Company interview guide
State Bank of India interview process and practice questions
State Bank of India recruits Probationary Officers and Junior Associates (clerks) through public exams announced in official notifications on its careers page. Recent officer notifications describe a preliminary exam, a main exam, then a psychometric test, a group exercise and an interview; clerk recruitment is mainly through preliminary and main exams, with a local-language test for some candidates. Specialist Cadre Officer roles, such as IT, risk and law, are advertised separately.
As candidates commonly report it; it varies by team, level and year. Last reviewed 18 October 2026.
The interview process
- 1Online application against an official notification on SBI's careers page
- 2Phase I: an online preliminary exam (objective), used to shortlist for the main exam
- 3Phase II: an online main exam; for officers it usually includes objective and descriptive tests
- 4Officers, Phase III: usually a psychometric test, a group exercise and a personal interview
- 5Clerks: a test of the chosen local language for candidates who didn't study it at school, as the notification sets out
- 6Document verification and a medical check before joining
- 7Specialist Cadre Officers: separate notifications by post; selection varies, often shortlisting and an interview
What interviewers listen for
- Service
- Transparency
- Ethics
- Politeness
- Sustainability
- In the interview: clear communication, awareness of banking and the economy, and a sound reason for choosing SBI
- In the group exercise: contributing ideas, listening and helping the group reach a conclusion
- Willingness to work in any branch, including rural and semi-urban ones
Behavioral questions
Tell me about a time you helped someone who was unfamiliar with a process, such as filling in a form or using an app.
A good answer covers
- Who they were and what they found hard
- How you explained it patiently, in their language and at their pace
- What they could do afterwards on their own
Describe a time you led a group without being formally in charge.
A good answer covers
- The group's goal and why someone needed to step up
- What you did to organise people and settle disagreements
- The result and what the others would say about your role
Tell me about a time you stayed polite with someone who was being rude or unreasonable.
A good answer covers
- What happened and why they were upset
- How you kept calm and still solved the problem
- How it ended, and what you'd do the same way again
Tell me about a time you chose honesty even though it was the harder option.
A good answer covers
- The situation and the easier, less honest option
- What you did and who you told
- What it cost or gained you, and why you'd do it again
Role and technical questions
What is financial inclusion, and how does a bank like SBI support it?
A good answer covers
- Access to basic accounts, credit, insurance and pensions for people who lack them
- Government schemes, business correspondents and digital banking as ways to reach them
- The challenges that remain, and what a branch officer can do
Explain the repo rate and the cash reserve ratio, and how changes in them affect lending.
A good answer covers
- Repo rate: what the RBI charges banks to borrow; CRR: the share of deposits banks must keep with the RBI
- A higher repo rate or CRR usually makes loans dearer or reduces money to lend
- Why the RBI uses them: inflation and growth
A farmer in your branch area is struggling to repay a crop loan after a poor monsoon. What would you consider?
A good answer covers
- Understanding the situation: crop loss, other income, the loan's history
- Options within the rules, such as restructuring, crop insurance claims or relief schemes
- Being fair to the farmer and to the bank, and documenting the decision
How would you increase the use of digital banking among older customers at a rural branch?
A good answer covers
- The barriers: trust, language, phones and fear of fraud
- Practical steps: assisted demonstrations, local-language help, safety tips
- How you'd measure progress and keep a branch option for those who need it
A customer says they shared an OTP on a phone call and money has left their account. What would you do?
A good answer covers
- Blocking the card or account access and recording the complaint at once
- Guiding them to report it through the bank's process and the national cybercrime helpline
- Explaining next steps calmly, and how to spot such calls in future
What is a non-performing asset, and why does it matter to a public-sector bank?
A good answer covers
- A loan overdue beyond the RBI's limit, usually 90 days
- Its effect on profits, capital and the bank's ability to lend
- How banks reduce it: careful lending, monitoring and recovery
Group exercise practice: should India move towards a fully cashless economy? Give your view and a counterpoint.
A good answer covers
- A clear position with two reasons
- A fair counterpoint: access, connectivity, fraud, the informal economy
- How you would help the group reach a shared conclusion
Explain one recent RBI or government step in banking and what it means for ordinary customers.
A good answer covers
- The step, described accurately and briefly
- Who it affects and how
- One benefit and one challenge in putting it into practice
Why State Bank of India? Fit and HR questions
Tell me about yourself and why you want to join SBI.
A good answer covers
- Your background in a few sentences: home town, education, any work
- What draws you to SBI and to banking
- A quality that would make you a good officer or associate
Why a public-sector bank rather than a private bank?
A good answer covers
- Reasons about the work: reach, public service, variety of postings
- Something specific about SBI
- A respectful answer that doesn't criticise private banks
You may be posted to a remote rural branch far from home. How do you feel about that?
A good answer covers
- An honest, positive answer
- What you'd learn there that a city branch wouldn't teach
- How you would adapt: language, community, living arrangements
Tips
- Read the official notification for your cycle on SBI's careers page: stages, eligibility and dates change, and the notification is the authority.
- SBI says it informs shortlisted candidates individually and publishes only roll or registration numbers; ignore any message asking for money.
- For the interview, prepare to talk about your own background (home district, degree subjects, hobbies), as panels often start there.
- In the group exercise, make a clear point early, build on others' points, help the group summarise, and don't talk over people.
- Know SBI's core values (Service, Transparency, Ethics, Politeness, Sustainability) and have one example for each from your life.
- Follow banking and economy news daily: RBI policy, government schemes, digital payments and financial inclusion.
Practise it out loud
A mock interview asks the way State Bank of India's interviewers are known to, follows up on your answers and gives you a report. The warm-up is free, needs no account and checks five of these questions as you answer.
About this guide
Written by Orbit from State Bank of India's own public pages and what candidates commonly report. Orbit isn't affiliated with State Bank of India. The questions are practice questions in the style of its interviews, not questions taken from them. Processes change, so check the job post and what your recruiter tells you.