SBI PO 2026: Cut-off Guide

The SBI PO cut-off is the minimum score you need to move from one phase to the next. There are three kinds: an overall category-wise cut-off in Prelims (no sectional cut-off), sectional minimums plus an aggregate cut-off in Mains, and a final cut-off on the combined Mains and Phase III score out of 100.

State Bank of India does not publish a separate cut-off notice in its result PDFs. Candidates see category cut-offs through the marks display utility on the SBI Careers page after each result. The figures below are indicative, as reported after each result, and are benchmarks only.

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: Previous Years

These are indicative, reported figures, not taken from an official SBI notice. Confirm your own category's cut-off in the marks display utility for your cycle. The 2026-27 Prelims result came out on 28 August 2026, and SBI listed the marks utility on its careers page.

Trend and What It Shows

The reported UR Prelims cut-off rose by 5 marks between the two cycles, and every category moved up by 2.5 to 5 marks. A rise like this usually reflects an easier paper or stronger competition rather than a change in rules. Do not assume it will keep rising; one harder paper can pull it down.

Mains cut-offs are harder to compare. The 2024-25 Mains was out of 250 with a 50-mark descriptive test, while the 2026 Mains is out of 230 with a 30-mark descriptive test. Older Mains figures cannot be read against the 2026 total.

Where to Find the Official Cut-off

1. Open the SBI Careers page: go to current openings or recruitment results and find the Probationary Officer advertisement for your cycle.

2. Use the marks link: after each result, SBI adds a "marks secured by the candidates" link under that advertisement.

3. Log in: enter your roll or registration number and date of birth. The display shows your marks, and candidates report that it also shows the category cut-off.

4. Save a copy: the utility may stay open only for a limited time, so download or screenshot it for your records.

The final cut-off is on the combined score out of 100 after normalising Mains to 75 and Phase III to 25. It is shown only to candidates who reach Phase III, so public figures for it are scarce and less reliable.

What Affects the SBI PO Cut-off

• Paper difficulty: the biggest single factor, especially in a one-hour Prelims.

• Vacancies by category: SBI calls about 10 times the vacancies to Mains and up to about 3 times to Phase III, so more seats mean a deeper list.

• Number of candidates: more serious applicants push the Prelims cut-off up.

• Sectional minimums in Mains: decided by SBI based on vacancies, and applied to each of the five tests separately.

• Multiple shifts: Prelims runs over several shifts, and differences in difficulty between shifts affect where the cut-off settles.

How to Set Your Target

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

1. Prelims: aim for 5 to 8 marks above your category's most recent reported cut-off. For a UR candidate, that means planning for the low 70s out of 100.

2. Mains: avoid a weak section. Aim for at least 40 percent in each test and a strong score in Reasoning and DI, which carry 120 of 230 marks.

3. Descriptive: write all three tasks fully, since the descriptive paper has its own minimum score.

4. Final merit: remember that Mains carries 75 of the final 100, three times the weight of Phase III, so a strong Mains score does most of the work.

The 40 percent sectional figure is a personal safety target, not an official cut-off. Read the SBI PO exam pattern for how marks convert into final merit.

Check official results and the marks utility on the SBI Careers current openings page.