SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern – Best Article

SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern

State Bank of India will be conducting SBI PO 2026 Exam in three phases: Online Prelims Exam, Mains Exam and Interview Process to recruit Probationary Officers. To ace SBI PO Recruitment Exam, all the aspirants must be well versed with the Exam Pattern for the same. As the vacancy has been reduced considerably as compared to last year, clearing the exam won’t be an easy cup of tea. Thus, prior knowledge of SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026 is essential as it will give you a platform to start your efficient preparation for the exam. Let’s have a look at the detailed SBI PO Exam Pattern for your preparation.

SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026

Along with the notification for SBI PO 2026, the bank has revised the exam pattern for both the prelims and mains exam. The total number of marks for each phase remains the same, but the marks distribution varies. The candidate has to qualify in all three stages (Prelims, Mains & Interview) with a minimum cut-off mark decided 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.

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 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 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 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 2026 Mains Exam Pattern

The SBI PO Mains Exam will comprise of 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 attempted wrong by a candidate in 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 candidate will have to score a minimum score in each test 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).

Interview Process

A candidate who clears both the Prelims & Mains Exam of SBI PO 2026 will be further called for a GD-PI session wherein they will face a panel of selectors discussing their past experience and questions related to General Knowledge and of the Banking Sector. It is essential for a candidate to clear the Interview Process in order to ensure their final selection in the SBI PO 2026 Exam. The qualifying marks for this round will be decided by the Bank and the marks allotted to these rounds are: Group Discussion – 20 marks, Interview – 30 marks. 

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.

• IBPS Clerk Syllabus 2026, Mains Exam Pattern Revised
• IBPS PO Syllabus 2026 – Complete Prelims, Mains & Interview Guide (Latest)

SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern
SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern
SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern
SBI PO Exam Pattern 2026, Detailed Prelims & Mains Pattern