Two official documents decide what you carry to a Bank PO interview: the SBI PO 2026-27 detailed advertisement (CRPD/PO/2026-27/09) for SBI Phase III, and the IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI detailed notification for the IBPS PO interview. Both say the same thing in different words. Bring every eligibility document in original plus a self-attested photocopy, bring a photo ID whose name matches the call letter, and expect biometric verification. Both say that a candidate who cannot produce the originals is not interviewed. Neither says a word about clothes. This page gives you the SBI list and the IBPS list as the PDFs state them, the ID and biometric rules, the certificate dates that catch people out every year, and then our own advice, labelled as ours, on dress and on how the day runs. The SBI Group Exercise and interviews start on 18 November 2026 per the SBI notice; the IBPS interviews run in November and December 2026 per the notification. If your documents are not in order this week, that is the first task on your three-week plan.
- Rule, SBI: originals for eligibility, caste certificate and proof of date of birth "should be produced for verification on the date of interview"; without them you "will not be allowed to attend the interview" (clause 24).
- Rule, IBPS: fourteen listed documents "in original and self-attested photocopies ... arranged in seriatim", failing which "the candidate may not be permitted to appear for the interview" (section J). A PDF upload of the same documents through a link on ibps.in "is mandatory".
- Rule, both: photo ID in original plus a self-attested copy; thumb impression or iris scan may be captured; keep about eight copies of the photograph you uploaded; have a valid Aadhaar because both run online Aadhaar verification.
- Not a rule: dress. No colour, garment, tie or saree is prescribed anywhere. Our guidance below is practice, not policy.
- Hard gate: SBI clause 43 bars entry after the reporting time "under any circumstances". IBPS will not change your date or centre on request.
What the two official documents require
Read the two lists as a lawyer would, because the verifying officer will. The SBI advertisement spreads its document rules across several clauses: clause 14 (call letter download), clause 15 (proof of identity), clause 16 (biometrics), clause 24 (originals on the date of interview), clause 28 (No Objection Certificate), and the category notes on OBC, EWS and PwBD certificates. SBI also reserves the right, in general instruction 12, to conduct document verification "at any / all stages", which in practice means Phase III is where it happens for most candidates. IBPS puts almost everything in one place, section J, as a numbered list, and adds the identity and biometric rules in section L.
| Point | SBI PO 2026-27 advertisement | IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI notification |
|---|---|---|
| When originals are checked | "On the date of interview" (clause 24); the Bank may verify at any stage (instruction 12) | "At the time of interview/ document verification/ joining" |
| Copies | Self-attested photocopy of the ID (clause 15); copies of age-relaxation certificates at GE or interview | Self-attested photocopies of every listed document, arranged in the list order |
| Online upload | Not mentioned for Phase III | Mandatory PDF upload through a link on ibps.in before the interview |
| If a document is missing | "Will not be allowed to attend the interview" | "May not be permitted to appear"; non-production renders candidature invalid |
| Sending documents by post or email | Not provided for | "No documents shall be directly sent to IBPS/ Nodal Banks" |
| Travel | Railway AC-III fare, shortest route, or actual if lower; no local transport (clause 21) | "Travelling expenses, if any, otherwise admissible" are mentioned only as forfeited without an NOC; no amount is stated |
One point that candidates sitting both interviews miss: the two bodies accept slightly different ID lists and the IBPS list rejects two documents SBI never mentions. The table in the ID section below sets them side by side.
The SBI PO Phase III checklist
This is the SBI list assembled from the clauses named above. Nothing in it is from a coaching site. The Phase III call letter, which the SBI notice of October 2026 says "will be released shortly", may add instructions; when it does, the call letter wins.
