What is SBI PO?
SBI PO is one of the most coveted jobs in banking industry and a dream job for millions of aspirants across India. SBI PO exam is a national level banking exam which is conducted by Sate Bank of India in online mode for the recruitment of candidates to the post of Probationary Officers in different branches of the bank. SBI PO exam is conducted almost every year with a huge number of vacancies. But around 2000 posts are filled through SBI PO exam. SBI PO recruitment process starts after the release of official notification and it is conducted for selection of candidates to the post of PO in State Bank of India and its Associate banks.
SBI PO selection process comprises preliminary and mains examination followed by Interview. Aspirants are selected based on their performance in mains and interview. The selected candidates will be exposed to basic banking knowledge, before joining, through an online course and will have to mandatorily complete this course before joining.
If you wish to attempt SBI PO exam, you must know about SBI PO latest updates, selection process, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, previous year cut off etc before starting SBI PO preparation. You are requested to go through this article to get all the relevant information for the SBI PO Exam.
SBI PO Exam Highlights
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Phases | 3 (Preliminary, Main, Group Discussion (GD) & Personal Interview (PI)) |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks |
| Time Duration | 1 hour for Prelims, 3 hours for Mains, 30 minutes for Descriptive Test |
| Maximum Marks | 100 for Prelims and 200 for Mains |
SBI PO Eligibility Criteria
SBI PO Qualification
All candidates who have cleared their graduation in any discipline from a recognized university could apply. Candidates who are appearing for their final year/ semester exams were also eligible to apply. Kindly note those candidates having a qualification of Chartered Accountant (CA) are also eligible to apply.
SBI PO Age Criteria
Candidates who are at least 21 years and maximum 30 years in age as fulfill SBI PO age criteria. It may be noted that age relaxation of some years is also given to reserved category candidates as mentioned below:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| SC/ ST | 5 Years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 Years |
| PwD (SC/ST) | 15 Years |
| PwD (OBC) | 13 Years |
| PwD (Gen) | 10 Years |
Note: The official website informs, “Vacancies reserved for OBC category are available to OBC candidates belonging to non-creamy layer. Creamy layer OBC candidates should indicate their category as General.”
SBI PO Number of Attempt
The maximum number of chances that candidates who appear for SBI PO exam are as mentioned below:
| Category | Number of Chances |
| General | 4 |
| General (PwD) | 7 |
| OBC/ OBC (PwD) | 7 |
| SC/ SC (PwD) | No Restriction |
| ST/ ST (PwD) | No Restriction |
It may be noted that
- Candidates who have already appeared for SBI PO exam for the maximum number of times are not eligible to apply.
- Appearing in Preliminary Examination will not be counted as an attempt.
SBI PO Exam Pattern & Selection Process
SBI PO exam is conducted in three phases – Preliminary, Main as well as Group Exercises and Interview.
Stage I – SBI PO Prelims Exam Pattern
SB PO Preliminary exam pattern contains objective questions of 100 marks that candidates need to complete in 1 hour duration. The test will be conducted in online mode & in English/ Hindi Language.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 30 | 100 | 20 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 20 Minutes | |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 20 Minutes | |
| Total | 100 | 1 Hour |
SBI PO Prelims Marking scheme: One-fourth marks is deducted for each incorrect answer in the exam.
Stage II – SBI PO Main Exam Pattern
SB PO Main exam pattern contains both objective and subjective questions of total 250 marks. The test will is conducted in online mode and candidates need to complete the paper in a total of 3.5 hours duration.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| Objective Test | |||
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 Minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 Minutes |
| General/ Economy/ Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 Minutes |
| English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 Minutes |
| Subjective/ Descriptive Test | |||
| English Language (Letter Writing & Essay) | 2 | 50 | 30 Minutes |
| Total | 157 | 250 | 3.5 Hours |
Note: The official website informs that descriptive paper of only those candidates will be evaluated who have scored minimum marks required to qualify the objective test and are placed adequately high as per total marks in objective test.
SBI PO Mains Marking scheme: There is a negative marking of one-fourth of the marks assigned to a particular question in objective test. There is no negative marking in subjective part of Main paper.
