What is SBI Clerk?
State Bank of India (SBI) is one of the most trusted & a well-known Public-Sector Bank which provides services in almost every state of our country. It is one of the most sought-after bank exams as lakhs of candidates appear for the examination. A job in the SBI is considered to be secure and stable that provides not only financial security but also social status. Hence, SBI Clerk is one of the most demanding entry-level jobs in the country.
Every year, SBI Clerk exam is conducted by State Bank of India to fill the vacancies for Clerical Cadre in its various branches spread all across the country. It is conducted as a national level examination in various centres across India. SBI Clerk selection procedure involves – preliminary and mains exam. There is also a Local language Test which is conducted for those candidates who qualified the SBI Clerk mains exam before joining the bank.
SBI Clerk Job Description
The SBI Clerk works as Single Window Operator (SWO), it means they look after the day-to-day activities of the bank. The SBI Clerk is responsible for all the client interactions and client-related operations. The SBI Clerks are worked as cashiers, depositors and other front desk posts. They have to deal with customers and address their concerns. They are also involved in activities like opening bank accounts, issuing DDs, transferring amounts through cheque, RTGS/NEFT, cheque book requests, etc. In short, the SBI Clerks are responsible for smooth functioning of the bank branches across the country.
If you wish to attempt SBI Clerk exam, you must know about SBI Clerk latest updates, selection process, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus etc before starting SBI Clerk preparation. You are requested to go through this article to get all the relevant information for the SBI Clerk Exam.
SBI Clerk Exam Highlights
| Exam name | SBI Clerk/Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Conducted by | State Bank of India |
| Exam level | National |
| Exam category | Graduation |
| Mode of exam | Online |
| Selection stages | Preliminary and Mains exam |
SBI Clerk Eligibility Criteria
SBI Clerk Qualification Criteria –
- Candidate must be a graduate with 3 or 4 year degree in any discipline.
- Must have secured at least 50% in class 10 and degree course from a recognized university.
- Candidates in the final year of their degree can take the exam but they must produce the proof of passing the exams with at least 50% marks at the time of joining.
- Additionally, candidates must be well versed in the official and local language.
- For the candidates possessing an integrated dual degree, must have qualifying date on the degree before January 1, 2019.
- Must be well versed in English language (reading and writing).
SBI Clerk Age Limit Criteria –
To qualify SBI Clerk exam, you must be of 20 years of age or above and must not exceed 28 years of age. If you belong to reserved category, then peruse below table to know age relaxation of your category.
| Category | SBI Clerk Age Relaxation |
| OBC | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| PwD (General) | 10 years |
| PwD (SC/ST) | 15 years |
| PwD (OBC) | 13 years |
| Jammu and Kashmir state domicile between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1989 | 5 years |
Who cannot appear for SBI Clerk?
- Who are with adverse report regarding character of the candidate or any other related issue
- Who have worked with SBI earlier at the clerical or officer position
- Who are already working with SBI at the clerical or officer position
- Who are with adverse CIBIL or any other agency score
SBI Clerk Selection Process & Exam Pattern
Candidates are selected on the basis of both Preliminary Exam and Mains Exam. It is compulsory for a candidate to clear Preliminary Exam in order to move to Mains Examination. Let’s have a look at the detailed Exam Pattern for SBI Clerk. Following are the crucial process to get selected in the merit list of SBI Clerk exam.
- Candidates first have to apply for the post through the online portal.
- They then have to appear for a Preliminary examination.
- On the basis of results of this Exam, candidates are selected for the Mains exam.
- Candidates who pass the Mains exam and successfully meet the cut off become eligible for recruitment.(The marks for Prelims are not considered for the preparation of the final result)
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern
| Serial No. | Section | No. of Question | Total Marks | Duration |
| 1 | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| 2 | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| 3 | Reasoning | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern
| Serial No. | Section | No. of Question | Total Marks | Duration |
| 1. | General English | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| 2. | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 minutes |
| 3. | Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| 4. | General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 2 hours 40 minutes |
Note –
- No Interview is conducted for final selection through SBI Clerk. Final selection is based on the score of SBI Clerk Mains Exam.
- SBI Clerk Exam has got no sectional cut-off in both its Preliminary Exam as well as Mains Examination.
SBI Clerk Salary Structure
The salary of Bank Clerk got revised after the announcement of 7th Pay Commission. Candidates posted to the post of Clerical Cadre receive a decent salary by State Bank of India. The Clerk enjoys a lot of perks that Bank gives to its employees. Apart from the Basic Pay, Dearness Allowance and House Rent Allowance are also given to the SBI Clerk. A Clerk is also given the benefits of Pension Plan as notified by the Public Sector Bank in which he/she joins. Let’s have a look at SBI Clerk Salary Structure:
| SBI Clerk Salary Structure | SBI Clerk Pay Scale |
| Basic Pay | Rs. 12,812/- |
| Dearness Allowance | Rs. 5,124/- |
| House Rent Allowance | Rs. 1,921/- |
| Gross Salary | Rs. 19,857/- |
SBI Clerk Emoluments – Rs 25,000 per month inclusive of DA (in metro cities)
SBI Clerk Benefits – Apart from the SBI Clerk Salary, the SBI Junior Associates also enjoy other benefits like: Provident Fund, New Pension Scheme, Medical leave, etc. Below we have mentioned few benefits.
- Stability,
- Financial security,
- Flexible working hours,
- Good work environment,
- Pension under New Pension Scheme (NPS),
- Medical insurance,
- Provident Fund, etc.
SBI Clerk Reservation
Candidates under reserved category have reservation in SBI clerical position. There are different numbers of vacancies provided based on different categories:
| Category | Reservation (Approximate) |
| General | 42% |
| EWS | 10% |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 9% |
| OBC | 26% |
| DXS (Disabled Ex-Servicemen) | 4.5% |
| PwD | 4% |
Note:
- The values provided are approximate value which might differ from the official values.
- PwD (Persons with Disability) – Persons with 40% or more level of physical disability can avail the facility of scribe.
Conditions to apply for SBI Clerk Exam
- Candidates can apply from one state only.
- One who is appearing in the exam from a particular state must be proficient in terms of reading, writing, speaking and understanding the local language.
- Candidates need to appear for language test as a part of the selection process.
Note: There is no inter-circle and inter-state transfer for junior associates
SBI Clerk Admit Card
- For SBI Clerk, the admit card is released separately for both the stages i.e. Preliminary and Main
- All the notifications regarding the admit card is released on the official website i.e. sbi.co.in
- The ones who qualify the preliminary exam will be issued the admit card for SBI Clerk Main.
- The SBI Clerk Admit Card for Main examination will be released after the declaration of SBI Clerk Preliminary result.
- All candidates need to carry their admit cards on the day of the exam, failing which they won’t be allowed to take the test.
SBI Clerk Application Process & Fee
Mode of Application:- Online
Application Fee:- INR 750 (General/OBC), INR 125 (SC/ST/PWD/Ex-Servicemen)
Steps to Apply SBI Clerk Exam
SBI Clerk Application forms are available on the official website i.e. sbi.co.in. Candidates must pay the application fee and take a printout of the application form for future use. A registration confirmation SMS/e-mail is delivered to them. The procedure for filling SBI Clerk exam form involves five steps:
- Filling up the basic details i.e. Name, Email ID, Phone number etc.
- Uploading scanned images of signature and photograph.
- Filling up of academic and personal details.
- Preview of the application form.
- Payment of fees. (General/OBC/EWS – INR 750; SC/ ST/ PwD/ Ex-Serviceman – INR 125)