SBI PO Descriptive Writing 2026: Quick Answer
The SBI PO Mains descriptive test in 2026 carries 30 marks in 30 minutes, typed on computer immediately after the objective test, with three tasks of 10 marks each: Email Writing, Situation Analysis, and Report Writing or Precis Writing, attempting one of two options in each task. The old format — an essay and a letter for 50 marks — no longer applies. The 30-mark total, the three tasks and the 30-minute duration are stated in SBI's advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 dated 18 June 2026, as cited by CareerBox (which checked the advertisement directly on 21 October 2026) and by ixamBee; this guide did not read the advertisement PDF directly, and says so wherever the distinction matters. There is no official word limit: the exact limit is given with each question, and every range here is labelled practice only. The Mains examination for this cycle was held on 12 September 2026 and its result was declared on 15 October 2026, so this guide is written for the next cycle.
Read this first (as of 7 November 2026): Most descriptive-writing pages ranking today still describe the old format somewhere: Testbook's syllabus page still says "essay and letter writing", CareerPower's pattern page says "2 questions" above a three-task table, and older pages still total Mains at 250 marks. The current position is: Mains total 230 marks (200-mark objective test, 170 questions, 3 hours, plus the 30-mark descriptive test in 30 minutes), three descriptive tasks, and no essay and no letter. If a page says otherwise, it is out of date.
SBI PO Descriptive Paper: Old Format vs New Format
| Earlier format (before 2026) | 2026 format (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total marks | 50 | 30 |
| Tasks | Essay writing + Letter writing | Email Writing + Situation Analysis + Report Writing or Precis Writing |
| Questions | 2 (one essay, one letter) | 3 (one of two options in each task) |
| Duration | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Mode | Typed on computer, after the objective test | Typed on computer, immediately after the objective test |
| Mains total | 250 marks | 230 marks (200 objective + 30 descriptive) |
| Merit weight | Mains normalised to 75 in final merit (with Phase III 25) | Unchanged: Mains 230 normalised to 75, Phase III (psychometric, group exercise, interview) 50 normalised to 25, final merit out of 100 |
The change is substantive, not a relabelling. An essay rewarded sustained argument; the new tasks reward short workplace writing: a clear email, a reasoned decision, a factual report or a faithful precis. Candidates who prepared essays or letters practised formats that no longer exist — a letter's address block and date line are not email format, and examiners mark the format asked for.
SBI PO Descriptive Pattern 2026 in Detail
| Task | Attempt | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Writing | 1 of 2 options | 10 | Shared 30 minutes (no separate timing per task) |
| Situation Analysis | 1 of 2 options | 10 | Shared 30 minutes |
| Report Writing or Precis Writing | 1 of 2 options (report or precis as set) | 10 | Shared 30 minutes |
| Total | 3 answers | 30 | 30 minutes |
Three rules matter most. First, there is no separate time limit per task: the 30 minutes is one block. Second, each task offers two options and you attempt one: choosing quickly matters, because reading all six options before writing can consume five minutes. Third, answers are typed with no spell-check safety net: practise typing your answers, not handwriting them.
The descriptive test follows the three-hour objective test without a break, so it is won or lost on templates fixed beforehand — there is little fresh thinking capacity left to invent a structure on the spot.
Word Limits: Practice Only, Never Official
SBI publishes no fixed word limit: the exact limit is given with the question. The ranges below are practice ranges only from Testbook and Guidely — not SBI-prescribed limits. Never cut or pad an answer in the examination to hit them if the question states a different limit.
| Task | Practice range only | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Email Writing | 150–200 words | Purpose, clarity, formal tone |
| Situation Analysis | 100–150 words | Problem-solving and reasoning |
| Report Writing | 100–150 words | Facts, sequence, objective presentation |
| Precis Writing | About one-third of the passage | Main idea, accuracy, brevity |
Follow the printed limit; if none is printed, write to the practice range.
Email Writing: What Examiners Reward
An email here is a workplace message, not a letter or an essay. The scoring structure is fixed and short:
- Subject line — the decision or request in one line, for example "Request for extension of home loan documentation deadline". No subject line is a lost mark.
- Salutation — "Dear Sir/Madam," or the named designation given in the question. Do not invent a person's name.
