EXAM SYLLABUS

The SBI Clerk Exam syllabus includes, Preliminary Exam - English Language (comprehension, grammar, vocabulary), Numerical Ability (arithmetic, data interpretation), and Reasoning Ability (puzzles, logical reasoning); Main Exam - General/Financial Awareness (current affairs, banking), General English (reading, writing skills), Quantitative Aptitude (advanced arithmetic, data analysis), and Reasoning & Computer Aptitude (logical reasoning, basic computer knowledge); Local Language Proficiency Test - reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the state-specific language.

Phase II – Main Examination

The Main exam is online, 2 Hours 40 Minutes duration, total 200 marks, divided into 4 sections:

General/Financial Awareness (50 Questions, 50 Marks, 35 Minutes)

Current Affairs (last 6 months – National & International Events)

Banking & Financial Awareness (RBI, SBI & other Banks, Monetary Policies, Financial Terms, Schemes, Insurance, Mutual Funds)

Static GK (Countries, Capitals, Sports, Awards, Books & Authors, Important Days, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science)

Government Schemes & Policies

General English (40 Questions, 40 Marks, 35 Minutes)

Reading Comprehension (Factual, Inference, Vocabulary)

Error Detection

Para Jumbles

Cloze Test

Word Usage, Fill in the Blanks

Synonyms & Antonyms

Sentence Improvement

Quantitative Aptitude (50 Questions, 50 Marks, 45 Minutes)

Data Interpretation (Tables, Pie Charts, Line Graphs, Bar Graphs, Caselets)

Quadratic Equations

Number Series

Data Sufficiency

Simplification / Approximation

Probability, Permutation & Combination

Arithmetic Word Problems (as in Prelims, but more advanced level)

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude (50 Questions, 60 Marks, 45 Minutes)

Puzzles (Floor, Scheduling, Box, Linear, Circular Seating)

Input-Output

Coded Inequalities

Syllogism

Coding-Decoding

Data Sufficiency

Logical Reasoning (Statement-Argument, Assumptions, Conclusions, Cause-Effect)

Computer Aptitude: Basics of Computer, MS Office, Internet, Networking, Security, Keyboard Shortcuts, Operating Systems

Note: Negative marking of 0.25 mark applies here as well.

Phase III – Local Language Test

Candidates provisionally selected must qualify the Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT).

Exempted if candidate has studied the opted local language in 10th or 12th standard.

Others must take the test before final joining.

EXAM PATTERN

The SBI Clerk 2025 Exam, conducted online, consists of a Preliminary Exam (100 MCQs, 100 marks, 1 hour) with English, Numerical, and Reasoning sections; a Main Exam (190 MCQs, 200 marks, 2 hours 40 minutes) covering General/Financial Awareness, English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning & Computer Aptitude; and a Local Language Proficiency Test (objective and subjective, qualifying). Negative marking (1/4th mark) applies, and exams are in English, Hindi, or state-specific languages. Selection involves qualifying the Preliminary, scoring in the Main, and passing the LLPT (if required).

Exam Type: Online (Computer-Based Test) for both Preliminary and Main Examinations.

Question Type:

Preliminary and Main Exams: Objective-type Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs).

Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT): Objective (15 questions, 15 marks) and Subjective (3 passages, 15 marks).

Selection Process:

Phase-I: Preliminary Examination (Qualifying, shortlists ~10 times vacancies).

Phase-II: Main Examination (Merit-based, determines final ranking).

Phase-III: Local Language Proficiency Test (Qualifying, exempted with 10th/12th language proof).

Negative Marking: 1/4th (0.25) mark deducted per wrong answer in Preliminary and Main Exams; no penalty for unanswered questions.

Exam Language: English, Hindi, and state-specific languages (e.g., Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati) based on state/UT applied for; English section in English only.

Main Examination

Total Questions: 190

Total Marks: 200

Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes (sectional timings)

Sections:

General/Financial Awareness: 50 questions, 50 marks, 35 minutes

General English: 40 questions, 40 marks, 35 minutes

Quantitative Aptitude: 50 questions, 50 marks, 45 minutes

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude: 50 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes

Note: Minimum aggregate marks required (decided by SBI, 5% relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS); section-wise marks not maintained; 2.5% bonus marks (5/200) for trained SBI apprentices (engaged post-January 1, 2022, with 1-year experience by August 26, 2025).

Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT)

Applicability: Mandatory for candidates without 10th/12th proof of studying the opted local language; conducted post-Main Exam, before joining.

