SBI PO Selection Process 2026, Prelims, Mains, and Interview

SBI PO Selection Process 2026

The SBI PO selection process consists of three phases:

1. Preliminary Examination
2. Main Examination
3. Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Personal Interview

Candidates must qualify in the Main Examination and Phase III separately. Preliminary marks are used only for shortlisting candidates for the Main Examination and are not included in the final merit list.

SBI PO Prelims Shortlisting

A category-wise merit list will be prepared using the aggregate Prelims score. SBI will shortlist approximately 10 times the number of category-wise vacancies for the Main Examination.

There is no sectional cut-off in SBI PO Prelims.

SBI PO Mains Shortlisting

Candidates must secure the minimum qualifying score in every Main Examination section, including the descriptive paper. Approximately three times the number of category-wise vacancies may be shortlisted for Phase III.

SBI PO Phase III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Interview

The third stage of the SBI PO Selection Process 2026 consists of:

• Psychometric Test
• Group Exercise
• Personal Interview

SBI PO Psychometric Test

The psychometric test is conducted for the personality profiling of candidates shortlisted for Phase III. The findings of this test are shared with the interview panel to provide a more detailed perspective on the candidate’s personality and suitability for the Probationary Officer role.

The psychometric test may be conducted through a proctored online mode or at examination centres identified by SBI. Candidates must attempt all questions in the psychometric test.

The official notification does not assign separate marks to the psychometric test. Its findings are used by the interview panel during the candidate assessment process.

SBI PO Group Exercise and Interview Marks

The Group Exercise and Personal Interview together carry 50 marks.

The minimum qualifying marks for the Group Exercise and Interview will be decided by SBI. Candidates must qualify Phase III separately to remain eligible for final selection.

SBI PO Final Selection Process 2026

The final SBI PO merit list is prepared by combining the marks obtained in:

• Phase II: Main Examination, including the objective and descriptive tests
• Phase III: Group Exercise and Personal Interview

Preliminary Examination marks are not considered while preparing the final merit list.

For final selection, the Main Examination and Phase III marks are converted to a total of 100 marks.

Therefore, the Main Examination carries 75% weightage, while the Group Exercise and Interview carry 25% weightage in the final merit calculation. 

The final category-wise merit list will be prepared by adding the converted marks obtained in Phase II and Phase III. Candidates with the highest merit ranks in their respective categories will be considered for provisional selection.