SBI PO Exam Pattern 2010

Pattern for the SBI PO exam which is going to held on 18-04-2010.

It consists of two phases:

Phase I: Written Examination consists of objective and descriptive test:

1)Objective Test:

Sr. No	Name of the Test	No. of Questions	Max. Marks
1.	Reasoning(High Level)	50	50
2.	Data Analysis & Interpretation	50	50
3.	GK/Marketing/Computer	50	50
4.	English	50	50

Note: Total of 200 questions are there in objective test with a composite time of 120 minutes. For every right answer you will get 1 mark and for every wrong answer you will lose 0.25 marks. All sections are taken for the merit ranking including English.

How many questions should I attempt in each section?

The below table shows you an example of how many questions should be attempted in order to clear the objective test.

Sr. No	Name of the Test	No. of Questions	Time
1.	Reasoning(High Level)	35	35
2.	Data Analysis & Interpretation	35	35
3.	GK/Marketing/Computer	40	20
4.	English	30	30

If you follow the above table you must maintain 100% accuracy. If you’re perfect with the third section then you can attempt 40 questions in 20 minutes, bcoz you don’t need to solve the questions.

2)Descriptive Test:

It would consist of four types of questions namely:

i)Comprehension(1Q)

ii)Letter Writing(1Q)

iii)Essay Writing(2Q)

iv)Precis Writing(1Q)

Total of 5 questions each carries 10marks and total of 50marks for descriptive. You will be given 60 minutes.

Note: You have to score a minimum of 40% in both the test (Objective (in each and every section) & Descriptive) for a general candidate. You have to pass both the tests to qualify for the GD/interview round. The Pattern is same for both PO and PO(Rural Business) and same as SBI Associates PO.

Phase II: GD and Interview.

After successfully qualified in the written exam you will have both GD and Interview. The Marks allocated for GD and Interview is 20 and 30 marks respectively, and for the PO (Rural) the marks are allocated as GD – 10marks, Experience – 10marks and for Interview – 30marks.  In this phase also you have to score a minimum of 40% marks for General candidates. Based on the marks of written examination and GD & Interview your selection is made.

General Knowledge Quiz 2010 - 60

1.      What is the full form ‘Core’ in Core banking solutions?

a)Central Organization for Rural Employees

b)Centralized Online Realtime Electronic

c)Centralized Online Realtime Exchange

d)Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy

e)none

2.      Which is the first State in the country to announce a ban on Bt brinjal even before the Central government takes a final decision?

a)Gujarat    b)Uttarakhand    c)Madhya Pradesh     d)Karnataka   e)none

3.      Who has been named the 2009 WTA (Women Tennis Association) player of the year?

a)Serena Williams    b)Kim Clijsters    c)Elena Dementieva    d)Venus Williams   e)none

4.      Which country has agreed to pay the United Nations around $10m in compensation for damage caused to UN buildings in Gaza during last year's war?

a)US     b)Israel    c)Iran    d)North Korea   e)none

5.      Which North Eastern state has four Chief Ministers?

a)Sikkim     b)Arunachal Pradesh     c)Manipur    d)Meghalaya   e)Assam

6.      Who wrote the book ‘No Country for Women’?

a)Aung San Suu Kyi    b)Sonia Gandhi    c)Taslima Nasrin    d)Sushma Swaraj   e)none

7.      Recently which country became second in Latin America to have a cabinet with gender parity(equal number of women and men)?

a)Chile    b)Argentina    c)Brazil     d)Peru   e)Bolivia

8.      Who has been appointed as the new chief of National Investigation Agency(NIA)?

a)Radha Vinod Raju     b)V S Tiwari    c)Ashwin Kumar   d)Sharad Chandra Sinha   e)none

9.      Expand CASA, term used in banking?

a)Capital Account Savings Account

b)Current Analysis Savings Account

c)Cost Analysis Strategy Assessment

d)Current Account Savings Account

e)none

10. Which of the following has became the first Indian automobile company to produce one million cars in a year?

a)Tata Motors    b)Mahindra & Mahindra    c)Hyundai    d)Maruthi Suzuki    e)none

