When it comes to banking jobs, getting into State Bank of India, the country’s largest bank is a dream for many aspirants. Bank jobs are one of the most sought-after jobs in the country. Given this, aspirants looking for banking jobs keep a tab on the dates when banks conduct exams to fill the vacancies.
Here, we discuss about SBI PO exam to be conducted in 2021. Read on to know more about exam dates, application process, exam pattern, etc.
SBI PO Notification
State Bank of India releases a notification to announce the dates when it would conduct exams to hire new employees. The notification for the probationary officer's recruitment process for the year 2021 was announced on 4 October 2021 by SBI.
SBI PO Exam 2021 Highlights
The key points about SBI PO exam 2021 are highlighted in the table below:
| Name of Exam | State Bank of India Probationary Officers Exam |
| Conducted by | State Bank of India |
| Official Website | sbi.co.in |
| Periodicity | Annual |
| Exam Level | National |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| SBI PO 2021 Selection stages | Prelims, Main Exam, and Group Discussion/ Interview |
| Expected Vacancies | 2056 |
SBI PO Exam Dates
State Bank will conduct the SBI PO exam on the dates mentioned in the table below:
| Events | Dates |
| SBI PO 2021 Prelims Exam Date | November/ December 2021 |
| SBI PO 2021 Main Exam Date | December 2021 |
| SBI PO 2021 GD and Interview | February 2022 |
| Declaration of SBI PO 2021 Final Result | February/ March 2022 |
Note: The dates are tentative. Please check with the bank’s official website.
SBI PO Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria which candidates need to fulfil in order to apply for the SBI PO exam are listed below:
- Must be an Indian citizen.
- Must be between 21 and 30 years of age as of 1 April 2021. (OBC candidates get relaxation of 3 years while SC/ST/ExS/J&K migrants get relaxation of 5 years on the upper age limit).
- Should have a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognised university as of 31 December 2021.
- Should not have an adverse report regarding character.
- Should not be a defaulter when it comes to repayment of loans and credit card dues.
- Should not have exceeded the maximum number of attempts permitted. (4 for general citizens and 7 for PWD/OBC/ST/SC candidates).
Application Fees
The fees which need to be paid in order to apply for the SBI PO exam 2021 is Rs.750 for candidates who fall in general category while candidates falling in reserved categories will need to pay Rs.750.
How to Apply
The process of applying for the SBI PO exam 2021 is listed below:
- Visit the official website of SBI
- Click on ‘Career with us’
- Select ‘SBI PO Exam 2021 application form’
- Fill in the form
- Upload scanned image of passport size photo as well as the signature in JPEG format.
- Next, click on ‘Submit’
- On doing so, you will be redirected to a fee payment window
- Pay the fees using debit/credit card or through net banking
- Once the payment is successful, a registration ID will be generated which can be used for future reference
- Get a printout of the application form with all the provided details.
Photo and Signature specifications
While uploading the photo and signature, you need to keep these things in mind -
- The photo must be of 200 x 230 pixels with the size being 20 to 50 kb.
- The signature must be of 140 x 60 pixels with the size being 10 to 20 kb.
Selection Process of SBI PO Exam
The selection process of candidates in the SBI PO exam 2021 is listed below:
- First, you need to clear the preliminary exam by scoring the qualifying marks
- On doing so, you will be called to appear in the SBI PO Main exam
- In the main examination, you need to get qualifying marks in each section as well as get a good overall score to be shortlisted for group discussion and interview.
- Following the group discussion and interview, the marks obtained in the main examination and GD/PI will be calculated.
- Final list of candidates is prepared based on the combined marks of both the mains exam and GD/PI.
SBI PO Exam Pattern
Given that SBI PO Exam has different stages, the paper pattern is different for each stage. Read on to know more about it.
Pattern for SBI PO Prelims Exam 2021
| Mode of Examination | Online |
| Question Type | Objective |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Sections | 3 (Three) |
| Name of the sections |
|
| Questions in each section |
|
Pattern for SBI PO Mains Exam 2021
| Mode of Examination | Online |
| Question Type | Objective and Descriptive |
| Duration | 3 hours for Objective 30 minutes for Descriptive |
| Sections | 5 |
| Name of the Sections |
|
| Questions in each section of the Objective test |
|
| Time Allotted for each section |
|
Pattern for GD/PI in SBI PO Exam 2021
| Sections | Group Discussion and Interview |
| Marks in each section |
|
How to download SBI PO 2021 Call letter/Admit Card
The admit card for the three stages of SBI PO Exam 2021 is released separately by the bank. The process of downloading the admit card or call letter is listed below:
- First, visit the official website of the bank.
- Next, click on ‘SBI PO Exam 2021 Admit Card’.
- Enter the registration number along with your date of birth.
- On inserting the correct details, the admit card will be displayed on the screen.
- Download the same and get a printout of it.
How to get the result of SBI PO Exam 2021
The result for each stage of the SBI PO exam 2021 will be declared on the official website of the bank. In order to check the results, all you need to do is visit the official website, enter the roll or registration number along with the date of birth.
SBI PO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is the SBI PO Exam bilingual?
- Is there negative marking in SBI PO examination?
- Are there fixed timings for different sections?
- Is SBI PO a government job?
- Is there a probation period for SBI PO?
- Is there any bond that an employee has to sign during or before the probation period?
- What is the salary of SBI PO?
- What is PO post in SBI?
- Is SBI PO a permanent job?
A: Yes, the SBI PO Exam is bilingual. You can choose to read and write the answers to the questions in either Hindi or English. However, it should be kept in mind that the English Language section will be available in English only.
A: Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. Hence, if you get wrong answers to 4 questions, you will lose 1 mark.
A: Yes, there is fixed timing for each section of the SBI PO exam. You will have to answer the questions in different sections of the exam, within the stipulated time. On the basis of the score distribution, the allotted time for each section will vary. This is applicable for both the preliminary and the mains exam.
A: Yes, SBI PO is a government job. State Bank of India or SBI is one of the biggest public sector banking entities.
A: Yes, there is a probation period for SBI PO. Currently, the probation period for SBI PO is 2 years.
A: No, there is no bond that an employee has to sign during or before the probation period. However, if an individual decides to resign, he or she will be required to serve a notice period of 3 months effective from the date of resignation.
A: The salary structure for SBI PO consists of a number of factors. The basic salary is Rs.27,620. In addition to that there are host of other amenities and allowances. In general, the gross salary of an SBI PO ranges from Rs.53,000 to Rs.55,000.
A: The PO post in SBI stands for Probationary Officer. A Probationary Officer is basically an assistant officer. During the probationary period of 2 years, a PO might be asked to do any kind of job in the branch office – both clerical and official.
A: SBI PO is a permanent job in the public sector. However, it should be noted that the candidate will be required to appear for an exam and clear the same after the end of the probation period of 2 years. The job will be permanent only after that.
