In this guide
SBI recruits its Probationary Officers through its own exam, separate from IBPS. On paper the pattern looks like any other bank PO exam. Look closer and three details change how you should prepare: English is the largest prelims section, the mains has a cut-off in every section including the descriptive paper, and a quarter of your final score comes from a group exercise and an interview.
This guide walks through each phase, then turns the pattern into preparation decisions.
The three phases at a glance
| Phase | What it is | Marks | Counts in final merit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I: Prelims | Online objective test, three sections | 100 | No, qualifying only |
| Phase II: Mains | Objective test (200) plus typed descriptive test (30) | 230 | Yes, scaled to 75 |
| Phase III | Psychometric test, group exercise (20), interview (30) | 50 | Yes, scaled to 25 |
You must clear Phase II and Phase III separately. A brilliant interview cannot rescue a mains that missed a cut-off, and a high mains score does not carry you through if you fall below the Phase III qualifying marks.
Phase I: Prelims
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Time per question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 min | 30 seconds |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 min | 40 seconds |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 min | 40 seconds |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 min |
- Each section has its own 20-minute timer. You cannot carry leftover time from one section to another.
- One quarter of a question's marks is deducted for each wrong answer. A blank answer costs nothing.
- There is no sectional cut-off in the prelims. SBI draws a category-wise merit list on aggregate marks and calls roughly 10 times the vacancies in each category to the mains.
The absence of a sectional cut-off is useful but easy to misread. You can survive a weak section, yet every mark you drop there has to be made up elsewhere in the same 60 minutes. English, at 40 marks and 30 seconds a question, is where most of those marks are won or lost.
Phase II: Mains
The mains has two parts taken back to back: a three-hour objective test and, immediately after it, a 30-minute descriptive test typed on the computer.
The objective test: 170 questions, 200 marks, 3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Marks per question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 | 60 | 50 min | 1.5 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 60 | 45 min | 2 |
| General / Economy / Banking Awareness | 60 | 60 | 45 min | 1 |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 40 min | 0.5 |
| Total | 170 | 200 | 3 hours |
Each section again has its own timer, and the same one-quarter penalty applies. Because marks per question differ, so does the penalty: a wrong DI answer costs 0.5 marks, a wrong English answer only 0.125.
The descriptive test: 30 marks, 30 minutes
The notification calls this paper "Communication Skills". It has three tasks, each with a choice of two:
- Email: one of two options.
- Situation analysis: one of two options.
- Report writing or précis writing: one of two options.
Thirty minutes for three tasks means about ten minutes each, including reading the prompt and a quick check at the end. Our descriptive test overview covers formats and timing in detail.
Cut-offs in the mains
The mains is stricter than the prelims:
- Sectional cut-off: you need a minimum score in each of the four objective sections and in the descriptive paper, individually. SBI fixes these depending on vacancies.
- Aggregate cut-off: a category-wise merit list is drawn on total mains marks, and up to about 3 times the vacancies are called to Phase III, subject to a minimum aggregate score.
Phase III: Psychometric test, group exercise and interview
| Component | Marks | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Psychometric test | Not added to marks | A personality profile; the findings are placed before the interview panel |
| Group exercise | 20 | A group task or discussion observed by assessors |
| Interview | 30 | A personal interview |
| Total | 50 | Minimum qualifying marks set by the bank |
The psychometric test does not carry marks, but the notification says all its questions are mandatory, and the panel sees the profile before you walk in. Answer it honestly and consistently. See the Phase III overview for how the three pieces fit together.
Final merit: 75 plus 25
SBI converts your Phase II and Phase III marks to a score out of 100:
| Stage | Maximum | Converted to |
|---|---|---|
| Mains (objective + descriptive) | 230 | 75 |
| Group exercise + interview | 50 | 25 |
| Total | 280 | 100 |
Worked example. Suppose a candidate scores 138 out of 230 in the mains and 35 out of 50 in Phase III. If the conversion is a straight proportion:
- Mains: 138 ÷ 230 × 75 = 0.6 × 75 = 45
- Phase III: 35 ÷ 50 × 25 = 0.7 × 25 = 17.5
- Final score: 45 + 17.5 = 62.5 out of 100
Two lessons follow. The mains decides most of your rank, and one Phase III mark is worth 0.5 final marks while one mains mark is worth about 0.33. A good interview can move you several places. The final merit guide goes further.
What the pattern means for preparation
| Feature of the pattern | What to do about it |
|---|---|
| English is 40% of the prelims | Read daily from week one; take English sectionals as seriously as quant |
| No prelims sectional cut-off | Maximise your total; lean on your strongest section, but never abandon one |
| DI carries 2 marks a question in the mains | Build calculation speed early; DI is the highest-value practice you can do |
| Awareness has 60 questions in 45 minutes | Daily current affairs and banking notes from the first month |
| Every mains section has a cut-off | Keep a floor in English and the descriptive paper, even if you are strong elsewhere |
| Descriptive test comes after three tiring hours | Practise typing emails and reports under time, after a full mock |
| Phase III is a quarter of the final score | Start interview and group-exercise preparation before the mains result |
Quick check
- How many questions does English have in the prelims, and how long do you get? 40 questions in 20 minutes: 30 seconds each.
- Is there a sectional cut-off in the prelims? No. Shortlisting is on aggregate marks, category-wise.
- A candidate marks 4 wrong answers in mains DI. How many marks are lost to the penalty? 4 × 0.5 = 2 marks. (Each DI question is worth 2 marks; a quarter of 2 is 0.5.)
- Which mains components have their own cut-off? All four objective sections and the descriptive paper.
- Is the psychometric test scored? No, but its profile goes to the interview panel.
- A candidate has 45 converted mains marks. What Phase III score out of 50 takes the final total to 65? They need 20 converted marks, so 20 ÷ 25 × 50 = 40 out of 50.
What to do next
- Download the current notification and check the section table against this page.
- Take one timed English sectional (40 questions, 20 minutes) this week to see where you stand.
- Read our SBI PO syllabus analysis to turn section names into topics.
- Pick one day a week for descriptive practice, typed and timed.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the State Bank of India website .
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