SBI PO
State Bank of India
Annual recruitment by State Bank of India for Probationary Officer posts, an entry-level officer cadre role in the bank.
SBI PO is conducted by State Bank of India to recruit Probationary Officers. Selection runs through three stages: an online Prelims of 100 marks, an online and descriptive Mains of 250 marks, and a Group Exercise with Interview carrying 50 marks. Both written stages apply a penalty of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Frequency
Annual
Overview
What is SBI PO?
The examination exists to fill Probationary Officer vacancies in State Bank of India through a single standardised national process. It tests English, quantitative ability and reasoning at the Prelims stage, then widens at Mains to data analysis, reasoning and computers, general economy and banking awareness, English and a descriptive paper. The final stage, a group exercise and personal interview, assesses suitability for officer-level work directly. Those selected join as Probationary Officers and progress through Junior Management Grade, Middle Management, Senior Management and Top Management over the course of a banking career.
Who Can Apply?
The exam is open to Indian citizens holding a Bachelor's degree in any discipline, so graduates from arts, science, commerce and professional streams are equally eligible. The age range is 21 to 30 years, with relaxation of three years for OBC candidates and five years for SC and ST candidates. It suits graduates willing to prepare for a three-stage process that moves from speed-based objective testing to a longer Mains paper with a descriptive component and then to an interview. The starting pay scale runs from Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840, with allowances including DA, HRA, medical, LFC, newspaper and bank quarters. Cycle-specific eligibility cut-off dates should be checked in the official notification.
Career Opportunities
The exam leads to appointment as a Probationary Officer with the State Bank of India, an officer-cadre entry point at branch level. The starting pay scale on record is Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840. Progression from the probationary stage moves into the Junior Management Grade (JMG), and from there into Middle Management, Senior Management and Top Management. Movement through these grades depends on service record and the bank's internal promotion process. Officers in the early grades generally handle branch operations and customer-facing responsibilities before taking on wider administrative charge at higher grades.
How to Apply
- 1
Open the SBI careers page
Go to https://sbi.co.in and open the Careers section, then the Current Openings or Join SBI link for the Probationary Officer recruitment advertisement.
- 2
Read the advertisement
Download the detailed notification PDF and confirm you hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline and meet the eligibility conditions stated there before starting the form.
- 3
Register as a new user
Click Apply Online, choose New Registration, and submit your name, date of birth, email ID and mobile number. A provisional registration number and password are sent to the registered email and mobile.
- 4
Fill the application form
Log in with the registration credentials and complete personal details, category, educational qualification, communication address and examination centre preferences, saving the form at each stage.
- 5
Upload documents
Upload the scanned photograph, signature, handwritten declaration and left thumb impression in the file formats, pixel dimensions and size limits specified in the notification.
- 6
Pay the fee online
Proceed to the integrated payment gateway and pay using debit card, credit card, net banking, UPI or a similar online mode. General and OBC candidates pay the prescribed fee while SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempt as per the notification.
- 7
Submit and save the confirmation
Submit the completed form, download the system generated e-receipt and the filled application, and keep printouts for use at the call letter download and document verification stages.
Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit
21–30 years
Age Relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | +3 years |
| SC | +5 years |
| ST | +5 years |
Educational Qualification
Bachelor's degree in any discipline.
Nationality
Indian citizen.
Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline to apply for SBI PO. The age band is 21 years at the lower end and 30 years at the upper end, with upper age relaxation of 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates. The applicant must be an Indian citizen. Cycle-specific cut-off dates for age and qualification are fixed in the official notification for that year.
Selection Process
Prelims
Online CBT · 60 min
Mains
Online CBT + Descriptive · 3h + 30min
Group Exercise + Interview
GD + PI · 30+30 min
Final Selection
Exam Pattern
Prelims
Online CBTDuration: 60 minTotal: 100 marksNegative: -0.25| Subject / Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
Mains
Online CBT + DescriptiveDuration: 3h + 30minTotal: 250 marksNegative: -0.25| Subject / Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Data Analysis | 35 | 60 |
| Reasoning & Computer | 45 | 60 |
| General Economy & Banking | 40 | 40 |
| English | 35 | 40 |
Group Exercise + Interview
GD + PIDuration: 30+30 minTotal: 50 marksDetailed Syllabus
- Reading comprehension with vocabulary based questions
- Cloze test
- Para jumbles and sentence rearrangement
- Error spotting and sentence correction
- Fill in the blanks, single and double
- Phrase replacement and sentence improvement
- Synonyms, antonyms and idioms
- Para completion and connectors
- Word usage and word swap
Salary & Career Growth
Pay Scale
Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840 (starting)
Allowances & Benefits
Beyond the basic pay scale of Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840, the post carries Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, medical benefits, Leave Fare Concession and a newspaper allowance. Bank quarters may be provided in place of House Rent Allowance where accommodation is available. The applicable rates for these components are notified by the bank and revised from time to time.
