Bank Exams · Notifications, admit cards & results

SBI Clerk notification 2026: Junior Associate (Customer Support and Sales)

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

SBI's clerical recruitment is advertised as Junior Associate (Customer Support and Sales), under advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17. Registration ran from 11 to 31 August 2026. Selection is state-wise, with a prelims, a mains and, for candidates who need it, a Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT). There is no interview, and final merit comes from the mains marks alone. The advertisement lists prelims tentatively for September 2026 and mains for November 2026.

SBI Junior Associate 2026 at a glance

Two details in the advertisement matter before you apply. You can appear for the test only once under this recruitment project, and there is no inter-circle or inter-state transfer before five years of service. A separate recruitment, CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16, covers a backlog drive for SC, ST and OBC candidates. Its vacancies are separate, so do not add them to the main drive's numbers. The fee and its category-wise exemptions are in the advertisement's fee section; confirm them there before paying.

Eligibility

Relaxations on the upper age limit: OBC 3 years, SC/ST 5 years, and for persons with benchmark disabilities 10 years (General/EWS), 13 (OBC) and 15 (SC/ST). Ex-servicemen get their service plus 3 years (8 for disabled ex-servicemen of SC/ST) up to a maximum of 50. Widows and divorced or judicially separated women who have not remarried get 7 years, up to 35 (General/EWS), 38 (OBC) and 40 (SC/ST). SBI trained apprentices (engaged on or after 1 January 2022, with a year of branch experience) get 1 year (General/EWS), 4 (OBC) or 6 (SC/ST), with longer relaxations for disabled apprentices, and they also receive 5 bonus marks out of 200 in the mains. An ex-serviceman who is a matriculate with the Army, Navy or Air Force special certificate after 15 years' service is also eligible.

Like SBI PO, the Junior Associate post accepts final-year students provisionally. That is more flexible than IBPS, which wants you to be a graduate when you register. The IBPS Clerk notification shows that rule in action.

Pattern

The prelims is 100 questions for 100 marks in one hour. It has no minimum qualifying marks for individual tests or for the aggregate, and about ten times the vacancies are shortlisted. The mains is 190 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes. It has a minimum aggregate percentage (with a 5% relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD and ex-servicemen) but no sectional minimum, and section-wise marks are not maintained. Wrong answers lose one-fourth of the marks in both phases. Question papers are in English, Hindi and the state language; for Tamil Nadu that means English, Hindi and Tamil.

Do not mix this up with IBPS. IBPS's clerical mains dropped the computer section, while SBI's Junior Associate mains still has "Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude". The detailed topics are on the SBI Clerk syllabus and exam pattern page.

The Local Language Proficiency Test

You need to take the LLPT only if you did not study the opted local language in Class 10 or Class 12. It is held after provisional selection and before joining. The pattern is a non-verbal test (an objective part of 15 questions for 15 marks and a subjective part of 15 questions for 15 marks, based on three passages each) plus a verbal test of 20 marks. It is qualifying, with 5% relaxation for reserved candidates, and failing it means no appointment.

A wait list of up to 50% of the vacancies, state- and category-wise, is maintained and stays valid for one year.

Vacancies: where to look

The advertisement carries state-wise and category-wise vacancies. We do not repeat them because they change, and a state-level list on a third-party site may predate a corrigendum. In the advertisement, find the table for the State or UT you picked. The number for your own category in your own state tells you more about your odds than any national total.

Pay

The scale is ₹24,050-1340/3-28,070-1650/3-33,020-2000/4-41,020-2340/7-57,400-4400/1-61,800-2680/1-64,480. The starting basic is ₹26,730, which is the scale's first step plus two advance increments for graduates. The advertisement quotes total starting emoluments of around ₹46,000 a month at a metro centre such as Mumbai. That is SBI's own illustration, and your amount depends on the place and the allowances.

How applying works

1. Open the SBI current-openings page and read the full Junior Associate advertisement, including any corrigendum.
2. Pick one State or UT and one language, and register online in the application window.
3. Upload what the advertisement asks for and pay the fee.
4. Keep the confirmation for the call letter stage, which is explained on the bank exam admit card page.

If you are choosing between clerical and officer routes, read PO vs clerk. The bank exams hub lists all the exams.

Preparing with PrepMatic

Because SBI prelims has no sectional cut-off, your total decides the shortlist, and the mains rewards general awareness and English along with maths. PrepMatic's free assessment (about 15 questions, no timer) shows your weakest subjects, and a study plan is built from your exam date and daily hours. You can take full-length or custom mocks, choosing subjects, number of questions, duration and difficulty, and focus them on the weak subjects. Scores include negative marking.

Frequently asked questions

Is SBI Clerk the same as Junior Associate?

Yes. The post is advertised as Junior Associate (Customer Support and Sales), which is what aspirants call SBI Clerk.

Is there an interview in SBI Clerk?

No. Selection is prelims, mains and, for those who need it, the language test. Final merit is based on mains marks.

Can I apply to more than one state in SBI Clerk?

No. You apply for one State or UT, and you can appear for the test only once under this recruitment project.

Do I need to know Tamil to apply for Tamil Nadu?

You need to prove proficiency. If you studied Tamil in Class 10 or Class 12, you are exempt from the LLPT. Otherwise you take it after provisional selection.

How is SBI Clerk different from IBPS Clerk?

SBI Clerk's prelims has no sectional or aggregate minimum, its mains has 190 questions with a computer aptitude section, and it caps appearances at once per recruitment project. IBPS's mains has 160 questions without a computer section.

Official sources

• SBI Junior Associate 2026 detailed advertisement: eligibility, pattern, LLPT and pay.
• SBI careers: current openings: advertisements, corrigenda and call letters.

Confirm every date and rule in the latest advertisement and corrigenda.

← All Bank Exams guides