SBI PO
Recruits Probationary Officers for State Bank of India, the country's largest bank — the most sought-after entry-level officer post in Indian banking.
Eligibility
A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Age 21-30 years on the cut-off date, with standard relaxations. General-category candidates get a maximum of 4 attempts (OBC 7; no limit for SC/ST/PwBD).
Age limit: 21-30 years (relaxations for reserved categories)
Exam pattern
Three phases, revised from the 2025 cycle. Prelims: 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes (English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning) — qualifying, with an overall cut-off but no sectional cut-off. Mains: objective paper of 200 marks over 3 hours (Reasoning & Computer Aptitude 60m, Data Analysis & Interpretation 60m, General/Economy/Banking Awareness 60m, English 20m) plus a 50-mark, 30-minute descriptive test comprising email writing, report writing, situation analysis and précis. Phase III: psychometric test, group exercise and interview (50 marks). Negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer; final merit weighs mains and Phase III in a 75:25 ratio.
Syllabus at a glance
Prelims covers English comprehension and grammar, arithmetic and data interpretation, and high-level reasoning puzzles. Mains stresses data analysis and interpretation (caselets, charts), reasoning with computer aptitude, and General/Economy/Banking Awareness including current financial affairs. The descriptive paper tests structured business writing; Phase III assesses personality and communication.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims result | Aug-Sep 2026 | expected |
| Mains exam | 12 Sep 2026 | confirmed |
| Phase III (psychometric, group exercise, interview) | Oct-Nov 2026 | expected |
| Final result | Dec 2026 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations — R.S. Aggarwal
- Data Interpretation (Magical Book Series) — K. Kundan (BSC Publishing)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning — M.K. Pandey (BSC Publishing)
- Word Power Made Easy — Norman Lewis
- Banking Awareness — Arihant Experts
How toppers play it
- SBI PO prelims has no sectional cut-off — maximise attempts in your strongest section to clear the overall cut-off, unlike IBPS where all sections matter.
- The 50-mark descriptive paper (email, report, situation analysis, précis) can swing final merit; practise all four formats on a keyboard within 30 minutes.
- Mains data analysis is markedly tougher than other bank exams — drill caselet and multi-chart data interpretation at CAT-lite difficulty.
- Attempts are capped (4 for general category), so appear only when genuinely prepared with 25-30 full mocks completed.
- For Phase III, prepare a crisp narrative on banking current events and why banking — the group exercise and interview contribute a full 25% of final merit.