SBI Clerk Syllabus 2026 — Complete Prelims & Mains Syllabus with Exam Pattern

The SBI Clerk syllabus covers two objective stages — a Preliminary Examination and a Main Examination — followed by a qualifying Language Proficiency Test. The official post name is Junior Associate (Customer Support and Sales), and unlike SBI PO, there is no interview round. Your entire selection rests on the Mains score.

That single fact should shape how you prepare. This guide covers every topic, the exact marks distribution and where candidates typically lose ground.

SBI Clerk Selection Process at a Glance

Because there is no interview and Prelims marks are not carried forward, the Mains score alone determines your final merit rank. This makes SBI Clerk one of the most straightforward banking exams to strategise for.

SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern

Each section carries a separate 20-minute timer. Once a section closes you cannot go back. One-fourth mark is deducted for every incorrect answer.

SBI Clerk Prelims Syllabus — Section by Section

English Language

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze Test
• Para Jumbles
• Fill in the Blanks
• Spotting Errors
• Sentence Correction and Improvement
• Phrase Replacement
• Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, idioms
• Word Usage
• Paragraph Completion

Numerical Ability

• Simplification and Approximation
• Number Series
• Quadratic Equations
• Data Interpretation — tables, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts
• Percentage
• Ratio and Proportion
• Average
• Profit and Loss
• Simple and Compound Interest
• Time, Speed and Distance
• Time and Work
• Boats and Streams
• Pipes and Cisterns
• Partnership
• Mixture and Alligation
• Mensuration
• Permutation, Combination and Probability
• Problems on Ages

Reasoning Ability

• Puzzles
• Seating Arrangement — linear and circular
• Syllogism
• Blood Relations
• Direction Sense
• Order and Ranking
• Coding-Decoding
• Inequality
• Alphanumeric and Alphabet Series
• Data Sufficiency
• Statement and Conclusion

SBI Clerk Prelims is noticeably easier than SBI PO Prelims in difficulty, but the cut-offs are correspondingly high. Accuracy matters far more than attempting difficult questions.

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern

Note that Reasoning & Computer Aptitude carries 60 marks for 50 questions — the highest-weighted section in the paper. One-fourth negative marking applies throughout.

SBI Clerk Mains Syllabus — Section by Section

General / Financial Awareness

• Current Affairs of the last six months
• Banking Awareness — RBI structure and functions, monetary policy tools
• Repo rate, reverse repo, CRR, SLR, bank rate
• Types of banks — public sector, private, RRBs, cooperative, payment banks, small finance banks
• Banking terminology — NPA, CASA, KYC, priority sector lending
• Financial abbreviations
• Indian financial system, money market and capital market
• Regulatory bodies — SEBI, IRDAI, NABARD, SIDBI, PFRDA
• Government financial inclusion schemes — PMJDY, PMSBY, PMJJBY, Atal Pension Yojana
• Union Budget highlights
• International organisations — IMF, World Bank, ADB
• Static GK — bank headquarters and taglines, currencies, capitals

This is the single most decisive section in SBI Clerk Mains. Fifty questions in 35 minutes means roughly 42 seconds per question — you cannot reason your way to answers here, you either know them or you skip.

General English

• Reading Comprehension with inference-based questions
• Cloze Test
• Para Jumbles
• Error Detection
• Sentence Correction
• Fill in the Blanks — single and double
• Phrase and Idiom Replacement
• Column-Based Questions
• Sentence Connectors
• Word Swap and Word Usage
• Paragraph Summary

Quantitative Aptitude

• Data Interpretation — including caselet and missing DI
• Simplification and Approximation
• Number Series
• Quadratic Equations
• Data Sufficiency
• Quantity Comparison
• All arithmetic topics from Prelims at higher difficulty
• Mensuration
• Probability
• Permutation and Combination

Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude

Reasoning topics:

• Advanced Puzzles and Seating Arrangement
• Machine Input-Output
• Syllogism including reverse syllogism
• Coded Inequality
• Blood Relations and Coded Blood Relations
• Direction and Distance
• Data Sufficiency
• Logical Reasoning — statement and assumption, course of action, cause and effect
• Passage Inference

Computer Aptitude topics:

• Computer Fundamentals and Generations
• Hardware and Software Basics
• Input and Output Devices
• Memory — primary, secondary, cache
• Operating Systems
• MS Office — Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Internet and Networking Basics
• Database Fundamentals
• Computer Abbreviations
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Cyber Security and Computer Viruses

Language Proficiency Test (LPT)

Candidates who clear the Mains must appear for a Language Proficiency Test in the official or local language of the state they applied for. The LPT is purely qualifying and carries no marks toward merit, but failing it means disqualification regardless of your Mains score.

Candidates who studied the relevant language at 10th or 12th standard level and can produce a mark sheet are typically exempted. Check the exemption clause in your notification carefully before the exam.

SBI Clerk Final Merit Calculation

The Mains score, normalised to 100 marks, is the sole basis for the final merit list. Preliminary Examination marks are not carried forward and there is no interview component.

Negative Marking

One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for every wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.

Preparation Strategy

Do not over-invest in Prelims. It is qualifying only, and the paper is comparatively easy. Reach a comfortable clearing standard and shift your energy to Mains.

Make General and Financial Awareness your priority. It is 50 marks with the lowest time investment per mark of any section. Read banking and economy news daily for six months before the exam and revise monthly compilations.

Treat Computer Aptitude as free marks. It is a small, finite, static syllabus. A few weeks of focused study locks in questions that many candidates leave blank.

Confirm your LPT position early. If you do not have a 10th or 12th mark sheet in the state language, start preparing for the test rather than discovering the requirement after Mains.

SBI Clerk Syllabus FAQs

Is there an interview in SBI Clerk? No. SBI Clerk selection is based entirely on the Main Examination score, followed by a qualifying Language Proficiency Test.

Is SBI Clerk easier than SBI PO? The SBI Clerk paper is generally less difficult, particularly in Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. However, competition is intense and cut-offs are high, so the effective difficulty of selection remains significant.

Do Prelims marks count in the SBI Clerk final merit? No. Prelims is qualifying only. Your final rank depends solely on your Mains performance.

What happens if I fail the Language Proficiency Test? You are disqualified from the recruitment process regardless of your Mains score, so the LPT should not be treated as a formality.

Which section carries the most marks in SBI Clerk Mains? Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude carries 60 marks, the highest of the four sections, despite having the same number of questions as Quantitative Aptitude.

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Related Resources

• SBI PO Syllabus — Complete Prelims, Mains and Interview Guide
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Exam patterns are revised periodically by State Bank of India. Always verify the section-wise marks and timing against the current year's official notification at sbi.bank.in before finalising your preparation plan.