Overview of SBI PO Exam
The State Bank of India (SBI) conducts the Probationary Officer (PO) Exam to recruit candidates for the position of Probationary Officer in its branches across the country. The exam consists of three phases: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Group Discussion (GD) & Interview. The GD round holds significant importance in the selection process.

Importance of Group Discussion Round
The Group Discussion round is conducted to assess a candidate's communication skills, leadership qualities, problem-solving abilities, and ability to work in a team. It helps the selectors to gauge the candidate's overall personality and suitability for the role of a Probationary Officer in a public sector bank like SBI.

Weightage of Marks in Group Discussion Round
The marks obtained in the Group Discussion round are not given separate weightage. However, the performance in the GD round is an integral part of the overall assessment. The marks obtained in the Main Exam and the GD round are considered for preparing the final merit list.

Marking Scheme in SBI PO Exam
The SBI PO Exam follows a normalization process to ensure fairness in the evaluation of candidates across different sessions. The scores obtained by candidates in the Main Exam (Phase II) and GD round (Phase III) are converted into a scale of 100. The final merit list is prepared by assigning weights to the scores of the Main Exam and GD round in the ratio of 75:25 respectively.

Conclusion
Although there are no separate marks awarded for the Group Discussion round in the SBI PO Exam, it plays a crucial role in the overall assessment of candidates. The performance in the GD round, along with the Main Exam, determines the final merit list. Therefore, candidates should focus on developing effective communication skills, leadership qualities, and the ability to work in a team to perform well in the Group Discussion round.