Checked 25 September 2026. From SBI advertisements CRPD/PO/2024-25/22, 2025-26/04 and 2026-27/09, the 2026 corrigendum and the 2026 Main booklet. SBI’s own general careers page still shows an older pattern; the advertisements govern.
SBI’s 2026-27 Probationary Officer recruitment — advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09, dated 18 June 2026 — is the biggest in years, with 1,500 posts, and it changed more of the exam than most coaching pages have caught up with. The descriptive paper shrank from 50 to 30 marks, the Main exam total fell from 250 to 230, the number of attempts rose to 6 and 9, the CIBIL credit-history clause was removed by corrigendum, and an on-screen calculator is now allowed in one Main test. This guide sets out every change against the 2025-26 advertisement, from SBI’s own documents.
SBI advertisements CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 and 2025-26/04; 2026 Main booklet.
Where other pages get this wrong
In 2026-27 the descriptive paper carries 30 marks — an email, a situation analysis and a report or précis, 10 marks each — and the Main exam totals 230.
Commonly published instead: “A descriptive test of 50 marks” for 2026, a descriptive paper of “letter and essay”, and expected Main cut-offs “out of 250”.
Advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 and the 2026 Main booklet. Letter-and-essay is the pre-2019 pattern still shown on SBI’s own outdated careers page.
Every change, side by side
| Item | 2025-26 (CRPD/PO/2025-26/04) | 2026-27 (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09) |
|---|---|---|
| Posts | 541 (500 regular + 41 backlog) | 1,500 (1,446 regular + 54 backlog) |
| Descriptive paper | 50 marks | 30 marks: email 10, situation analysis 10, report or précis 10 |
| Main total | 250 (200 objective + 50 descriptive) | 230 (200 objective + 30 descriptive), 3 h 30 min |
| Final-merit base | Main 250 → 75; GE + interview 50 → 25 | Main 230 → 75; GE + interview 50 → 25 |
| Chances | 4 UR/EWS; 7 OBC and PwBD (UR/EWS/OBC); SC/ST unlimited | 6 UR/EWS; 9 OBC and PwBD (UR/EWS/OBC); SC/ST unlimited |
| CIBIL / credit history | Defaulters ineligible up to the offer letter | Clause removed by corrigendum dated 01.07.2026 |
| Calculator in Main | Not stated | In-built on-screen calculator for Data Analysis & Interpretation |
| CTC at Mumbai | ₹20.43 lakh | ₹21.97 lakh |
| Psychometric test | Part of Phase III | May be proctored or at centres; all questions mandatory |
| Aadhaar | — | Online Aadhaar verification of candidate/scribe at different stages |
SBI advertisements 2025-26/04 and 2026-27/09; corrigendum 01.07.2026; 2026 Main booklet.
Vacancies: almost three times the last cycle
| Cycle | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 87 | 57 | 158 | 58 | 240 | 600 |
| 2025-26 | 80 | 73 | 135 | 50 | 203 | 541 |
| 2026-27 | 234 | 144 | 390 | 144 | 588 | 1,500 |
SBI advertisements (regular + backlog). “The above vacancies are provisional and may vary depending on the Bank’s actual requirement.”
SBI advertisements, regular and backlog combined. PwBD reservation (4%) is horizontal and counted within these.
The descriptive paper, cycle by cycle
| Cycle | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Email 1 of 2 (15), situation analysis 1 of 2 (15), report or précis 1 of 2 (20) | 50 |
| 2025-26 (after corrigendum 04.09.2025) | Email 1 of 2, situation analysis 1 of 2, and either report or précis | 50 (per-item split not found) |
| 2026-27 | Email 1 of 2 (10), situation analysis 1 of 2 (10), report or précis 1 of 2 (10) | 30 |
2024-25 Main booklet; 2025-26 advertisement and corrigendum; 2026-27 advertisement and 2026 Main booklet. The test is typed, in English only, immediately after the objective paper, in 30 minutes.
The shorter descriptive paper matters in two ways. It is now worth less of the Main total (30 of 230 rather than 50 of 250), so the objective tests carry relatively more weight in the final score. But the Bank still sets a minimum score in the descriptive paper as well as in each objective test, so it cannot be neglected: missing that minimum ends your candidature regardless of your objective marks.
More attempts — and what counts as one
The chances rose from 4 to 6 for UR and EWS candidates and from 7 to 9 for OBC candidates and PwBD candidates in the UR, EWS and OBC categories; SC and ST candidates still have no limit. Only appearing in the Main exam counts as a chance — taking the prelims alone does not. Earlier advertisements added that chances were counted from the exam held on 18 April 2010; the 2026-27 advertisement does not repeat that sentence and states no counting start date, so be wary of anyone who tells you with certainty how the old attempts are counted.
CIBIL: from offer letter, to joining date, to removed
The 2024-25 and 2025-26 advertisements made candidates with unregularised loan or credit-card defaults ineligible up to the offer letter. The 2026-27 advertisement first moved the deadline to the date of joining — and then a corrigendum dated 1 July 2026 removed the clause entirely (“Clause Removed”). For this cycle, a poor credit history is no longer an eligibility bar in the advertisement.
The pattern that did not change
The prelims are unchanged: 100 questions in one hour — English 40, Quantitative Aptitude 30 and Reasoning 30, 20 minutes each — with no sectional cut-off and about ten times the vacancies shortlisted. The Main objective test is unchanged at 170 questions for 200 marks in three hours. Negative marking is still a quarter of the question’s marks, Phase III is still 20 marks for the group exercise and 30 for the interview, the fee is still ₹750 (nil for SC/ST/PwBD), and the bond is still ₹2 lakh for three years. Our guides on negative marking and the final-score calculation go into these in detail.
