Looking to crack the SBI SO 2025 exam? Whether you’re targeting roles like Assistant Manager, Deputy Manager, or IT Officer, understanding the syllabus and exam pattern is your first step.
The State Bank of India (SBI) conducts the Specialist Officer (SO) recruitment to hire professionals across IT, Finance, Risk, Marketing, and other specialized areas. So, if you’re preparing for SBI SO 2025, this guide will walk you through the latest syllabus, exam pattern, and important subject-wise topics.
Overview
The SBI SO 2025 exam consists of two key sections – General Aptitude and Professional Knowledge. The General Section includes Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and English, while the Professional Knowledge (PK) section tests your expertise in your specific technical field.
Here’s a snapshot of the SBI SO 2025 exam structure:
| Exam Name | SBI Specialist Officer (SO) 2025 |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Selection Process | Written Test + Interview |
| Total Questions | 110 |
| Total Marks | 150 |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes |
| Written Test Weightage | 70% |
| Interview Weightage | 30% |
| Negative Marking | None (Generally for SO posts) |
| Official Website | www.sbi.co.in |
Pattern
The SBI SO exam is divided into two parts. While Paper 1 is qualifying in nature, Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge) is the one that actually matters for merit listing.
SBI SO Exam Pattern 2025
| Test Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 45 mins | ||
| – Reasoning Ability | 15 | 15 | |
| – Quantitative Aptitude | 15 | 15 | |
| – English Language | 20 | 20 | |
| Professional Knowledge | 60 | 100 | 75 mins |
| Total | 110 | 150 | 120 mins |
The General Aptitude section is just qualifying. You need to focus primarily on the Professional Knowledge section, especially if you’re applying for technical roles like Assistant Manager (IT), Developer, or Infrastructure Engineer.
Syllabus
Let’s now look at the detailed subject-wise syllabus to understand what you need to prepare.
SBI SO Syllabus for General Aptitude
| Subject | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Coding-Decoding, Puzzles, Syllogism, Blood Relations, Input-Output, Inequalities, Seating Arrangement |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number Series, Arithmetic, Data Interpretation, Probability, P&C, Simplification, Data Sufficiency |
| English Language | Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Error Spotting, Fill in the Blanks, Para Jumbles, Word Swap |
IT Knowledge (For IT-Based Posts)
| Topics |
|---|
| Operating Systems, Internet, Cyber Security, MS Office, Spreadsheet, Data Structures, Computer Networks, Introduction to Computer Science |
General Knowledge (For Banking & Finance Roles)
| Topics |
|---|
| Indian Financial System, Banking Terms, Static GK, Government Schemes, Current Affairs, RBI Policies, Monetary Plans |
Professional Knowledge
This is the most critical part of the SBI SO exam. It’s role-specific and varies based on your job profile. Here’s the breakup of core areas:
SBI SO Professional Knowledge Syllabus 2025
| Stream | Topics |
|---|---|
| Software Development | Data Structures, Algorithms, SDLC, Git, HTML, CSS, APIs, OOP, SQL, Testing, Microservices, Encryption, Web Attacks |
| Infrastructure Support | Operating Systems, Memory Types, CPU Scheduling, VMs, I/O Scheduling, Linux/Windows Systems, Backup, Security |
| Networking | OSI Model, TCP/IP, Routers, DNS, IP Protocols, Firewalls, Network Devices, VPN, Network Topologies |
| Cloud Computing | IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, Containers vs VMs, Public vs Private Cloud, CI/CD, Virtualization, Cloud Security |
Short Listing
For roles like Deputy Manager, candidates may be shortlisted without a written test, based on their experience and qualifications. The shortlisting committee will define the criteria, and SBI holds the right to alter the process anytime.
Interview
For most posts, candidates who clear the exam will appear for a 100-mark interview. A 70:30 ratio is used for final selection (Written Test: Interview). If there’s a tie in scores, the older candidate will be given preference.
For posts like Assistant Manager, the Professional Knowledge test is crucial, as it’s considered in the final score calculation.
FAQs
What is the SBI SO 2025 exam duration?
The exam lasts 120 minutes in total.
Is there negative marking in SBI SO exam?
Generally, there is no negative marking for SO posts.
How many sections are in SBI SO written test?
There are two sections: General Aptitude and Professional Knowledge.
What is the weightage of the interview round?
The interview holds a 30% weightage in the final selection.
Is Paper 1 considered in the final score?
No, it’s only qualifying. Paper 2 marks are used for merit.