| # | Document | Original | Copy | Where the rule is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phase III call letter (Psychometric Test / GE and Interview), printed, with the photograph pasted where it asks | Yes | Keep one | Clause 14; the examination call letters required the same photograph pasted |
| 2 | Photo identity proof from the clause 15 list | Yes | Self-attested | Clause 15 |
| 3 | Proof of date of birth | Yes | One | Clause 24 |
| 4 | Graduation degree or provisional certificate and mark sheets; final-year applicants need proof of passing on or before 30 September 2026 | Yes | One set | Clause 24; essential qualifications note |
| 5 | Caste certificate (SC or ST) in the Government of India format | Yes | One | Clause 24 |
| 6 | OBC certificate with the non-creamy-layer clause, issued between 1 April 2026 and the date of interview | Yes | One | OBC note in the reservation section |
| 7 | EWS income and asset certificate for financial year 2025-26, valid for 2026-27 | Yes | One | EWS note |
| 8 | PwBD certificate in the prescribed format, dated on or before the last date of registration | Yes | One | PwBD note |
| 9 | Any certificate used for age relaxation or fee exemption | Yes | "Copies ... at the time of Group exercise/interview" | Age-relaxation note; general instruction 14 |
| 10 | No Objection Certificate from your employer if you serve in government, quasi-government, a PSU, a nationalised bank or a financial institution | Yes | One | Clause 28 |
| 11 | Details of any criminal case pending against you | Written statement | General instruction 16: required "at the time of interview" | |
| 12 | Photographs, the same as uploaded at registration | Several | SBI advises retaining "8 copies (approx.)" | |
| 13 | Railway tickets for the travel claim | Yes | Clause 21 |
Two things are not on the SBI list and are often carried for no reason: the printout of the online application and the preliminary or main call letters. SBI does not ask for them at Phase III. Carry the application printout anyway, because the panel's questions start from what you wrote in it, and because IBPS does ask for it. The SBI process from here to the final merit list is on our SBI PO interview 2026 page.
The IBPS PO fourteen-item checklist
Section J of the notification numbers the documents (i) to (xiv) and tells you to arrange them in that order. Do exactly that, with a paper clip or a tag between each item. A file in the printed order is checked quickly; one in a muddle slows the desk, and the first person it slows is you.
| # | Document, in the notification's order | Who needs it | Trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Printout of the valid interview call letter | Everyone | Downloaded from ibps.in only |
| ii | System-generated printout of the online application form | Everyone | The one with your registration number, not a screenshot |
| iii | Proof of date of birth: birth certificate, or SSLC / Standard X certificate showing the date | Everyone | A mark sheet without the date of birth is not proof |
| iv | Photo identity proof from point L(i) | Everyone | Name must be exactly as on the call letter |
| v | Graduation mark sheets or certificates, with a document from the board or university showing the result was declared on or before 21 July 2026 | Everyone | Final-year candidates whose result came later are ineligible |
| vi | Caste certificate in the Government of India format | SC, ST, OBC | Creamy-layer OBC, or a caste not in the Central List, should have applied as General |
| vii | Income and asset certificate in the prescribed format | EWS | Must be from an authority notified by the Government of India |
| viii | Disability certificate from the District Medical Board; scribe details if a scribe was used | PwBD | Prescribed format only |
| ix | Certificate for specified disability under 40 per cent with difficulty in writing, in the Appendix I proforma | Those who used a scribe under that provision | From a government healthcare institution |
| x | Service or discharge book, pension payment order and proof of rank; or a certificate that you will be released on or before 20 July 2027 | Ex-servicemen | Failure "will result in immediate disqualification"; banks cannot waive it |
| xi | No Objection Certificate in original from the employer | Government, quasi-government, PSU, nationalised bank and FI employees | A "conditional" NOC naming one bank is rejected; without an NOC candidature "will not be considered" |
| xii | Experience certificates, if applicable | As applicable | Hard copy, digitally signed, or received from a valid email, subject to verification |
| xiii | Certificate of eligibility from the Government of India | Nationality categories (ii) to (v) in point B(I) | Rare; Indian citizens by birth do not need it |
| xiv | Any other relevant document in support of eligibility | As applicable | Name-change proof belongs here: gazette notification, marriage certificate or affidavit, in original |
Then there is the upload. The notification says candidates "will be required to upload softcopy of requisite documents (in PDF format) Online ... through a link which will be available on official IBPS website", and that "uploading the requisite documents online is mandatory". Scan every item in the table now, one PDF per document, named clearly, under whatever size limit the link states when it opens. The notification adds that IBPS, the nodal bank and the participating banks "take no responsibility to receive/ collect any certificate/remittance/ document sent separately"; the upload and the venue are the only two channels. The full IBPS process, from the November main result to the January 2027 allotment, is on our IBPS PO interview 2026 page.
