The SBI Clerk exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for the post of Junior Associates in different branches of the State Bank of India. The banking aspirants who are planning to appear for the upcoming SBI Clerk exam must be aware of the latest exam pattern and syllabus to secure good marks in the examination. The detailed Syllabus for the SBI Clerk 2026 prelims and mains exam is given below.

SBI Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

The SBI Clerk syllabus is similar to that of any other bank exam. The SBI Clerk syllabus for both the Preliminary and Mains exams includes Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability, and English Language. The General Awareness and Computer Aptitude are additionally added to the mains exam. It is recommended that candidates have a look at the SBI Clerk Syllabus, Exam Pattern and Selection Proces. 

SBI Clerk Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026- Overview
Mode of ExamOnline
No. of QuestionsPrelims- 100
Mains- 190
Exam DurationPrelims- 1 hour 
Mains- 2 hours 40 minutes
Negative Marking¼th mark (0.25 marks)
Selection ProcessPrelims > Mains > Local Language Proficiency Test

SBI Clerk Selection Process 2026

The State Bank of India conducts a two-stage selection process for SBI Clerk recruitment. To get selected for the SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) post, the candidates need to qualify in both stages of the recruitment process i.e. Prelims and Mains. After both stages, a test of the specified opted local language will be conducted, which is qualifying in nature. The marks scored in the mains exam will be counted for the final selection process.

Stage 1- Preliminary Examination: 100 Questions of 100 Marks to be solved in 60 minutes

Stage 2- Mains Examination: 190 Questions of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours 40 minutes

SBI Clerk Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates have to check the exam pattern before going through the detailed syllabus. The SBI Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 for both prelims and mains rounds has been discussed below. 

SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern

The prelims exam consists of 3 sections of 100 questions (English- 30, Numerical Ability- 35, and Reasoning- 35). Each correct question gives 1 mark and each incorrect answer deducts 0.25 marks. 

SNo.SectionNo. of QuestionsTotal MarksDuration
1English Language303020 minutes
2Numerical Ability353520 minutes
3Reasoning353520 minutes
Total10010060 minutes

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern

For the mains exam, there will be 190 questions from 4 sections, and the total marks will be 200. The duration of the exam will be 2 hours and 40 minutes. There is a negative marking of ¼th mark in the SBI Clerk Mains Exam. 

S No.SectionNo. of QuestionsTotal MarksDuration
1.General English404035 minutes
2.Quantitative Aptitude505045 minutes
3.Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude506045 minutes
4.General/Financial Awareness505035 minutes
Total1902002 hours 40 minutes

Note: The negative marking for each incorrect answer is ¼th mark (0.25 mark) for both prelims and mains. 

What is the SBI Clerk Prelims Syllabus?

Numerical Ability

  1. Data Interpretation (Bar, Line, Pie, Tabular)
  2. Data Sufficiency
  3. Quadratic Equation
  4. Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere
  5. Approximation
  6. Missing Number Series
  7. Simplification
  8. Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns
  9. Problems on Ages
  10. Average, Ratio, Percentage, Profit & Loss
  11. Simple Interest & Compound Interest
  12. Speed, Distance & Time
  13. Permutation & Combination
  14. Boat & Stream
  15. Probability
  16. Partnership
  17. Mixture & Allegation

Reasoning Syllabus

  1. Blood Relations
  2. Input Output
  3. Data Sufficiency
  4. Coded Inequalities
  5. Seating Arrangement (Circular/Triangular/Square/Rectangular)
  6. Logical Reasoning
  7. Alphanumeric Series
  8. Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test
  9. Puzzle
  10. Tabulation
  11. Syllogism
  12. Meaningful Word
  13. Odd One Out
  14. Coding Decoding
  15. Direction & Distance
  16. Letter/Digit/Mix Series
  17. Pair Formation
  18. Inequality
  19. Order & Ranking

English Language Syllabus

  1. Reading Comprehension
  2. Cloze Test
  3. Para jumbles
  4. Miscellaneous
  5. Fill in the blanks/Fillers
  6. Multiple Meaning
  7. Paragraph Completion
  8. Error Detection
  9. Misspelt
  10. Word/Sentence Rearrangement
  11. Single Fillers
  12. Match the Column
  13. Para Jumble
  14. Word Usage
  15. Word Swap
  16. Column-Based Sentence
  17. Phrase Repacements

SBI Clerk Prelims High-Scoring Topics

Based on analysis of previous years' papers, here are the top priority topics candidates must focus on during their preparation. 

