State Bank of India has activated the download link for the SBI PO Prelims Admit Card 2026, giving lakhs of candidates access to their call letter for the Preliminary Examination. The admit card, released on the official SBI Careers portal on July 22, 2026, covers the recruitment of 1,500 Probationary Officers under Advertisement No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09. Candidates who successfully registered can now log in and download their call letter carrying the exact exam date, shift, reporting time and centre address.
SBI PO Admit Card 2026: Key Details
This year's recruitment drive is one of the largest SBI PO cycles in recent years, up sharply from 541 vacancies in the previous cycle to 1,500 posts in 2026, comprising 1,446 regular vacancies and 54 backlog vacancies. According to the official detailed advertisement dated June 18, 2026, online applications were accepted from June 18 to July 8, 2026, and the bank received well over 12 lakh applications for this cycle. The admit card download window opened on July 22, 2026 and stays active until August 2, 2026, the last day of the Preliminary Examination.
Direct Link and Login Steps to Download the Call Letter
Candidates need to visit the SBI Careers Current Openings page, locate the Recruitment of Probationary Officers (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09) notification, and open the Download Preliminary Examination Call Letter link. On the login page, candidates must enter their Registration Number or Roll Number along with their Password or Date of Birth, fill in the captcha, and click Login. Once the admit card loads, candidates should download it and take at least two printouts, since a printed copy along with a valid original photo ID is mandatory for entry into the examination centre.
SBI PO Prelims Exam Date 2026
The SBI PO Preliminary Examination 2026 will be held on August 1 and 2, 2026, across multiple exam centres nationwide. The exam is an online objective test conducted in a single 60-minute sitting per candidate, testing English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability, with 0.25 marks deducted for every incorrect answer. Candidates who clear the cut-off will be shortlisted for the Mains Examination, which is expected to follow in September 2026, as outlined on the official Probationary Officers role page.
SBI PO Prelims Shift Timings 2026
The Preliminary Examination is being conducted in four shifts on each of the two exam days. Candidates must check their individually allotted shift, reporting time and gate-closing time as printed on their own call letter, since shift allocation is fixed by SBI based on exam centre capacity and cannot be changed on request.
| Shift | Exam Timing | Recommended Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Shift I | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | At least 60 minutes before exam start |
| Shift II | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | At least 60 minutes before exam start |
| Shift III | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | At least 60 minutes before exam start |
| Shift IV | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | At least 60 minutes before exam start |
Documents and Exam Day Guidelines
Candidates must carry the printed admit card along with one original, valid photo ID proof such as a PAN card, passport, driving licence, voter ID, Aadhaar card, or a bank passbook with photograph. Mobile phones, smartwatches, calculators, Bluetooth devices and other electronic gadgets are strictly prohibited inside the examination hall. Candidates should reach the centre at least an hour before their reporting time to allow for biometric verification and frisking, and should carefully verify their name, roll number, exam date, shift and centre address printed on the admit card, reporting any discrepancy to SBI immediately through the official query redressal page.
What Happens After Prelims
The SBI PO 2026 selection process runs across three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and a final Phase III consisting of a Psychometric Test, Group Exercise and Interview. Candidates who clear the Prelims cut-off will need to begin preparing for the Mains stage immediately, since the Mains exam typically follows five to six weeks after the Prelims result, which itself is usually declared within two to three weeks of the exam. Final selection is based on combined Mains and Phase III scores.
Key Highlights
- SBI PO Prelims Admit Card 2026 released on July 22, 2026 at sbi.bank.in for Advertisement No. CRPD/PO/2026-27/09
- Total vacancies: 1,500 posts, comprising 1,446 regular and 54 backlog vacancies
- Download window is open from July 22 to August 2, 2026
- Login requires Registration Number or Roll Number plus Password or Date of Birth
- Preliminary Examination will be conducted on August 1 and 2, 2026, in four shifts each day
- Shift timings: 9:00-10:00 AM, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, 2:00-3:00 PM, and 4:30-5:30 PM
- Candidates must carry a printed admit card and original photo ID; electronic gadgets are barred from the centre
Conclusion
With the admit card now live and the Prelims just over a week away, candidates should download their call letter without delay, verify every detail printed on it, and plan their travel around the reporting time for their allotted shift. Since SBI hosts all official updates, corrigenda and result utilities directly on its Careers portal, that remains the only source candidates should rely on for anything that changes between now and exam day.