SBI PO 2026 exam pattern with section-wise marks, number of questions, exam duration, and negative marking. Updated prelims and mains pattern with all selection process stages.
Understanding the SBI PO 2026 exam pattern is the first step in planning your preparation. The pattern defines how many questions appear in each section, what marks they carry, whether negative marking applies, and how much total time is available. Candidates who internalize the pattern before starting practice consistently allocate their time better on exam day and avoid avoidable sectional cutoff failures.
The official 2026-27 process has a 100-mark Preliminary examination, a 230-mark Main examination, and Phase III. Prelims uses separate 20-minute section timers and has no sectional cutoff. Mains has four separately timed objective sections plus a 30-minute descriptive paper. Main and Phase III scores are normalized to 75 and 25 marks respectively for final selection.
For every wrong answer in the objective tests, one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. Unanswered questions carry no penalty. The notification does not prescribe negative marking for the descriptive paper.
| Section / Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
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Yes. SBI PO typically has a penalty of 0.25 marks per wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. Accuracy is therefore more important than blind attempt count.
SBI PO selection typically involves 2–3 stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and in some cases an Interview or Language Proficiency Test. The exact stages are confirmed in the official notification.
SBI PO Prelims is generally 1 hour and Mains extends to 2.5–3 hours depending on the exam. Some sections may carry individual time limits. Always refer to the official call letter for confirmed timings.
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