SBI PO (Probationary Officer)
What is SBI PO, who can apply, and how do the prelims, mains and Phase III lead to an officer post in State Bank of India?
SBI PO is State Bank of India's own recruitment of Probationary Officers, run separately from IBPS. It has three phases: an online preliminary exam, an online main exam with a typed descriptive paper, and Phase III, which is a psychometric test, a group exercise and an interview. This page follows SBI's advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09, which opened registration on 18 June 2026 for 1,500 vacancies.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 30 June 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
Registration closed on 8 July 2026. The notice gives tentative months for the later stages (Phase III in October or November 2026); check sbi.bank.in/web/careers for results.
Exam at a glance
- Conducted by
- State Bank of India, Central Recruitment & Promotion Department, Corporate Centre, Mumbai[1]
- Vacancies (2026)
- 1,500 (1,446 regular and 54 backlog)[1]
- Education
- A degree in any discipline, passed on or before 30 September 2026[1]
- Age limit
- 21 to 30 years on 1 April 2026 (born between 2 April 1996 and 1 April 2005)[1]
- Stages
- Preliminary exam, Main exam (objective and descriptive), Phase III: psychometric test, group exercise and interview[1]
- Chances allowed
- 6 for UR and EWS; 9 for OBC and UR/EWS PwBD; no limit for SC and ST[1]
- Application fee
- Rs 750 (nil for SC, ST and PwBD)[1]
- Starting basic pay
- Rs 48,480 plus 4 advance increments, Junior Management Grade Scale-I (48480-2000/7-62480-2340/2-67160-2680/7-85920)[1]
Final merit: main exam 75, Phase III 25
| Test | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total (100 marks) | 100 | 1 hour |
The notice gives 100 marks for the whole paper, not a split by section. There is no sectional cut-off in the prelims; about 10 times the vacancies in each category go to the mains.[1]
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 minutes |
| Objective total | 170 | 200 | 3 hours |
| Descriptive paper: communication skills (an email, a situation analysis, a report or precis) | 3 | 30 | 30 minutes |
You need the sectional minimum in each of the four tests and in the descriptive paper, then a minimum total. Up to about 3 times the vacancies in each category go to Phase III. A wrong objective answer costs one fourth of that question's marks in the prelims and the mains; a blank costs nothing.[1]
| Part | Marks |
|---|---|
| Group exercise | 20 |
| Interview | 30 |
| Total | 50 |
The psychometric test carries no marks; its findings go to the interview panel. SBI decides the qualifying marks.[1]
You need a degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or an equivalent the Central Government recognises, passed on or before 30 September 2026. Final-year students may apply provisionally, but if called for interview they must show they passed by that date. Medical, engineering, chartered accountant and cost accountant qualifications are also accepted.
The age band is 21 to 30 years on 1 April 2026: born not earlier than 2 April 1996 and not later than 1 April 2005. The upper limit is relaxed by 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer), 5 for SC and ST, 10, 13 or 15 for PwBD (UR/EWS, OBC, SC/ST), and 5 for ex-servicemen and commissioned officers with 5 years of military service. Relaxations do not add up.
SBI also caps the number of attempts. Sitting the main exam counts as a chance; sitting only the prelims does not. UR and EWS candidates get 6 chances, OBC candidates and UR or EWS candidates with a benchmark disability get 9, and SC and ST candidates have no limit.[1]
- Phase I, preliminary exam: 100 objective questions in one hour. It only shortlists; its marks don't count in the final list.
- Phase II, main exam: a 3-hour objective test for 200 marks, then a 30-minute descriptive paper for 30 marks, typed on the computer straight after.
- Phase III: a psychometric test for personality profiling, whose findings go to the interview panel, then a group exercise (20 marks) and an interview (30 marks).
- Final merit: main exam marks (out of 230) are scaled to 75 and Phase III marks (out of 50) to 25. You must qualify in Phase II and Phase III separately.
Source[1]
Selected candidates join as Probationary Officers and may be posted anywhere in India. Before joining they complete an online course in basic banking, and at joining they sign a bond of Rs 2 lakh to serve at least three years.
Probation may last two years, with continuous assessment. Officers who meet the bank's standard are confirmed in Junior Management Grade Scale-I; the notice says the services of those who don't may be ended. The starting basic pay is Rs 48,480 plus 4 advance increments, with DA, HRA and other allowances under the bank's rules.[1]
- 18 June to 8 July 2026: online registration and fee payment.
- August 2026: preliminary exam (tentative).
- September 2026: main exam (tentative).
- October or November 2026: psychometric test, group exercise and interview (tentative).
- Before the next notice: check your age and degree dates against it, and count how many times you have already sat the SBI PO main exam.
- For the mains, practise the descriptive paper as typing, not handwriting. It comes straight after a 3-hour objective test.
Source[1]
Tips and tricks
- Keep about 8 copies of the photo you upload. SBI asks for it at later stages, and at the prelims you need two extra copies besides the one pasted on the call letter.[1]
- Track your attempts. Each SBI PO main exam you sat in earlier rounds uses up a chance, and once you reach your limit you can't apply.[1]
- Practise the descriptive paper (an email, a situation analysis, and a report or precis) by typing against a 30-minute clock.[1]
Questions people ask
What is the age limit for SBI PO 2026?
21 to 30 years on 1 April 2026, so you must be born between 2 April 1996 and 1 April 2005, both days included. OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates get 3 more years, SC and ST 5, and PwBD 10 to 15.[1]
Can final-year students apply for SBI PO?
Yes, provisionally. If you are called for the interview, you must show that you passed your degree on or before 30 September 2026.[1]
How many attempts are allowed in SBI PO?
6 for UR and EWS, 9 for OBC and for UR or EWS candidates with a benchmark disability, and no limit for SC and ST. Only sitting the main exam counts as an attempt.[1]
Do SBI PO prelims marks count in the final result?
No. The final list uses the main exam (scaled to 75) and the group exercise and interview (scaled to 25).[1]
Is there negative marking in SBI PO?
Yes, in the objective tests of both the prelims and the mains: one fourth of the question's marks for each wrong answer, and nothing for a blank.[1]
Connected pages
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- Related · ExamLIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer, Generalist)LIC AAO (Generalist) from the official notice: the 21-30 age rule, prelims, mains and interview, basic pay of Rs 88,635, the bond and LIC's own cut-offs.
- Related · ExamNICL AO (Administrative Officer, Scale I) 2026-27NICL AO 2026-27 from the official advert: 321 Scale I officer posts, the 60% degree rule, 21-30 age band, prelims, mains, interview and the 4-year bond.
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Official and partner links
- Official bodyState Bank of India careers (official website)
Sources
- Recruitment of Probationary Officers, Advertisement No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 (online registration 18.06.2026 to 08.07.2026), State Bank of India, Central Recruitment & Promotion Department. Printed pp. 1-2 (schedule, vacancies), 3 (age, education), 5 (chances), 6-7 (fee, prelims, mains, Phase III), 7 (final merit, pay), 8 (joining, bond, probation). Accessed 1 November 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 1 November 2026.