SBI Clerk 2026 – 7,680 Posts, Mains Exam Likely in November

About SBI

State Bank of India is a public sector bank and statutory body with its headquarters in Mumbai. Its roots go back to the Bank of Calcutta, set up on 2 June 1806. SBI says it serves over 50 crore customers through more than 23,321 branches.

Junior Associates join the clerical cadre. The advertisement says they make customer calls and cross-sell bank products, inside and outside the branch. The job may involve a lot of outdoor travel, flexible hours and shift work.

Where the exam stands now

Applications closed on 31 August 2026. A notice on SBI’s careers page gave 26 and 27 September 2026 as the tentative prelims dates. When we checked on 3 November 2026, the page offered the prelims call letter but no prelims result.

SBI has not announced an exact mains date in any notice we found. Treat any specific date you see elsewhere as a guess until SBI confirms it.

One more source of confusion is a second SBI clerk advertisement. Advertisement CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 is a special drive for 1,538 SC/ST/OBC backlog posts. SBI scheduled its mains for 29 October 2026. That drive is separate from the 7,680-post recruitment covered here. The backlog figures in advertisement 17 already exclude the drive’s posts.

State-wise vacancies

SBI fills posts state by state. You could apply for one State/UT only, and you will be posted in that state if selected. The 7,680 regular posts split into SC 1,114, ST 837, OBC 1,716, EWS 760 and General 3,253.

Claiming an OBC or EWS post? Read our OBC-NCL and EWS certificate rules so your papers are in the right format.

The advertisement calls these vacancies provisional, so the numbers may change. There is no transfer to another state or circle in the first 5 years of service.

The ten largest states below hold 7,020 of the regular posts. The full table for all 24 states and UTs is on page 2 of the official advertisement.

The backlog columns explain why totals differ from site to site. The PDF prints three separate backlog totals: 287 (SC/ST/OBC), 355 (PwBD) and 1,444 (ex-servicemen). It gives no single backlog figure. When you see a grand total, check which of these columns it adds to the 7,680 regular posts.

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Punjab and Uttarakhand have no row in the table. Their exam centres still appear in Annexure I, because you may sit the exam at any listed centre. A candidate from Bihar could, for example, apply for Rajasthan and write the exam in Patna.

Eligibility

You need a degree in any discipline from a recognised university, passed on or before 31 December 2026. Final-year students could apply provisionally. If selected, they must show proof of passing by that date. SBI’s clerical staff, and former clerks who resigned, cannot apply.

Matriculate ex-servicemen can also apply. They need the Indian Army Special Certificate of Education, or the Navy or Air Force equivalent. They must have at least 15 years of service.

Your age must be 20 to 28 years on 1 April 2026. Your date of birth must fall between 2 April 1998 and 1 April 2006, both days included. Do not confuse this with 31 December 2026, which is the graduation cut-off. To work out your exact age on 1 April, try our age calculator for exam cut-off dates.

Relaxations cannot be combined. The apprentice relaxation applies only if your engagement began on or after 1 January 2022. You also needed one year of branch training completed by 31 August 2026.

Local language test

Each state has a specified language, shown in the vacancy table. You chose one language in your form. If your Class 10 or Class 12 mark sheet shows that you studied it, you skip the test.

Everyone else takes the Local Language Proficiency Test after provisional selection and before joining. You take it at a centre the bank picks in your chosen state, at your own expense. If you fail it, SBI will not offer you the job.

The bank sets the minimum marks for each test. SC, ST, OBC, PwBD, XS and DXS candidates get a 5% relaxation.

A common question comes from candidates whose home state has no vacancy. Can they apply for another state? The 2026 rules say yes. You could apply for any one state, but you must know its language.

Without a Class 10 or 12 mark sheet showing that language, you must pass the test. If selected, you will work in that state. A transfer back home is not possible in the first 5 years. After that, SBI may allow it only on compassionate or spouse grounds.

Prelims and mains pattern

The prelims is a one-hour online test of 100 marks with three timed sections. Each wrong answer costs a quarter of the question’s marks.

SBI shortlists about 10 times the vacancies in each category for the mains, by aggregate marks. Prelims has no minimum qualifying marks.

The mains also deducts a quarter of the question’s marks for each wrong answer. You need a minimum aggregate that the bank will fix. SC, ST, OBC, PwBD, XS and DXS candidates get a 5% relaxation. There is no minimum for each section.

Only mains marks build the final merit list. Trained SBI apprentices get 5 bonus marks out of 200. They must meet the same engagement and branch training conditions as for the age relaxation.

All papers except English come in English, Hindi and, in some states, the regional language. Tamil Nadu candidates, for example, can choose Tamil.

Pay and probation

The scale is ₹24,050 to ₹64,480. Graduates start at a basic pay of ₹26,730, which includes two advance increments. SBI puts the starting monthly emoluments at about ₹46,000 in a metro like Mumbai. Probation lasts at least six months.

What to bring to the mains

• The mains call letter, downloaded from sbi.bank.in.
• Your prelims call letter, stamped at the prelims centre, with the stamped copy of your ID proof.
• Two extra photos, the same as the one pasted on the call letter. Without them you cannot sit the exam.
• An original photo ID and a self-attested photocopy.

SBI sends no call letter by post. Keep your registration number and your password or date of birth ready for the download. For other bank exams this season, see our bank jobs list.

IBPS is also holding the RRB Office Assistant and Officer exams this season. Experienced professionals can look at SBI’s specialist officer openings.

Latest updates

• 3 November 2026: SBI’s careers page still shows the prelims call letter link. It shows no prelims result or mains date yet. We will update this page when SBI publishes them.
• 26 and 27 September 2026: Tentative prelims dates given on SBI’s careers page.
• 11 August 2026: SBI published advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 with 7,680 regular vacancies (PDF).