Pattern:

Non-Verbal Test: Objective (3 passages, 15 questions, 15 marks) + Subjective (3 passages, 15 marks)

Verbal Test: 20 marks (details not fully specified)

Note: Candidates must score minimum qualifying marks (decided by SBI, 5% relaxation for reserved categories); failure disqualifies appointment.

Merit List: State-wise, category-wise, based on Main Exam aggregate marks; Preliminary marks not counted.

Final Selection: Subject to verification of eligibility, documents, and qualifying LLPT (if applicable).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The SBI Clerk  Exam requires candidates to be aged 20–28 years as of April 1, 2025, with a graduation degree by December 31, 2025, and proficiency in the local language of the applied state/UT. Age relaxations apply for SC/ST (5 years), OBC (3 years), PwBD (10–15 years), and Ex-Servicemen (service period + 3 years). Current SBI clerical employees and those with adverse records are ineligible.

Age Limit

20–28 years (born between April 2, 1997, and April 1, 2005).

Relaxations:

OBC: +3 years

SC/ST: +5 years

PwBD (Gen/EWS): +10 years

PwBD (OBC): +13 years

PwBD (SC/ST): +15 years

Ex-Servicemen/Disabled Ex-Servicemen: Service period + 3 years (8 years for SC/ST), max 50 years

Widows/Divorced Women (not remarried): +7 years (max 35 for Gen/EWS, 38 for OBC, 40 for SC/ST)

Trained SBI Apprentices: +1 year (Gen/EWS), +4 years (OBC), +6 years (SC/ST)

Educational Qualification

Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university or equivalent.

Final-year students can apply provisionally, subject to passing by December 31, 2025.

Matriculate Ex-Servicemen with 15+ years of service: Eligible with Army Special Certificate of Education or equivalent Navy/Air Force certificate.

Local Language Proficiency

Must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the specified local language of the applied state/UT.

Exempted if 10th/12th mark sheet proves language proficiency; else, LLPT is mandatory.

Ineligibility

Current SBI clerical cadre employees.

Former SBI clerical employees who resigned.

Candidates with adverse character, moral turpitude, or unregularized loan/credit card defaults with banks/NBFCs.

Additional Notes

OBC candidates must belong to the "Non-Creamy Layer" with a certificate issued between April 1, 2025, and appointment.

EWS candidates need an Income & Asset Certificate for 2024-25, valid for 2025-26.

PwBD candidates require a disability certificate (40%+ disability) dated on or before August 26, 2025.

No category change allowed post-application; cumulative age relaxation not permitted.

IMPORTANT DATES

The State Bank of India (SBI) issued a notification (Advt. No. CRPD/CR/2025-26/06) for recruiting Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) in the clerical cadre, with online registration open from August 6 to August 26, 2025. The selection process includes an online Preliminary Exam (September 2025), Main Exam (November 2025), and a Local Language Proficiency Test. Eligible candidates, aged 20-28 as of April 1, 2025, with a graduation degree by December 31, 2025, can apply for 5,180 regular and 810 backlog vacancies across various states/UTs, requiring proficiency in the local language.

EXAM ANALYSIS

Here is a complete SBI Clerk Mains 2026 exam analysis based on the latest SBI Clerk Mains 2025 exam (most recent cycle), including exact date, shift timing, difficulty level, good attempts, cutoff trends, and 2026 expectations.

SBI Clerk Mains 2025 – Exact Exam Date

Exam Date: 21 November 2025

This was the final stage of selection after prelims.

Earlier in 2025 (previous cycle phase), Mains was also conducted on:

10 April 2025

12 April 2025

This confirms SBI sometimes conducts multiple cycles in a year, so 2026 may follow a similar pattern.

Shift Timing (Exact Time & Structure)

SBI Clerk Mains is conducted in 2 shifts:

Shift 1: 9:00 AM – 11:40 AM

Shift 2: 3:00 PM – 5:40 PM

Total Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes (160 minutes)

Sectional timing: Yes (fixed time per section)

Exam Pattern (Mains)

Total Questions: 190

Total Marks: 200

Sections:

General/Financial Awareness – 50

Reasoning + Computer – 50

Quantitative Aptitude – 50

English Language – 40

Negative marking: 0.25 marks

No sectional cutoff, only overall merit matters

Difficulty Level (2025 – All Shifts)

Overall Level:

Moderate (consistent across shifts)

Section-wise Difficulty:

Reasoning & Computer: Easy to Moderate / Moderate

Quantitative Aptitude: Moderate (lengthy DI)

