IBPS PO vs SBI PO: Which One Should You Target?
One recruits for 11 banks with thousands of posts; the other pays more but had 541 vacancies. The honest comparison is below.
Choose IBPS PO if you want the better odds: 3,000 to 5,000+ vacancies a year across 11 public sector banks. Choose SBI PO if you want the higher pay and are willing to fight for far fewer seats: roughly ₹80,000-82,000 in-hand a month against IBPS PO's ₹52,000-60,000 CTC, but only 541 vacancies in the 2025 cycle.
The two exams share prelims subjects and much of the syllabus, which is why most serious aspirants prepare for both in the same season. The differences that matter are pay, vacancies, negative marking, and the shape of the final phase.
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IBPS PO vs SBI PO: The Numbers Side by Side
Recruiting for
IBPS PO
11 public sector banks
SBI PO
SBI only (22,500+ branches)
Vacancies
IBPS PO
3,000-5,000+ per year
SBI PO
541 (2025 cycle)
Starting pay
IBPS PO
₹52,000+/month (CTC)
SBI PO
₹80,000-82,000/month in-hand (CTC ~₹21.97 L/yr)
Age window
IBPS PO
20-30 years
SBI PO
21-30 years
Phases
IBPS PO
Prelims + Mains + Interview
SBI PO
Prelims + Mains + Psychometric, Group Exercise & Interview
Final merit
IBPS PO
Mains 80% + Interview 20%
SBI PO
Mains + Phase III in a 75:25 ratio
Descriptive test
IBPS PO
25 marks, 30 minutes
SBI PO
30 marks, 30 minutes
| Factor | IBPS PO | SBI PO |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting for | 11 public sector banks | SBI only (22,500+ branches) |
| Vacancies | 3,000-5,000+ per year | 541 (2025 cycle) |
| Starting pay | ₹52,000+/month (CTC) | ₹80,000-82,000/month in-hand (CTC ~₹21.97 L/yr) |
| Age window | 20-30 years | 21-30 years |
| Phases | Prelims + Mains + Interview | Prelims + Mains + Psychometric, Group Exercise & Interview |
| Final merit | Mains 80% + Interview 20% | Mains + Phase III in a 75:25 ratio |
| Descriptive test | 25 marks, 30 minutes | 30 marks, 30 minutes |
Where the Exams Genuinely Differ
Structure first. Both run three phases, but SBI PO's final phase adds a qualifying psychometric test and a group exercise (20 marks) alongside the interview (30 marks), where IBPS PO has a single 100-mark interview. SBI PO's objective papers also carry stated negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer; the IBPS PO pattern data here states no equivalent rule, so attempt strategy is one thing to confirm from each year's official notification.
Mains composition differs too. SBI PO's mains gives 60 questions and 60 marks to General/Economy/Banking Awareness, and only 20 marks to English; IBPS PO's mains spreads marks more evenly, with English worth 40. If your awareness section is strong, SBI's structure rewards it disproportionately.
Then the seat maths. IBPS PO's thousands of vacancies against SBI PO's few hundred means the same preparation buys very different odds. SBI PO is the more selective exam largely because of that ratio, not because its questions test different skills.
Pick IBPS PO If
- check_circleYou want the materially better selection odds that thousands of vacancies bring
- check_circleYou are 20 years old: IBPS PO's window opens a year earlier than SBI PO's 21
- check_circleYou would rather face one 100-mark interview than a group exercise plus interview
- check_circleYou are open to any of the 11 participating banks and postings
Both exams share the same prelims subjects. Start either way.
Pick SBI PO If
- check_circlePay is the priority: roughly ₹80,000-82,000 in-hand against ₹52,000-60,000 CTC
- check_circleYou specifically want SBI's brand and its 22,500+ branch network
- check_circleYour Banking Awareness is strong enough to exploit a 60-mark mains section
- check_circleYou accept long odds: 541 vacancies drew several lakh applicants in the 2025 cycle
Most Serious Candidates Write Both
The prelims sections are identical in subject (English, Quant, Reasoning) and the syllabi overlap heavily, so preparing for one substantially prepares you for the other. The cycles also run months apart, IBPS PO prelims in October-November, SBI PO's 2025 prelims in August, so writing both costs little extra preparation.
FAQs
Which pays more, IBPS PO or SBI PO?expand_more
SBI PO. Its starting in-hand salary is roughly ₹80,000-82,000 per month with a CTC around ₹21.97 lakh a year, against IBPS PO's monthly CTC of about ₹52,000-60,000.
Which is easier to clear, IBPS PO or SBI PO?expand_more
IBPS PO offers far better odds on seats alone: 3,000-5,000+ vacancies a year against SBI PO's 541 in the 2025 cycle. The syllabi are similar, so the difficulty gap is mostly a vacancy gap.
Can I prepare for IBPS PO and SBI PO together?expand_more
Yes, and most serious candidates do. The prelims subjects are the same and the mains syllabi overlap heavily. The main adjustments are SBI's heavier Banking Awareness weighting, its 0.25 negative marking, and its group exercise in the final phase.
Do both exams have an interview?expand_more
Yes. IBPS PO has a 100-mark interview weighted at 20% of final merit. SBI PO's Phase III combines a qualifying psychometric test, a 20-mark group exercise, and a 30-mark interview, weighted at 25% against mains' 75%.
Next steps
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