# SBI PO 2026 Exam Pattern and Syllabus: Prelims, Mains and Phase III

Source page: https://rankvyuh.com/blog/sbi-po-exam-pattern-syllabus-2026  ·  Published: 2026-11-02  ·  Updated: 2026-11-02  ·  Language: en
Also in Hindi: https://rankvyuh.com/blog/sbi-po-exam-pattern-syllabus-2026-hindi

**Direct answer:** SBI PO 2026 has three phases. Prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in one hour: English 40, Quantitative Aptitude 30 and Reasoning 30, with 20 minutes each. Mains has a 200-mark objective test of 170 questions in 3 hours plus a 30-mark typed descriptive test. Phase III has a psychometric test, group exercise (20) and interview (30). Wrong answers cost one-quarter mark.

SBI recruits Probationary Officers through a three-phase process. This post follows the 2026 detailed advertisement, No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09, which was open for registration from 18 June to 8 July 2026 for 1,500 vacancies. The topic list for Prelims comes from SBI's official information handout for the 2026 Prelims. Check the next advertisement on sbi.bank.in when it comes out, in case the scheme changes.

## SBI PO selection process at a glance

1. **Phase I: Preliminary Examination.** An online objective test of 100 marks. It is a screening stage only.
2. **Phase II: Main Examination.** An online objective test of 200 marks and a descriptive test of 30 marks.
3. **Phase III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Interview.** The group exercise and interview carry 50 marks.

The final merit list uses Mains and Phase III marks. **Prelims marks are not added** to it.

## Phase I: SBI PO Prelims exam pattern

| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 20 minutes |
| **Total** | **100** | **1 hour** |

The advertisement gives a total of 100 marks for the paper. Other rules from the advertisement and the official handout:

- **Separate timing for each section.** You can move between questions only inside a section, during that section's 20 minutes.
- **Five options per question**, with one correct answer.
- **Language:** all sections except English Language are bilingual, in English and Hindi.
- **No sectional cut-off in Prelims.** SBI draws a category-wise merit list on aggregate marks and calls about 10 times the vacancies in each category to Mains.
- **Compensatory time:** eligible candidates get 20 minutes for every hour of the exam.

For the timer layout in practice, see our [SBI PO exam pattern page](/sbi-po/exam-pattern).

## Phase II: SBI PO Mains exam pattern

Mains is online. The descriptive test starts immediately after the objective test ends, and you type your answers on the computer.

| Test | Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 minutes |
| II | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| III | General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| IV | English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 minutes |
| | **Objective total** | **170** | **200** | **3 hours** |
| | Descriptive: Communication Skills | 3 | 30 | 30 minutes |
| | **Grand total** | | **230** | **3 hours 30 minutes** |

Each objective section has its own timer. Note that marks per question differ by section: Test I and Test II carry more marks per question than Test III, and English carries the least.

### The descriptive test

The Communication Skills paper has three questions, each with a choice:

- **Email:** one out of two options.
- **Situation analysis:** one out of two options.
- **Report writing or precis writing:** any one out of two options.

### Sectional cut-off in Mains

Unlike Prelims, Mains has a **minimum qualifying score in each test**: Tests I, II, III, IV and the descriptive paper, each on its own. SBI decides these cut-offs based on vacancies. Candidates must also reach a minimum aggregate score. SBI then calls up to about 3 times the category-wise vacancies to Phase III.

## Negative marking

The penalty applies to both Prelims and Mains objective tests. For each wrong answer, **one-quarter (1/4)** of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. A question left blank has no penalty.

With five options, a blind guess has a 1 in 5 chance of being right. Because the deduction is a quarter, a random guess on a 1-mark question is worth (1/5 × 1) − (4/5 × 1/4) = 0.2 − 0.2 = 0 on average. Guess only after you can rule out at least one option.

## Phase III: psychometric test, group exercise and interview

- **Psychometric test:** used for personality profiling. Its findings go to the interview panel. All questions are mandatory. In the 2026 cycle SBI held it online in remote proctored mode on 31 October 2026, and only candidates who took it could appear for the group exercise and interview.
- **Group exercise:** 20 marks.
- **Interview:** 30 marks.

SBI decides the minimum qualifying marks for the group exercise and interview. For 2026, SBI's notice listed group exercises and interviews from 18 November 2026 onwards. See our [SBI PO exam date page](/sbi-po/exam-date) for the schedule.

