What the SBI SO cut-off means
For both posts, the general aptitude tests are qualifying only: you must reach the minimum SBI sets, but those marks don’t count for merit. Merit is built on Professional Knowledge. Candidates at or above SBI’s cut-off are called for an interview of 100 marks, and the final merit list weights the written test and the interview 70:30. Law merit is drawn post-wise and category-wise; Bank Medical Officer (BMO) merit is drawn circle-wise and category-wise.
Law cut-off: qualify everywhere, rank on PK + descriptive
The Law test has an objective part and a descriptive part, and you must qualify in both individually. Reasoning and English are qualifying papers whose marks aren’t counted for merit. The written-test merit list uses your Professional Knowledge (objective) score and your descriptive score put together, and you need to be at or above SBI’s cut-off to be shortlisted for the interview.
| Test | Questions · marks · time | Cut-off rule |
|---|---|---|
| Test of Reasoning | 25 Q · 25 marks · 45 min (with English) | Qualifying — minimum set by SBI, not counted for merit |
| English Language | 35 Q · 35 marks | Qualifying — minimum set by SBI, not counted for merit |
| Professional Knowledge (objective) | 50 Q · 50 marks · 45 min | Counts for merit; cut-off set by SBI |
| Descriptive (answer 5 of 8) | 5 Q · 50 marks · 45 min | Minimum qualifying marks set by SBI; counts for merit |
Source: section E (Selection process) of advertisement CRPD/SCO/2026-27/02 and the Acquaint Yourself booklet for the 23.08.2026 test. There is no negative marking in the Law test. Merit is drawn separately for Assistant Manager (Law) and Deputy Manager (Law), category by category, and SBI doesn’t publish the cut-off marks.
Vacancies, post by post
SBI calls “category-wise adequate numbers” to the interview, so each post’s cut-off follows its own vacancies, not a combined total. These are the 2026-27 written-test posts (84 in all).
Sources: vacancy tables in advertisements CRPD/SCO/2026-27/02 and /03. Assistant Manager (Law): SC 3, ST 1, OBC 5, EWS 2, UR 9 = 20 (PwBD VI 1). Deputy Manager (Law): SC 4, ST 2, OBC 7, EWS 2, UR 12 = 27 (PwBD VI 1, HI 1), plus 2 backlog ST vacancies. Bank Medical Officer: OBC 4, UR 31 = 35 across 14 circles (PwBD LD 14), so each circle has only 1–6 posts. Vacancies are provisional and may vary.
BMO cut-off: the Professional Knowledge paper
For BMO, the interview shortlist rests on one paper. You must score at or above SBI’s cut-off in Professional Knowledge, besides the minimum qualifying marks in the general aptitude tests, which SBI may also waive. Merit is drawn circle-wise and category-wise, so you compete only with candidates who applied for the same circle.
What decides the cut-off
SBI doesn’t fix the marks in advance. Going by the two advertisements, these four things shape where the line falls:
Vacancies per post
Assistant Manager (Law) has 20 posts, Deputy Manager (Law) 27 plus 2 backlog and BMO 35, all provisional.
Category & circle merit
Law merit is drawn post-wise and category-wise. BMO merit is drawn circle-wise and category-wise, and you can apply for only one circle.
Interview call size
SBI calls an “adequate number” of candidates in each category, as it decides. The advertisements don’t give a ratio.
Marking rules
BMO answers carry a ¼ penalty when wrong; Law answers don’t. The Law descriptive score adds to merit, so it matters as much as the objective paper.
How the final merit list works
For both posts, the interview carries 100 marks with qualifying marks set by SBI. The final merit list is prepared after normalising the written-test and interview marks and weighting them 70:30. For Law, selection is by post and category; for BMO, by circle and category, and a provisional BMO selection becomes final only after you qualify in the circle’s Local Language Proficiency Test (unless exempt).
If more than one candidate has the same marks at the cut-off point, they’re ranked by age in descending order, so the older candidate is placed higher. Wait lists are kept post-wise and category-wise (Law) or circle-wise and category-wise (BMO) and stay valid for one year from the final result or until a fresh advertisement for the same post, whichever is earlier.
See the full exam patternPrepare for SBI SO with your own daily plan
Daily targets for the qualifying reasoning, English & quant tests, plus daily current affairs.
Clear the qualifying tests, then win on PK
A weak reasoning or English score can end your SBI SO attempt even if your Professional Knowledge is strong, because those papers must be qualified first. JobSafal helps you keep the aptitude tests safe so your preparation time can go into your law or medical subject.
Aptitude practice
Regular practice in reasoning and English (and quant for BMO), the papers both posts must qualify.
Daily plan
Short daily targets that fit around court, clinic or work hours.
Accuracy habits
For BMO, practise deciding when to skip, since every wrong answer costs a quarter of the question’s marks.
Current affairs
Daily current affairs and banking news to help you prepare for the interview.