ID proof, biometrics and photographs
Which ID
The two lists overlap but are not identical. Carry one document that is on both, and carry Aadhaar as well, because both bodies say they run online Aadhaar verification "at different stages of the selection process".
| Document | SBI (clause 15) | IBPS (point L(i)) |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Accepted | Accepted |
| Aadhaar or e-Aadhaar with photograph | Accepted | Accepted |
| PAN card | Accepted | Accepted |
| Driving licence | Accepted | Permanent licence only; learner's licence rejected |
| Voter ID | Accepted | Accepted, with photograph |
| Bank passbook with photograph | Accepted if the photograph is attested | Accepted |
| School, college or university ID | Accepted | Recognised college or university ID accepted |
| ID from a gazetted officer on letterhead | Accepted | Accepted; also from a people's representative |
| Employee ID, Bar Council ID | Not listed | Accepted |
| Ration card | Not listed | Expressly rejected |
IBPS adds three rules that cause trouble at the desk. The name on the ID must be "exactly the same name as it appears on the call letter". A candidate who has changed their name, including after marriage, is allowed in only with the original gazette notification, marriage certificate or affidavit. And a signature in capital letters is not accepted; sign the attendance sheet the way you signed the application.
Biometrics
SBI clause 16: the Bank "may capture photo and thumb impression/ IRIS Scan of the candidates in digital format for biometric verification" at various stages, and "any inconsistency will lead to rejection of their candidature". The same clause advises candidates "not to apply any external matter like Mehandi, ink, chemical etc." on the hands. IBPS section L(ii): the right thumb impression and a photograph "may be captured/ verified"; the photograph "will be matched with the photo uploaded/ captured by the candidate in the application"; the candidate "must NOT change his/her appearance from the photo uploaded"; and "refusal to participate ... may lead to cancellation of candidature". IBPS also tells you to wash coated or dusty fingers, dry them, and report an injured right thumb to the staff so another finger can be used.
Two practical consequences. First, if your application photograph shows you clean-shaven or without spectacles, arrive the same way; a new beard or a new hairstyle is a mismatch you then have to argue about at the desk. Second, November and December are wedding months in most of India. If you have a wedding before your interview, keep mehndi off the right thumb and the fingertips, or allow enough days for it to fade.
Photographs
Both bodies told you at registration to keep about eight copies of the uploaded photograph because "these would be needed for further stages of this selection process". The SBI examination call letters required the photograph pasted on the call letter plus two spare copies; the IBPS examination call letters required one spare. Carry at least three of the same photograph to the interview, plus the file on your phone. If you have run out, a studio can reprint from the application PDF; do not use a new photograph, because the biometric match is against the original.
The certificates that get rejected, and the dates that matter
Most candidates have the degree and the ID. The rejections happen on three certificates with date conditions. Every date below is from the SBI advertisement or the IBPS notification.
