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SBI PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026: The State Bank of India conducted the SBI PO Mains Examination 2026 today, September 12, 2026, in a single shift from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, for recruitment to 1500 Probationary Officer vacancies under Advt No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09. The exam comprised 170 objective questions worth 200 marks, followed by a 30-mark Descriptive Paper covering Email Writing, Situation Analysis, and Report/Precis Writing. Check this article for the complete SBI PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026, including section-wise difficulty level, good attempts, topic-wise weightage, and Descriptive Paper topics, based on candidate feedback gathered right after the exam concluded.
SBI PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026 Highlights
Candidates must check all the information about SBI PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026 in the table given below:
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Particulars
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Details
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Conducting Body
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State Bank of India (SBI)
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Exam Name
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SBI PO Mains Examination 2026
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Advt No.
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CRPD/PO/2026-27/09
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Exam Date
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12th September 2026
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Exam Shift
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Single Shift (1:00 PM – 4:30 PM)
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Total Vacancies
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1,500
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Mode of Exam
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Online (Computer-Based Test) + Descriptive Paper
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Objective Test Duration
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3 Hours (180 minutes)
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Descriptive Test Duration
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30 minutes
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Total Duration
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3 Hours 30 minutes
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Objective Questions
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170 Questions
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Objective Marks
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200 Marks
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Descriptive Marks
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30 Marks
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Total Marks
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230 Marks
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Sections (Objective)
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Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General/Economy/Banking Awareness, English Language
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Descriptive Paper Topics
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Email Writing, Situation Analysis, Report Writing/Precis Writing
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Negative Marking
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0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer (Objective only)
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Overall Good Attempts (Objective)
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75–88 out of 170
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Overall Difficulty Level
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To be updated after candidate feedback
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Weightage in Final Merit
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Mains: 75%, Interview & Group Exercise: 25%
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SBI PO Mains Exam Section-Wise Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
The SBI PO Mains 2026 objective test was divided into four sections, each with its own sectional timing. Candidates could not switch between sections before the allotted time was over, so managing time within each section was crucial. Here is the section-wise breakdown based on the exam pattern and candidate feedback.
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Section
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No. of Questions
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Marks
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Difficulty Level
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Good Attempts
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Reasoning & Computer Aptitude
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40
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50
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Moderate to Difficult
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16–20
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Data Analysis & Interpretation
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30
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50
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Difficult
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12–15
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General/Economy/Banking Awareness
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50
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60
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Moderate
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28–32
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English Language
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35
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40
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Moderate
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20–24
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Total
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170
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200
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Moderate to Difficult
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75–88
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SBI PO Mains Exam 2026 Descriptive Paper Topics
The Descriptive Paper is the final part of the SBI PO Mains objective-cum-descriptive test, carrying 30 marks and lasting 30 minutes. Unlike the objective section, there is no negative marking here, but candidates must manage their time carefully across three different writing tasks. Below are the topics asked in today's exam based on candidate feedback.
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Descriptive Task
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Topic Asked
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Marks
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Email Writing
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Requesting the bank manager for a home loan interest rate revision / Formally addressing a customer query
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10
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Situation Analysis
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Critical evaluation of workplace dynamic or customer service escalation scenario
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10
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Report Writing / Précis Writing
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Summarizing a passage on financial technology trends or drafting a branch performance report
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10
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Total
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—
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30
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Candidates who score well in the objective sections but write weak descriptive answers have missed out on selection in previous years, so this section carries real weight in the final merit list despite its smaller mark share.