11. Which country has launched its domestically designed and developed guided missile destroyer “Jamaran”?

a)Iran    b)North Korea    c)India   d)China   e)Turkey

12. Reena Kaushal has created history by becoming the first Indian women to ski _________?

a)North Pole     b)South Pole    c)both a & b    d)Mount Everest    e)none

13. According to a report by global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), India could become the world’s third largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP), overtaking Japan in _____?

a)2012   b)2015    c)2020   d)2025   e)none

14. ‘The Road Ahead’ is a book written by _________?

a)Bill Gates     b)Warren Buffet     c)Carlos Slim    d)Bill Clinton   e)none

15. Vikram Srivastava ia appointed as the new Director General of ______________?

a)Border security Force    b)Assam Rifles     c)Central Industrial Security Force   d)Indo-Tibetan Border Police    e) Central Reserve Police Force

16. Which Country has banned the 2D version of the movie ‘Avatar’?

a)Iran     b)India     c)North Korea    d)Srilanka    e)China

17. Which state having the largest number of people below the poverty line (BPL), a/c to the latest figures?

a)Bihar    b)Uttar Pradesh    c)Orissa   d)Jharkhand    e)none

18. Which state is the second largest state-economy in India after Maharashtra?

a)Tamilnadu    b)Gujarat    c)Uttar Pradesh    d)Karnataka    e)Andhra Pradesh

19. Which of the following Country has the largest oil Reserves and largest exporter of Petroleum in the World?

a)Canada      b)Venezuela    c)Russia    d)Saudi Arabia    e)Iran

20. Presently Kaushik Basu holds which of the following position?

a)Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council

b)Finance Secretary

c)Chief Economic Advisor

d)Revenue Secretary

e)none of these

February Current Affairs II - 2010

·         India has offered foodgrains and a soft loan of USD 250 million to Nepal when Ram Baran Yadav visited India, and the two countries signed four pacts, including one on opening up air traffic and another on building of railway infrastructure at five border points.

·         Documentary filmmaker M V Krishnawamy has been selected for V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award.(Go for Part1)

·         India has retained its position as world's largest gold consumer overtaking China, the World Gold Council (WGC) has said.

·         Bharti Airtel said it has offered USD 10.7 billion (nearly Rs 50,000 crore) to buy Kuwait-based Zain telecom's mobile operations in Africa, in a deal that would catapult India's largest private telecom firm in the league of world's top 10 operators.

·         Delhi will host the next South Asian Games in 2012.

·         UK court allows Hindu-style funeral pyres. In a landmark judgement, Davender Ghai, an Indian-origin social and religious leader won his bid for the right to be cremated on a traditional open-air funeral pyre according to Hindu rituals.

·         Shane Watson beat Michael Clarke by a comfortable 15-vote margin to bag the Allan Border Medal besides being named Australia's ODI Player of the Year.

·         India plans to progressively base six surface-to-air Akash missile squadrons in the North-East to counter the threat posed by Chinese fighters, helicopters and drones in the region. 

·         Taiwan has eased its laws to allow visa-free entry to those Indians who hold valid visas of several countries including the US, the UK and Schengen states.

·         Noted litterateur C Raghavan, credited with bringing out the first authentic book on Tulu language passed away.

·         India and Maldives agreed to step up cooperation to meet the twin challenges of terrorism and radicalization.

·         France has agreed to sell Russia the 23,000-tonne Mistral class warship. It would be the first arms deal of its kind between Russia and a NATO member.

·         In most parts of the world, including India, women are way behind men in ownership of farm land, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The FAO report says out of the total 119 lakh farm land holders in the country, only 9.21 per cent are women.

·         The Hyderabad international airport has been named amongst the world's top five in the annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) passenger. The survey, conducted by Airports Council International (ACI), an autonomous body representing world airports. The top five awards in the worldwide category go to Seoul Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport respectively.

