When it comes to banking jobs, many aspirants dream of working for the State Bank of India, the country’s largest bank. Bank jobs are among the most in-demand in the country. As a result, aspirants looking for banking jobs keep track of the dates on which banks hold exams to fill vacancies.
In this section, we will talk about the SBI PO exam, which will be held in 2021. Continue reading to learn more about the exam dates, application process, exam pattern, and so on.
Notification of SBI PO
The State Bank of India issues a notice announcing the dates on which it will hold exams to hire new employees. SBI issued a notification for the probationary officer recruitment process for the year 2021 on October 4, 2021.
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 following are the eligibility requirements that candidates must meet in order to apply for the SBI PO exam:
- The applicant must be an Indian citizen.
- You must be between the ages of 21 and 30 on April 1, 2021. (OBC candidates receive a 3-year relaxation, while SC/ST/ExS/J&K migrants receive a 5-year relaxation on the upper age limit.)
- As of December 31, 2021, you must have a bachelor’s degree in any field from a recognised university.
- There should be no negative character reports.
- Should not be a defaulter when it comes to loan and credit card payments.
- The maximum number of attempts allowed should not have been exceeded. (4 for general citizens and 7 for candidates from PWD/OBC/ST/SC).
Application Fees
The application fee for the SBI PO exam 2021 is Rs.750 for candidates in the general category and Rs.750 for candidates in the reserved category.
How to Apply
The process of applying for the SBI PO exam 2021 is listed below:
- Visit the official website of SBI
- Select ‘Career with Us.’
- Choose the ‘SBI PO Exam 2021 application form’ option.
- Fill out the form.
- Upload a scanned image of a passport-size photo and your signature in JPEG format.
- Then, press the ‘Submit’ button.
- You will be redirected to a fee payment window if you do so.
- Pay the fees with a debit/credit card or via net banking.
- If the payment is successful, a registration ID will be generated for future reference.
- Take a printout of the application form with all of the requested information.
Photo and Signature specifications
Keep the following in mind when uploading the photo and signature:
- The photo must be 200 x 230 pixels in size and between 20 and 50 kb in size.
- The signature must be 140 x 60 pixels in size and between 10 and 20 kb in size.
Selection Process of SBI PO Exam
The selection process of candidates in the SBI PO exam 2021 is listed below:
- The following is the procedure for selecting candidates for the SBI PO exam 2021:
- First, you must pass the preliminary exam with qualifying marks.
- As a result, you will be invited to take the SBI PO Main exam.
- To be shortlisted for group discussion and interview, you must obtain qualifying marks in each section of the main examination, as well as a good overall score.
- Following the group discussion and interview, the main examination and GD/PI scores will be computed.
- The final list of candidates is compiled using the combined marks from the mains exam and the GD/PI.
SBI PO Exam Pattern
Because the SBI PO Exam is divided into stages, the paper pattern differs for each stage. Continue reading to learn 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 | English languageQuantitative AptitudeReasoning Ability |
| Questions in each section | English language – 30Quantitative Aptitude – 35Reasoning Ability – 35 |
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 | Reasoning and Computer Aptitude (Objective)Data Analysis and Interpretation (Objective)General awareness about Economy/ Banking (Objective)English language (Objective)Letter writing and Essay (Descriptive) |
| Questions in each section of the Objective test | Reasoning and Computer Aptitude – 60Data Analysis and Interpretation – 60General awareness about Economy/ Banking – 40English language – 40 |
| Time Allotted for each section | Reasoning and Computer Aptitude – 45 minutesData Analysis and Interpretation – 45 minutesGeneral awareness about Economy/ Banking – 45 minutesEnglish language – 45 minutes |
Pattern for GD/PI in SBI PO Exam 2021
| Sections | Group Discussion and Interview |
| Marks in each section | Group Discussion: 20 marksPersonal Interview: 30 marks |
How to download SBI PO 2021 Call letter/Admit Card
The bank issues separate admit cards for the three stages of the SBI PO Exam 2021. The steps for downloading the admit card or call letter are as follows:
- First, go to the bank’s official website.
- Then, select ‘SBI PO Exam 2021 Admit Card’.
- Enter your registration number and date of birth.
- The admit card will be displayed on the screen after you enter the correct information.
- Take a printout of it after you’ve downloaded it.
How to get the result of SBI PO Exam 2021
The results for each stage of the SBI PO exam 2021 will be published on the bank’s official website. To view the results, go to the official website and enter your roll or registration number as well as your date of birth.
SBI PO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is the SBI PO Exam available in both English & Hindi?
Yes, the SBI PO Exam is both available in English & HIndi. 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. - Is there negative marking in SBI PO examination?
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. - Are there fixed timings for different sections?
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. - Is SBI PO a government job?
Yes, SBI PO is a government job. State Bank of India or SBI is one of the biggest public sector banking entities. - Is there a probation period for SBI PO?
Yes, there is a probation period for SBI PO. Currently, the probation period for SBI PO is 2 years. - Is there any bond that an employee has to sign during or before the probation period?
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. - What is the salary of SBI PO?
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. - What is PO post in SBI?
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. - Is SBI PO a permanent job?
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.