English: Moderate to Difficult (tricky RC)

GA: Moderate but scoring

Key Insight:

Time-consuming paper

Not conceptually very hard, but speed pressure high

Good Attempts (Real Exam Range)

Based on multiple shift reviews:

Overall Good Attempts:

78 – 104 questions

Most safe range:

85 – 95 attempts

High attempts needed due to moderate difficulty

Expected Cutoff (2025 Trend)

Cutoff varies state-wise, but trend:

General Category:

~85 – 100 marks (out of 200)

Observations:

Moderate paper ? balanced cutoff

GA plays a decisive role

Section-wise Trend (Important Topics)

Reasoning & Computer

High-level puzzles (floor, box, seating)

Input-output

Coding-decoding

Machine input

Weightage: Puzzle-heavy (~60–70%)

Quantitative Aptitude

Data Interpretation (caselet, tabular)

Arithmetic (Time & Work, Profit, Ratio)

Number series

Trend: Lengthy + calculation intensive

English Language

Reading Comprehension (main focus)

Cloze Test

Error Detection

Para jumbles

Slightly tougher than prelims

General Awareness (Game Changer)

Last 5–6 months current affairs

Banking awareness

Static GK

Most scoring section if prepared well

Key Observations from SBI Clerk Mains 2025

Moderate but lengthy paper

Quant + Reasoning consumed maximum time

English slightly tricky

GA = selection deciding section

Accuracy + smart attempts = success

SBI Clerk Mains 2026 – Expected Analysis

Expected Exam Date

Likely:

April 2026 (cycle 1) OR

November 2026 (cycle 2)

Expected Shift Pattern

Same 2 shifts (morning + afternoon)

Duration unchanged

Expected Difficulty

Moderate (most probable)

Slight variation possible shift-wise

Expected Good Attempts (2026)

80 – 100 attempts

Expected Cutoff (2026)

General:

88 – 105 marks (state-wise variation)

Cutoff may increase due to competition

Final Strategy Insight for 2026

Target:

100+ attempts with high accuracy

Must focus on:

GA (40+ marks target)

Puzzle practice daily

DI speed improvement

Mock strategy:

Attempt:

GA ? English ? Reasoning ? Quant

STUDY TIPS

Preparing for the SBI Clerk Mains exam requires a strategic shift from speed (Prelims) to accuracy and depth (Mains). With a total of 190 questions to be solved in 2 hours and 40 minutes, focus on high-weightage topics, consistent revision, and rigorous mock analysis. 

Here are key study tips and strategies based on expert advice and successful candidate experiences:

Subject-Wise Preparation Strategy

General/Financial Awareness (Game Changer): Dedicate 30–60 minutes daily to GK. Focus on the last 4–5 months of current affairs, with special emphasis on banking news, latest schemes, awards, honors, and sports. Utilize monthly PDFs from sources like AffairsCloud or Adda247.

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude: Practice high-level puzzles and seating arrangements, as they often constitute up to 50% of the paper. Focus on logical reasoning, coding-decoding, syllogism, and input-output. For Computer Aptitude, cover basics, history of computers, and MS Office.

Quantitative Aptitude: Focus on Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, SI/CI, Percentages) and Data Interpretation (DI). Practice Mains-level DI and arithmetic word problems regularly, as they are time-consuming.

General English: Improve reading speed by reading editorials from The Hindu or Indian Express daily. Focus on reading comprehension, cloze tests, and error spotting.

6 MONTH STUDY PLAN (Best for beginners)

Month 1–2: Foundation Building

Quant:

Simplification, Number Series

Basic Arithmetic (Profit, SI-CI, Time & Work)

Reasoning:

Syllogism, Inequality, Coding-Decoding

Basic Puzzles (2–3 sets daily)

English:

Grammar rules + Vocabulary

Reading Comprehension (daily)

GA:

Start daily current affairs (last 6 months coverage goal)

Goal: Build concept clarity

Month 3–4: Strength + Practice

Quant:

Data Interpretation (DI) daily

Advanced arithmetic

Reasoning:

High-level puzzles + Seating Arrangement

Input-Output, Logical reasoning

English:

Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Error Detection

GA:

Monthly revision + Banking Awareness

Start:

Sectional tests (3–4 per week)

Month 5–6: Exam Mode

Full-length mocks: 3–5 per week

Analyze every mock deeply

GA:

Last 6 months revision (VERY IMPORTANT)

Focus:

Weak areas improvement

Speed optimization

Target:

