marketing Aptitude (English) by Arihant Experts | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Marketing Aptitude/Knowledge For SBI PO & SBI Clerk And Other Banks & Insurance Exams by Kiran Prakashan | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
For Hindi Medium Candidates
| Marketing Aptitude by RPH Editorial | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Marketing Aptitude/Knowledge For SBI PO & SBI Clerk And Other Banks & Insurance Exams by Kiran Prakashan | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Books For Computer Awareness
For English Medium Candidates
| Objective Computer Awareness For General Competitive Exams: Arihant Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective Computer Knowledge & Literacy: Kiran Prakashan | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
For Hindi Medium Candidates
| Objective Computer Awareness by RPH Editorial Board | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Objective Computer Knowledge & Literacy: Kiran Prakashan | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Previous year papers/ Model papers
Once you are done revising the syllabus of each section, it is important to practice previous years paper and mock papers to improve your speed and have an idea about the type of questions asked in the exams. After reviewing a lot of books, I have selected the following three books for practice. You need not buy all three! Just get any one.
| 30 Practice Sets for SBI PO Phase-1 2017 by Arihant Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| SBI: Probationary Officers-Previous Years Papers (Solved) by RPH Editorials | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart (Sold out) |
| SBI PO Phase – 1 Preliminary Exam Superfast Practice Sets by Kiran Publications | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
SBI PO Descriptive Paper Books (English)
As I told you earlier, in the descriptive paper you will be judged on your knowledge of English through letter writing and essay writing. Any one of the following books would be sufficient if you need help with this section.
| State Bank Of India & State Bank Associates PO Exam – Descriptive English – Including Solved Papers Of 2010- 2014 by Kiran Prakashan | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Descriptive General English by S.P. Bakshi and Richa Sharma | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Flipkart |
| Descriptive English & Communication Skills by K. Kundan | – | Buy on Flipkart |
Books For Preparation of SBI Interview
Guide To Bank Interviews by M.B.Sivaramakrishnan – Buy on Flipkart
Conclusion
Hope this list of books for SBI will help you in better preparation for the SBI PO Exam 2017. Feel free to use the comments section below for any questions, comments or suggestions you may have.