New Delhi, June 18, 2026: The State Bank of India (SBI) has officially released its highly anticipated recruitment notification for the position of Probationary Officer (PO) for the 2026-27 financial year. Banking aspirants across the country can now access the detailed notification directly on the bank’s updated official portal. For this recruitment cycle, India’s largest public sector bank has announced a total of 1,500 vacancies.
The online registration and application modification window officially opened on June 18, 2026, and candidates have until July 8, 2026, to complete their applications and submit the necessary fees. Considered one of the most prestigious entry-level jobs in the Indian banking sector, the SBI PO designation offers rapid career progression, an attractive pay structure, and excellent job security. This comprehensive report covers everything you need to know about the eligibility criteria, selection process, major updates, and step-by-step registration instructions.
Key Highlights of the 2026 Recruitment
The 2026 recruitment notification introduces several minor modifications alongside an updated compensation plan. Before deep-diving into the finer details, here is a quick breakdown of the core numbers and updates announced in the official document.
Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown
Out of the 1,500 total advertised seats, the bank has divided the recruitment into 1,446 regular openings and 54 backlog openings carried forward from previous years. The vacancies are distributed among various categories as follows:
- Unreserved (UR / General): 588 posts
- Other Backward Classes (OBC – Non-Creamy Layer): 390 posts
- Scheduled Caste (SC): 234 posts (216 Regular + 18 Backlog)
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): 144 posts (108 Regular + 36 Backlog)
- Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 144 posts
Additionally, a 4% horizontal reservation is applicable for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) under the prevailing guidelines of the RPWD Act, 2016.
Eligibility Criteria: Who Can Apply?
To avoid getting disqualified at a later stage, applicants must thoroughly verify that they satisfy the educational, age, and attempt limits specified by the bank as of the designated cut-off dates.
1. Educational Qualifications (As of Sept 30, 2026)
Candidates must hold a graduation degree in any discipline or stream from a recognized university, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Central Government.
- Final Year Students: If you are in your final year or semester of graduation, you are eligible to apply provisionally. However, you will need to produce definitive proof of having passed your graduation examination on or before September 30, 2026, if shortlisted for the interview round.
- Professional Degrees: Candidates possessing professional qualifications such as Chartered Accountancy (CA) are also fully eligible to apply.
2. Age Limit (As of April 1, 2026)
Applicants must be at least 21 years old and must not have crossed the age of 30 years as of April 1, 2026. This implies that candidates must have been born between April 2, 1996, and April 1, 2005 (both dates inclusive). Relaxations in the upper age limit apply to reserved categories:
- OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): 3 years relaxation (up to 33 years)
- SC / ST: 5 years relaxation (up to 35 years)
- PwBD (General/EWS): 10 years relaxation
3. Number of Attempts
Unlike other banking exams, SBI limits the number of times a candidate can appear for the test. An attempt is only counted if the candidate actually appears for the Phase-II Main Examination. Appearing in the Phase-I Preliminary Exam does not count as a formal attempt. The upper limit for General/EWS candidates is set at 6 attempts, while General PwBD and OBC candidates are permitted up to 9 attempts.
The Three-Phase Selection Process
The SBI PO selection architecture is highly competitive and is structured into three individual phases to assess aptitude, technical knowledge, communication skills, and personality traits.
Phase I: Preliminary Examination (Expected August 2026)
The Prelims is an objective online test evaluating foundational skills. It serves as a screening filter and consists of 100 questions carrying 1 mark each, with a composite duration of 1 hour. A negative marking penalty of 1/4th (0.25) of a mark is deducted for every incorrect response. It features three sections:
- English Language: 30 questions (20 minutes)
- Quantitative Aptitude: 35 questions (20 minutes)
- Reasoning Ability: 35 questions (20 minutes)
Phase II: Main Examination (Expected September 2026)
Candidates who score above the qualifying baseline in the Prelims are called for the Main Examination. This phase comprises an Objective Test (200 marks, 3 hours duration) immediately followed by an online Descriptive Test (50 marks, 30 minutes duration).
- Objective Sections: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (60 marks), Data Analysis & Interpretation (60 marks), General/Economy/Banking Awareness (40 marks), and English Language (40 marks).
- Descriptive Section: Candidates must type a Letter and an Essay directly onto the computer terminal.
Phase III: Psychometric Test, Group Exercises & Interview
Shortlisted individuals undergo a psychometric evaluation aimed at mapping personality traits and behavior. This is followed by a Group Discussion (20 marks) and a formal Interview (30 marks) to test corporate suitability and situational leadership. The final merit list is prepared by assigning a 75:25 weight distribution to the Phase-II (Mains) and Phase-III scores, respectively.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply
Eligible candidates must complete their registrations exclusively via the online pathway. Ensure you have a stable internet connection, scanned copies of your photograph, signature, left thumb impression, and your Aadhaar card handy before executing these steps.
1.Access the Official Career Portal:Step 1.
Navigate to the official website of the bank at sbi.bank.in. Once the page loads, scroll down and click on the Careers or Current Openings tab.
2.New Registration:Step 2.
Locate the link titled “Recruitment of Probationary Officers (Advertisement No: CRPD/PO/2026-27/09)” and click on Apply Online. Choose the Click Here for New Registration tab to generate your provisional registration number and password.
3.Fill in the Details:Step 3.
Log into your profile using the newly generated credentials. Fill out the application form carefully by entering your personal details, valid educational qualification marks, category, and preferences for exam cities.
4.Upload Required Documents:Step 4.
Upload your scanned photograph, a clear signature (do not use capital letters for signature), left thumb impression, and a handwritten declaration following the file size specifications mentioned in the notification booklet.
5.Application Fee Payment:Step 5.
Pay the application fee using any online payment infrastructure (Net Banking, Debit/Credit Card, or UPI). The application fee is ₹750 for General, EWS, and OBC categories, while SC, ST, and PwBD candidates are completely exempted from fee payments.
6.Final Submission & Printout:Step 6.
Preview the entire application form for spelling mistakes or data mismatches. Click Submit and immediately download or print out the confirmation page along with the e-receipt for your records.
Tentative Examination Schedule
The bank has put forward an aggressive timeline for the 2026 recruitment campaign. Aspirants should take note of the tentative timelines below to streamline their study schedules:
- Online Registration & Fee Submission: June 18, 2026, to July 8, 2026
- Download of Prelims Admit Cards: 2nd / 3rd week of July 2026 onwards
- Phase-I Preliminary Examination: Expected August 2026
- Declaration of Prelims Results: August / September 2026
- Phase-II Main Examination: September 2026
- Phase-III Psychometric & Interview Rounds: October / November 2026
- Declaration of Final Merit List: December 2026
With the Preliminary examination expected to take place in August, candidates have roughly two months to consolidate their preparation. Because SBI does not enforce sectional cut-offs but maintains highly competitive overall cut-off parameters, maximizing accuracy and speed across sections is critical to securing a spot in this year’s batch of 1,500 Probationary Officers.