120–140+ score in mocks

3 MONTH STUDY PLAN (For intermediate students)

Month 1

Quant:

DI + Arithmetic (daily)

Reasoning:

Puzzle sets (4–5 daily)

English:

RC + Grammar practice

GA:

Last 3–4 months current affairs

Start sectional tests (alternate days)

Month 2

Full syllabus covered once

Start:

Full mocks (2–3 per week)

GA:

Banking + Static awareness

Focus on:

Accuracy + time management

Month 3

Full mocks: 4–5 per week

GA:

Last 6 months revision (daily)

Daily:

1 mock + 2–3 hours analysis

Target:

85–95% accuracy

1 MONTH STUDY PLAN (Crash Plan)

Week 1

Cover:

Arithmetic + DI basics

Puzzle types

English grammar

GA:

Last 3 months current affairs

Week 2

Full syllabus practice

Sectional tests daily

GA:

Banking awareness

Week 3

Full mocks: 1 daily

Analyze mistakes

Focus:

Weak topics

Week 4 (Final Revision)

GA:

Last 6 months revision

Daily:

1 mock + light practice

Revise:

Formulas + shortcuts

Avoid new topics

OVERVIEW

The State Bank of India Clerk Examination, commonly known as the SBI Clerk Exam, is a national-level competitive test conducted annually by the State Bank of India (SBI), the largest public sector bank in India, with the primary purpose of recruiting eligible graduates for the post of Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) in the clerical cadre to handle customer interactions, banking transactions, and branch operations across various states and union territories. This entry-level banking exam is held once a year, typically in phases including preliminary and mains stages, at a national level targeting candidates aged 20-28 years with a graduation degree, and it attracts massive participation due to job security and growth opportunities. Last year, in 2024, approximately 20-25 lakhs candidates registered for the SBI Clerk recruitment (based on historical trends and reports of lakhs of applications received), while around 15-20 lakhs appeared as test takers for the preliminary exam, reflecting the high competition for the 13,735 vacancies announced that year.

SELECTION PROCESS

The SBI Clerk selection process involves a Preliminary Exam (100 MCQs, 100 marks, 1 hour, qualifying), a Main Exam (190 MCQs, 200 marks, 2h 40m, merit-based), and a Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT, qualifying for those without 10th/12th language proof). Final selection is based on Main Exam marks, document verification, and LLPT clearance.

Phase-I: Preliminary Examination:

Online, objective-type MCQs (100 questions, 100 marks, 1 hour).

Sections: English Language (30 marks), Numerical Ability (35 marks), Reasoning Ability (35 marks).

Qualifying in nature; no minimum marks per section, only aggregate score considered.

Top candidates (approximately 10 times the number of vacancies) shortlisted for Main Exam based on aggregate marks.

Marks not counted in final merit.

Phase-II: Main Examination:

Online, objective-type MCQs (190 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours 40 minutes).

Sections: General/Financial Awareness (50 marks, 35 minutes), General English (40 marks, 35 minutes), Quantitative Aptitude (50 marks, 45 minutes), Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude (60 marks, 45 minutes).

Minimum aggregate marks required (decided by SBI, 5% relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS).

Bonus: Trained SBI apprentices (engaged post-January 1, 2022, with 1-year experience by August 26, 2025) receive 2.5% bonus marks (5/200).

Marks determine state-wise, category-wise merit list.

Phase-III: Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT):

Mandatory for candidates without 10th/12th mark sheet proving proficiency in the specified local language of the applied state/UT.

Conducted post-Main Exam, before joining.

Pattern: Non-Verbal Test (Objective: 15 questions, 15 marks; Subjective: 3 passages, 15 marks) + Verbal Test (20 marks).

Candidates must score minimum qualifying marks (decided by SBI, 5% relaxation for reserved categories).

Failure to qualify disqualifies candidates from appointment.

Exempted if 10th/12th certificate proves local language proficiency.

Final Selection:

Based on Main Exam aggregate marks, ranked state-wise and category-wise.

Subject to:

Verification of eligibility (age, education, category, etc.) and documents submitted in the online application.

Qualifying the LLPT (if applicable).

Candidates failing verification or LLPT are disqualified.

Waitlist: Up to 50% of vacancies maintained state-wise, category-wise; released quarterly for non-joining/resignation; valid for one year from final result declaration.

Key Notes:

Preliminary Exam marks are not considered for final merit.

Negative marking (1/4th mark per wrong answer) applies in Preliminary and Main Exams.

No inter-circle/inter-state transfers allowed, except intra-state transfers in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana (specific circles).