SBI PO | Cut-off trends
SBI PO cut-off trends: how the score to clear is decided, and what moves it
The cut-off for the preliminary, main and phase iii stage, explained: how it is built, what moves it, and where to find the real number.
SBI does not publish a Preliminary cut-off mark. It shows your Preliminary result as qualified or not, shortlists at about ten times the vacancies category-wise, and releases category-wise marks only later in the process. So the specific prelims numbers circulating before results are estimates, not official figures. What is worth knowing is the mechanism and what moves the bar, so an estimate is easy to sanity-check. This page sets that out and links to the official portal where SBI publishes the real marks.
How the cut-off is decided
The Preliminary examination is a qualifying screen. SBI shortlists candidates for the Main at roughly ten times the vacancies, category-wise, and the marks do not enter the final merit list.
Cut-offs are set separately for each category, so there is no single number, and SBI reveals the category-wise marks later rather than with the Preliminary result.
Scores are normalised across the several shifts before cut-offs are drawn, so your standing rests on the normalised score.
The Main examination has an objective paper of 200 marks and a descriptive paper of 50 marks; the descriptive is evaluated only for candidates who clear the objective cut-off.
The final merit list converts the Main examination to 75 and Phase III, the group exercise and interview, to 25. A psychometric test feeds into the interview rather than being scored separately.
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What moves the cut-off
The levers that push the score to clear up or down from one cycle to the next.
| Factor | Effect on the cut-off |
|---|---|
| Number of vacancies | The shortlist is a multiple of vacancies, so a smaller advertisement raises the bar at every stage. SBI has revised vacancies mid-cycle before. |
| Number of applicants | More candidates for the same posts lift the qualifying mark. |
| Paper difficulty after normalisation | An easier paper raises the normalised qualifying mark rather than lowering it. |
| Category | General and EWS cut-offs generally sit above OBC, which sits above SC and ST, with the gaps varying by cycle. |
| The descriptive and Phase III weight | Unlike a clerical exam, a strong interview and descriptive score can lift a middling objective mark, so the Main objective cut-off is not the whole story. |
The trend, read honestly
The bar tracks vacancies closely, because the shortlist at each stage is defined as a multiple of them.
SBI's descriptive paper carries 50 marks, double the IBPS PO version, so the final merit is more sensitive to writing and interview than the objective score alone suggests.
Because SBI caps attempts by category, the applicant pool at the top is competitive, and general-category final cut-offs run high relative to the paper.
Where to find the real figure
- SBI careers portal
Results, call letters and the candidate login are here. SBI publishes category-wise marks and the marks of the last selected candidate with the final result, not with the Preliminary result.
Common questions
- Why can't I find an official SBI PO Preliminary cut-off?
- Because SBI does not publish one. The Preliminary result is shown only as qualified or not, and category-wise marks are released later in the process. Any specific prelims cut-off you see before then is a coaching estimate, not an official figure.
- Do Preliminary marks count in the final selection?
- No. The Preliminary examination only shortlists for the Main. The final merit list combines the Main examination and Phase III in a 75:25 ratio, so the prelims score is discarded once you qualify.
- How is SBI PO's cut-off different from IBPS PO's?
- The mechanism is similar, but SBI weights the final merit 75:25 against IBPS's 80:20, its descriptive paper is worth 50 marks against 25, and SBI caps attempts by category while IBPS does not. All three make the SBI final cut-off lean a little more on the later stages.