Stage III – SBI PO Group Exercises & Interview
Stage III of SBI PO exam is conducted in two parts as mentioned below:
| Section | Marks |
| Group Exercises | 20 |
| Interview | 30 |
| Total | 50 |
Note:
- The final SBI PO merit list is prepared on the basis of marks obtained by candidates in Main exam (Phase II) as well as Group Exercises and Interview (Phase III).
- Marks obtained in Preliminary exam (Phase I) will not be added for the final selection of candidates, informs the official website.
- Also, candidates need to qualify both in both Phase II and III exams separately.
Weightage of marks given to Phase II and III exams is as mentioned below:
| Exam | Marks Weightage |
| Phase II (Main) | 75 |
| Phase III (Group Exercises and Interview) | 25 |
| Total | 100 |
SBI PO Syllabus
There are three major sections that a candidate needs to prepare to ace the preliminary exam. These are Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and English Language.
SBI PO Prelims Syllabus
| Reasoning | Quantitative Aptitude | English Language |
| Logical Reasoning | Simplification | Reading Comprehension |
| Alphanumeric Series | Profit & Loss | Cloze Test |
| Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test | Mixtures &Alligations | Para jumbles |
| Data Sufficiency | Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices | Miscellaneous |
| Coded Inequalities | Work & Time | Fill in the blanks |
| Seating Arrangement | Time & Distance | Multiple Meaning /Error Spotting |
| Puzzle | Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere | Paragraph Completion |
| Tabulation | Data Interpretation | |
| Syllogism | Ratio & Proportion, Percentage | |
| Blood Relations | Number Systems | |
| Input Output | Sequence & Series | |
| Coding Decoding | Permutation, Combination &Probability |
SBI PO Mains Syllabus
The Mains Examination of SBI PO exam 2019 constitute of 4 sections: Reasoning + Computer Aptitude, English Language, Data Analysis & Interpretation and General/Economy/Banking Awareness. The complete syllabus is discussed below:
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | Reasoning | English Language | General/Economy/ Banking Awareness | Computer Aptitude |
| Tabular Graph | Verbal Reasoning | Reading Comprehension | Financial Awareness | Internet |
| Line Graph | Syllogism | Grammar | Current Affairs | Memory |
| Pie Chart | Circular Seating Arrangement | Vocabulary | General Knowledge | Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Bar Graph | Linear Seating Arrangement | Verbal Ability | Static Awareness | Computer Abbreviation |
| Radar Graph Caselet | Double Lineup | Word Association | Banking and Financial Awareness | Microsoft Office |
| Missing Case DI | Scheduling | Sentence Improvement | Computer Hardware | |
| Let it Case DI | Input Output | Para Jumbles | Computer Software | |
| Data Sufficiency | Blood Relations | Cloze Test | Computer Fundamentals /Terminologies | |
| Probability | Directions and Distances | Error Spotting | Networking | |
| Permutation and Combination | Ordering and Ranking | Fill in the blanks | Number System | |
| Data Sufficiency | Operating System | |||
| Coding and Decoding | Basic of Logic Gates | |||
| Code Inequalities | ||||
| Course of Action | ||||
| Critical Reasoning | ||||
| Analytical and Decision Making |
SBI PO Salary Structure
Basic Pay of SBI PO is higher among other public sector banks. The entry level of basic pay is higher in SBI when contrasted with other nationalized banks. The basic pay is Rs 35,150 per month. The scale applicable for Grade B is Rs 35150-1750 (9)-50900-EB-1750 (2)-54400-2000 (4)-62400. Candidates are also eligible for dearness allowance, local allowance, house rent allowance, family allowance and grade allowance. At present, initial monthly gross emoluments are approximately Rs 75,83.
SBI PO Admit Card
Candidates can download their admit card by following the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Visit the official website of SBI.
Step 2: Click on the Download SBI PO Call Letter link.
Step 3: Enter registration number/ roll number and password/date of birth in the space provided. Also enter the captcha code.
Step 4: Click on the Submit button.
