State Bank of India has released the SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 notification for 1,538 Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) vacancies. Online applications opened on August 7, 2026, and eligible candidates can submit their forms until August 27, 2026.
Candidates should note that this is a Special Recruitment Drive for SC, ST and OBC backlog vacancies, not the regular SBI Clerk recruitment covering all categories. The 1,538 vacancies comprise 207 SC, 1,219 ST and 112 OBC posts. SBI has tentatively scheduled the Preliminary Examination for September, followed by the Main Examination in October/November 2026.
The recruitment offers an important opportunity for graduates belonging to the specified reserved categories. Candidates can apply for vacancies in only one State or Union Territory and must meet the local-language requirements prescribed for that State.
Table of Contents
SBI Clerk Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | State Bank of India |
| Post | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Recruitment | Special Recruitment Drive |
| Advertisement No. | CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 |
| Total Vacancies | 1,538 |
| Eligible Categories | SC, ST and OBC backlog vacancies |
| Application Start Date | August 7, 2026 |
| Last Date | August 27, 2026 |
| Preliminary Exam | September 2026, tentative |
| Main Exam | October/November 2026, tentative |
| Qualification | Graduation |
| Application Mode | Online |
SBI’s Careers portal currently shows the application link as active, with August 27, 2026 specified as the closing date.
SBI Clerk Vacancy Details
The largest number of vacancies under this drive is available for ST candidates, accounting for 1,219 of the 1,538 posts.
| State/UT | SC | ST | OBC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | – | 88 | – | 88 |
| Karnataka | 85 | 35 | – | 120 |
| Madhya Pradesh | – | 134 | – | 134 |
| Chhattisgarh | – | 26 | – | 26 |
| Odisha | – | 111 | – | 111 |
| Chandigarh | – | – | 22 | 22 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | – | 42 | – | 42 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 11 | – | – | 11 |
| Punjab | – | – | 18 | 18 |
| Tamil Nadu | 65 | – | – | 65 |
| Telangana | – | 32 | – | 32 |
| Rajasthan | 20 | 86 | – | 106 |
| West Bengal | – | – | 55 | 55 |
| Uttar Pradesh | – | 31 | – | 31 |
| Maharashtra | – | 165 | – | 165 |
| Delhi | – | – | 17 | 17 |
| Gujarat | – | 289 | – | 289 |
| Assam | – | 39 | – | 39 |
| Tripura | – | 22 | – | 22 |
| Bihar | 12 | – | – | 12 |
| Jharkhand | 14 | 119 | – | 133 |
| Total | 207 | 1,219 | 112 | 1,538 |
The vacancies are provisional and may change depending on SBI’s actual requirements. Candidates can apply for only one State/UT under this recruitment project.
Who Can Apply for SBI Clerk?
Candidates must possess a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Central Government.
Final-year or final-semester students can also apply provisionally. However, if selected, they must produce proof that they passed graduation on or before December 31, 2026.
Applicants must also be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the opted local language for the State or UT for which they apply.
Candidates who studied that language in Class 10 or Class 12 can produce the relevant certificate. Others will have to clear SBI’s local-language test after qualifying the Main examination and before joining.
SBI Clerk Age Limit
The basic age requirement is 20 to 28 years as on April 1, 2026.
Candidates must have been born between April 2, 1998 and April 1, 2006, both dates inclusive. Because this recruitment is specifically for backlog reserved vacancies, applicable upper-age relaxations include:
- OBC: 3 years
- SC/ST: 5 years
- PwBD (OBC): 13 years
- PwBD (SC/ST): 15 years
Other prescribed relaxations are available for eligible ex-servicemen, certain women candidates and trained SBI apprentices.
Importantly, OBC vacancies are available only to candidates belonging to the Non-Creamy Layer. OBC Creamy Layer candidates are not eligible under this special drive.
Application Fee
SBI has prescribed an application fee of ₹750 for OBC candidates.
There is no application fee for SC, ST, PwBD, Ex-Servicemen and Disabled Ex-Servicemen candidates. Once paid, the fee is non-refundable.
SBI Clerk Selection Process
Selection will be conducted through three stages:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Test of specified opted local language, where applicable
The Preliminary Examination carries 100 marks from 100 questions and runs for one hour. It contains English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability.
Candidates qualifying the prelims will proceed to the Main Examination, which contains 190 questions carrying 200 marks across General/Financial Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude.
Both examinations carry a one-fourth mark penalty for each incorrect answer.
SBI Clerk Salary in 2026
The Junior Associate pay scale begins at ₹24,050, while graduate recruits receive two advance increments, taking the starting basic pay to ₹26,730.
SBI states that total starting monthly emoluments for a clerical-cadre employee at a metro centre such as Mumbai will be approximately ₹46,000, including DA and applicable allowances. Actual allowances can vary depending on the place of posting.
Newly recruited Junior Associates will ordinarily remain on probation for a minimum of six months.
How to Apply for SBI Clerk 2026
Eligible candidates should visit the SBI Careers section and open the Special Recruitment Drive for Junior Associates 2026. Complete registration, enter personal and educational information, choose the appropriate State/UT and local language, and upload the required documents.
Applicants need scanned copies of their photograph, signature, left-thumb impression and handwritten declaration. After checking all information carefully, candidates can submit the application and pay the applicable fee online.
SBI has specifically advised applicants not to wait until the closing date because heavy traffic or technical problems near the deadline could prevent successful submission.
Is This the Regular SBI Clerk Recruitment?
No. This distinction is particularly important.
The notification issued on August 7, 2026 is officially described by SBI as a “Special Recruitment Drive for SC/ST/OBC Backlog Vacancies.” It should therefore not be presented as the regular all-category SBI Clerk recruitment notification.
Candidates from UR/EWS categories waiting for a regular SBI Clerk recruitment should not interpret these 1,538 vacancies as openings available to them. SBI’s current recruitment page separately lists this drive as a backlog recruitment project.
What Candidates Should Do Now
Eligible SC, ST and OBC candidates should check the State-wise vacancies carefully before applying because candidates can select only one State/UT. The application deadline is August 27, 2026, while the Preliminary Examination is tentatively planned for September.
Candidates should also verify their category certificate, age eligibility and local-language requirement before submitting the form because SBI does not permit changes in category after registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many SBI Clerk vacancies have been announced in 2026?
SBI has announced 1,538 Junior Associate vacancies under the latest Special Recruitment Drive.
What is the SBI Clerk 2026 last date?
The last date for online registration and payment of fees is August 27, 2026.
Can General and EWS candidates apply?
No. This particular notification covers SC, ST and OBC backlog vacancies. It is not the regular all-category recruitment.
When will the SBI Clerk Prelims be held?
SBI has tentatively scheduled the Preliminary Examination for September 2026.
Can final-year graduation students apply?
Yes. Final-year or final-semester candidates may apply provisionally, but must produce proof of passing graduation on or before December 31, 2026.
