SBI Clerk
Recruits Junior Associates (clerical cadre) into the State Bank of India, with state-wise vacancies and postings.
Eligibility
A graduate degree in any discipline; final-year students may apply subject to proof of passing by the date in the notification (31 Dec 2026 for the 2026 cycle). Age 20-28 years as on 1 April (SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years relaxation). Candidates apply for one state and must know its specified local language, which is tested if not studied at Class 10 or 12 level.
Age limit: 20-28 years (category relaxations apply)
Exam pattern
Prelims has 100 questions in 60 minutes: English (30), Numerical Ability (35) and Reasoning (35), with 20 minutes per section and no sectional cut-off; about 10 times the vacancies are shortlisted for Mains on aggregate marks. Mains has 190 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes: General/Financial Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks, 35 min), General English (40, 40 marks, 35 min), Quantitative Aptitude (50, 50 marks, 45 min) and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude (50, 60 marks, 45 min), each separately timed. A quarter mark is deducted per wrong answer. There is no interview; final merit is on Mains marks, subject to a local language test.
Syllabus at a glance
Numerical Ability covers simplification, approximation, number series, arithmetic and basic DI. Reasoning covers puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding and computer basics. English covers RC, cloze, error spotting and fillers. Financial Awareness covers banking terms, RBI policy, economy, schemes and current affairs.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SBI Junior Associates 2026 Prelims result | Nov 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Mains exam | Nov – Dec 2026 (advertised as Nov 2026, tentative) | expected |
| Final result | Feb – Mar 2027 (expected) | expected |
| SBI Junior Associates 2027 notification | Aug 2027 (expected) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma (Arihant)
- 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
How toppers play it
- General/Financial Awareness has 50 questions in just 35 minutes in Mains, the quickest marks available; aim for 35+ correct through steady current-affairs revision.
- SBI Clerk prelims cut-offs are state-wise and high; build calculation speed with tables to 30, squares to 50 and cubes to 25.
- In Mains Reasoning, solve the computer aptitude questions first since they take seconds each.
- Apply for a state whose language you can clear in the local language test; failing it voids selection.