SBI Clerk
Recruits Junior Associates (clerical cadre) for State Bank of India branches across the country — one of India's largest single recruitments, and a common stepping stone to officer grades via internal promotion.
Eligibility
A Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Age 20–28 years as on the notified cut-off date, with standard category relaxations. Candidates apply state-wise and must be proficient (reading, writing, speaking) in the specified local language of that state — a qualifying Language Proficiency Test (LPT) applies unless the language appears on the Class 10/12 marksheet.
Age limit: 20–28 years (relaxations as per category)
Exam pattern
Two online stages with no interview. Prelims: 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes with 20-minute sectional timing (English 30, Numerical Ability 35, Reasoning 35). Mains: 190 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours 40 minutes — General/Financial Awareness (50), General English (40), Quantitative Aptitude (50) and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude (50 questions, 60 marks). Wrong answers cost 0.25 marks. Final merit is based on Mains alone, followed by the qualifying Language Proficiency Test before joining.
Syllabus at a glance
Prelims covers English, numerical ability and reasoning at a brisk clerical-level difficulty. Mains adds general and financial awareness (heavy on current affairs and banking), tougher arithmetic and data interpretation, and reasoning mixed with computer aptitude. Content overlaps almost fully with IBPS Clerk, making joint preparation efficient.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Aug 2026 (around 5 Aug, tentative — the 2025 notification came on 5 Aug) | expected |
| Online application window | Aug 2026 | expected |
| Preliminary exam | Sep–Oct 2026 | expected |
| Mains exam | Nov 2026 | expected |
| Final result | Dec 2026 – Jan 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations — R.S. Aggarwal
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English — S.P. Bakshi
- Banking Awareness — Arihant Experts
- Lucent's General Knowledge — Dr Binay Karna & team
How toppers play it
- Merit comes from Mains only, so use prelims for rhythm and pour effort into the 190-question Mains, where General/Financial Awareness is the fastest 50 marks.
- Pick your state strategically: vacancies, past cut-offs and the local-language requirement all differ sharply between states.
- If the state's language is not on your Class 10/12 marksheet, start LPT-level reading and writing practice now — it is qualifying but eliminatory.
- In prelims, the exam is a pure speed race: practise 20-minute sectional sprints and never let one puzzle eat your section timer.
- Prepare jointly with IBPS Clerk (October prelims) — the syllabi overlap almost entirely and the two cycles run back-to-back in 2026.