- Purpose in the first sentence — "I am writing to request…" or "This is to inform you that…". The reader must know why the email exists before the second sentence.
- Body in two short paragraphs — the facts, then the action requested or offered. One fact per sentence.
- Closing line + sign-off — one sentence stating what happens next, then "Yours faithfully," and the role given in the question, not your real name unless asked.
Common errors: letter format instead of email format; the request buried in the third paragraph; informal tone in a formal email; and 12 minutes on the email, leaving 18 for two tasks. Aim for 9 to 10 minutes on the email in practice, including choosing the option.
Practice Prompt 1 (Original): Email
You are the Assistant Manager of a branch. A customer, Mrs. Rao, has written asking why her fixed deposit premature-closure proceeds have not been credited after seven working days. Write an email to Mrs. Rao explaining the delay (a signature mismatch held the request at the processing centre), stating the revised credit date, and apologising. Practice range: 150–200 words.
Model structure (not a model answer): subject line naming the deposit and delay; first sentence: apology + reason; second paragraph: what was done and the revised date; third: what the customer must do. Close with a contact line and formal sign-off. The marks sit in the reason, the date and the next step.
Situation Analysis: What Examiners Reward
Situation Analysis gives a short workplace scenario and asks what you would do. There is no single correct answer, but there is a marked structure: identify the problem, weigh the options, decide, and state the follow-up. Answers that only describe the problem, or decide without reasons, score poorly.
The structure that works under time pressure:
- The issue in one sentence — what has gone wrong, not the whole story retold.
- Two options considered — the quick fix and the correct fix, one line each on cost and consequence.
- The decision — stated plainly ("I would…").
- Two reasons — one for the customer, one for the bank. A decision justified by only one side is half an answer.
- Follow-up — who is informed, what is recorded, and by when.
Practice Prompt 2 (Original): Situation Analysis
A farmer customer arrives at 3:30 pm, thirty minutes before closing, saying his crop-loan instalment, due today, will bounce because a payment expected from a buyer has not arrived. He asks the branch to hold the instalment for three days without charges. The branch has no written authority to waive charges, and the manager is on leave. What would you do? Practice range: 100–150 words.
Model structure: Issue: genuine hardship, no authority to waive. Options: (a) refuse outright — protects the rule, damages a good account; (b) record the request, explain the charge position honestly, escalate the same day, offer the documented route (part payment today, formal request in writing). Decision: (b), with no promise made that cannot be kept. Follow-up: written request taken, manager informed, customer called with the decision. Promising a waiver you have no authority to grant is the failing answer, however kindly worded.
Report Writing or Precis Writing: What Examiners Reward
Only one is set in a given examination, so prepare both without confusing their rules.
Report writing is factual and impersonal: title, introduction (what, where, when), findings in sequence, conclusion or recommendation. No opinions, no adjectives of praise or blame. Dates and figures must match the question — inventing a figure is a factual error, not creativity. At 100–150 words, report only what answers "what happened and what follows".
Precis writing is a faithful summary in about one-third of the passage's length, in your own words, keeping its order and essential points and dropping examples and repetitions. It has a title, is written in the third person, and contains no opinion of your own. Copying whole sentences from the passage is the commonest failure: a precis that lifts sentences is not a summary, however short.
Practice Prompt 3 (Original): Precis
Write a precis of the following passage (original passage, written for this guide). Practice length: about one-third of the passage.
"Small savings accounts were introduced to bring first-time savers into banking with low balances and simple documentation. In practice, access alone did not create saving: accounts opened in large numbers during enrolment drives were left unused, because savers had no regular surplus and no nearby branch. What changed behaviour was regular income flowing through the account — wages paid directly, subsidies credited on a fixed date, and a branch or agent within easy reach. Where those conditions held, accounts stayed active; where they did not, the accounts slept."
Model structure: Title: "Small Savings Accounts and Regular Income". One paragraph, about 30 words, keeping the order: purpose, why access alone failed, and the three conditions that made accounts work. Add no opinion of your own — the passage offers none.
