The State Bank of India (SBI) recruits Circle-Based Officers (CBO) to manage operations across its regional offices in India. Aspiring candidates meeting the eligibility criteria should initiate their exam preparation immediately. A solid preparation strategy begins with a thorough understanding of the latest SBI CBO syllabus & exam pattern. To support your success, we have outlined the complete SBI CBO 2026 exam pattern & syllabus in this guide.
SBI CBO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026
The SBI CBO recruitment 2026 process consists of four distinct phases: an online test, screening, an interview, and a Local Language Proficiency Test. The online assessment is bifurcated into an objective test and a descriptive test. This recruitment drive offers an excellent career advancement opportunity for experienced banking professionals. Review the summary of the SBI CBO Syllabus 2026 in the table below:
| SBI Circle-Based Officer Syllabus 2026- Highlights | |
| Recruitment Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Posts | Circle-Based Officer (CBO) |
| Exam Name | SBI CBO 2026 |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| SBI CBO Exam Date 2026 | 14th March 2026 |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Total Marks | Objective test-120 Descriptive Test-50 Interview- 50 |
| Marking Scheme | 1 mark for each right answer |
| Negative Marking Scheme | No negative marking |
| Selection Process | Online Examination Screening Interview Local Language Proficiency Test |
| Official Website | https://sbi.co.in/ |
SBI CBO Result 2026 - Click Here to Check Status
SBI CBO Exam Pattern 2026
The selection procedure for SBI Circle-Based Officers involves an online written exam, screening, a personal interview, and a mandatory Local Language Proficiency Test. Candidates must qualify in each stage to secure a position. For those searching for the official SBI CBO Exam Pattern 2026, we have provided a detailed breakdown in the following section:
- There will be 2 tests- MCQ and Descriptive
- In a computer-based test, there will be 120 questions carrying 1 mark each.
- The duration of the online test is 2 hours 30 minutes, where 2 hours are allotted for the computer-based test and 30 minutes for the descriptive test.
- There will be no negative marking in the exam.
- There will be no sectional qualifying marks
- In the descriptive test, a letter & an essay will be asked.
| SBI CBO CBT Exam Pattern 2026 | |||
| Sections | 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 |
| SBI CBO Descriptive Test 2026 | |||
| Topics | No of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| Letter Writing | 01 | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Essay-250 words on banking related | 01 | 25 | |
| Total | 02 | 50 | 30 minutes |
SBI CBO Syllabus 2026
We have categorized the SBI CBO syllabus by subject to streamline your study efforts. To succeed in the SBI CBO 2026 Exam, adopt a topic-wise study approach. Since every subject carries significant weightage, we recommend a comprehensive review of all topics to maximize your chances of selection as a Circle-Based Officer.
SBI CBO Syllabus- English Language
The English Language section evaluates your communication skills and grammatical proficiency. This section includes 30 questions derived from the following core areas:
- Cloze Test
- Reading Comprehension
- Spotting Errors
- Sentence Improvement
- Sentence Correction
- Para Jumbles
- Fill in the Blanks
- Word Rearrangement
- Word Swap
- Sentence Rearrangement
- Misspelt
- Word Usage
- Sentence Based Errors
SBI CBO Syllabus- General Awareness
Familiarize yourself with these essential topics to achieve a high score in this segment.
- Current Affairs (National & International)
- Banking Awareness
- GK Updates
- Currencies
- Important Places
- Indexes & Ranking
- Agreements & MoU
- Central Governmnet Schemes
- Books and Authors
- Awards
- Headquarters
- Prime Minister Schemes
- Important Days
SBI CBO Syllabus- Computer Aptitude
Recent exam trends indicate that questions previously labeled as computer-based were actually rooted in logical reasoning. Candidates should ensure they cover all pertinent Computer Aptitude topics, which are outlined here:
- Statement & Assumption / Statement & Conclusion
- Order and Ranking
- Puzzle (Seating Arrangement, Floor-Based, Box-Based, Year-Based, etc.)
- Direction Sense
- Inequality
- Data Sufficiency
- Logical Reasoning (Cause & Effect, Course of Action, etc.)
- Syllogism
- Input-Output
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relations
SBI CBO Syllabus- Banking Awareness
This section focuses heavily on banking awareness. Candidates are expected to be well-versed in the latest schemes, RBI guidelines, and the regulatory framework governing the State Bank of India.
- Financial Markets
- Monetary Policy
- NBFCs
- NPA & SARFAESI
- Payments Bank
- Small Finance Banks
- ATM
- NPCI
- Financial Abbreviations
- Basel Norms
- Reserve Bank of India Structure
- RBI New Initiatives
SBI CBO Interview 2026
The interview phase carries a weightage of 50 marks. To progress to the final merit list, candidates must meet the minimum qualifying marks set by the Bank. Final selection is based on the cumulative performance of the candidate in both the online examination and the interview round.
FAQs
The comprehensive SBI CBO 2026 syllabus is detailed in the article provided above.
The SBI CBO 2026 exam covers four main sections: Reasoning, English Language, General Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Yes, a penalty of 1/4th of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for every incorrect answer in the SBI CBO 2026 exam.
The descriptive test assesses English proficiency through an essay and a letter-writing task, totaling 50 marks.