What Do You Need for SBI PO?
SBI PO 2026 at a Glance
The State Bank of India recruits Probationary Officers through its own three-phase exam.
Vacancies: 1,446 regular + 54 backlog, as reported. Fee: ₹750 for General, OBC and EWS; nil for SC, ST and PwBD. Always confirm on sbi.bank.in/web/careers.
Who Is Eligible for SBI PO?
1. Age
21–30 years on the date in the notification.
2. Qualification
Graduation in any subject. Final-year students can apply but must show proof of passing by the date set.
3. Attempts
4 for General/EWS, 7 for OBC and PwBD, no limit for SC/ST (recent notifications).
4. Age relaxation
5 years SC/ST, 3 years OBC (non-creamy layer), 10 years PwBD, and others as per rules.
Three-Phase Selection
Final merit: mains 75%, group exercise and interview 25%.
Phase I — Prelims
Qualifying. About 10 times the vacancies are shortlisted for mains.
Phase II — Mains
Objective test (200) and descriptive test (50).
Phase III
Psychometric test, group exercise and interview.
Final merit
Mains scaled to 75 + phase III scaled to 25, category-wise.
Phase I — Prelims Pattern Qualifying
Each section has its own 20-minute timer. 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer.
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 min |
Unlike IBPS PO, SBI PO prelims has no sectional cut-off in recent notifications — only an overall cut-off.
Phase II — Mains Pattern
Objective test followed by a descriptive test, online on the same day. Mains marks count in the final merit.
| Section | Qs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 min |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 50 | 45 min |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 min |
| Objective total | 155 | 200 | 3 h |
Descriptive Test
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English — Letter and Essay | 2 | 50 | 30 min |
Mains total: 250 marks (200 objective + 50 descriptive). Pattern as per recent notifications.
Phase III — Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Interview
For candidates shortlisted from mains (about three times the vacancies).
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Psychometric test | Profile only |
| Group exercise | 20 |
| Interview | 30 |
| Total | 50 |
Psychometric test
A personality profile shared with the panel. Answer honestly and consistently.
Group exercise
Listen, add relevant points and help the group reach a conclusion.
Interview
Banking basics, current affairs, your background and why SBI.
Minimum qualifying marks for phase III are set by the bank.
SBI PO Syllabus
Mains questions are harder than IBPS PO, especially reasoning and DI. Tap a subject to see its topics.
Reasoning & Computer AptitudePrelims · Mains
- Puzzles and seating arrangement — high level
- Syllogism, inequalities and data sufficiency
- Blood relations, directions, coding-decoding
- Input-output and logical reasoning
- Computer fundamentals, networking, MS Office
- Internet and cyber security
Quantitative Aptitude / Data AnalysisPrelims · Mains
- Simplification and approximation
- Number series and quadratic equations
- Data interpretation — tables, charts, caselets, missing DI
- Arithmetic — percentage, ratio, profit and loss, interest
- Probability, permutation and combination
- Data sufficiency
English LanguagePrelims · Mains · Descriptive
- Reading comprehension
- Cloze test and fillers
- Error detection and sentence improvement
- Para jumbles and sentence connectors
- Vocabulary and word usage
- Letter and essay writing
General / Economy / Banking AwarenessMains
- Current affairs — last six months
- Banking terms, history and reforms
- RBI — monetary policy, circulars, regulations
- Indian economy and Union Budget
- Financial markets and institutions
- Government schemes and static GK
Free SBI PO Study Material
Notes, practice questions and monthly banking awareness.
These resources are being added subject by subject. Pages marked “Coming soon” are not published yet.
High-Level Puzzles
Mains-level puzzles with step-by-step methods.
Coming soon →Data Analysis
Caselets, missing DI and data sufficiency.
Coming soon →English Language
RC, cloze and vocabulary.
Coming soon →Letter & Essay
Formats, topics and model answers.
Coming soon →Group Exercise & Interview
How phase III works, with sample topics.
Coming soon →SBI PO Mock Tests
Full-length tests with sectional timers and negative marking.
Under development. The mock tests below are planned and will open here when ready.
Prelims Full Mock
Mains Full Mock
Descriptive Practice
Group Exercise Topics
SBI PO Previous-Year Papers
Memory-based prelims and mains papers with solutions.
Coming soon.
How to Prepare for SBI PO
The toughest bank PO exam — aim for accuracy at a high level.
Score in English
English has 40 questions in prelims — a strong English score helps clear the overall cut-off.
Practise hard puzzles
Mains reasoning is lengthy — solve high-level puzzles daily.
Master DI
Data Analysis carries 50 marks for just 30 questions.
Read banking news daily
Banking awareness has 50 questions in mains.
Write regularly
The descriptive test is worth 50 marks — practise letters and essays weekly.
Prepare for phase III
Practise group discussions and mock interviews with friends.
SBI PO 2026 Dates
Prelims was held on 1–2 August 2026 and mains on 12 September 2026; the mains result came out on 15 October 2026. The psychometric test is on 30 October 2026, with group exercise and interviews from 18 November 2026. Always check the official website.
SBI PO FAQs
What is SBI PO?
SBI PO is the State Bank of India’s own recruitment exam for Probationary Officers. It is separate from IBPS PO. Official information is on sbi.bank.in/web/careers.
What is the age limit?
21–30 years on the date in the notification. Relaxation: 5 years SC/ST, 3 years OBC (non-creamy layer), 10 years PwBD, and others as per rules.
How many attempts are allowed?
As per recent notifications: 4 for General/EWS, 7 for OBC and PwBD (General/EWS/OBC), and no limit for SC/ST.
How is the final merit made?
Mains (250 marks) is scaled to 75, and phase III (group exercise and interview, 50 marks) is scaled to 25. Prelims marks are not counted.
Is there a service bond?
Recent notifications have required selected officers to sign an indemnity bond to serve the bank for a minimum period. Check the current notification for the amount and period.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. A quarter of a question’s marks is deducted for each wrong answer in prelims and in the mains objective test.