State Bank of India (SBI) conducts a Probationary Officer (PO) Exam to select eligible candidates for this desirable post. Millions of candidates across India aspire to qualify for a prestigious job opportunity in the banking sector.
SBI PO vacancies are much in demand for the following reasons:
- Opportunity to work with a reputed bank like SBI
- Payscale is the highest among Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks
- The promise of immense job satisfaction
- Massive growth prospects
Essential Criteria
You can prepare better for this annual examination conducted nationwide when you know the necessary criteria. These include the eligibility, selection procedure, exam pattern, and previous year’s SBI PO mains cut off.
The bank releases an official notification highlighting relevant dates for online registration, fee payment, preliminary and main exams, interview, and declaration of final results. The number of open PO vacancies in SBI and its associated banks is also brought to your notice.
SBI PO Eligibility
Your age as of 1st April of the year you choose to apply must be between 21 to 30 years. On the education front, if you are a graduate from a recognized University or pursuing your final year in any discipline, you may apply. Should you reach the interview round, you have to submit proof of clearing your final year graduation.
3-Tier Selection Process
Every candidate applying has to clear each of these three stages before progressing to the next, and the final selection is purely based on merit:
- Online preliminary exam
- Online main exam
- Group discussions and interview
If applying under the general category, you get a maximum of four attempts to pass the main exam. Biometric verification is conducted to establish your genuineness.
Exam Structure
You get one hour to solve the SBI PO preliminary exam question paper worth 100 marks. The test comprises three sections: English language, reasoning ability, and numerical ability, each 20 minutes in duration. Mains consist of a 200 marks objective paper and a 50 marks descriptive one.
SBI PO Mains Cut Off
Considering the competition for this examination is stiff, it helps to know the previous year’s cut off scores. Using this benchmark, you can set your target score and effectively strategize to crack the exam. The mains cut off for 2020 is expected to release on completion of the interview rounds.
The previous two year’s mains cut offs help you gauge the progression in the difficulty level for this exam. Here is a look at the minimum qualifying marks out of 250, year and category wise:
In 2019
The SBI PO mains cut-off for the general category was 104.42, while OBC capped at 94.28. For SC, the minimum score was 82.50, ST at 77.63, EWS at 100.89, LD at 86.51, VI at 101.75, HI at 75.36, D&E at 75.14.
In 2018
General candidates had to secure a minimum of 93.10 to qualify for the group exercise and personal interview round. The cut-off for SC stopped at 77.13, ST at 75.01, and OBC at 86.42.
These cutoffs are calculated by SBI after considering the number of applicants, vacancies, and the standard of questions included. Rely on the leading online bank exam preparation platform to attain success.
