SBI PO Prelims result 2026 declared for 1,500 posts: What next, Mains exam pattern, selection process

The descriptive test will carry 50 marks and will have a duration of 30 minutes. It will test communication skills through tasks such as email writing, report writing, situation analysis and précis writing.

Candidates should note that the marks obtained in the preliminary examination will not be added to the final merit list. The Main Examination and the subsequent Phase III scores will determine the final selection. Candidates who meet the required Main Examination criteria will be shortlisted for the final phase, which includes a psychometric test, group exercise and personal interview.

For final selection, SBI will consider the Main Examination and Phase III performance after normalisation. The Main Examination carries 75 marks after conversion, while the Group Exercise and Interview together carry 25 marks, making the final merit score 100.

With the Mains examination approaching, candidates who have cleared Prelims should shift their preparation towards banking and economic awareness, data interpretation, reasoning, computer aptitude and descriptive writing. The Mains stage carries significantly greater weight in the final selection and should therefore be treated as the main focus from now on.