| Certificate | SBI condition | IBPS condition | What to do this week |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBC non-creamy layer | Issued "during the period 01.04.2026 to the date of interview", Government of India format, with the non-creamy-layer clause | Government of India format; creamy-layer candidates and castes not in the Central List "are not entitled to OBC reservation" | If your certificate is dated before 1 April 2026, apply for a fresh one now; SBI gives no extension of time |
| EWS income and asset | Based on gross annual income for financial year 2025-26, valid for 2026-27, held on the date of document verification at the interview | Prescribed format from an authority notified by the Government of India | A certificate for 2024-25 income is the commonest rejection; check the financial year printed on it |
| Graduation proof | Passed on or before 30 September 2026 | Result declared on or before 21 July 2026, with a board or university document saying so | If your university prints only the mark sheet, get a letter or the provisional certificate showing the declaration date |
| PwBD | Prescribed format, dated on or before the last date of registration | District Medical Board, prescribed format | Check the issuing authority and the format, not only the percentage |
| No Objection Certificate | From the employer, at the interview; without it candidature "may not be considered" and travel is not paid | In original, not "conditional" on any one bank; without it candidature "will not be considered" | Ask your office today; a government NOC can take weeks |
| Ex-serviceman release certificate | Age-relaxation certificates as applicable | Release on or before 20 July 2027 if still serving; failure "will result in immediate disqualification" | The notification tells you to apply "at the earliest" |
The IBPS notification also says that a candidate who fails to produce the eligibility documents "will not be allowed to appear for the interview" and becomes "ineligible for further process". There is no appeal at the venue. The arithmetic on our marks and weightage page shows how much a single interview is worth in the final list; losing it over a certificate date is the most expensive mistake in the whole process.
Dress and grooming: what the panel notices
Written by TalkDrill; this is advice, not a rule. No clause in either document prescribes dress. What the panel sees is a graduate who may be posted to a branch counter within a year, so the standard to aim for is what officers in a public sector bank branch wear on a working day. That is plain, pressed, formal clothing, and it is the same standard for everyone.
| Choice | Works well | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garment | A saree, a salwar kameez with a dupatta, trousers with a shirt or a kurta, or a suit: whichever you already wear to formal occasions and can sit in for three hours | Anything new and untested, anything that needs adjusting when you sit or stand, heavy embroidery, loud prints, slogans | You will sit and stand several times, and a garment you keep fixing takes your attention from the question |
| Colour | Light shirt or top, dark trousers or a plain saree in one or two colours | Neon, metallic, very bright red or yellow | Plain colours do not compete with your face before a panel that sees many candidates in a day |
| Shoes | Closed, clean, flat or low heel, worn before | Sports shoes, sandals, new heels | You may walk across a large building; a limp or a squeak is a distraction |
| Hair and face | Hair tidy and off the face; a beard trimmed or shaved, consistent with the application photo; minimal make-up | A changed look from the application photograph | IBPS requires a photo match for biometrics |
| Jewellery and accessories | A watch, small earrings, a plain ring, a mangalsutra or a kara if you wear one daily | Bangles that clink, large pieces, anything you fidget with | Noise on the table while you speak is noticed |
| Tie and jacket | Optional; a jacket is sensible in a cold centre in December | A tie you cannot knot well | Neither is required; a badly knotted tie costs more than no tie |
Religious dress, a turban, a hijab, a bindi, a cross or a kara are all normal in Indian banks and need no adjustment. Women are not required to wear a saree and men are not required to wear a tie; those are coaching-site inventions. Carry a handkerchief, and if you perspire under stress, carry a spare shirt or top in the bag and change before you report. Do not use strong perfume. Switch the phone off, not to silent, before you enter the building, because a vibration in a quiet room is heard by everyone.
The day in order
Written by TalkDrill, from the official clauses plus the sequence candidates have described in previous cycles. Each step is marked as a rule, where a document says it, or as a pattern, where it is the usual practice that neither body publishes.
- Reporting (rule). The call letter gives a reporting time. SBI clause 43 bars entry after it "under any circumstances". Aim to be at the gate forty-five minutes early. If the venue is in another city, travel the day before; IBPS will not move your date and SBI pays AC-III fare only for the shortest route, so the overnight stay is yours.
- Gate and registration desk (pattern). Your call letter is checked against a list, and you are given a serial number or a group. From here your phone is normally off and in the bag.
- Biometrics and photograph (rule). Thumb impression or iris scan (SBI) or the right thumb impression (IBPS), and a live photograph matched to the application. Clean, dry hands. Spectacles on if they are on in the application photo.
- Document verification (rule). An officer checks each original against the application and keeps the self-attested copy. For IBPS, the file is checked in the (i) to (xiv) order. You may be asked to sign the attendance sheet; sign as on the application, not in capitals. If a document is missing, the clauses quoted above apply.