English TopicsNo. of Questions
Reading Comprehension7 to 10 questions
Cloze Test5 to 6 questions
Error Detection4 to 5 questions
Para Jumbles4 to 5 questions
Numerical Ability TopicsNo. of Questions
Data Interpretation5 to 10 questions
Number Series5 questions
Simplification10 to 15 questions
Arithemetic10 to 15 questions
Reasoning Ability TopicsNo. of Questions
Puzzle & Seating Arrangements12-16 questions
Syllogism3 to 5 questions
Coding-Decoding4 to 5 questions
Direction & Distance3 to 5 questions

What is the SBI Clerk Mains syllabus?

Quantitative AptitudeReasoning AbilityGeneral/Financial AwarenessGeneral English
  1. Simplification
  2. Number Series
  3. Data Sufficiency
  4. Data Interpretation
  5. Quadratic Equation
  6. Time & Distance, Work
  7. Partnership
  8. Profit & Loss
  9. Simple and Compound Interest
  10. Mixture and Allegations
  11. Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Percentages
  1. Internet
  2. Machine Input/Output
  3. Syllogism
  4. Blood Relation
  5. Direction Sense
  6. Inequalities
  7. Puzzles
  8. Coding-Decoding
  9. Ranking
  10. Statement and Assumptions

 

Computer Aptitude

  1. Basics of Computer: Hardware, Software, Generation of Computers
  2. DBMS
  3. Networking
  4. Internet
  5. MS Office
  6. Input-Output Devices
  7. Important Abbreviations
  1. Current Affairs
  2. News on the banking industry
  3. Awards and honours
  4. Books and authors
  5. Latest appointments
  6. Obituaries
  7. New schemes of central and state governments
  8. Sports, etc.
  9. Banking/Financial terms
  10. Static Awareness
  11. Banking and Financial Awareness

Static GK 

  1. Country-capital
  2. Country-currency
  3. Headquarters of financial organizations (of insurance companies)
  4. Constituencies of ministers
  5. Dance forms
  6. Nuclear and thermal power stations, etc.
  1. Reading comprehension including Synonyms and Antonyms
  2. Sentence rearrangement
  3. Para jumbles
  4. Sentence Correction
  5. Error Finding
  6. Spell Checks
  7. Fillers
  8. Cloze Test

What topics are most important for SBI Clerk 2026 Mains?
Ans- For Mains, the most important topics are: 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).

SBI Clerk Syllabus PDF Download

Download the complete SBI Clerk Prelims & Mains Syllabus PDF from the link below and print it out for your offline study preparation for the exam. The syllabus PDF includes all the topics for each subject. 

SBI Clerk Syllabus PDF Download link

SBI Clerk Local Language Proficiency Test

Candidates who qualify for the SBI Clerk prelims and mains exams and have not studied (in class 10th or 12th) any of the specified local languages of the state they applied to will have to appear in the Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT). The Local Language Proficiency Test is a qualifying test in nature, and the exam pattern for LPT is as follows:

Test PatternSection No. of PassagesNo. of QuestionsTotal Marks
Non- Verbal
Test 
Objective31515
31515
 Verbal TestSubjective----20

Are marks scored in LLPT counted in final merit list?
Ans- No, the marks are not counted in final selection, as this is a qualifying test only. 

Exam Preparation Tips

Besides knowing the detailed SBI Clerk Syllabus, the candidates must also be aware of the type of questions asked in previous SBI Clerk Exams. To help the candidates, our faculty has prepared the SBI Clerk Mock Test 2026 and the candidates must practice it before going to the exam. 

Attempt SBI Clerk Mock Test 2026

Related Links
SBI Clerk In Hand Salary, Promotion & PerksSBI Clerk Exam Pattern 2026
SBI Clerk Previous Year Papers PDFsSBI Clerk Mock Tests
SBI Clerk Exam Preparation TipsSBI Clerk Preparation Books
SBI Clerk Exam Centre List 2026Upcoming Bank Exams
FAQs

SBI Clerk Syllabus covers English Language, Numerical Ability & Reasoning for Prelims Exam and Quantitative Aptitude, General English, General/Financial Awareness, Reasoning Ability & Computer Awareness for Main Exam.

No, The selection of SBI Clerk Post on the basis of marks scored in Mains Examination as there is no further interview round.

Not Easy, it depends on the preparation of a candidate. Last Year, the overall difficulty level of the SBI Clerk prelims exam was easy to moderate and the mains exam was moderate in terms of difficulty level.

LLPT stands for Local Language Proficiency Test. It is a qualifying test for candidates who have not studied the local language of the state they have applied for in class 10 or 12.

The SBI Clerk Mains exam has 190 questions for 200 marks to be attempted in 2 hours and 40 minutes across 4 sections.

Yes, there is strict sectional timing in both prelims and mains exams of SBI Clerk.

There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect objective-type answer in both prelims and mains exam.