SBI PO Mains Expected Cut Off 2026: Category-Wise & Safe Score
Post-exam prediction based on the 12 September paper, revised 230-mark pattern, previous cutoffs and Mahendras analysis
Check SBI PO Mains Expected Cut Off 2026 category-wise after the 12 September exam, with the 230-mark pattern, safe-score zones, previous cutoffs and next-stage guidance.
Direct answer: The SBI PO Mains exam was held on 12 September 2026. Based on the Moderate to Difficult paper, the revised 230-mark pattern, 1,500 announced vacancies and Mahendras post-exam review, the expected cutoff range is 72–82 for General/UR and EWS, 66–76 for OBC, 59–69 for SC and 57–67 for ST. These are expert estimates—not SBI's official cutoff. The official category-wise and sectional cutoffs will be confirmed only with the Mains result or scorecard.
SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2026: Latest Status
Update | Current status |
|---|---|
SBI PO Mains exam date | 12 September 2026 |
Overall paper level | Moderate to Difficult, based on candidate feedback |
Official Mains cutoff | Not released as of 13 September 2026 |
Official Mains result | Not released |
Marks considered in Phase II | 230 marks: 200 objective + 30 descriptive |
Next stage | Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Personal Interview |
Important: SBI uses normalized scores and requires candidates to qualify the prescribed minimum in each test. Therefore, raw attempts cannot be converted directly into an official cutoff.
SBI PO Mains Expected Cut Off 2026 Category-Wise
Category | Mahendras expected cutoff range | Stronger score zone |
|---|---|---|
General / UR | 72–82 | 90+ |
EWS | 72–82 | 90+ |
OBC | 66–76 | 84+ |
SC | 59–69 | 77+ |
ST | 57–67 | 75+ |
Prediction note: The expected ranges and stronger score zones are planning bands prepared after the exam. They are not guaranteed qualifying marks. SBI's normalization, sectional minimums, category-wise competition and actual candidate performance will decide the official cutoff.
Why SBI PO Mains 2026 Cutoff Is Calculated Out of 230
The 2026 recruitment uses a revised Phase-II structure. Candidates should not compare the latest expected cutoff directly with an older cutoff without checking the maximum marks for that year.
Section | Questions / tasks | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 40 questions | 60 | 50 minutes |
Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 questions | 60 | 45 minutes |
General Awareness / Economy / Banking | 60 questions | 60 | 45 minutes |
English Language | 40 questions | 20 | 40 minutes |
Objective Test | 170 questions | 200 | 3 hours |
Descriptive Communication Skills | 3 tasks | 30 | 30 minutes |
Phase-II total | — | 230 | 3 hours 30 minutes |
Mahendras Post-Exam Cutoff Analysis
Paper difficulty: Candidate feedback placed the overall paper in the Moderate to Difficult range. Data Analysis and Interpretation was the most calculation-intensive section, while Reasoning contained lengthy puzzles and seating arrangements.
Reported attempts: The estimated overall good-attempt range was approximately 80–95 questions in the 200-mark objective test. Good attempts measure attempted questions, not marks, and should always be read with accuracy and negative marking.
Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks assigned to an objective question is deducted for a wrong answer. A candidate with fewer accurate attempts can therefore score above someone with more low-accuracy attempts.
Vacancy and shortlist effect: The recruitment announced 1,500 vacancies. The cutoff will also respond to the number of candidates SBI shortlists for Phase III, category-wise competition and normalized performance.
Descriptive marks: The 30-mark Descriptive Test forms part of Phase II. Candidates should include their likely descriptive performance when judging whether they are near the expected cutoff band.
SBI PO Mains 2026 Good Attempts vs Expected Cutoff
Objective attempts | How to interpret the range |
|---|---|
95 or more | Potentially strong only when accuracy is high; it is not an automatic safe score. |
85–94 | Competitive for several categories, depending on accuracy, question value and descriptive score. |
75–84 | Outcome can vary materially by category, normalization, accuracy and descriptive performance. |
Below 75 | Qualification remains uncertain; wait for the official normalized score and sectional cutoffs. |
Do not confuse attempts with marks: Questions carry different marks across sections. Calculate a conservative objective score after deducting negative marks, add a realistic descriptive estimate, and compare the result with the relevant category range—not with another student's attempt count.
How to Estimate Your SBI PO Mains Score
Step 1: Count only the objective answers you are reasonably confident are correct.
Step 2: Deduct one-fourth of the marks assigned to every incorrect objective answer.
Step 3: Keep section-wise performance separate because SBI prescribes minimum qualifying marks for individual tests.
Step 4: Add a cautious estimate for the 30-mark Descriptive Test instead of assuming full marks.
Step 5: Use the category range above only as a post-exam reference. The official score may differ because of normalization and SBI's final evaluation.
Check SBI PO Mains Exam Analysis 2026
SBI PO Previous Year Mains Cut Off: 2023 to 2025
The following recent cutoffs belonged to the earlier 250-mark Mains pattern. They show how competition changed across cycles, but they are not directly comparable with the revised 230-mark Phase-II total used in 2026.
Year | General / UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 75.00 | 69.50 | 75.00 | 62.75 | 62.51 | 250 |
2024 | 87.50 | 75.00 | 87.50 | 75.00 | 75.00 | 250 |
2023 | 70.00 | 62.25 | 70.00 | 57.50 | 57.50 | 250 |
Trend insight: The General cutoff moved from 70 in 2023 to 87.50 in 2024 and 75 in 2025. This sharp variation is why a single old-year number should not be copied as the 2026 prediction. Paper difficulty, vacancies, score distribution and the changed total must be considered together.
SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2026: Official Category-Wise Marks
The Prelims cutoff is already official and was released with the scorecard on 1 September 2026. Prelims marks are used only for shortlisting to Mains; they are not added to the final merit score.
Category | Official Prelims cutoff | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
General / UR | 66.25 | 100 |
OBC | 66.00 | 100 |
EWS | 64.75 | 100 |
SC | 58.75 | 100 |
ST | 52.75 | 100 |
Prelims vs Mains: Students searching for the Prelims cutoff should use the official table above. The category-wise Mains ranges on this page are predictions until SBI publishes the Phase-II result and scorecard.
What Happens After the SBI PO Mains Result?
Candidates shortlisted after Phase II move to Phase III, which includes a Psychometric Test, a 20-mark Group Exercise and a 30-mark Personal Interview. The Psychometric Test is used for personality profiling and its findings may be placed before the interview panel.
For final merit, SBI converts Phase-II marks to a 75-point weightage and Group Exercise plus Interview marks to a 25-point weightage. Prelims marks are not included. Candidates should therefore begin Phase-III preparation before the Mains result instead of waiting for the call letter.
Related Mahendras SBI PO Resources
Official Sources and Verification
Official SBI PO 2026 Detailed Advertisement
SBI Current Openings and Results
Verified from: State Bank of India recruitment advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 and the SBI careers portal.
Last verified: 13 September 2026.
Update policy: As soon as SBI releases the Mains result, official category-wise cutoff or scorecard, this same URL will be updated. The prediction table will remain clearly separated from official marks so students are not confused.