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SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) syllabus and exam pattern, 2026

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

SBI Clerk, officially Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales), has a 100-mark prelims of 100 questions in one hour (English 30, Numerical Ability 35, Reasoning 35) and a mains of 190 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes. There is no interview. Final merit is your mains score, and a Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) follows only if you did not study your state's language in Class 10 or 12.

This page follows SBI's 2026-27 advertisement (CRPD/CR/2026-27/17). SBI kept "Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude" in its clerk mains, while the IBPS clerk mains (now called Customer Service Associate) dropped computer aptitude as a separate section. Don't mix the two patterns; the comparison table below keeps them apart. For the wider picture, see the bank exams guide.

SBI Clerk 2026 at a glance

Confirm the final dates on SBI's careers page, since "tentative" months can move.

Phase I: the prelims

The advertisement prescribes no minimum marks for any individual test or for the aggregate. About ten times the number of vacancies are shortlisted for the mains. That makes the prelims a speed-and-accuracy contest against the other applicants, not a race to a fixed score. Numerical Ability and Reasoning are 70 of the 100 marks, and each gets 20 minutes, so you have about 34 seconds a question.

Phase II: the mains

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude carries the most marks, so it is the section to guard. Awareness gives you the least time per question (42 seconds), which means you win it by knowing the answer, not by working it out.

How the mains is scored:

• One aggregate minimum. SBI prescribes a minimum aggregate percentage, with a 5% relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, PwBD and ex-servicemen categories. There is no sectional minimum, and section-wise marks are not maintained, so only your total counts.
• Negative marking. A wrong answer costs one-fourth of the question's marks. As a worked example, in an awareness section of 1-mark questions, 38 right and 7 wrong gives 38 − 1.75 = 36.25.
• Apprentice bonus. SBI-trained apprentices (engaged on or after 1 January 2022 with one year of branch experience) get 5 bonus marks out of 200.
• Language. Question papers are in English, Hindi and the state language; for Tamil Nadu that means English, Hindi and Tamil. The English Language test tests English, so it is naturally in English.

Phase III: the Local Language Proficiency Test

You need the LLPT only if you did not study your chosen local language in Class 10 or 12. If your Class 10 or 12 mark sheet shows you studied Tamil and you applied for Tamil Nadu, you are exempt. Read the advertisement for the exact exemption wording, because it depends on your documents.

If it applies to you:

• It is held after provisional selection and before joining.
• It is qualifying only. Failing it means no appointment, with a 5% relaxation for reserved categories.
• It has a written part with objective and subjective sections of 15 marks each, and a verbal part of 20 marks. The advertisement gives the full breakdown.

Separately, SBI keeps a wait list of up to 50% of the vacancies, state and category-wise, valid for one year.

Topic-level syllabus

SBI gives section names, not topic lists. The topics below are commonly tested areas, not an official syllabus.

Topic guides: quantitative aptitude, reasoning ability, English language, banking awareness and computer aptitude.

SBI Junior Associate vs IBPS Clerk (CSA)

Both can be prepared together; the SBI-specific work is a bigger mains with computer aptitude. Details of the IBPS side are on the IBPS Clerk syllabus and exam pattern page.

Eligibility and pay in brief

Vacancies are published state by state and can change through corrigenda, so this page does not quote numbers. Choose your state with its language rule and the five-year transfer rule in mind. See bank exam eligibility for the full comparison across exams, and PO vs clerk if you are deciding which post to target.

A short preparation strategy

1. Build calculation speed first. At 34 to 54 seconds a question, tables, squares, fractions to percentages and approximation tricks decide how many questions you reach.
2. Practise in 20-minute sectional sets for the prelims, and move to 35 to 45 minute sets for the mains.
3. Treat computer aptitude as quick marks. It shares a section with Reasoning, so basic fundamentals and MS Office questions can be answered in seconds.
4. Read awareness daily for 30 minutes. At 42 seconds a question, recall is everything.
5. Take a mock every week once you've covered the topics, and log each mistake by type: concept, calculation, time.

The IBPS Clerk preparation strategy has speed drills that carry over to this exam.

Practising with PrepMatic

PrepMatic's free assessment, about 15 untimed questions, shows which of Quant, Reasoning and English is your weakest subject. The study plan is built from your exam date, daily hours and study days, with topic tests and coverage checkpoints. Custom mocks let you choose subjects, number of questions, duration and difficulty, so you can run a 35-question, 20-minute Reasoning set, and they can be focused on your weak subjects. Results show accuracy, speed per question and the subject that cost you the most marks.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an interview in SBI Clerk?

No. Selection is based on the mains score, followed by the LLPT for those who need it. The prelims only shortlists candidates.

Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk?

Yes, in both the prelims and the mains. A wrong answer costs one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question.

Does SBI Clerk have a sectional cut-off?

Not in the 2026 advertisement. The prelims has no minimum marks, and the mains has a minimum aggregate percentage but no sectional minimum.

Does the SBI Clerk mains include computer aptitude?

Yes. It sits inside "Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude", which has 50 questions for 60 marks. The IBPS clerk mains no longer has a separate computer section.

Who has to take the SBI Clerk language test?

Candidates who did not study the opted local language in Class 10 or 12. It is held after provisional selection, is qualifying only, and failing it means no appointment.

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

No. The advertisement allows one State or UT, and you can take the test only once under the recruitment project.

Official sources

• SBI careers: current openings: advertisement, notices and call letters.
• SBI Junior Associate 2026 detailed advertisement: pattern, eligibility, pay and LLPT.
• IBPS Clerical Cadre XVI: the IBPS CSA notification used for the comparison.

Dates, vacancies and pattern details change between recruitments. Check the latest SBI advertisement before you apply.

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