·         External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has been awarded with this year's Global Alumini Award by his alma mater Southern Methodist University of the United States for his distinguished career and accomplishments.

·         Parambikkulam wildlife sanctuary in central Kerala declared the country's 38th Tiger reserve as part of efforts to protect the big cat.

·         Against the backdrop of the two-month long agitation by teachers demanding payment of arrears, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a six-month long ban on strikes in all 12 state universities and 460 government-aided degree colleges in the state.

·         China tops among the leading countries emitting green house gas. China, which contributes 19.5 per cent of green house gas emission, is followed by the US (19.2 per cent), India (5.3 per cent), Russia (5.1 per cent), Japan (3.6 per cent) and Germany (2.6 per cent).

·         India has topped the list of export markets for Dubai for the second consecutive year with a share of 40.6 per cent at 21.3 billion dirhams (Rs 268.348 billion).

·         The Asian Development Bank will be providing up to USD 300 million to help India to develop and expand its micro, small and medium enterprises.

BPLR to Base Rate in Banking - 2010

The Reserve Bank constituted a Working Group on Benchmark Prime Lending Rate chaired by Shri Deepak Mohanty to review the present benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) system and suggest changes to make credit pricing more transparent. After considering the recommendations of the Group, RBI proposed to replace the current system of benchmark prime lending rate (PLR) with a new base rate which will be made effective from 1st July 2010.

·        What is Benchmark Prime Lending Rate(BPLR)?

It is the interest rate that commercial banks charge their most credit-worthy customers. Banks are free to fix Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR) for credit limits over Rs.2 lakh with the approval of their respective Boards.

·        What is Sub-PLR?

Sub-prime lending usually refers to the practice of giving loans to those who do not qualify for regular loans at market interest rates because of their poor credit history. These loans are risky for both, those who are giving and those who are taking, because these combine high interest rates and bad credit history.

What are the changes made?

·        The base rate, which will replace the prime lending rate (PLR), is aimed at bringing more transparency in loan pricing.

·        The actual lending rates charged to borrowers would be the Base Rate plus borrower-specific charges, which will include product-specific operating costs, credit risk premium and tenor premium.

·        All categories of loans should henceforth be priced only with reference to the Base Rate.

·        Since the Base Rate will be the minimum rate for all commercial loans, banks are not permitted to resort to any lending below the Base Rate. This comes in the backdrop of the BPLR system failing to achieve what it was originally intended for -- transparency in lending rates charged by banks.

·        The current stipulation of BPLR as the ceiling rate for loans up to Rs 2 lakh stands withdrawn.

·        Each bank may decide its own base rate as a reference from July 1^st. The actual lending rate decided on individual basis takes into account the base rate plus charges specific to the individual borrower based on his credit profile, loan eligibility and other criteria relevant to lending norms practiced by the banks.

Why RBI chosen for the new Base rate for all Scheduled Commercial banks?

Lending operations of a bank need to aid growth in the economy by directing fund flow towards productive uses at reasonable interest rates. In this context, interest rates play a crucial role and are critical to the rise and fall of the economy.

At present in India, around 70% of the loans are below PLR/sub-PLR.

RBI have a ample evidence of this in the United States housing boom and crash, which indicates that lack of regulation and transparency in the credit system can create havoc in the economy. So that’s why RBI has decided to go for new Base rate which replaces BPLR.

However RBI has given some exemptions in the new base rate:

Loans against fixed deposits, loans given by a bank to its own employees, as well as restructured loans, where borrowers get more time and pay lower rates to avert defaults, can be given at interest rates that are below the base rate.

