SBI SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026: Subject-wise Important Topics

The SBI SO law officer syllabus 2026 covers three major sections: Reasoning, English Language, and Professional Knowledge.  

Professional Knowledge covers six indicative legal topics: Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Procedural Law, Statutory Interpretation & Legal Drafting along with the New Labour Codes.  

• The SBI SO law officer written test under Advertisement No. CRPD/SCO/2026-27/02 is scheduled for August 23, 2026  
• Reasoning and English Language sections are qualifying only  
• The written test carries 70% weightage and the interview 30% in the final merit list  

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SBI SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026 Overview 

Before we understand the section-wise syllabus, the table below gives you the overall topics/subjects covered in SBI SO law officer 2026 exam.  

Section	Key Topics Covered	Nature
Test of Reasoning (25 marks)	Syllogism, seating arrangement, puzzles, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, inequalities	Qualifying only
English Language (35 marks)	Reading comprehension, cloze test, error detection, sentence rearrangement, vocabulary-in-context	Qualifying only
Constitutional Law	Fundamental Rights (Art. 12-35), Directive Principles, constitutional remedies, writ jurisdiction, basic structure doctrine	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
Administrative Law	Delegated legislation, natural justice, judicial review of administrative/quasi-judicial action	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
Financial Sector Laws	Banking Regulation Act 1949, RBI Act 1934, SARFAESI Act 2002, NI Act 1881 (Sec. 138), FEMA 1999, IBC 2016	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
Procedural Laws	CPC (Order 21/execution), CrPC/BNSS (banking fraud, cheque-bounce), Evidence Act/BSA, applied to banking litigation	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
New Labour Codes	The four consolidated labour codes (Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, Occupational Safety) and employer-employee impact	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
Statutory Interpretation & Legal Drafting	Rules of interpretation (literal, golden, mischief), internal/external aids, drafting legal opinions and notices	Merit-counted (part of PK, 50 marks)
Descriptive Test (50 marks)	Draft legal opinions, statutory notices (e.g., SARFAESI possession notice), case-based analytical answers - attempt any 5 of 8 questions	Merit-counted
Interview (100 marks)	Banking-law scenarios, drafting judgment, general awareness of banking-regulatory developments	Merit-counted, 30% of final weightage

SBI SO Law Officer Professional Knowledge Syllabus 2026

As per IBPS' notification, the SBI SO law officer syllabus for professional knowledge test covers fundamental concepts, issues and current developments. This indicates towards the following topics based on previous banking exam patterns.  

Constitutional Law  

Focus on Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35), Directive Principles, constitutional remedies, writ jurisdiction, and the basic structure doctrine.  

Expect more of application-based questions from here for example: which writ applies to a specific banking-regulator action. Simply memorizing may not be enough.  

Administrative Law   

Prioritize delegated act, principles of natural justice (audi alteram partem, bias), and judicial review of administrative and quasi-judicial action.  

It generally has the least weightage but even 3-5 questions can help you improve your score for the prelims and mains.  

Financial Sector Laws  

You may notice the highest number of questions from here. Important topics include Banking Regulation Act 1949, RBI Act 1934, SARFAESI Act 2002, Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, FEMA 1999, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.  

If you're ever running short of preparation time, this is the subject you should prioritize.  

Procedural Laws  

Stick to CPC, CrPC/BNSS as it has sections related to cheque-bounce and fraud cases, and the Evidence Act/BSA.  

Pay attention to areas that are relevant in the banking litigation context.  

New Labour Codes 

You should understand the four consolidated labour codes: Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, Occupational Safety; and how they affect employer-employee obligations.  

Expect only a few questions from this one, but if you're prepared, you can score well here.  

Statutory Interpretation & Legal Drafting  

Rules of interpretation (literal, golden, mischief), internal/external aids, and the practical skill of drafting a legal opinion, notice, or short contract clause are important.  

It directly helps you with the descriptive test.  

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SBI SO Law Officer General Aptitude Syllabus 2026 

The general aptitude section (Reasoning and English Language) is qualifying only. However underpreparing or preparing the wrong topics could turn against your success.  

The SBI SO law officer syllabus 2026 for English Language and Reasoning is as given in the below table:  

Subject	Topics
English Language	Reading comprehension, cloze test, error detection, sentence rearrangement, and vocabulary-in-context
Reasoning	Syllogism, seating arrangement, puzzles, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, inequalities, and other banking reasoning

SBI SO Law Officer 2026 Descriptive Test Syllabus & Question Format 

The descriptive test follows SBI SO law officer syllabus for professional knowledge section. There will be 8 questions in this section; you can choose and answer any 5.  

You can expect the following question types in the descriptive test section:  

• Draft a legal opinion on a hypothetical banking-contract dispute 
• Draft a notice under a specific statute (e.g., SARFAESI possession notice, cheque-bounce demand notice) 
• Short essay-style answers on a current legal development in banking regulation 
• Case-based application questions combining two subject areas  

As per the SBI SO law officer exam pattern, you will get 45 minutes for this section. Make sure to practice answer-writing under time pressure.  

How to Prepare to Cover the SBI SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026 

Once you have the complete syllabus, it's important to plan and follow an effective strategy to ensure that you're exam ready.  

• Start with Qualifying Sections: Give Reasoning and English 20-25 minutes daily from day one. They don't add to your merit, but missing the qualifying cutoff will get you disqualified.  
• Prioritize Financial Sector Laws: In the professional knowledge section, most questions will be from Banking Regulation Act, SARFAESI, RBI Act, NI Act Section 138, FEMA, IBC, etc. Make sure you're well prepared.  
• Do Selective Bare Act Reading: You don't need to cover all acts entirely. Pick and read the sections that are most relevant for the exam. Make notes and use them during revision.  
• Practice Answer-writing for Descriptive Test: Descriptive test carries 50 marks that contribute to the merit list. Do not skip answer-writing practice to make sure you secure these marks.  
• Stay Updated with Current Legal Developments: Keep a running folder of recent RBI circulars, newly notified labour code provisions, and relevant Supreme Court banking judgments.  

Set aside enough time for revision and mock test practice. That's non-negotiable.  

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Here are the key takeaways:  

• The SBI SO law officer syllabus 2026 covers: English, Reasoning, and Professional Knowledge sections  
• Professional Knowledge covers six indicative areas: Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Financial Sector Laws, Procedural Laws, New Labour Codes, and Statutory Interpretation & Legal Drafting  
• This syllabus is indicative as per the SBI SO law officer 2026 notification  
• Descriptive test carries 50 marks and contributes to merit list