SBI Clerk 2026: 7,680 Junior Associate Posts, 260 in Telangana

Vacancies: where the 7,680 posts are

SBI recruits Junior Associates state by state. You apply for the vacancies of one State or Union Territory only, sit the test once, and are posted inside that state. The advertisement's vacancy table therefore matters more than the national total.

The table above is a selection of states, not the full list; the advertisement covers many more circles. Telangana's 260 posts break down as General 105, OBC 70, SC 41, EWS 26 and ST 18.

Eligibility: age, degree and the one-state rule

Age. Not below 20 and not above 28 years as on 1 April 2026. In date terms, born not earlier than 2 April 1998 and not later than 1 April 2006, both days inclusive.

Qualification. Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Central Government. Final-year students could apply provisionally, on the condition that they produce proof of having passed on or before 31 December 2026. Holders of an integrated dual degree must have a passing date on or before the same day.

Age relaxations are not cumulative — you get one, not a combination. The category you register under cannot be changed after the online application is submitted, and supporting certificates are checked at the time of joining.

The one-state rule. A candidate can apply for one State or UT only and can appear once under this recruitment. You must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the specified local language of that state.

The local language test

SBI tests knowledge of the specified local language as part of selection. It is held after you qualify the Main examination and before joining. Fail it and no appointment is offered, whatever your Main examination marks.

There is an exemption that many candidates miss: if your 10th or 12th standard mark sheet or certificate shows that you studied the specified local language, you are not required to take the language test. For Telangana the specified languages are Telugu and Urdu, so a candidate who studied Telugu at school is covered by the mark sheet.

Phase I: the Preliminary examination

The Preliminary examination is an online objective test of 100 marks lasting one hour, split into three separately timed sections.

Each wrong answer costs one quarter of the mark assigned to the question. No minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for an individual section or for the aggregate, and section-wise marks are not maintained. The Bank shortlists approximately ten times the number of vacancies in each category for the Main examination, working down the aggregate merit.

The practical consequence: because there is no sectional cut-off, a weak section does not eliminate you by itself, but the 20-minute lock on each section means you cannot borrow time from a strong section to rescue a weak one.

Phase II: the Main examination decides everything

The Main examination is an online objective test of 190 questions for 200 marks, lasting 2 hours 40 minutes, again with separate timing for each section and the same one-quarter negative marking.

Marks from the Preliminary examination are not added for selection. Only the aggregate marks in the Main examination are used to prepare the final merit list, and provisional selection is made on that performance. There is no interview for Junior Associates.

Notice where the weight sits. Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude is worth 60 marks from 50 questions — the only section where each question is worth more than one mark — and General/Financial Awareness, absent from the Preliminary examination, supplies a quarter of the Main paper. Candidates who prepare only for the Preliminary pattern meet both for the first time in the exam that actually decides selection.

Pay, probation and the five-year transfer bar

The advertised pay scale is Rs 24050-1340/3-28070-1650/3-33020-2000/4-41020-2340/7-57400-4400/1-61800-2680/1-64480. The starting basic pay is Rs 26,730 — Rs 24,050 plus two advance increments admissible to graduates.

Total starting emoluments for a clerical cadre employee at a metro such as Mumbai are around Rs 46,000 a month, including dearness allowance and other allowances at the current rate. Allowances vary with the place of posting, so the figure is lower outside the metros. Provident fund, pension under the New Pension Scheme, medical and leave-fare facilities apply as per the Bank's instructions.

The transfer bar is the rule that most deserves thought before applying to a state other than your own. Choosing a state for its larger vacancy count means living and working there for at least five years.

Application fee and the wait list

The application fee and intimation charge was Rs 750 for General, OBC and EWS candidates and nil for SC, ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen and disabled ex-servicemen. It is non-refundable and cannot be held over for another examination.

SBI maintains a wait list of up to 50 per cent of vacancies, state and category wise. Candidates are released from it quarterly against non-joining and resignations from the current batch, and the list stays valid for one year from the date the final result is declared. Missing the first list is therefore not the end of the cycle.

Sources: State Bank of India — Recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales), Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 (detailed advertisement, English); SBI Careers — Current Openings (status checked 11 November 2026).