Promotion Hierarchy
Probationary Officer to Junior Management Grade (JMG) to Middle Management to Senior Management to Top Management
Job Security
The post is an officer-cadre appointment with the State Bank of India, a public sector bank, and carries a defined pay scale of Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840 at the starting stage. Pay progresses within that scale and further on promotion to higher management grades. Service conditions specific to a recruitment cycle are set out in the official notification.
Preparation Strategy
For Beginners
Begin with the three Prelims subjects, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability, since the same skills carry into Mains in a harder form. Build accuracy before speed, because Prelims and Mains both deduct 0.25 for a wrong answer, and a 100 mark paper in 60 minutes leaves no room to recover from guesswork. Once the basics are steady, shift weight to the Mains sections that carry the most marks, Data Analysis at 60 marks and Reasoning and Computer Aptitude at 60 marks, and start regular reading on banking and the general economy for the 40 mark section. Add descriptive writing practice for the 30 minute Mains component and spoken practice for the group exercise and interview stage, which together carry 50 marks.
Intermediate Level
Inconsistent mock scores at this stage usually trace to attempt selection rather than gaps in knowledge, so audit each Prelims mock by marking every wrong answer as either a calculation slip or a question that should never have been attempted. With 0.25 deducted for each wrong answer, four careless attempts cancel a correct one, and in a 100-mark paper of 60 minutes the cost shows up directly in the sectional count. Fix the pattern by setting a per-section time cap across English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability, leaving any question unsolved once the cap is crossed, then review the skipped set afterwards to confirm the decision was right. For Mains, track accuracy separately for Data Analysis and Reasoning and Computer, since those two carry 60 marks each and swing the 250-mark total more than the other sections, and keep the descriptive component in weekly practice rather than leaving it to the final weeks.
Advanced (Final Stage)
In the closing weeks, shift from topic practice to full-length mocks taken at the actual slot timing, one Prelims set in a strict 60 minutes and one Mains set across the 3 hour objective paper plus the 30 minute descriptive section. Review each attempt for accuracy rather than volume, since the 0.25 mark deduction on wrong answers in both Prelims and Mains makes a disciplined leave-rate more valuable than a few extra attempts. Fix a section order and a per-section time cap in advance, protecting Data Analysis and Reasoning & Computer in Mains because they carry 60 marks each, and keep General Economy & Banking revision limited to short daily recall of current banking and economic developments. For the Group Exercise and Interview stage, worth 50 marks over two 30 minute components, practise speaking on banking topics for two to three minutes at a stretch and prepare clear answers on your academic background and reasons for choosing banking.
3-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Build the Prelims base by working through Quantitative Aptitude arithmetic and calculation speed, Reasoning Ability puzzles and seating arrangement, and English Language grammar and comprehension. Keep a fixed daily split across all three sections, since each carries 35, 35 and 30 questions respectively in a 60 minute paper. Month 2: Shift the main load to Mains, where Data Analysis and Reasoning & Computer carry 60 marks each, and start daily reading for General Economy & Banking. Add one timed Prelims mock every week and review every wrong attempt, because the 0.25 mark penalty makes blind guessing costly. Month 3: Run full length Mains mocks under the 3 hour plus 30 minute format, including the descriptive writing, and revise banking awareness and economy notes weekly. Reserve the last two weeks for sectional revision, accuracy drills and preparation for the group exercise and interview stage of 50 marks.
