"SBI Clerk" is the popular name for State Bank of India's recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales). The 2026 recruitment is under Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/2026-27/17, with registration from 11 to 31 August 2026, the preliminary examination tentatively in September 2026 and the main examination tentatively in November 2026.
This guide explains the exam pattern from the official advertisement, including several rules that are often misreported, such as whether there are sectional cut-offs in the prelims. It then works through the scoring arithmetic and gives you a practice checklist. It does not quote state-wise cut-offs, because SBI publishes those itself after results.
Checked against the JA 2026 advertisement and SBI's current openings page on 9 October 2026. SBI's careers pages now sit at sbi.bank.in.
The 2026 recruitment at a glance
| Item | CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 |
|---|---|
| Regular vacancies | 7,680 (state-wise table; backlog vacancies are listed in separate columns) |
| Age | 20 to 28 on 1 April 2026 (born 2 April 1998 to 1 April 2006); relaxations for OBC (3 years), SC/ST (5), PwBD (10, 13 or 15), ex-servicemen and some other groups |
| Education | Graduation in any discipline by 31 December 2026; final-year students may apply provisionally |
| Fee | ₹750 for General, OBC and EWS; nil for SC, ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen (XS) and DXS candidates as defined in the advertisement |
| Stages | Preliminary examination, main examination, local language proficiency test |
| Status on 9 October 2026 | Preliminary call letters were available for download; no preliminary result was listed |
SBI also ran a separate special recruitment drive for SC/ST/OBC backlog vacancies (CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16), with its own advertisement.
Keep preparing
Continue with Document Verification Checklist – Central and Defence Recruitment₹299 — coaching के एक महीने से काफ़ी सस्ता / far cheaper than a month of coachingStage 1: Preliminary examination
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 1 hour |
Key rules from the advertisement:
- Each test has its own timer.
- One quarter of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
- No minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for any individual test or for the aggregate. Sectional marks are not maintained.
- About 10 times the vacancies in each category are shortlisted for the main examination, in descending order of aggregate marks.
So there are no sectional cut-offs in the prelims under this advertisement. Your aggregate rank within your category, against the vacancies of the state you applied for, is what matters.
Stage 2: Main examination
| Test | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 2 hours 40 minutes |
- The same one-quarter penalty applies.
- Candidates must score a minimum percentage in aggregate, decided by the bank, with a 5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates. No minimum is prescribed for individual tests.
- Prelims marks are not added. The final merit list uses only the aggregate main examination marks.
Note the Reasoning and Computer Aptitude test: 50 questions carry 60 marks, so each question is worth 1.2 marks and a wrong answer costs 0.3.
Stage 3: Local language proficiency test
You can apply for vacancies in one state or union territory only and must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the language you opt for. The language test is held after the main examination and before joining. Candidates who show a Class 10 or 12 marksheet or certificate proving they studied that language are exempt; those who fail the test are not offered appointment.
The advertisement also states there is no inter-circle or inter-state transfer for Junior Associates recruited under it before completing five years of service. Choose your state with that in mind.
Pay stated in the advertisement
SBI gives a starting basic pay of ₹26,730 (₹24,050 plus two advance increments for graduates) and total starting emoluments of about ₹46,000 a month at a metro centre such as Mumbai, including dearness allowance and other allowances. Actual pay varies with the centre of posting.
Scoring arithmetic: worked examples
Illustrative only.
Prelims. You attempt 75 questions: 65 right and 10 wrong.
- 65 − (10 × 0.25) = 65 − 2.5 = 62.5 out of 100
Mains. Suppose your answers are:
| Test | Right | Wrong | Calculation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 32 | 8 | 32 − 2 | 30 |
| General English | 26 | 6 | 26 − 1.5 | 24.5 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 8 | 30 − 2 | 28 |
| Reasoning and Computer Aptitude | 38 | 6 | 45.6 − 1.8 | 43.8 |
| Total | 126.3 out of 200 |
The reasoning row uses 1.2 marks per right answer (38 × 1.2 = 45.6) and 0.3 per wrong answer (6 × 0.3 = 1.8). Because only the main examination counts for merit, improving this total is the real goal; the prelims only need to put you inside the shortlist.
A practice checklist
State/UT I am applying for, and its language:
Do I have a Class 10 or 12 document showing that language? (Y/N)
Prelims mock: net score, with each 20-minute test timed separately
Mains mock: net score in each test, especially the 60-mark reasoning test
General / Financial Awareness notes, each dated and sourced
Admit card, ID and photographs ready for the exam day
Date I last checked sbi.bank.in/web/careers
Older guides often describe sectional cut-offs in the prelims or quote state cut-offs without a source. Neither is supported by this advertisement, so build your strategy on the aggregate rules above.
For a comparison with IBPS and RBI recruitment routes, see our banking exam routes guide, and for topic practice, the SBI Clerk preparation hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an interview for SBI Clerk?
No interview appears in this advertisement. Selection is based on the main examination, subject to the local language test and other conditions.
Are there sectional cut-offs in SBI Clerk prelims?
Not under the 2026 advertisement, which says no minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for individual tests or for the aggregate in the preliminary examination.
Can I change my state after selection?
The advertisement says there is no inter-circle or inter-state transfer for Junior Associates recruited under it before completing five years of service.