SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026: 60 Manager & Deputy Manager (Security) Posts for Ex-Defence & CAPF Officers

1. What Is the SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026?

The SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026 (Advertisement No. CRPD/SCO/2026-27/28) is a regular, permanent hiring drive by State Bank of India for 60 Specialist Cadre Officer posts of Manager (Security) in MMGS-III and Deputy Manager (Security) in MMGS-II. The posts are open only to commissioned officers of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and to officers of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Online registration runs from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026.

This is not a general banking exam. It is a lateral-entry route designed for defence and paramilitary officers who want a second career in corporate security. The bank selects candidates through a two-hour online test followed by a 100-mark interview. Only the Professional Knowledge paper and the interview count towards the final merit list.

Do not confuse this advertisement with SBI's Deputy Manager (IT Security) or Cyber Security posts released earlier in 2026. Those are technology roles for IT professionals. The posts covered here are physical security roles: branch security audits, vault and cash-in-transit safety, fire safety, disaster management, and liaison with police and military authorities.

For officers weighing this opportunity, the five facts that matter most are summarised below.

• Experience, not just rank, is the real filter. Manager needs 10 years and Deputy Manager needs 5 years of commissioned or officer service as on 31 October 2026.
• SHAPE-1 medical category is mandatory as on the advertisement release date (4 November 2026).
• Only 50 questions decide your written-test merit. Reasoning, English and General Awareness are qualifying papers only.
• No negative marking applies anywhere in the online test.
• The starting basic pay is ₹64,820 (Deputy Manager) or ₹85,920 (Manager), plus DA, HRA, CCA, NPS and bank perquisites.

2. About State Bank of India and Its Security Cadre

State Bank of India is India's largest public sector bank, headquartered in Mumbai. Its recruitment for specialist posts is run by the Central Recruitment & Promotion Department (CRPD) at the Corporate Centre. Officers selected under this advertisement join SBI's existing cadre of security officers. They follow the same career path and transfer rules as the officers already serving in that cadre.

A bank of SBI's scale holds very large volumes of cash, gold, locker contents and data across thousands of branches, ATMs, currency chests and administrative offices. The security officer is the bank's in-house specialist for protecting these assets. That is why SBI recruits from the armed forces and CAPF: it wants officers who already have command, drill, threat-assessment and inter-agency liaison experience.

3. Important Dates

The application window for the SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026 is open for 22 days, from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026. Registration, editing and fee payment all close on the same day. The exam and interview dates below are tentative, as stated in the notification.

4. Vacancy Details (Category-Wise)

SBI has notified 60 regular vacancies under a single combined pool for Manager (Security) and Deputy Manager (Security). The bank has not published a separate count for each grade. The category-wise distribution is as follows.

What the combined vacancy pool means for you

Because the 60 seats are not split by grade, the notification does not tell you how many Manager posts versus Deputy Manager posts exist. In practice, the grade you can be considered for is set by your rank and years of service: 10+ years for Manager and 5+ years for Deputy Manager. The notification does not say whether an officer with 10+ years can also be considered at the Deputy Manager level, or how seats are divided between the two grades after the merit list. If this matters to your decision, raise it through the "Contact Us / Post Your Query" link on the SBI careers page before you apply.

The notification also states that the vacancy numbers are provisional and may change according to the bank's actual requirement. No horizontal reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) is shown in the vacancy table. That is consistent with the SHAPE-1 medical requirement for this role.

5. Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

To apply for SBI Manager (Security) or Deputy Manager (Security), you must be an Indian citizen holding a graduate degree in any discipline from a government-recognised university or institution. You must also have the required commissioned or officer service in the defence forces or CAPF. All conditions are checked as on 31 October 2026.

Why years of service are the real filter, not rank

The notification sets two separate conditions: a minimum rank and a minimum period of service. Both must be met. In the Indian Army, officers generally reach Captain and Major well before completing 5 and 10 years of service respectively, so for most applicants the service-length requirement is the condition that decides eligibility. A Major with 8 years of service, for example, does not yet qualify for Manager (Security), but does qualify for Deputy Manager (Security).

Combine this with the upper age limit of 40 years. To qualify for Manager (Security) without any age relaxation, an Army officer needs 10 years of commissioned service and must still be 40 or younger on 31 October 2026. In practical terms, that means being commissioned at roughly age 30 or earlier.

Experience certificate wording matters

SBI requires that the experience certificate from your service specifically states the relevant experience. A certificate that only lists dates of service, without confirming the rank held and the length of commissioned or officer service, can be rejected. The bank reserves the right to cancel candidature at any stage, even after appointment, if a proper experience certificate is not produced.

