SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 9,124 Junior Associate Posts

SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026

The State Bank of India (SBI) has released the official notification for SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 for the recruitment of 9,124 Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) posts in the clerical cadre. The recruitment includes 7,680 regular vacancies and 1,444 backlog vacancies across 24 States/Union Territories.

The SBI Clerk 2026 online application process will start on 11 August 2026, and eligible candidates can submit their applications online until 31 August 2026. Candidates are advised to complete the registration and fee payment before the last date to avoid any last-minute technical issues.

According to the SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 notification, candidates must be between 20 and 28 years of age to apply, subject to the applicable age relaxation for reserved categories.

The recruitment has been issued by the State Bank of India, Central Recruitment & Promotion Department, Corporate Centre, Mumbai, under Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/2026-27/17. The vacancies are for the post of Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales).

Candidates can apply for vacancies in one State/Union Territory only and must have proficiency in the specified local language of the State/UT for which they are applying. The SBI Clerk Preliminary Examination 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be conducted in September 2026, followed by the Main Examination in November 2026.

SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 – Application Fee

Candidates applying for the SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 are required to pay the prescribed application fee/intimation charges based on their category. The SBI Clerk application fee can be paid online during the application process using the available online payment methods.

SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 – Age Limit

The SBI Clerk age limit is an important eligibility criterion for candidates applying for the SBI Junior Associate Recruitment 2026. Candidates must be at least 20 years old and not more than 28 years old as on 1 April 2026.

SBI Clerk 2026 Age Relaxation

Candidates belonging to eligible reserved and special categories will receive age relaxation as per SBI rules.

Important Points About SBI Clerk Age Relaxation

Candidates claiming age relaxation in SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 must provide the required supporting documents or certificates at the appropriate stage of recruitment. Candidates should carefully select their category while completing the online application form.

Cumulative age relaxation is not permitted under multiple categories or in combination with other relaxation provisions. Candidates are advised to check the official SBI Clerk notification for the complete rules applicable to their category.

SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 – Educational Qualification

Candidates applying for the SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 for Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) must fulfill the prescribed educational qualification. The required qualification is given below.

• SBI Clerk 2026 Educational Qualification
• Candidates must have a Graduation degree in any discipline from a recognized university or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Central Government.
• Candidates holding an Integrated Dual Degree (IDD) must ensure that the date of passing the IDD is on or before 31 December 2026.
• Candidates who are currently in the final year/semester of graduation can also apply provisionally. However, they must produce proof of passing their graduation examination on or before 31 December 2026.
• Matriculate Ex-Servicemen who have completed at least 15 years of service in the Armed Forces of the Union and possess the Indian Army Special Certificate of Education or an equivalent certificate from the Navy or Air Force are also eligible.
• The required Special Certificate of Education or equivalent certificate must be dated on or before 31 December 2026.

SBI Clerk Vacancy 2026 – State-wise Vacancy Details

The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced 9,124 vacancies for the SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026, including 7,680 regular vacancies and 1,444 backlog vacancies across 24 Circles/States/UTs.

Candidates can apply for only one State/UT under the SBI Junior Associate recruitment and must fulfill the prescribed local language requirement for the selected State/UT. The vacancies are provisional and may be revised by SBI depending on the actual staffing requirements.

SBI Clerk 2026 State-wise Vacancy

The regular vacancies are divided into SC, ST, OBC, EWS and General categories. Backlog vacancies are shown separately as specified in the official notification.

SBI Clerk 2026 Vacancy – Important Points

• Total SBI Clerk Vacancies: 9,124
• Regular Vacancies: 7,680
• Backlog Vacancies: 1,444
• States/UTs/Circles Covered: 24
• Candidates can apply for only one State/UT.
• Candidates must have proficiency in the specified local language of the State/UT selected.
• The number of vacancies is provisional and may change depending on SBI’s actual requirements.
• Backlog vacancies are reported separately according to the categories specified in the official notification.

SBI Clerk Selection Process 2026

The SBI Junior Associate Recruitment 2026 selection process is designed to assess candidates through multiple stages. Applicants must first qualify for the SBI Clerk Preliminary Examination and then appear for the Main Examination. A Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) is also conducted for candidates who do not have proof of studying the required local language in Class 10th or 12th.

SBI Junior Associate Selection Stages

The complete selection process can be understood as:

Prelims Examination → Mains Examination → Local Language Test (if applicable) → Final Selection

SBI Clerk Prelims Examination 2026

The Preliminary Examination is the first stage of the SBI Junior Associate recruitment process. It is an online objective examination consisting of three sections.

Exam Pattern

Prelims Exam Rules

The following rules apply to the SBI Clerk Preliminary Examination:

• Total questions: 100
• Total marks: 100
• Total duration: 1 hour
• Each section has its own time limit.
• 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.
• No minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for individual sections or the overall Prelims examination.
• Prelims marks are used for shortlisting candidates for Mains.
• Approximately 10 times the vacancies in each category may be shortlisted for the Main Examination, subject to availability.

SBI Clerk Main Examination 2026

Candidates shortlisted through the Preliminary Examination will be called for the Main Examination.