Pay, bond and probation
The pay scale did not change: the starting basic is “48,480/- (Plus 4 advance increments)” in the Junior Management Grade Scale-I scale 48480-2000/7-62480-2340/2-67160-2680/7-85920, with DA, HRA or leased accommodation, CCA, PF, NPS, LFC and medical benefits on top. What rose is the advertised approximate CTC at Mumbai: ₹18.67 lakh in 2024-25, ₹20.43 lakh in 2025-26 and ₹21.97 lakh in 2026-27. SBI publishes no in-hand monthly figure, and the CTC is for Mumbai, where city-linked allowances are highest.
| Term | All three cycles |
|---|---|
| Starting basic | ₹48,480 plus 4 advance increments (JMGS-I) |
| CTC at Mumbai | ₹18.67 lakh → ₹20.43 lakh → ₹21.97 lakh |
| Bond | ₹2 lakh for at least 3 years’ service; invoked on resignation before 3 years |
| Probation | Two years with continuous assessment, then confirmation in JMGS-I |
| Posting | Anywhere in India, any Circle; deputation to associates or subsidiaries possible |
| Before joining | A basic banking knowledge online course |
SBI advertisements 2024-25/22, 2025-26/04 and 2026-27/09.
SBI advertisements; basic pay unchanged across the three cycles.
Where the 2026-27 cycle stands
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications | 18 June – 8 July 2026 |
| Prelims | 1 and 2 August 2026 (as stated on SBI’s prelims marks page) |
| Prelims result | Roll-number PDF posted about 28 August 2026 (file date; no date is printed on it) — 15,802 roll numbers listed for the Main (our count of that PDF) |
| Main exam | 12 September 2026 |
| Main result | Not yet published (25 September 2026) |
| Phase III | October/November 2026 (tentative) |
| Final result | November/December 2026 (tentative) |
SBI advertisement 2026-27/09 (tentative schedule), prelims result list, 2026 Main booklet. The prelims result PDF carries no printed date; 28 August is its file date and first archive capture.
Practise it, don't just read it
The prelims pattern is unchanged, and it is where 15,802 of the applicants were separated from the rest. Timed topic quizzes on simplification, reading comprehension and data sufficiency build the speed it needs.
The ProSyllabus SBI PO library has topic quizzes on simplification and approximation, reading comprehension and data-sufficiency caselets — the first quiz is free.
What is new in SBI PO 2026-27?
1,500 posts, a 30-mark descriptive paper, Main out of 230, 6 and 9 attempts, the CIBIL clause removed and an on-screen calculator for Data Analysis & Interpretation.
How many marks is the SBI PO descriptive paper in 2026?
30 — email, situation analysis and report or précis, 10 marks each.
What is the SBI PO Main total in 2026-27?
230: 200 objective marks and 30 descriptive.
How many attempts are allowed in SBI PO 2026?
6 for UR and EWS, 9 for OBC and PwBD (UR/EWS/OBC), no limit for SC and ST.
Is CIBIL score required for SBI PO 2026?
No — a corrigendum dated 1 July 2026 removed the CIBIL clause.
How many vacancies are in SBI PO 2026?
1,500: 1,446 regular and 54 backlog.
Is a calculator allowed in SBI PO Main?
An in-built on-screen calculator is allowed for Data Analysis & Interpretation in 2026-27; physical calculators are banned.
Did the SBI PO prelims pattern change in 2026?
No — 100 questions in an hour, 40/30/30, with no sectional cut-off.
What is the SBI PO salary in 2026?
Starting basic ₹48,480 (plus 4 advance increments); CTC about ₹21.97 lakh at Mumbai, per the advertisement. No in-hand figure is published.
Is there a bond for SBI PO?
Yes — ₹2 lakh for at least three years’ service.
How long is SBI PO probation?
Two years, with continuous assessment.
When is the SBI PO 2026 final result?
November/December 2026, according to the advertisement’s tentative schedule.
Why does SBI’s website show a different pattern?
SBI’s general Probationary Officers page still describes the pre-2019 pattern; the current advertisement governs.
Which SBI PO is “2025”?
Two cycles held exams in 2025 — CRPD/PO/2024-25/22 (Main 5 May 2025) and CRPD/PO/2025-26/04 (Main 13 September 2025) — so always check the advertisement number.
Sources
- official — SBI — Detailed advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 (18.06.2026)
- official — SBI — Corrigendum: CIBIL clause removed (01.07.2026)
- official — SBI — Main exam “Acquaint Yourself” booklet 2026 (Main on 12.09.2026)
- official — SBI — Prelims “Acquaint Yourself” booklet 2026
- official — SBI — Prelims result 2026-27 (roll numbers shortlisted for Main)
- official — SBI — Current Openings, 2026-27 PO block (Internet Archive capture, 19 Sep 2026)
- official — SBI — Detailed advertisement CRPD/PO/2025-26/04 (23.06.2025)
- official — SBI — Corrigendum 04.09.2025 (descriptive paper)
- official — SBI — Detailed advertisement CRPD/PO/2024-25/22 (27.12.2024)
- official — SBI — Main exam booklet 2024-25 (Main on 05.05.2025)
- official — SBI — Probationary Officers careers page and FAQ (stale pre-2019 pattern; see corrections)
- reported — Testbook — SBI PO result 2026 (reported; see corrections)
- reported — Career Power — SBI PO (reported; see corrections)
- reported — Adda247 — SBI PO cut off (reported; see corrections)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
