SBI Clerk 2026 Syllabus and Pattern, Section by Section

By kalpana megam12 Aug 2026, 1:01 AM

SBI Clerk 2026 is conducted by State Bank of India (SBI) in 3 stages — prelims, mains and local language proficiency test (llpt). Each stage has its own paper structure and its own marking, so they are set out separately below.

The pattern and syllabus follow the latest official notification. Read the sections below before drawing up a study plan.

Table of Contents

In short

Exam

SBI Clerk Exam 2026

Post

Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales)

Stages

Prelims, Mains and Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT)

Mode

Online (CBT)

Conducted By

State Bank of India (SBI)

SBI Clerk 2026 Stages at a Glance

Stage	Mode	Questions	Marks	Duration	Negative Marking	Nature
Prelims	Online (CBT)	100	100	60 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer	Qualifying for Mains
Mains	Online (CBT)	190	200	2 hours 40 minutes	0.25 per wrong answer	Counts towards the final merit
Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT)	Objective + Subjective	30 objective questions + subjective verbal test	50		No negative marking	Qualifying only; marks not counted in final merit

SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026

Section	Questions	Marks	Question Type	Duration
English Language	30	30	Objective (MCQ)	20 minutes
Numerical Ability	35	35	Objective (MCQ)	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	35	Objective (MCQ)	20 minutes
Total	100	100

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026

Section	Questions	Marks	Question Type	Duration
General English	40	40	Objective (MCQ)	35 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	Objective (MCQ)	45 minutes
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude	50	60	Objective (MCQ)	45 minutes
General/Financial Awareness	50	50	Objective (MCQ)	35 minutes
Total	190	200

SBI Clerk LLPT Exam Pattern 2026

Section	Questions	Marks	Question Type
Non-Verbal Test	30 (2 sets of 3 passages, 15 questions each)	30	Objective
Verbal Test	--	20	Subjective
Total		50

Marking Scheme by Stage

Stage	Correct	Wrong
Prelims	+1	-0.25
Mains	As per question weightage (200 marks for 190 questions)	-1/4th of the marks allotted to the question
LLPT	Qualifying only	No negative marking

SBI Clerk Prelims Syllabus 2026

Section	Topics	Weightage
Numerical Ability	Data Interpretation (Bar, Line, Pie, Tabular), Data Sufficiency, Quadratic Equation, Mensuration (Cylinder, Cone, Sphere), Approximation, Missing Number Series, Simplification, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Problems on Ages, Average, Ratio, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest, Speed Distance & Time, Permutation & Combination, Boat & Stream, Probability, Partnership, Mixture & Allegation	35 questions
Reasoning Ability	Blood Relations, Input Output, Data Sufficiency, Coded Inequalities, Seating Arrangement (Circular/Triangular/Square/Rectangular), Logical Reasoning, Alphanumeric Series, Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test, Puzzle, Tabulation, Syllogism, Meaningful Word, Odd One Out, Coding Decoding, Direction & Distance, Letter/Digit/Mix Series, Pair Formation, Inequality, Order & Ranking	35 questions
English Language	Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Fill in the Blanks/Fillers, Multiple Meaning, Paragraph Completion, Error Detection, Misspelt Words, Word/Sentence Rearrangement, Single Fillers, Match the Column, Word Usage, Word Swap, Column-Based Sentence, Phrase Replacements, Miscellaneous	30 questions

SBI Clerk Mains Syllabus 2026

Section	Topics	Weightage
Quantitative Aptitude	Simplification, Number Series, Data Sufficiency, Data Interpretation, Quadratic Equation, Time & Distance, Time & Work, Partnership, Profit & Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Mixture and Allegations, Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Percentages	50 questions
Reasoning Ability	Internet, Machine Input/Output, Syllogism, Blood Relation, Direction Sense, Inequalities, Puzzles, Coding-Decoding, Ranking, Statement and Assumptions	Part of 50 questions (with Computer Aptitude)
Computer Aptitude	Basics of Computer (Hardware, Software, Generation of Computers), DBMS, Networking, Internet, MS Office, Input-Output Devices, Important Abbreviations	Part of 50 questions (with Reasoning)
General/Financial Awareness	Current Affairs (banking industry news, awards & honours, books & authors, latest appointments, obituaries, new central & state government schemes, sports), Banking/Financial Terms, Static Awareness, Banking and Financial Awareness, Static GK (country-capital, country-currency, headquarters of financial/insurance organizations, constituencies of ministers, dance forms, nuclear & thermal power stations)	50 questions
General English	Reading Comprehension including Synonyms and Antonyms, Sentence Rearrangement, Para Jumbles, Sentence Correction, Error Finding, Spell Checks, Fillers, Cloze Test	40 questions