The Mains paper contains 190 questions carrying 200 marks, with a total test duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Mains Exam Structure

• Important Mains Rules
• The examination is conducted online.
• There is negative marking of 1/4th mark for an incorrect answer.
• Candidates must achieve the minimum aggregate qualifying percentage prescribed by SBI.
• Eligible SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS candidates receive a 5% relaxation in the qualifying percentage.
• Only Main Examination marks are considered for final merit.
• Marks obtained in Prelims are not added to the final score.

Local Language Proficiency Test for SBI Clerk 2026

The Local Language Proficiency Test is an important part of the recruitment process for candidates who have not studied the specified local language in Class 10th or 12th.

For example, candidates applying for a particular State/UT must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the local language specified for that State/UT, wherever the LLPT requirement applies.

Who Does Not Need to Take LLPT?

Candidates are exempt if their Class 10th or Class 12th marksheet/certificate clearly shows that they studied the specified local language.

LLPT Structure

Candidates must meet the prescribed qualifying standard in the language test. The applicable qualifying marks relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS candidates is 5%.

Special Benefit for SBI Trained Apprentices

Candidates who previously completed eligible training as SBI apprentices can receive additional marks in the SBI Junior Associate Main Examination.

To qualify for this benefit, the candidate must satisfy the conditions prescribed by SBI, including:

Apprenticeship engagement started on or after 01 January 2022.
One year of branch experience in SBI completed successfully.
Experience completed on or before 31 August 2026.
Satisfactory conduct and performance during the engagement.

How Many Bonus Marks Are Awarded?

Eligible candidates receive 2.5% of the maximum Main Examination marks.

Since Mains carries 200 marks:

2.5% of 200 = 5 marks

Therefore, eligible SBI-trained apprentices can receive 5 additional marks in the Main Examination.

How SBI Clerk Final Selection Is Made

The final selection process is not based on the combined score of Prelims and Mains.

The Preliminary Examination is used to shortlist candidates, while the Main Examination marks are considered for preparing the final merit list.

The merit list is prepared separately for each State/UT and category.

Candidates who are required to appear for the Local Language Proficiency Test must also qualify in that test.

Selection Flow

Online Application

↓

SBI Clerk Preliminary Exam

↓

Shortlisting for Mains

↓

SBI Clerk Main Exam

↓

Local Language Proficiency Test, if applicable

↓

State-wise & Category-wise Merit List

↓

Final Selection / Appointment

SBI Clerk Waiting List 2026

Apart from the main selection list, SBI will maintain a waiting list of up to 50% of the vacancies, according to the prescribed State-wise and category-wise requirements.

The waiting list may be used when vacancies arise due to:

• Selected candidates not joining
• Resignation after joining
• Other applicable vacancies

Candidates can be released from the waiting list on a quarterly basis. The waiting list remains valid for one year from the date of declaration of the final result, subject to SBI’s applicable recruitment rules.

SBI Junior Associate Selection Process 2026 – At a Glance

Note: For SBI Junior Associate Recruitment 2026, candidates should not focus only on clearing the Prelims. The Preliminary Examination is mainly a screening stage, while the Main Examination is crucial for the final merit list. Candidates should also check the local language requirement of the State/UT selected during the application process and keep the required language-study certificate ready if applicable.

SBI Junior Associate Exam Centres 2026

The State Bank of India (SBI) Junior Associate Recruitment 2026 exam centres have been notified on a tentative basis for the Preliminary and Main Examinations. Candidates can check the expected SBI Clerk exam centre list below to know the cities where the examination may be conducted.

SBI reserves the right to add, remove, cancel or re-allot examination centres depending on administrative requirements. The final exam centre, date and session will be mentioned on the candidate’s admit card.

SBI Clerk Exam Centre – Important Guidelines

• The examination centre mentioned on the admit card will be treated as the final centre.
• Candidates should reach the examination venue before the reporting time.
• No request for changing the examination centre will be entertained.
• Requests for changing the examination date or session will also not be accepted.
• Candidates must arrange their own travel to and from the examination centre.
• Candidates will appear for the examination at their own risk and expense.
• The exact venue address should be checked carefully on the admit card.
• SBI may add, cancel or re-allot examination centres if required.

How to Apply for SBI Junior Associate Recruitment 2026

Steps to Apply Online for SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official State Bank of India Careers website and open the Current Openings section. SBI Careers – Current Openings
2. Find the Recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) 2026 advertisement.
3. Read the official notification carefully and make sure you meet all the prescribed eligibility requirements, including age, educational qualification and State/UT-specific local language requirements.
4. Click on the Apply Online link available for the Junior Associate recruitment.
5. Complete the new registration using your active mobile number and email ID.
6. Enter your personal details, educational qualifications, category details and other information requested in the application form.
7. Select the State/UT for which you wish to apply. Candidates should check the notification carefully because the recruitment rules restrict candidates to the applicable State/UT choice.
8. Upload the required documents, including your photograph, signature and other documents, in the prescribed format and size.
9. Carefully check all the information entered in the application form before submitting it. Incorrect information may create problems during later stages of recruitment.
10. Pay the applicable application fee/intimation charges through the available online payment options.
11. Submit the completed SBI Junior Associate application form.
12. After successful submission, download and save the completed application form and payment confirmation for future reference.

SBI Junior Associate Recruitment 2026 – Important Links

Apply Online for SBI Junior Associate – Click Here

SBI Junior Associate 2026 Notification – Click Here

Official SBI Careers Website – Visit Here

Official SBI Careers: SBI Careers – Current Openings