The 30-Minute Plan and Common Errors
Full strategy: SBI PO Preparation Strategy 2026.
| Minute | Action |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | Read all six options (two per task). Choose one per task. Do not start writing until all three choices are made. |
| 2–11 | Email (9 minutes). Subject, purpose, facts, action, sign-off. Stop at the practice range. |
| 11–20 | Situation Analysis (9 minutes). Issue, options, decision, reasons, follow-up. |
| 20–29 | Report or Precis (9 minutes). Facts only (report) or faithful summary (precis). |
| 29–30 | Read through once for spelling, missing subject lines and unfinished sentences. Fix only clear errors. |
Common errors, in the order they cost marks: (1) preparing the old essay/letter format; (2) no subject line on the email; (3) retelling the situation instead of deciding; (4) opinions and invented figures in a report; (5) copied sentences in a precis; (6) overlong first task, rushed third; (7) informal tone and contractions; (8) spelling errors never re-read. All are fixed by practising to the structures above, typed and timed, until the structure is automatic.
What Was Asked in the 2026 Mains Descriptive Test (As Reported)
The Mains examination was held on 12 September 2026 in a single shift. Mahendras' exam analysis reports email options including declining a job offer and addressing a team member's poor performance, and a Situation Analysis involving a bank manager, a farmer and a loan or buyer-related situation. These topics are reported from exam analysis, not published by SBI. Do not memorise answers: the next examination will set different options, and the skill tested is structure under time.
SBI PO Descriptive Writing 2026 FAQs
How many marks is the SBI PO descriptive paper in 2026?
30 marks: three tasks of 10 marks each (Email, Situation Analysis, Report or Precis), in 30 minutes, typed immediately after the objective test. The old 50-mark essay-and-letter format no longer applies.
Is there a word limit for SBI PO descriptive writing?
SBI publishes no fixed word limit; the exact limit is given with each question. Practise to 150–200 words (email) and 100–150 words (Situation Analysis or report), and about one-third of the passage for a precis — but follow the limit printed on the day.
Is the descriptive test qualifying or does it count for merit?
It counts. Mains totals 230 marks, normalised to 75 in final merit, with Phase III normalised to 25. A weak descriptive performance costs final-merit marks, not just a qualifying tick.
Do I have to attempt all three descriptive tasks?
Yes: one of two options in each of the three tasks. Attempting only two caps the score at 20 before a word is written.
Can I write the descriptive answers in Hindi?
The test is conducted in English, as stated in the advertisement. Do not attempt it in Hindi.
What changed in the SBI PO descriptive pattern in 2026?
Everything except the timing: marks 50 to 30, Mains total 250 to 230, essay and letter replaced by Email, Situation Analysis and Report or Precis, and two options per task with one to attempt. Pages still describing essays, letters or 250 marks are out of date.
Sources
- CareerBox, SBI PO 2026 (advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09 dated 18 June 2026, checked 21 October 2026; descriptive 3 questions, 30 marks, 30 minutes; Mains result declared, Phase III next): https://careerbox.in/explore/blogs/sbi-po-2026-vacancies-dates-eligibility-salary-admit-card
- ixamBee, SBI PO Exam 2026 Notification (advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09; descriptive 30 marks, 3 components — Email, Situation Analysis, Report or Precis — as per the official 2026 notification, as cited): https://www.ixambee.com/exams/sbi-po
- Mahendras, SBI PO Exam Analysis 2026 (Mains 12 September 2026, single shift; objective 170 questions, 200 marks; descriptive 30 marks, 30 minutes; reported descriptive topics): https://www.mahendras.org/blogs/sbi-po-exam-analysis
- Testbook, SBI PO Descriptive Paper 2026 (30 marks, 30 minutes, 3 sections × 10 marks, 1 of 2 per section, no sectional timing; word limits as "Typical Practice Range"; exact limit given with the question): https://testbook.com/sbi-po/descriptive-paper
- Guidely, SBI PO Descriptive Paper New Pattern 2026 (Email 10, Situation Analysis 10, Report/Precis 10; word limits as practice guidance, exact limit in the question): https://guidely.in/blog/sbi-po-descriptive-paper-new-pattern
- GK India Today, SBI PO 2026 Notification PDF Out (advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09, 1,500 posts, Mains 230 marks, 3 hours 30 minutes): https://gkindiatoday.com/sbi-po-2026-notification-pdf-out-for-1500-probationary-officer-posts/
Last checked: 7 November 2026. The pattern sign-off rests on the advertisement as cited by CareerBox and ixamBee; it will be re-checked against the advertisement PDF at the next review.