6. Rank Equivalence Across Army, Navy, Air Force and CAPF

The SBI notification names Army ranks (Captain, Major) and CAPF ranks (Assistant Commandant, Deputy Commandant), and accepts "equivalent rank" in the Navy and Air Force. The table below maps the standard equivalent ranks so that Navy, Air Force and CAPF officers can check their eligibility quickly.

7. Medical Fitness: The SHAPE-1 Requirement

Only officers in medical category SHAPE-1 (or an equivalent category in the Navy, Air Force or CAPF) as on 4 November 2026 can apply. This is the single most common reason an otherwise qualified officer may be ineligible. Low medical categories such as SHAPE-2 or SHAPE-3 do not meet the condition.

After selection, appointment is also provisional and subject to being declared medically fit by the bank. So the SHAPE-1 declaration is the first check, not the last one.

8. Age Limit and Relaxation

The age limit for SBI Manager (Security) and Deputy Manager (Security) is 25 to 40 years as on 31 October 2026. The upper limit of 40 applies to Unreserved (UR) candidates. Reserved categories receive relaxation as per Government of India guidelines, wherever applicable.

What the notification does not say about ex-servicemen relaxation

Many applicants will assume an ex-servicemen age relaxation applies here. The notification for this advertisement does not list any ex-servicemen relaxation. Its note refers to relaxation "under the above items", but no such list appears in the published document. Since the post itself requires defence or CAPF service, do not assume extra age relaxation on account of military service. If you are over 40 and are relying on any relaxation, confirm with SBI through its query portal before paying the fee.

• No cumulative relaxation: you cannot combine two relaxations, for example category plus another ground.
• Proof at interview: certificates supporting any age relaxation are checked when you are shortlisted for the interview.
• Category is locked: once you choose a category in the form, it cannot be changed later.

9. Salary, Pay Scale and Benefits

The SBI Manager (Security) post carries a starting basic pay of ₹85,920 in MMGS-III, rising to ₹1,05,820. The Deputy Manager (Security) post starts at ₹64,820 in MMGS-II, rising to ₹93,960. Dearness Allowance, HRA, CCA, NPS and other perquisites are paid on top of basic pay.

How to read the pay scale notation

SBI writes pay scales as "starting basic – increment / number of increments – next stage". The table below decodes both scales stage by stage.

Allowances and benefits

• Dearness Allowance (DA), revised periodically under the bank's wage settlement
• House Rent Allowance (HRA) or leased accommodation, depending on posting and bank rules
• City Compensatory Allowance (CCA)
• Provident Fund and National Pension System (NPS) contributions
• Leave Fare Concession (LFC)
• Medical facility and other perquisites as per bank rules in force

Your actual gross monthly salary depends on the DA rate in force when you join and on your city of posting, so we have not quoted a single gross figure here. The probation period is 6 months as per the bank's recruitment policy.

10. Job Profile and Key Responsibility Areas

An SBI Security Officer is responsible for the physical safety of the bank's branches, offices, staff and assets within an Administrative Unit. The role combines inspection, training, incident prevention and liaison with civil, military and police authorities.

SBI states that these duties are illustrative, and other roles may be assigned from time to time. Officers can be transferred to any SBI office in India or deputed to its associates, subsidiaries or other organisations. Requests for a specific posting may not be entertained.

11. Application Fee

The application fee is ₹750 for UR, EWS and OBC candidates. There is no fee for SC and ST candidates. Payment is online only and is non-refundable.

• Payment modes: Debit Card, Credit Card, Internet Banking or UPI through the integrated payment gateway.
• Transaction charges, if any, are borne by the candidate.
• No edits after payment: once the fee is paid, the application cannot be changed.
• Failed payment: if the first attempt fails, you can retry. An e-receipt can be reprinted later.
• Not transferable: the fee will not be adjusted against any future SBI exam or recruitment.

12. Selection Process

Selection for SBI Manager (Security) and Deputy Manager (Security) is a two-stage process: an online written test followed by a personal interview. Documents are verified at the interview stage.

SBI reserves the right to change the method to shortlisting and interview only, without a written test, if it considers this appropriate.

13. Online Exam Pattern

The SBI Security Officer online test has 200 objective questions for 200 marks over 2 hours. Each paper has its own separate time limit. There is no penalty for wrong answers.