## How the final merit list is made

You must qualify in Phase II and Phase III separately. SBI then scales the marks to 100:

| Stage | Maximum marks | Scaled to |
|---|---|---|
| Main Examination (objective + descriptive) | 230 | 75 |
| Group Exercise & Interview | 50 | 25 |
| **Total** | **280** | **100** |

## SBI PO syllabus by section

SBI does not publish a formal topic-wise syllabus. The handout lists the kinds of questions in each Prelims test and notes that the list is illustrative, not complete.

### Prelims

- **English Language:** grammar, vocabulary, sentence completion, error spotting, synonyms, antonyms and reading comprehension passages.
- **Quantitative Aptitude:** speed and accuracy with numbers: computation, arithmetic reasoning (word problems), and reading data from tables and graphs.
- **Reasoning Ability:** odd one out, analogies, letter and word arrangement, inferences from statements, symbol-based operations, data sufficiency style questions, and syllogisms (statements and conclusions). The handout says this test also checks aptitude for working with computers.

### Mains

The advertisement names the Mains sections but not their topics. Read each name as the scope:

- **Reasoning & Computer Aptitude:** reasoning questions plus questions on computer aptitude.
- **Data Analysis & Interpretation:** working with tables, graphs and data sets.
- **General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge:** current events, the economy and banking.
- **English Language:** English language skills, worth 20 marks.
- **Descriptive:** writing an email, analysing a situation, and writing a report or precis.

For a section-wise list with sample question types, see the [SBI PO syllabus page](/sbi-po/syllabus). IBPS PO Mains has a similar shape; to compare the two, read our [IBPS PO Mains pattern post](/blog/ibps-po-mains-exam-pattern-syllabus).

## How to use this pattern

1. **Treat each 20-minute block as its own test.** In Prelims you cannot carry time from one section to another, so practise English, Quant and Reasoning on separate timers.
2. **Aim for the aggregate in Prelims.** With no sectional cut-off, a strong section can make up for a weak one.
3. **Do not drop any Mains section.** Every test, including the descriptive paper, has its own cut-off.
4. **Practise typing.** The descriptive answers are typed, within 30 minutes, right after three hours of objective work.

You can take a full timed Prelims paper with quarter-mark negative marking in our [live bank mocks](/live/bank).

## FAQ
**Q: What is the SBI PO Prelims exam pattern 2026?**
A: 100 questions for 100 marks in one hour: English Language (40), Quantitative Aptitude (30) and Reasoning Ability (30). Each section has its own 20-minute timer. There is no sectional cut-off.

**Q: What is the SBI PO Mains exam pattern?**
A: An objective test of 170 questions for 200 marks in 3 hours, in four timed sections, followed by a 30-minute descriptive test of 30 marks. The grand total is 230 marks in 3 hours 30 minutes.

**Q: Is there negative marking in SBI PO?**
A: Yes, in both Prelims and Mains objective tests. One-quarter of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. There is no penalty for a blank.

**Q: What is asked in the SBI PO descriptive test?**
A: Three questions in 30 minutes for 30 marks: an email (one of two options), a situation analysis (one of two) and either a report or a precis (one of two). Answers are typed on the computer.

**Q: Are SBI PO Prelims marks counted in the final merit list?**
A: No. The final list uses Mains marks (230, scaled to 75) and group exercise plus interview marks (50, scaled to 25). Prelims marks are not added.

**Q: What is the SBI PO psychometric test?**
A: A Phase III test for personality profiling. Its findings are placed before the interview panel. In 2026 it was held online in remote proctored mode, and taking it was required to appear for the group exercise and interview.

## Sources
- [State Bank of India: Recruitment of Probationary Officers, Advertisement No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09](https://sbi.bank.in/documents/77530/57941/18062026_1_Detailed_Adv.2026.pdf/1f1a9532-8a2f-6e59-08a0-616d62a497b1?t=1781759726353)
- [SBI: Information handout, SBI PO Preliminary Examination 2026](https://sbi.bank.in/documents/77530/57941334/22072026_SBI+(PO)+PRE+IH+Eng+2026.pdf)
- [SBI: Tentative dates for psychometric test, group exercise and interviews (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09)](https://sbi.bank.in/webfiles/uploads/files_2627/10/Notice.pdf)
- [SBI: Important notice on the online psychometric test, 27 October 2026](https://sbi.bank.in/webfiles/uploads/files_2627/10/Important_Notice_for_Psychometric_Test.pdf)
- [SBI Careers](https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers)

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