SBI PO Application Process & Fee
You first need to fill as well as submit the application form in online mode on the official website of the bank. Thereafter, candidates also need to pay SBI PO application fee in online mode via debit card/ credit card/ internet banking.
| Category | SBI PO Application Fee |
| General/ OBC | Rs 750 (application fee including intimation charges) |
| SC/ ST/ PwD | Rs 125 (intimation charges only) |
SBI PO Pre & Mains Exam Centres
| State/UT | SBI PO Preliminary Exam Centres | SBI PO Main Exam Centres |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Ananthapur, Chirala, Chittoor, Guntur, Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Ongole, Puttur, Rajahmundhry, Srikakulam, Tirupati, Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam, Vizianagaram | Guntur, Kurnool, Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar, Naharlagun | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Silchar Tezpur | Guwahati, |
| Bihar | Arrah, Aurangabad, Bihar Sharif, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea, Samastipur, Siwan | Arrah, Patna |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raipur | Raipur |
| Goa | Panaji, Verna | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara | Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar |
| Haryana | Ambala, Bahadurgarh, Hissar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Yamunanagar | Bahadurgarh, Hissar |
| Himachal Pradesh | Baddi, Bilaspur, Dharamshala, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Una | Shimla, Solan |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Baramulla, Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Srinagar | Jammu, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Ranchi | Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Belgaum, Bellary, Bengaluru, Bidar, Davangere, Dharwad, Gulbarga Hubli, Mandya, Mangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Udipi | Bengaluru |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Kannur, Kochi, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrichur, Thiruvananthapuram | Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Lakshwadeep | Kavarrati | Kavarrati |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Satna, Sagar, Ujjain | Bhopal, Indore |
| Maharashtra | Amaravati, Aurangabad, Chandrapur, Dhule Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai/ Thane/Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nasik, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara | Aurangabad, Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai/ Thane/Navi Mumbai |
| Manipur | Imphal | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Ri-Bhoi, Shillong | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawal | Aizawal |
| Nagaland | Kohima | Kohima |
| Delhi-NCR | Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurgaon | Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurgaon |
| Odisha | Angul, Balasore, Bargarh, Baripada, Berhampur (Ganjam), Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Sambalpur | Bhubaneswar |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bhatinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Pathankot, Patiala, Phagwara, Sangrur | Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur | Jaipur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | Gangtok |
| Tamilnadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Kanchipuram, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagercoil, Namakkal, Perambalur, Salem, Thanjavur, Thiruchirapalli, Tirunelvelli, Thoothukodi, Vellore, Virudhunagar | Chennai, Madurai, Tirunelvelli |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal | Hyderabad |
| Tripura | Agartala | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Bulandshaher, Faizabad, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi | Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Haridwar, Roorkee | Dehradun |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Berhampur (West Bengal), Bardhaman, Durgapur, Hooghly, Howrah, Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri | Hoogly, Kalyani, Kolkata |
Why Choose SBI PO?
A bank probationary officer post is the entry level position at which a bank officer starts work after posting. SBI PO is considered as a premium job opportunity in banking sector because of following reasons:
- Brand value of SBI and reputation associated with SBI PO post
- Lucrative pay scale which is highest among PSU Banks
- Growth opportunities where even a PO can progress to the level of Chairperson
- Job satisfaction and social prestige
SBI PO Service Conditions
- At the time of joining SBI PO job, the selected candidates will have to execute a Bond for a value of Rs 2,00,000/-(Two lakh Rupees only) to serve the Bank for a minimum period of three years. If a candidate resigns before completing the three years from the date of joining then he/she will be liable to pay the bond amount to the SBI. It is important to note that the selected candidates are liable to be posted anywhere in India.
- Aspirants will be on probation for 2 years in SBI PO and after that, there will be a confirmation test as well. Regarding the test, the candidates who score adequately higher in merit as decided by SBI bank will be promoted to the following higher grade for example Scale II in the Middle Management Grade in the bank though scoring just passing marks will be sufficient for a candidate to be confirmed in the job of an officer in SBI. There is also a provision that failure in the test will result in disqualification from service of the bank with immediate effect.
- On account of leaving the job, SBI POs need to serve a notification period for 3 months. On the off chance that, leaving the job without serving the notification period will impose a penalty by SBI bank; amounting to the salary of the duration of the notice period left to be served by an officer in the bank.
