SBI PO Exam Pattern (2026)
Everything you need to know about the exam pattern for the State Bank of India Probationary Officer Examination organized by State Bank of India (SBI). Tackle the high competition (~0.2 - 0.5% (Considered the most competitive banking exam in India) success rate) and very hard difficulty with these detailed insights.
Stages & Pattern
Phase-I: Preliminary Examination
Phase-I (Preliminary Examination) (objective)
Duration: 1 hour (20 minutes per section) mins | Marks: 100 | Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer
Phase-II: Main Examination
Phase-II - Objective Test (objective)
Duration: 3 hours mins | Marks: 200 | Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer
Phase-II - Descriptive Test (descriptive)
Duration: 30 minutes mins | Marks: 50 | Negative Marking: N/A (Descriptive typing test)
Phase-III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise & Interview
Group Exercise & Personal Interview (verbal/practical)
Duration: Varies (approx. 1 hour total per candidate) mins | Marks: 50 | Negative Marking: No