Quiz On General Awareness 2010 - 59

1.      As per the 13^th Finance commission report, the share of states in net proceeds of sharable central taxes has been increased to ______ from the level of 30.5%?

a)34%     b)31.5%    c)32%    d)35%   e)none

2.      Who among the following is the India’s most trusted person, published by Reader’s Digest?

a)Ratan Tata    b)Narayana Murthy    c)Abdul Kalam   d)Rahul Gandhi   e)none

3.      Which of the following state is the most polluted state in India, a/c to the latest report by Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB)?

a)Maharashtra     b)Tamilnadu     c)Andhra Pradesh    d)Gujarat   e)Karnataka

4.      Who has been honored as the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, at the London Film Festival?

a)Amitabh Bachchan     b)Monika Mohta    c)Kishwar Desai    d)Jaya Bachchan   e)none

5.      Who has been awarded the Rani Lakshmi Bai Award for the year 2009?

a)Sunita Devi    b)Maha Jabeen    c)sugatha Kumari    d)Ved Kumari Ghai   e)M Vijaya

6.      Recently G P Birla has passed away he was a famous __________?

a)Economist     b)Actor    c)Politician   d)Industrialist    e)none

7.      SEBI has directed stock exchanges to provide details related to shares allotted to institutional investors through QIP. what is the full form of QIP?

a)Quality Investment Partner

b)Qualified Institutional Placements

c)Quality Improvement Programme

d) Quality Intellectual Property

e)none of these

8.      What is the current Repo rate?

a)4.75%    b)3.5%    c)5.0%    d)6%   e)none

9.      Recently RBI has inaugurated its sub-office in which of the following states?

a)Sikkim    b)Meghalaya    c)Assam   d)Maharashtra    e)Andhra Pradesh

10. A/c to a report released by WTO, the World Trade fell by ____ percent in 2009 due to Global Economic crisis?

a)8%     b)10%     c)12%    d)15%    e)none of these

11. India’s biggest commodity exchange MCX emerged as the ____ largest commodity exchange in the world in terms of contracts in 2009?

a)fourth     b)second     c)third    d)sixth    e)none

12. To which of the following centre has approved the proposal for release of equity infusion of Rs. 800 crore, which is facing severe financial losses?

a)Bsnl     b)Air India    c)SAIL     d)HAL   e)none of these

13. Recently Google has shut down its operations in which of the following country due to set of cyber attacks?

a)Iran     b)North Korea     c)Turkey    c)Indonesia    e)China

14. Which state bagged the National award for the best tourism infrastructure for the year 2008-09?

a)Andhra Pradesh    b)Goa    c)Kerala   d)Sikkim   e)Rajasthan

15. On which day World Water day is observed?

a)April 22^nd    b)Sep 23^rd    c)May 22^nd    d)March 22^nd    e)none

16. Which is the First State in India to Release Action Plan to Combat Climate Change?

a)Gujarat    b)Delhi   c)Karnataka     d)Meghalaya    e)none

17. Which state introduced the project ‘e-Shishu’, which maintain database of all children between newborn and 14 years of age?

a)Orissa     b)Madhya Pradesh   c)Assam     d)Jammu & Kashmir   e)none

18. According to the Corporate Gender Gap report brought out by the World Economic Forum, India has the lowest percentage of women employees of ___ percent?

a)33%     b)39%    c)26%   d)23%   e)none

19. Mukhesh Ambani has placed at ____ place in the richest person in the world, a/c to the latest report released by Forbes?

a)second     b)third    c)fourth     d)fifth    e)none

20. Which is the first country in the world to have specialized Environment Courts?

a)China    b)UK     c)US   d)Japan    e)India

Quiz on Union Budget 2010-11 and Economic Survey 2009-10

1.      How many crores are allocated for National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a)100 crore    b)250 crore    c)500 crore    d)1000 crore    e)2000 crore

2.      Which of the following is true regarding Income tax slabs in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a)No Income tax up to Rs. 1.8 lakh

b)10% for income above Rs. 1.8 lakh and up to Rs. 6 lakh

c) 20% for income above Rs. 6 lakh and up to Rs. 8 lakh

d)30% for income above Rs. 8 lakh.

e)All are true

3.      How many crores are allocated for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the Union budget 2010-11?

a)37,100 cr    b)40,100 cr    c)48,000 cr    d)32,000 cr    e)None of these

4.      The Minimum Alternate Tax(MAT) has been changed to ____ from 15% on book profits of Companies?

a)16%    b)12%    c)18%    d)14%    e)remain unchanged.

