SBI PO 2026: Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility & Salary
The State Bank of India Probationary Officer (SBI PO) recruitment is conducted by the Central Recruitment & Promotion Department (CRPD) to recruit Junior Management Grade Scale-I (JMGS-I) officers across India. Selected candidates undergo a two-year probation period leading to confirmation as permanent officers. The multi-stage selection process assesses candidates through Preliminary, Main, and Interview/Group Exercise rounds.
Overview
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI), Central Recruitment & Promotion Department (CRPD) |
|---|---|
| Post Name | Probationary Officer (Junior Management Grade Scale-I) |
| Official Notification Reference | Advertisement No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 (2026) |
| Total Vacancies (2026) | 1,500 vacancies |
| Official Portals | sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings, bank.sbi/careers, and sbi.co.in/careers |
| Probation Period | 2 years |
| Service Bond | ₹2,00,000 for a minimum service period of 3 years |
| Sectional Cut-offs | None in Phase-I or Phase-II |
Eligibility
- Nationality: Must be a citizen of India (2026 notification).
- Educational Qualification: Graduation in any discipline from a recognized University or any equivalent qualification recognized by the Central Government (2026 notification).
- Final Year Students: Candidates in their final year/semester can apply provisionally, provided they produce proof of passing graduation on or before September 30, 2026 (2026 notification).
- Number of Chances: General/EWS candidates are permitted a maximum of 6 chances; OBC and PwBD (UR/EWS/OBC) candidates are permitted 9 chances; SC/ST and PwBD (SC/ST) candidates have no restrictions. Note that appearing in Phase-I does not count as a chance; only appearing in Phase-II Main Examination counts as an attempt (2026 notification).
Age limit
- Minimum Age: 21 years as of April 1, 2026 (candidates must have been born no later than April 1, 2005) (2026 notification).
- Maximum Age: 30 years as of April 1, 2026 (candidates must have been born no earlier than April 2, 1996) (2026 notification).
- Upper Age Relaxation - SC / ST: 5 years (2026 notification).
- Upper Age Relaxation - OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): 3 years (2026 notification).
- Upper Age Relaxation - PwBD: 10 years for UR/EWS, 13 years for OBC, and 15 years for SC/ST (2026 notification).
- Upper Age Relaxation - Ex-Servicemen / Commissioned Officers: 5 years (2026 notification).
Selection process
- Phase-I: Online Preliminary Examination — Screening test comprising 100 objective questions for 100 marks; marks are not added to the final merit list (2026 notification).
- Phase-II: Online Main Examination — Consists of an Objective Test (200 marks) and an online Descriptive Test (30 marks) administered immediately after the objective paper (2026 notification).
- Phase-III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise (20 marks), and Personal Interview (30 marks) (2026 notification).
- Final Merit Normalization: Marks from Phase-II (230 marks) and Phase-III (50 marks) are scaled to a 75:25 ratio to generate a final composite score out of 100 (2026 notification).
SBI PO exam pattern
Phase-I Preliminary Examination
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
Online objective exam lasting 60 minutes with 100 total questions and 100 total marks. Negative marking of 1/4th (0.25) mark for every wrong answer. There are no sectional cut-offs; qualification is determined by aggregate marks (2026 notification).
Phase-II Main Examination (Objective Test)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 minutes |
Total 170 objective questions for 200 marks over 3 hours. Negative marking is 1/4th of the marks assigned to the question. No sectional cut-offs (2026 notification).
Phase-II Main Examination (Descriptive Test)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language (Letter Writing, Essay, Situation Analysis) | 30 | 30 minutes |
Administered online immediately following the objective exam. Candidates type their responses on the computer. No negative marking is applied (2026 notification).
Phase-III (Group Exercise & Interview)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Exercise | 20 | ||
| Personal Interview | 30 | ||
| Psychometric Test | Personality profiling |
Carries a total of 50 marks, normalized along with Phase-II for final merit (2026 notification).
SBI PO syllabus
English Language
Reading comprehension · Cloze test · Error detection · Sentence correction and improvement · Para jumbles · Phrase replacement · Vocabulary (synonyms and antonyms)
Quantitative Aptitude & Data Analysis
Data interpretation (tables, bar/line graphs, pie charts, radar, caselets) · Arithmetic (profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time-speed-distance, ratios, mixtures) · Number series · Quadratic equations · Permutation and combination · Probability
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
Seating arrangements · Complex puzzles (floor, box, scheduling) · Syllogisms · Blood relations · Direction sense · Inequalities · Coding-decoding · Machine input-output · Critical and logical reasoning · Basic computer, hardware, and networking principles
General, Economy & Banking Awareness
Current domestic and international affairs · Indian banking structure · Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notifications and monetary policies · Financial markets · Union Budget and Economic Survey · Government schemes · Financial terminology
Salary
- Grade: Junior Management Grade Scale-I (JMGS-I) (2026 notification).
