Comprehensive Overview of SBI Clerk Recruitment
The State Bank of India (SBI) has officially rolled out an extensive recruitment drive, announcing 9,766 vacancies for the post of Junior Associate (Customer Support and Sales) in the Clerical Cadre. This massive opening comprises both regular and backlog vacancies spread across multiple States and Union Territories. Aspirants preparing for banking exams can explore detailed breakdowns, exam structures, and state-wise allocations to streamline their preparation through resources like SBI Clerk 2026.
Out of the total openings, there are 7,680 regular vacancies and 2,086 backlog vacancies. Candidates can initiate their applications via the SBI Clerk Apply Online 2026 Link. To evaluate your preparation level and enhance your speed, utilizing the SBI Clerk Mock Test is highly recommended.
Selection Procedure and Examination Pattern
The selection pathway for the Junior Associate cadre is structured to rigorously assess candidate competency through multiple stages:
- Preliminary Examination: Comprises 100 questions carrying 100 marks with a duration of 60 minutes. Please note that this is strictly qualifying in nature, and marks scored here are not counted toward the final merit list.
- Main Examination: Consists of 190 questions for 200 marks, structured over a duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes. This examination directly decides the final selection.
- Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT): Applicable only for candidates who cannot provide proof of having studied the designated local language in Class 10 or 12.
States/UTs with Zero Vacancies
Candidates should carefully review regions that have no openings before applying. The checklist below highlights the regions with zero regular or backlog vacancies announced this year:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Bihar
- Haryana
- Jharkhand
- Kerala
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Chandigarh
- Delhi (NCT)
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Lakshadweep
- Puducherry
Important Guidelines for SBI Clerk Vacancies State-Wise
- 9,766 is the combined total: this includes 7,680 regular vacancies and 2,086 backlog vacancies.
- Only one State/UT can be selected while applying; vacancy count shouldn't be the sole deciding factor. Local language proficiency in that state is mandatory, and posting is tied to the state applied for.
- 12 states/UTs have zero vacancies this cycle: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi (NCT), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha carry the highest regular vacancies (1,718, 1,410, and 1,100 respectively); but higher vacancy count usually also means higher competition and a correspondingly tougher cut-off.
- Backlog vacancies are exclusively for SC/ST/OBC and horizontal-reservation categories (PwBD, XS, DXS); General and EWS candidates are not eligible to apply against these seats.
- Vacancies are provisional and may change based on the bank's actual requirement at the time of final allotment.
SBI Clerk Regular Vacancy Breakdown
The following table provides a comprehensive state-wise and category-wise distribution of regular vacancies across different circles:
| Circle | State/UT | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | GEN | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 23 | 49 | 89 | 33 | 136 | 330 |
| Bengaluru | Karnataka | 121 | 53 | 205 | 76 | 305 | 760 |
| Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 16 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 48 | 113 |
| Bhopal | Chhattisgarh | 34 | 91 | 17 | 28 | 117 | 287 |
| Bhubaneswar | Odisha | 176 | 242 | 132 | 110 | 440 | 1,100 |
| Chandigarh | Jammu & Kashmir UT | 6 | 9 | 22 | 8 | 39 | 84 |
| Chandigarh | Himachal Pradesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Chandigarh | Ladakh UT | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 267 | 14 | 380 | 141 | 608 | 1,410 |
| Hyderabad | Telangana | 41 | 18 | 70 | 26 | 105 | 260 |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan | 59 | 45 | 70 | 35 | 141 | 350 |
| Kolkata | West Bengal | 127 | 27 | 122 | 55 | 224 | 555 |
| Kolkata | A&N Islands | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| Kolkata | Sikkim | 3 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 25 | 60 |
| Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 52 | 2 | 67 | 25 | 104 | 250 |
| Maharashtra/Mumbai Metro | Maharashtra | 171 | 154 | 463 | 171 | 759 | 1,718 |
| Mumbai Metro | Goa | 1 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 37 | 62 |
| Guwahati | Arunachal Pradesh | 0 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 55 |
| Guwahati | Assam | 7 | 13 | 29 | 11 | 50 | 110 |
| Guwahati | Manipur | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| Guwahati | Meghalaya | 0 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 24 |
| Guwahati | Mizoram | 0 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 32 |
| Guwahati | Nagaland | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 27 |
| Guwahati | Tripura | 8 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 48 |
| Total | – | 1,114 | 837 | 1,716 | 760 | 3,253 | 7,680 |
SBI Clerk Backlog Vacancy Breakdown
Backlog vacancies are set aside for reserved categories, including SC, ST, OBC, and horizontal-reservation groups (PwBD, XS, DXS). Review the state-wise table below for details:
| State/UT | SC | ST | OBC | SC/ST/OBC Total | XS | DXS | XS/DXS Total | VI | HI | LD | D&E | PwBD Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167 | 138 | 305 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 93 |
| Karnataka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 12 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 59 | 159 | 8 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 37 |
| Chhattisgarh | 12 | 89 | 0 | 101 | 43 | 21 | 64 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 19 |
| Odisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| Jammu & Kashmir UT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Ladakh UT | 4 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 37 | 106 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 21 |
| Telangana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rajasthan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 26 | 75 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| West Bengal | 0 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 93 | 56 | 149 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 46 |
| A&N Islands | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Sikkim | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Maharashtra | 37 | 3 | 51 | 91 | 236 | 45 | 281 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 30 |
| Goa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 0 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Assam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 32 | 97 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 23 |
| Manipur | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Meghalaya | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Mizoram | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Nagaland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Tripura | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 58 | 161 | 68 | 287 | 964 | 480 | 1,444 | 76 | 113 | 80 | 86 | 355 |