5.      In the Union Budget 2010-11, Rs. 16,500 crore are allocated for Public Sector Banks(PSB) in order to attain a minimum of ____ percent Tier-1 capital by March 31^st, 2011?

a)8%    b)6%     c) 11%     d)5%    e)10%

6.      How much amount is allocated for Mahila Kisan Sashatikaran pariyojajana to meet needs of women farmers in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a)50 crores     b)75 crore    c)100 crore   d)125 crore    e)200 crore

7.      What is the target set for agriculture credit flow for the year 2010-11?

a)3 lakh crore    b)3.25 lakh crore  c)3.5 lakh crore   d)3.75 lakh crore   e)none

8.      What is the proposed Fiscal Deficit for the year 2010-11?

a)4.8%    b)7.8%    c)5%    d)6.9%    e)5.5%

9.      To which of the following schemes there is a 700% increase in the Union Budget 2010-11 over the previous budget?

a)Rajiv Awas Yojana     b)Indira Awas Yojana    c)Pradhan Mantri Gram Adarsh Gram Yojana    d)National Social Assistance Programme   e)National Rural Health Mission

10. What is the Total amount used in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a)12akh crore    b)9 lakh crore    c)10 lakh crore    d)11 lakh crore   e)none

11. How many crores are allocated to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for 2010-11?

a)120 crore    b)500 crore    c)1,600 crore    d)1,000 crore    e)none of these

12. What is the expected GDP growth in the fiscal year 2009-10?

a)7.7%     b)6.9%    c)7.9%    d)7.5%    e)7.2%

13. Which of the following is true in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a) Government will raise Rs35,000 crore from divestment of its stake in state-owned firms.

b) Rs200 crore provided for climate-resilient agriculture initiative.

c) Rs1,73,552 crore provided for infrastructure development.

d) Rs500 crore allocated for solar and hydro projects for the Ladakh region in Jammu & Kashmir.

e)All are true

14. In the Union Budget 2010-11, Rs. 1,47, 344 crore are allocated for which of the following?

a)Rural Development     b)Defence    c)Infrastructure    d)Social Service   e)Energy

15. Government to give ______ for each National Pension Scheme account opened by workers in the unorganized sector?

a)Rs. 400    b)Rs. 500    c)Rs.800    d)Rs. 1000   e)Rs. 1500

16. Which of the following is not true in the Union Budget 2010-11?

a)Rs.2,600 crore allocated for ministry of minorities affair.

b) Banking facilities to be provided to all habitations with a population of 2,000 and more.

c) Central excise duty on all non-petroleum products raised to 10% from 8%.

d) Gross tax receipts pegged at Rs7,46,656 crore for 2010-11, non-tax revenues at Rs1,48,118 crore.

e)100%  percent hike in allocation for schemes for women and child development.

17. A/c to the Economic Survey 2009-10, India is the ____largest Gold holding nation at 557 tonnes in the World?

a)3^rd     b)8^th     c)5^th    d)10^th    e)11^th

18. A/c to the Economic Survey, India is placed at which place in Wireless Network mobile users in the World?

a)first    b)second     c)Third    d)fourth    e)fifth

19. As per the Economic Survey 2009-10, India is ranked fourth in the World in terms of foreign exchange reserves at $283. Billion. Which country having the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves?

a)China    b)US    c)Japan    d)Russia    e)none of these

20. Which of the following is true regarding Economic Survey 2009-10?

a)Gradual roll back of stimulus steps unveiled in the wake of the global financial meltdown.

b) 4.34 crore households have been provided employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the fiscal year 2009-10.

c) Infant mortality rate (IMR) is expected to fall below 30 in every 1,000 live births by 2012

d) The Indian pharmaceutical industry has become the third largest in world in terms of volume.

e)All are true

Note: 

2 Q: For correct tax slabs visit this link.

11 Q: 1900 crores

16 Q: Only 50% hike.