State Bank of India (SBI)
SBI PO 2026 — Probationary Officer in State Bank of India
Quick Information
| Post Name | Probationary Officer (PO) — Scale I |
| Total Vacancies | 2,000 |
| Salary | Starting Basic Pay: ₹41,960/month (CTC approximately ₹16–17 lakh per annum). In-hand take-home approximately ₹52,000–₹58,000/month after DA, HRA, Special Allowance, and other allowances. Perks: subsidised home/car/personal loan, group medical insurance, NPS pension, LFC. |
| Organization | State Bank of India (SBI) |
Application Fee
| General | ₹750 |
| OBC | ₹750 |
| SC / ST | Nil |
| Women | Nil |
| PH / Divyang | Nil |
Important Dates
| Start Date | 1 April 2026 |
| Last Date | 21 April 2026 |
| Exam Date | 1 June 2026 |
Eligibility
| Age Limit | 21–30 years as on April 1, 2026. OBC NCL: +3 yrs (up to 33). SC/ST: +5 yrs (up to 35). PwBD (UR): +10 yrs. Ex-Servicemen: +5 yrs. |
| Education | Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognised university with minimum marks as per SBI notification. Degree must be complete — appearing candidates may apply if results declared before joining. |
Selection Process
- 1**Stage 1 — Preliminary Exam (Online)** | Section | Questions | Marks | Time | |---|---|---|---| | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min | | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 min | | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 min | | **Total** | **100** | **100** | **60 min** | Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer. Prelims only shortlists — marks don't count in final merit. **Stage 2 — Mains Exam (Online)** | Section | Questions | Marks | Time | |---|---|---|---| | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 min | | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 min | | General/Economy/Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 min | | English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 min | | **Objective Total** | **155** | **200** | **3 hrs** | | **Descriptive** (Essay + Letter) | 2 | 50 | 30 min | **Stage 3 — Group Exercise + Interview (50 marks total)** Final merit: Mains (225 marks) + GE + Interview (50 marks).
How to Apply
Official Links
What Is SBI PO?
SBI PO is the most prestigious banking exam in India, full stop. Not because SBI pays the most — it doesn't. But because it's the most competitive, the most respected, and because SBI is the largest bank in the country by a significant margin. If you clear SBI PO, you join an organisation that handles 22% of India's total banking assets.
As a Probationary Officer, you work on a 2-year probation where you rotate through different banking functions — retail lending, trade finance, foreign exchange, branch operations, credit. After confirmation, you're a permanent Scale I officer. The career path from there: Assistant Manager → Deputy Manager → Manager → Senior Manager → Chief Manager → AGM → DGM → GM → ED → MD & CEO.
Many SBI MDs and CEOs started as POs. It's a genuine career track, not just a job.
Vacancy Details 2026
| Category | Approximate Share |
|---|---|
| UR | ~810 |
| OBC | ~540 |
| SC | ~300 |
| ST | ~150 |
| EWS | ~200 |
| Total | ~2,000 |
SBI publishes exact category-wise and state-wise vacancy breakup in the official notification.
Eligibility
Age (as on April 1, 2026)
- General / EWS: 21–30 years
- OBC (NCL): up to 33 years
- SC / ST: up to 35 years
- PwBD (UR): up to 40 years
Qualification
Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university. Some cycles require minimum 60% marks — confirm from the official notification when it releases.
Salary and Perks
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic Pay (Entry) | ₹41,960/month |
| DA | Quarterly revision |
| HRA | City-based (8–12% of basic) |
| Special Allowance + Other | ~₹8,000–₹12,000/month |
| Gross Monthly | ~₹55,000–₹65,000/month |
Additional: SBI staff get home loan at ~1% interest rate (massive benefit), car loan at subsidised rate, children's education allowance, and LFC (Leave Fare Concession). The real CTC including perks works out to ₹16–17 lakh annually.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹750 |
| SC / ST / PwBD | Nil |
Exam Pattern
Prelims (Screening Only)
English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability — 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes. Individual time limits per section (20 min each). Negative marking: 0.25.
Mains (Merit-Based)
Objective (200 marks, 3 hours) + Descriptive (50 marks, 30 minutes). Descriptive paper: one Essay (250 words) + one Letter/Précis. This section catches candidates who prepare only for objective papers.
Group Exercise + Interview (50 marks)
Group discussion on a current affairs topic (evaluated for communication, content, leadership) + Individual interview (assessed for banking knowledge, personality, current awareness).
Syllabus Focus Areas
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (60 marks, 60 minutes): Puzzles and seating arrangement dominate — typically 25–30 of the 45 questions. Blood relations, direction, coding-decoding, input-output, logical syllogisms, and basic computer concepts make up the rest. Practice 10 complex puzzle sets daily for 4 weeks.
Data Analysis & Interpretation (60 marks, 45 minutes): Data interpretation (bar, pie, table, line, caselet) + quadratic equations + miscellaneous Quant. Focus on DI accuracy — even 2 wrong answers in a set cost you 4+ marks.
General/Economy/Banking Awareness (40 marks, 35 minutes): RBI circulars, repo rate history, Basel norms, SARFAESI Act, Insolvency Code, SEBI regulations, government budget allocations, current banking mergers, and general economy news. Read daily banking news for at least 60 days before Mains.
English Descriptive (50 marks, 30 minutes): Essay and letter/précis. Practice writing a 250-word essay with an argument structure (intro → 3 body paragraphs → conclusion) in under 15 minutes. SBI evaluates vocabulary, grammar, and logical structure — not just content.
Important Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | April 2026 |
| Application Closes | April 21, 2026 |
| Prelims | June 2026 |
| Mains | August 2026 |
| GE + Interview | October–November 2026 |
| Final Result | December 2026 |
Official Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| SBI Careers | sbi.co.in/careers |
| Apply Online | sbi.co.in → Careers → Current Openings |