SBI SO Exam Pattern 2026: Stages, Marks and Merit

The SBI SO exam pattern changes with the advertisement. State Bank of India selects Specialist Cadre Officers through a series of notifications, and in the 2026-27 cycle only a few of them include an online written test. Most select candidates through shortlisting and a 100-mark interview. This page sets out both routes, so you know which stages apply to your post and how marks are counted.

The main change to understand is the split between the two routes. The Assistant Manager (Law), Deputy Manager (Law) and Bank Medical Officer posts use a written test and interview with 70:30 weightage. Wealth Management, technology, trade finance and marketing posts use shortlisting and interview only.

Table of Contents

• SBI SO exam pattern at a glance

• Route 1: online test and interview

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Route 2: shortlisting and interview

• Later stages

• Final merit calculation

• Time management and exam-day strategy

SBI SO exam pattern at a glance

Route 1: online test and interview

Law posts (Advertisement CRPD/SCO/2026-27/02)

The online objective test was held on 23 August 2026. SBI published the list of candidates provisionally shortlisted for interview on 12 October 2026.

The summary in the advertisement describes the objective test at 50 marks, while the paper-wise figures add up to 110. Only Professional Knowledge counts for merit, which explains the 50. The advertisement does not resolve the difference, so confirm timings in your call letter.

Candidates must qualify in the objective and descriptive tests separately. The final written score is the combined total of the objective and descriptive tests. The bank sets the minimum qualifying marks and does not disclose them.

Bank Medical Officer (Advertisement CRPD/SCO/2026-27/03)

The advertisement allots 45 minutes to the general sections and 45 minutes to Professional Knowledge. The written test was tentatively planned for August 2026, and the interview carries 100 marks. Provisionally selected candidates also take a Local Language Proficiency Test.

Marking scheme and negative marking

• Law posts: The advertisement states that there is no negative marking.

• Bank Medical Officer: Wrong answers carry negative marks. Check the advertisement for the exact deduction before you decide how to guess.

• Medium: The advertisement does not state the language of the Law papers beyond the English Language test.

What the pattern means for you

• Law posts have no penalty for a wrong answer: Attempt every question in Professional Knowledge and manage time instead of leaving blanks.

• Medical Officer marks are weighted: Each Professional Knowledge question is worth 2 marks, so wrong guesses cost more than in an equal-weight paper.

• Qualifying papers can end your attempt: A high Professional Knowledge score will not help if you miss the minimum in reasoning, English or quantitative aptitude.

• The descriptive test is half of the Law written score: The objective Professional Knowledge paper and the descriptive test each carry 50 marks.

Route 2: shortlisting and interview

Most advertisements, including the Wealth Management, trade finance, AI and IT risk posts, follow the same steps.

1. Shortlisting: The bank sets the parameters, such as experience and qualifications, and decides how many candidates to call. Meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee a call.

2. Interview: It carries 100 marks and the bank decides the qualifying marks. It may be a personal, telephonic or video interview, and some advertisements ask for a 5 to 10 minute presentation.

3. CTC negotiation: For contract posts, the bank negotiates pay with candidates in merit order. If a candidate declines, the next candidate is considered.

4. Merit list: It is based only on interview marks. Ties at the cut-off are broken in favour of the older candidate.

Later stages

Regular posts carry document verification, medical fitness checks and background verification. For the Law posts, the advertisement also mentions CIBIL status and police verification. Outstation candidates called for interview can claim economy airfare up to the limit stated in the advertisement, which was Rs. 10,000 round trip for the Law posts. Local transport is not reimbursed.

Final merit calculation

For the Law and Medical Officer posts, the written test carries 70 percent and the interview 30 percent, using normalised marks. SBI does not publish the normalisation formula. The example below is only an illustration of how weightage works, not the bank's method.

This shows why an interview cannot rescue a weak written score, and a strong written score still needs a good interview. A tie is resolved in favour of the older candidate.

Time management and exam-day strategy

• Clear the qualifying papers quickly: Aim to finish reasoning and English with spare time. Do not spend half your session there.

• Start Professional Knowledge with your strongest areas: Mark doubtful questions and return to them.

• Practise the descriptive paper by the clock: Give each answer about 8 to 9 minutes, and keep the structure the same each time.

• Read the call letter: Check reporting time, ID rules and the exact section timings.