State Bank of India — Probationary Officers
State Bank of India's own recruitment exam for Probationary Officers.
SBI PO is live on Kitabey for institutes — coaching centres can run SBI PO Prelims- and Mains-pattern tests for their students using their own questions or an uploaded PDF. Kitabey's own SBI PO question bank is still being built, so self-serve practice and mock tests for students will open up as it grows.
SBI PO has a Prelims screening test, a Mains exam and a final selection round. Prelims shortlists on aggregate score only; Mains has a minimum in each test.
Every section is separately timed and every question is a single-correct MCQ with five options. An on-screen calculator is allowed in the Mains Data Analysis & Interpretation test.
| Prelims | English Language (40 Q), Quantitative Aptitude (30 Q), Reasoning Ability (30 Q) — 20 minutes each; 100 Q, 100 marks, 60 minutes |
| Mains (objective) | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (40 Q, 60 marks, 50 min), Data Analysis & Interpretation (30 Q, 60 marks, 45 min), General Awareness / Economy / Banking Knowledge (60 Q, 60 marks, 45 min), English Language (40 Q, 20 marks, 40 min) — 170 Q, 200 marks, 3 hours |
| Mains (descriptive) | A separate English communication-skills test (30 minutes) — not covered by Kitabey's tests |
| Question format | Single-correct MCQs with 5 options; every section separately timed |
| Sectional cutoff | Prelims: none — aggregate merit only. Mains: a minimum in each test |
| Medium | English and Hindi (the English section is in English) |
Marking scheme
Correct
Prelims: 1 mark per question (SBI prints only the 100-mark total). Mains: section marks ÷ questions — e.g. 2 per DA&I question, 0.5 per English question
Incorrect
−¼ of that question's marks for every wrong answer; unanswered questions get 0
SBI's booklet says the total penalty for a test is rounded to the nearest whole number — Kitabey's scoring doesn't replicate that rounding. Some questions use "none of these" style fifth options.
With no sectional cutoff in Prelims, play to your strengths — but the shortlist is competitive, so accuracy across all three sections still counts.
Four separately timed tests back to back. Sit full-length Mains mocks so your accuracy holds up in the third hour.
Data Analysis & Interpretation carries 60 marks over 30 questions. Practise chart and caselet sets with the on-screen calculator in mind.
The communication-skills paper also has a qualifying minimum. Practise emails, reports and situation analysis alongside the objective prep.
What's live today for SBI PO, and what's coming next.
Note: This guide covers the evergreen pattern, syllabus, and preparation framework. Registration dates, exam dates, and category-wise cutoffs change every cycle — always verify the latest details on the official State Bank of India (SBI) notification before you act on timelines.