6-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Build the Prelims base. Work on English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability as separate daily blocks, with roughly equal time on each since the paper carries 30, 35 and 35 questions respectively. Keep a written log of error types from the start. Month 2: Continue section work and begin timed practice at section level. The full Prelims paper is 100 marks in 60 minutes, so train on short sets of 15 to 20 minutes and record accuracy against speed. Factor in the 0.25 mark penalty for every wrong answer while deciding which questions to leave. Month 3: Shift to full-length Prelims mocks at a fixed slot each week. After each mock, rework every incorrect question and every question skipped due to time. Start reading on general economy and banking in parallel so Mains preparation does not begin from zero. Month 4: Open Mains preparation properly. Data Analysis and Reasoning & Computer carry 60 marks each, General Economy & Banking 40 and English 40, so weight study hours accordingly. Begin the descriptive component with one written piece a week. Month 5: Alternate Mains sectional tests with full-length Mains mocks covering the objective paper and the descriptive paper together, matching the 3 hour plus 30 minute structure. Maintain a weekly Prelims mock so speed does not drop. Continue tracking the negative marking cost in each attempt. Month 6: Run full-length Mains mocks under exam conditions and revise from the error log rather than from fresh material. Prepare for the group exercise and interview stage, which carries 50 marks across 30 minutes of group exercise and 30 minutes of interview, by practising structured discussion and answers on banking and current affairs.
12-Month Study Plan
Month 1: Confirm eligibility first, a bachelor's degree in any discipline, age between 21 and 30 years, with relaxation of 3 years for OBC and 5 years for SC and ST candidates. Then start Quantitative Aptitude from the base level without any timer, working through concepts slowly and writing out full solutions by hand. Month 2: Continue Quantitative Aptitude at the same unhurried pace and add Reasoning Ability from the beginning. Keep both subjects untimed this month. The aim is correct method, not speed, since a wrong answer costs 0.25 marks at both Prelims and Mains. Month 3: Add English Language as the third daily subject. Set a fixed daily reading habit alongside grammar and usage practice. Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability continue on alternate days so that nothing built in the first two months decays. Month 4: First consolidation month. Rework the weak concepts identified in Months 1 to 3 rather than starting anything new. Solve mixed untimed sets covering all three Prelims sections, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability, and maintain an error log organised by cause of mistake. Month 5: Introduce the clock. Begin sectional practice with per question time targets, keeping each section separate. Prelims carries 100 marks in 60 minutes across 30 questions of English Language, 35 of Quantitative Aptitude and 35 of Reasoning Ability, so the time per question is tight and has to be internalised early. Month 6: Begin full length Prelims mocks, one every week. Spend more time on the analysis than on the attempt itself. Track attempts, accuracy and the number of questions lost to 0.25 negative marking, and treat a low accuracy score as a bigger problem than a low attempt count. Month 7: Shift the main load to Mains level work while keeping one Prelims mock a week. Start with Data Analysis, which carries 35 questions for 60 marks and is weighted far above its question count. Expect the standard here to be well above Prelims Quantitative Aptitude. Month 8: Take up Reasoning and Computer, 45 questions for 60 marks, the largest single block in the Mains paper. Continue Data Analysis practice on alternate days. One Prelims mock a week continues through this month without a break. Month 9: Add General Economy and Banking, 40 questions for 40 marks, and begin a daily routine of reading on banking and the economy that will run unbroken until the exam. Keep notes short and revisable. Mains English, 35 questions for 40 marks, also enters the weekly rotation now. Month 10: Start the descriptive component, which is a separate 30 minute paper after the 3 hour objective section. Write under timed conditions from the first attempt and get the writing assessed rather than self marked. Mains sectional practice continues alongside. Month 11: Full length Mains mocks under exact conditions, 3 hours of objective work followed immediately by the 30 minute descriptive paper. One such mock a week is enough given the recovery time needed. Use the remaining days to close the gaps each mock exposes. Month 12: Alternate full Prelims and full Mains mocks and stop learning new material. Revise from the error log and from the short notes made in Month 9. Begin preparation for the final stage, a Group Exercise and Interview worth 50 marks with 30 minutes allotted to each component, by practising structured discussion and clear answers on banking and on your own academic background.