- Pay Scale: ₹48,480-2000/7-62,480-2340/2-67,160-2680/7-85,920 (2026 notification).
- Starting Basic Pay: ₹48,480 per month with 4 advance increments incorporated (2026 notification).
- Allowances: Eligible for Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA) or Bank Leased Accommodation, City Compensatory Allowance (CCA), NPS, Medical Aid, and Leave Fare Concession (LFC) (2026 notification).
- Annual CTC: Approximate annual Cost to Company (CTC) of ₹21.97 Lakhs at metro centres such as Mumbai (2026 notification).
Application fee
- General, EWS, and OBC candidates: ₹750 (inclusive of intimation charges; non-refundable) (2026 notification).
- SC, ST, and PwBD candidates: Exempted / Nil (₹0) (2026 notification).
Exam calendar
- Registration Window: June to July (June 18 to July 8, 2026) (2026 notification).
- Phase-I Preliminary Exam: August (August 1 & 2, 2026) (2026 notification).
- Phase-II Main Exam: September (September 12, 2026) (2026 notification).
- Phase-III Group Exercise & Interview: October / November 2026 (2026 notification).
- Declaration of Final Results: November / December 2026 (2026 notification).
Preparation tips
- Focus on aggregate score maximization: Because SBI PO does not have sectional cut-offs in Phase-I or Phase-II, focus heavily on your strongest sections while maintaining a baseline across all areas.
- Practice typing for the Descriptive Test: The Descriptive Test is administered on a computer immediately after the 3-hour Phase-II objective test; building typing speed and structured writing skills is essential.
- Target Data Analysis & Interpretation: The Mains quantitative section focuses on complex graphs, radar charts, and caselets, requiring strong foundation in ratios, percentages, and arithmetic topics.
- Track RBI and banking developments: The General Awareness section requires a solid grasp of RBI circulars, monetary policy announcements, and key financial terms.
- Exercise caution with negative marking: Both Phase-I and the Phase-II objective paper deduct 1/4th of the marks for incorrect answers, so avoid blind guessing.
- Prepare for multi-layered reasoning: Main examination puzzles involve combined constraints like floor, box, and scheduling; practicing critical reasoning and machine input-output is vital.
Previous year cut-offs: SBI PO cut off — prelims & mains, category-wise
FAQs
Are there sectional cut-offs in the SBI PO examination?
No, according to the 2026 notification, there are no minimum qualifying sectional cut-offs in either the Phase-I Preliminary Examination or the Phase-II Main Examination. Shortlisting is based entirely on overall aggregate marks.
Does appearing in the SBI PO Preliminary Exam count as an attempt?
No. The 2026 notification clarifies that appearing only in the Phase-I Preliminary Examination is not counted as an attempt. A chance is counted only if a candidate appears in the Phase-II Main Examination.
Can final-year college students apply for SBI PO?
Yes, candidates appearing in the final year or semester of graduation can apply provisionally, provided they produce proof of having passed the graduation examination on or before September 30, 2026 (as per the 2026 notification).
What is the penalty for incorrect answers in the SBI PO objective tests?
A penalty of 1/4th of the marks assigned to the question is deducted for every incorrect response in both Phase-I and the Phase-II Objective Test. There is no penalty for unattempted questions or for the Descriptive Test (2026 notification).
What is the service bond requirement for selected SBI PO candidates?
Candidates selected as Probationary Officers must execute a service bond of ₹2,00,000 agreeing to serve the bank for a minimum period of 3 years. The bond is invoked if the candidate leaves the bank prior to completing 3 years (2026 notification).
How is the final merit list calculated for SBI PO?
Marks obtained in the Phase-I Preliminary Exam are not added to the final score. The final merit list is prepared by normalizing the Phase-II marks (out of 230) and Phase-III marks (out of 50) to a composite score out of 100 using a 75:25 ratio (2026 notification).
Sources
- ixambee.com (www.ixambee.com)
- careerpower.in (www.careerpower.in)
- vyasaias.in (vyasaias.in)
- juniortest.com (www.juniortest.com)
- xylemlearning.com (xylemlearning.com)
Always confirm details in the latest official notification before applying. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
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