SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026 Revised, Check Prelims, Mains, Descriptive Pattern

State Bank of India will be conducting SBI PO Exam in three phases: Online Prelims Exam, Mains Exam and Interview Process to recruit 1500 Probationary Officers. To succeed in the SBI PO Recruitment Exam, all banking aspirants must be familiar with the latest exam pattern to start their efficient preparation for the exam. Let's have a look at the detailed SBI PO Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern from the article for your preparation.

SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026

Along with the latest notification, the bank has exam pattern of all three stages. The candidate must qualify in all three stages (Prelims, Mains & Interview) with a minimum cut-off mark set by the authorities. Prelims will be of a qualifying nature; however, Mains & Interview marks will be considered while releasing the merit list. To qualify for each stage, go through the section below and prepare as per the latest SBI PO 2026 Exam Pattern.

Changes in Exam Pattern: 

• Previously the descriptive exam was of 50 marks and from 2026, there will be 30 marks only. 
• Mains Marks has been reduced from 250 to 230. 
• Attempts Limit has been increased from 4 to 6 for UR/EWS and 7 to 8 for OBC candidates. 

SBI PO 2026 Prelims Exam Pattern

The first stage for SBI PO 2026 Recruitment is the Preliminary Exam, in which the aspirant has to qualify in order to get shortlisted for SBI PO Mains Exam.

1. There will be 3 sections in the SBI PO Prelims Exam, like any other PO Exam: English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability.

2. A total of 100 Objective type questions will be asked in the SBI PO Prelims Exam 2026.

3. The duration of the exam is 01 hour (20 minutes for each section).

4. SBI PO Prelims is qualifying in nature, and marks will not be counted while preparing the merit list.

5. There will be no sectional cut-off in the prelims exam. 

Penalty for wrong answer: 0.25 marks will be deducted for every question attempted wrong by a candidate. No deduction will be there in marks if a question is left unattempted or blank by a candidate.

Selection criteria for Main Examination: Category-wise merit list will be drawn on the basis of the aggregate marks scored in the Preliminary Exam. There will be no sectional cut-off. Candidates numbering 10 times the number of vacancies (approx.) in each category will be shortlisted for the Main Examination from the top of the above merit list.

SBI PO Notification 2026 Out For 1500 Vacancies- Click to Check

SBI PO Apply Online 2026 Starts- Click to Apply

SBI PO 2026 Mains Exam Pattern

The SBI PO Mains Exam will comprise an Objective & Descriptive Section, which is described below in detail:

1. Objective paper to be completed in 3 hours and descriptive paper in 30 minutes.

2. In the objective part, there will be 4 sections, namely Reasoning & Computer Aptitude; Data Analysis & Interpretation & General/Economy/Banking Awareness; and English Language.

3. A descriptive paper will be conducted along with the above-mentioned online test, and there will be 2 questions in this paper.

4. Penalty for wrong answer: 0.25 marks will be deducted for every question answered wrongly by a candidate in the SBI PO Mains Exam. No deduction will be made in marks if a question is left unattempted or blank by a candidate in the exam.

5. Sectional Cut Off: There will be sectional cut off marks in the Mains exam. Each candidmust achieve the minimum score in each test oft in the Main Examination.

(i) Objective Test: The objective test of 3 hours duration consists of 4 Sections of 170 questions for total 200 marks. The objective test will have separate timing for every section.

(ii) Descriptive Test: The Descriptive Test of 30 minutes duration with two questions for 50 marks will be a Test of English Language (Letter Writing & Essay).

Psycometrice Test, Group Exercise & Personal Interview

• Candidates who qualify for the main examination are called for the psychometric test, group discussion, and interview.
• The psychometric test assesses candidates' psychological traits and suitability for the banking profession.
• Group discussion and interview further evaluate the candidates' communication skills, leadership qualities, and overall personality.

Final Selection

After a candidate has gone through Personal Interviews, a merit list will be prepared by the State Bank of India, wherein the candidate's score of the Mains Exam and Interview Round will be taken into account. Based on the score obtained by candidates and the available vacancies, final cut-off marks will be declared. All candidates who clear the cut-off range will be granted the Appointment Letter by State Bank of India for the post of Probationary Officer.