Where the Marks Actually Sit

Prelims: Puzzle & Seating Arrangement (12-16 Qs)
Simplification (10-15 Qs)
Arithmetic (10-15 Qs)
Reading Comprehension (7-10 Qs)
Data Interpretation (5-10 Qs)
Cloze Test (5-6 Qs)
Number Series (5 Qs)
Error Detection (4-5 Qs)
Para Jumbles (4-5 Qs)
Coding-Decoding (4-5 Qs)
Syllogism (3-5 Qs)
Direction & Distance (3-5 Qs); Mains: Data Interpretation
Quadratic Equations
Advanced Puzzles
Reading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Banking Awareness
Current Affairs
MS Office
Networking

Starting with the heavy-scoring topics buys you marks early in your preparation. The lighter ones still need a pass before the exam.

Turning the Syllabus Into a Plan

Print the syllabus. Write the section list out and mark each topic as you cover it — the visible progress matters more than it sounds.
Work out the marks per section. Match your study hours to the marks on offer. A section worth 50 marks deserves more time than one worth 20.
Start with the high-weightage topics. Cover the heavy-scoring topics first. An early usable score is worth more to your confidence than perfect coverage of a minor topic.
Solve a previous paper before you feel ready. An early attempt tells you what the questions actually look like, which no syllabus list can. Score badly now rather than in the hall.
Revise on a schedule, not on a whim. Topics finished in month one are gone by month four without revision. Fix a weekly slot for it.

SBI Clerk 2026 — Important Links

SBI Official Careers Website	Open Link

Pattern and syllabus follow the notification published by State Bank of India (SBI). Confirm against the current year's notification before planning around them.

Source: the official State Bank of India (SBI) notification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What topics are most important for SBI Clerk 2026 Mains?

Data Interpretation and Quadratic Equations (Quant), Advanced Puzzles (Reasoning), Reading Comprehension and Cloze Test (English), Banking Awareness and Current Affairs (General Awareness), and MS Office and Networking (Computer Aptitude).

Are marks scored in LLPT counted in the final merit list?

No, the marks are not counted in final selection, as the Local Language Proficiency Test is qualifying in nature only.

Is there negative marking in the SBI Clerk exam?

Yes, 1/4th mark (0.25 marks) is deducted for each incorrect answer in both the Prelims and Mains exams.

How long does it take to cover this syllabus?

It depends on your starting point. Candidates who clear it usually spend six months to a year, with the last two months weighted towards mock tests and revision.

What is the SBI Clerk 2026 exam pattern?

The exam runs in 3 stages — prelims, mains and local language proficiency test (llpt) — in online (cbt) mode. Each stage's section-wise break-up is in the tables above.

Is there negative marking?

Yes, and it differs by stage — the marking table above gives the exact deduction for each.

Has the syllabus changed this year?

No change has been notified. The syllabus follows the previous notification.

Where should I start?

Prelims: Puzzle & Seating Arrangement (12-16 Qs), Simplification (10-15 Qs), Arithmetic (10-15 Qs), Reading Comprehension (7-10 Qs), Data Interpretation (5-10 Qs), Cloze Test (5-6 Qs), Number Series (5 Qs), Error Detection (4-5 Qs), Para Jumbles (4-5 Qs), Coding-Decoding (4-5 Qs), Syllogism (3-5 Qs), Direction & Distance (3-5 Qs); Mains: Data Interpretation, Quadratic Equations, Advanced Puzzles, Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Banking Awareness, Current Affairs, MS Office and Networking have carried the most marks in recent papers.