State Bank of India — Probationary Officers
State Bank of India's own recruitment exam for Probationary Officers.
SBI PO topic-wise practice and short mini mocks are live on Kitabey — students can practise SBI PO Prelims- and Mains-pattern questions topic by topic or take a mini mock with the real paper's sections, sectional timers and marking, and every question's answer and explanation is checked before it's published. Puzzles and seating arrangements, reading passages, data-interpretation charts and current affairs aren't in Kitabey's bank yet, and full-length mocks follow as the bank grows. Coaching centres can also run SBI PO tests with their own questions or an uploaded PDF.
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.