SBI PO 2018 notification is out. The registration window is open now and the last date to apply for the post is 13th of May. There have been quite a few changes in the recruitment procedure this time. Due to these changes, the SBI PO expected cut off is on the higher side this time. In this article, let us have a look at the changes in the exam this time and the implications of these changes on SBI PO expected cut off.
SBI has scheduled the prelims exam for the 1st, 7th & 8th July 2018. Since the time available is limited, SBI PO online preparation can give aspirants the much-needed advantage in preparation. Going through the previous year papers of SBI PO can help aspirants to gauge the type of questions that appear in the exam. Also, taking SBI PO mock tests at regular intervals can help aspirants to fine-tune their preparation.
There is no explicit mention of Sectional Cutoff in the SBI PO 2018 official notification.Â
It is unclear whether the exam will have sectional cut offs or not. Candidates should be ready to score well in either case.
If sectional cutoffs are present, the expected cut off will be as mentioned below.
SBI PO Expected Cut Off 2018:
SBI has announced 2000 vacancies for PO posts this year. The number of vacancies is slightly less than what that was last year. Therefore, this can result in a slight increase in the cut off as compared to last year. Also, SBI has introduced sectional time limits for each section in the exam. It has now become imperative for aspirants to get a decent score across all three sections.
SBI Po Prelims Cutoff 2018:
The pattern of the prelims exam is as follows:
| S.no | Section | Number of questions | Time duration |
| 1. | English Language | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2. | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 20 minutes |
| 3. | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 1 hour |
SBI has decided to shortlist candidates in the ratio of 1:10 for the mains exam. This is a huge reduction from the 1:20 ratio used the previous year. Therefore, aspirants can expect a huge jump in the cut off due to this drastic reduction in the call ratio.
Though the introduction of the sectional time limits can bring about a slight reduction in the cut off, the fall in the call ratio will push the cut off up by several notches. The SBI PO cut off for prelims exam was 51.5 in 2017 and 47.5 in 2016. If the level of difficulty remains the same, one can expect the cut off to touch the 60s this time. Only half the number of aspirants shortlisted last year will be shortlisted this time. Therefore, one can expect the competition to be fierce this time. The prelims cut off for various categories last 2 years was as follows:
| S.no. | Category | General | OBC | SC | ST |
| 1. | 2017 | 51.5 | 48.25 | 43.25 | 31.25 |
| 2. | 2016 | 47.5 | 42.25 | 37.25 | 19.75 |
We can expect the prelims cut off to rise by at least 6-7 marks in each category if the exam remains as tough as last year.
SBI Po Mains Cutoff 2018:
The pattern of the mains exam has not undergone any change. Therefore, the cut off for the mains exam will not change much if the level of difficulty remains the same.
Last year, the cut off to appear in the interview was 50 marks for general category. The cut off for various categories to appear in the interview was as follows:
| S.no. | Category | General | OBC/SC/ST |
| 1. | Objective paper (out of 200) | 50 | 40 |
| 2. | Descriptive paper (out of 50) | 20 | 17.5 |
This year, the cut off will increase by a mark or two if the level of difficulty remains the same.
SBI PO Final Selection Cut off marks:
The final phase in the selection process is the group exercise and the interview. SBI prepares the final merit list by scaling down the main marks to 75. Marks obtained in the GE and interview will be scaled down to 25. SBI prepares the final merit list using the sum of the marks in mains (out of 75) and GE and interview (out of 25).
Last year, the cumulative scores of the candidate getting the final posting in each category were as follows:
| S.no. | Category | General | OBC | SC | ST |
| 1. | Mains (out of 75) + GE + interview (out of 25) (Total out of 100) | 46.59 | 40.83 | 38.95 | 28.88 |
As the number of vacancies has reduced slightly, one can expect the cut offs to increase by a mark or two.
We hope that this blog on SBI PO expected cut off 2018 would have helped to gain some idea about what one must be shooting for in the exam. Try reading SBI PO syllabus to know more about how to prepare for the exam.