Recommended Books
Quantitative Aptitude
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
R.S. Aggarwal · S. Chand
Builds the arithmetic base needed for Prelims numerical sets
Magical Book on Quicker Maths
M. Tyra · BSC Publishing
Short methods that help clear the sectional timing in Prelims
Reasoning Ability
Analytical Reasoning
M.K. Pandey · BSC Publishing
Covers critical reasoning and argument based questions seen in Mains
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
R.S. Aggarwal · S. Chand
Wide practice set across puzzles, coding and series types
English Language
Objective General English
S.P. Bakshi · Arihant
Grammar rules and objective practice for error spotting and fillers
General Economy & Banking
Banking Awareness
Arihant Experts · Arihant
Covers regulators, banking terms and financial system topics for Mains
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Frequently Asked Questions
SBI PO is the recruitment examination for the post of Probationary Officer in State Bank of India. It is conducted by State Bank of India itself, which is the country's largest bank. The exam is held annually.
A Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university is required. There is no restriction on the stream of graduation, so candidates from arts, science, commerce, engineering and other backgrounds are all eligible. Candidates should confirm the cut-off date for holding the degree in the official notification on https://sbi.co.in.
The minimum age is 21 years and the maximum age is 30 years. Age relaxation is 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates. The reference date for calculating age is given in the official notification.
The selection has three stages: Prelims, Mains, and a Group Exercise with Interview. Prelims is an online computer based test, Mains has an online objective section plus a descriptive paper, and the final stage combines a group discussion with a personal interview. Candidates must clear each stage to move to the next.
Prelims is an online computer based test of 100 marks with a duration of 60 minutes. It has three sections: English Language with 30 questions for 30 marks, Quantitative Aptitude with 35 questions for 35 marks, and Reasoning Ability with 35 questions for 35 marks. There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Mains carries 250 marks and consists of an online objective test of 3 hours followed by a descriptive test of 30 minutes. The objective sections are Data Analysis with 35 questions for 60 marks, Reasoning and Computer with 45 questions for 60 marks, General Economy and Banking with 40 questions for 40 marks, and English with 35 questions for 40 marks. Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies to wrong answers.
Yes, both Prelims and Mains carry a penalty of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. For the Group Exercise and Interview stage, negative marking is not applicable as it is not an objective test. Candidates should avoid blind guessing in the objective papers.
The Group Exercise and Interview stage carries 50 marks in total. The group discussion is of 30 minutes and the personal interview is also of 30 minutes. This stage is conducted only for candidates who qualify in the Mains examination.
The starting pay scale for an SBI PO is Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840. In addition to basic pay, officers receive Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, medical benefits, Leave Fare Concession, newspaper allowance and bank quarters where available. The exact allowance rates applicable in a given cycle are stated in the official notification.
A Probationary Officer joins and moves into the Junior Management Grade, then progresses to Middle Management, Senior Management and finally Top Management. Promotion depends on performance, internal examinations and service norms set by the bank. Details of the promotion policy are available through official bank channels.
The requirement is a Bachelor's degree in any discipline, and candidates must hold the degree by the date specified by the bank. Whether final year students may apply provisionally depends on the terms stated for that recruitment cycle. Check the eligibility clause in the official notification on https://sbi.co.in before applying.
SBI PO is rated as a hard level banking examination because it has three stages, a descriptive paper, negative marking in both objective stages, and a sectional spread covering English, quantitative aptitude, reasoning, computers and banking awareness. Since it is open to graduates of any discipline, competition is high. Preparation usually requires steady practice in speed and accuracy across all sections.
Key Takeaways
- SBI PO is the Probationary Officer recruitment conducted annually by the State Bank of India, and it is rated hard in difficulty.
- Eligibility for SBI PO requires a Bachelor's degree in any discipline, Indian citizenship, and an age between 21 and 30 years, with relaxation of 3 years for OBC candidates and 5 years for SC and ST candidates.
- The SBI PO selection process runs over three stages: Prelims worth 100 marks, Mains worth 250 marks, and a Group Exercise with Interview worth 50 marks.
- SBI PO Prelims is a 60 minute online test covering English Language with 30 questions, Quantitative Aptitude with 35 questions and Reasoning Ability with 35 questions, with a penalty of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
- The starting pay scale for an SBI Probationary Officer is Rs 36,000 to Rs 63,840, with allowances including DA, HRA, Medical, LFC, Newspaper and Bank quarters.