1. Official Eligibility Criteria, Experience Validation & Selection Funnel
State Bank of India introduced the Circle Based Officer (CBO) recruitment channel to induct experienced banking officers directly into its branch network without the typical rural-transfer volatility of the probationary officer cadre. Once selected for a specific Circle (e.g., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai), officers remain within that Circle until promotion to Senior Management Grade Scale-IV (Chief Manager).
▪Strict Eligibility Framework
- Mandatory Officer Experience: Minimum 2 years of full-time experience as an officer in any Scheduled Commercial Bank or Regional Rural Bank listed in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
- Local Language Proficiency: Candidates must produce proof of having studied the specified local language of the applied Circle in 10th or 12th standard, or qualify in the Circle Local Language Test prior to joining.
- Age Limit: 21 to 30 years (with statutory relaxations: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC-NCL, 10 years for PwBD).
| Examination Stage | Pattern & Nature | Total Marks | Duration | Qualifying Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1: Objective Test | 120 MCQs across 4 sections | 120 Marks | 2 Hours | Sectional + Overall Cutoff |
| Section 2: Descriptive Test | 1 Letter + 1 Essay (Typed online) | 50 Marks | 30 Minutes | Qualifying (Min. 40% UR) |
| Section 3: Interview & Group Discussion | Personal Interview & Profile Review | 50 Marks | 30 – 45 Minutes | Final Merit Weighting (75:25) |
2. The Objective Syllabus: Banking Knowledge & Regulatory Dominance
The 120-mark objective paper is weighted heavily toward practical banking operations and regulatory compliance:
- Banking Knowledge (40 Questions / 40 Marks / 40 Minutes): Reserve Bank of India Master Directions, Priority Sector Lending targets and sub-targets, NPA classification norms (SMA-0, SMA-1, SMA-2, Substandard, Doubtful, Loss), Basel III capital adequacy ratios, SARFAESI Act, IBC 2016, and Negotiable Instruments Act 1881.
- General Awareness & Economy (30 Questions / 30 Marks / 30 Minutes): Recent monetary policy decisions, fiscal deficit numbers, union budget allocations, financial inclusion schemes (PMJDY, PMSBY, PMJJBY, APY), and foreign trade updates.
- English Language (30 Questions / 30 Marks / 30 Minutes): Reading comprehension, cloze test, sentence correction, and banking phraseology.
- Computer Aptitude (20 Questions / 20 Marks / 20 Minutes): Information security, cyber security guidelines, CBS core banking systems, digital payment protocols (RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, UPI, BBPS), and cloud computing principles.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Sectional Time | Paper-Setter Priority Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banking Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 40 Mins | NPA norms, Basel III, RBI Circulars, PSL, FEMA, PMLA |
| General Awareness | 30 | 30 | 30 Mins | Macroeconomics, inflation, monetary policy, govt schemes |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 30 Mins | RC passages on financial stability, error spotting, cloze |
| Computer Aptitude | 20 | 20 | 20 Mins | Cyber fraud prevention, network security, database logic |
| Total Objective | 120 | 120 | 120 Mins | Composite 120 Marks |
Frequently Asked Questions (SBI Circle Based Officer (CBO / LBO))
Q: What experience is required to apply for SBI Circle Based Officer (CBO)?
Candidates must have a minimum of 2 years of continuous service as an officer in any Scheduled Commercial Bank (Public or Private Sector) or Regional Rural Bank as on the cutoff date. Experience in cooperative banks, NBFCs, or non-scheduled banks is not eligible.
Q: Is there any sectional timing in the SBI CBO objective exam?
Yes. The 120-question objective test features strict sectional timers: English Language (30 mins), Banking Knowledge (40 mins), General Awareness/Economy (30 mins), and Computer Aptitude (20 mins), totaling 2 hours.
Q: What is the Descriptive Test format in SBI CBO?
Immediately following the objective exam, candidates take a 30-minute online Descriptive Test on a computer. It carries 50 marks: 1 Letter Writing (25 marks) and 1 Essay Writing (25 marks) testing professional communication and banking knowledge.
Q: What pay scale and increments are awarded to an SBI CBO?
Selected candidates join in the Junior Management Grade Scale I (JMGS-I). Under the revised 12th Bipartite scale, candidates receive 2 additional increments for every completed year of officer service in their previous bank, pushing starting basic pay to ₹54,500+ and gross monthly remuneration to ₹85,000 – ₹95,000.
Q: What is the cost of SBI CBO mock tests on Jetri?
Single practice drills start at ₹9, full-length 170-mark mocks are ₹25, and the complete 6-month SBI CBO Pack is ₹499.