What this pattern means for your preparation

• Half the written marks come from just 50 questions. Professional Knowledge questions are worth 2 marks each, four times a Reasoning or General Awareness question.
• Qualifying papers are pass/fail. SBI decides the minimum qualifying marks. You must clear them, but scoring higher in them does not improve your rank.
• Attempt every question. With no negative marking, an unanswered question can only cost you marks.
• English carries 50 marks even though it is qualifying, so a weak English paper can eliminate a strong security professional before merit is considered.

14. How the Final Merit Is Calculated

SBI's final merit list for this recruitment is built from only two scores: the Professional Knowledge paper (out of 100) and the interview (out of 100). These are normalised to a combined score out of 100, weighted 70:30.

Worked example

Suppose a candidate scores 72/100 in Professional Knowledge and 80/100 in the interview.

• Professional Knowledge contribution: 72 × 0.70 = 50.4
• Interview contribution: 80 × 0.30 = 24.0
• Final normalised score: 74.4 / 100

Each extra mark in Professional Knowledge adds 0.7 to your final score, while each extra interview mark adds only 0.3. Put simply, one additional correct PK answer (2 marks) is worth 1.4 final points, about the same as gaining roughly 5 interview marks. This is why focused PK preparation pays off most.

Tie-break rule: age decides

If two or more candidates share the same marks at the cut-off point, SBI ranks them by age in descending order. The older candidate is placed higher. This tends to favour officers with longer service, who are also usually older.

15. Professional Knowledge Syllabus at a Glance

The Professional Knowledge syllabus (Annexure I of the notification) has 15 units covering physical security, risk assessment, fire safety, CCTV, disaster management, information and IT security, executive protection and bank security. The table below groups them by theme.

16. Documents and Upload Specifications

SBI requires you to upload all supporting documents during online registration. An application without the required documents will not be considered for shortlisting or interview. Images must be in JPG/JPEG format and documents in PDF format.

Document checklist for defence and CAPF officers

File size and dimension requirements

Text of the hand-written declaration

Write the following in your own handwriting, filling in your name and date of birth:

"I, ________ (Name of the candidate), ________ (Date of Birth) hereby declare that all the information submitted by me in the application form is correct, true and valid. I will present the supporting documents as and when required. The signature, photograph and left-hand thumb impression is of mine."

17. How to Apply Online

Applications for the SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026 are accepted only online through the SBI careers portal, from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026. Keep a working email ID active until the final result, because call letters are sent by email only.

18. Examination Centres

The online test will be held at centres in 45 states and union territories listed in Annexure II of the notification. SBI may cancel or add centres and may allot a centre other than the one you choose. Requests to change the centre, date or session will not be entertained.

Candidates attend the exam at their own risk and cost. Travel reimbursement applies only to the interview stage (see General Instructions below).

19. Common Mistakes That Can Cost You the Post

Most rejections in specialist officer recruitments happen at document verification, not in the exam. The table below lists the errors most likely to affect defence and CAPF applicants under this notification.

20. General Instructions

The following conditions from the SBI notification apply to every candidate at every stage of this recruitment.

• Provisional candidature: a call letter or admit card does not mean your eligibility is accepted. SBI verifies originals only after shortlisting for interview.
• Interview travel reimbursement: outstation candidates are reimbursed economy airfare by the shortest route, up to ₹10,000 (to and fro), or the actual fare if lower, on producing tickets and boarding passes. Local taxi or personal car costs are not reimbursed, and ineligible candidates get no fare.
• Biometric and iris checks: SBI may capture your left-eye iris scan and thumb impression at various stages. Remove spectacles and contact lenses for the iris scan, and avoid mehndi, ink or chemicals on your hands.
• Electronic devices banned: mobile phones (even switched off), smart watches, Bluetooth devices and storage media are prohibited at the exam and interview venue.
• Response-pattern analysis: SBI compares candidates' answers to detect copying. Scores found to be not genuine can be cancelled.
• Criminal case disclosure: at interview you must disclose any pending criminal cases. SBI may also verify police records.
• Discharge book on joining: selected candidates must produce a proper discharge book from their employer when taking up the appointment.
• Data consent: applying constitutes consent to processing of your personal data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• Jurisdiction: any legal dispute can be filed only in courts and tribunals in Mumbai.
• Bank's discretion: SBI may cancel the recruitment in whole or for any post at any stage, and its decisions on eligibility and selection are final.

21. Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most commonly asked questions about the SBI Security Officer Recruitment 2026. If your question is not answered here, refer to the official notification or post your query on the SBI careers website.

22. Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)