- Waiting (pattern). The wait depends on your serial number and can be long. Read your own application printout once more, slowly. Do not read new banking material; the panel asks about what you already know.
- SBI only: Group Exercise (pattern). Candidates are formed into a group and given a task to discuss under observation. SBI publishes the marks (20) but not the group size or the minutes. Our Group Exercise page covers the formats candidates have met and a worked example.
- Interview (rule for marks, pattern for the rest). Thirty marks at SBI, one hundred at IBPS. Enter when called, greet the panel, sit when asked, and keep your hands still. Neither body publishes a length for the interview, and candidate accounts vary widely. SBI general instruction 16 says you must give details of any criminal case pending against you at the interview, so if there is one, have the facts ready and say them plainly.
- After (rule, SBI). Outstation candidates submit the travel claim with tickets. Clause 21: AC-III fare for the shortest route, or actual expenses if lower, residence or place of posting to the venue; no local transport.
Written by TalkDrill: the first ninety seconds in the room
The door opens and a staff member says your name. Walk in without hurrying, close the door softly, and stop a step short of the chair. "Good morning, sir. Good morning, ma'am." Wait. When someone says "please sit", say "thank you" and sit back in the chair, both feet on the floor, hands in your lap or loosely on the table. Put nothing on the table except, if asked, your file. The first question is almost always "tell us about yourself" or a question about your home town, so the panel is forming an impression in these ninety seconds from three things only: whether you waited to be asked to sit, whether you looked at the person speaking, and whether your voice was steady. All three are trainable in a week with a camera. Our bank panel mock interview gives you the same opening every time until it is automatic.
What to carry and what to leave at home
| Carry | Why |
|---|---|
| A rigid document folder with the originals in the list order, and a second folder with the self-attested copies in the same order | Two folders means you hand over copies without unpicking the originals |
| Call letter, printed, photograph pasted if the letter asks | Rule, both bodies |
| The application form printout | IBPS item (ii); the SBI panel has it in front of them, so you should too |
| Two photo IDs: one from both lists, plus Aadhaar | Online Aadhaar verification, both bodies |
| At least three copies of the application photograph | Pasting and attendance needs vary by venue |
| A black and a blue pen, a small glue stick, a stapler or clips | Forms at the desk; a photograph that falls off |
| Railway tickets, in a separate envelope (SBI) | Clause 21 claim |
| Water, a light snack, a handkerchief, any daily medicine | The wait can run past lunch |
| A spare shirt or top | Weather, a spill, nerves |
| A one-page summary of your own application: degree, marks, hobbies as you wrote them, work history with dates | The panel asks about what you wrote, sometimes a year after you wrote it |
Leave at home: textbooks and printed notes (you will not read them, and a thick coaching file on the table says the wrong thing), smart watches and earphones (treated like phones at most venues), and any document you cannot explain. If you carry an experience certificate from a job you left after a month, be ready for the question.
The night before: a ten-minute check
Go through this list aloud with someone, ticking each line. It takes ten minutes and it is the last document work you do.
- Call letter printed; reporting time, venue address and the route written on the first page; the venue found on a map, with a second route.
- Originals folder: every item from the SBI table or the IBPS (i) to (xiv) list, in order, each one checked against its date condition.
- Copies folder: one self-attested copy per original, signed and dated in ink, in the same order.
- Photo ID with the exact name on the call letter; Aadhaar; three photographs.
- Hands clean, no mehndi or ink on the fingertips; appearance matching the application photograph.
- Clothes laid out, worn before, pressed; shoes cleaned; a spare top in the bag.
- Phone charged; the call letter and every document also saved as PDFs on the phone and in email, in case a paper is lost.
- One read of your application printout and of your 90-second introduction from the introductions page. Then stop. Sleep is worth more than a last hour of current affairs.
Sources read on 20 October 2026: the SBI PO 2026-27 detailed advertisement, the SBI notice on Phase III tentative dates and the IBPS CRP PO/MT-XVI detailed notification. When the Phase III call letter and the IBPS interview call letter are released, this page will be updated with any instruction they add, and the change will be dated on the Bank PO interview hub.