SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026, Check Exam Schedule

The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 is tentatively expected to be 23 November 2026 for the regular recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales). The State Bank of India conducted the SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026 for regular vacancies on 26 and 27 September 2026. Candidates who qualify in the prelims will be eligible to appear for the Mains examination. However, candidates should note that SBI has not yet officially confirmed 23 November as the exact Mains examination date. The official recruitment schedule mentions the Mains examination in November 2026, while the exact date is expected to be confirmed through an SBI notice or Mains call letter.

The SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026 is also expected to be released in November, before the examination. Candidates should now focus their preparation on General/Financial Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude.

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026

When is the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026? The SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026 for regular Junior Associate recruitment is expected to be conducted on 23 November 2026 (tentative). SBI has indicated November 2026 as the tentative period for the Mains examination, but the exact date should be treated as final only after confirmation from the State Bank of India.

Here is a quick overview:

SBI Clerk Exam Date 2026: Prelims and Mains Schedule

The SBI Clerk Exam Date 2026 schedule includes separate dates for the preliminary and main examinations. The regular SBI Clerk Prelims examination has already been conducted on 26 and 27 September 2026. Candidates shortlisted through the prelims will proceed to the Mains stage.

Check the SBI Clerk Prelims and Mains exam schedule below.

Candidates are advised to check the official SBI Careers portal regularly because the Bank can update or modify examination dates through official notices.

Is SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 Out?

The exact SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 has not yet been officially confirmed by SBI. The regular recruitment schedule places the Mains examination in November 2026, while 23 November 2026 is currently being reported as the tentative/expected date.

Therefore, candidates should use 23 November as a preparation target but wait for the official SBI Mains exam notice or admit card before treating it as the final date.

This distinction is important because examination dates can be revised due to administrative requirements.

SBI Clerk 2026 Important Dates

The State Bank of India released the SBI Clerk 2026 recruitment notification for Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) posts in August 2026. Candidates can check the important dates related to the recruitment process below.

Candidates qualifying for the preliminary examination should not wait for the result to begin their Mains preparation because the difficulty level, syllabus coverage, and number of sections increase considerably in the second stage.

SBI Clerk Backlog Vacancy Exam Date 2026

SBI is also conducting a Special Recruitment Drive for SC/ST/OBC backlog vacancies under Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16.

The preliminary examination for the backlog recruitment was conducted separately on 16 September 2026. The Mains examination for this recruitment is expected during October/November 2026.

Candidates should not confuse the Special Recruitment Drive schedule with the regular SBI Clerk recruitment schedule.

SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026

The SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026 is expected to be released in November 2026 for candidates who qualify in the preliminary examination.

The Mains call letter is expected to provide important candidate-specific information such as:

• Candidate’s name and roll number
• SBI Clerk Mains exam date
• Reporting time
• Shift timing
• Examination center name
• Examination center address
• Candidate’s photograph and signature
• Exam-day instructions
• Documents required at the examination center

Candidates should carefully check all the details printed on their admit card after downloading it.

The exact examination date and shift mentioned on an individual candidate’s SBI Clerk Mains admit card should be treated as final.

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026

The SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026 consists of 190 objective questions carrying 200 marks. Candidates get a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the examination.

Check the section-wise SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026 below.

The examination has sectional timings. Therefore, candidates must complete each section within its allotted time.

There is also a penalty for incorrect answers in the objective tests. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for every wrong answer.

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Duration 2026

The SBI Clerk Mains Exam duration is 2 hours and 40 minutes, or 160 minutes. Candidates have to answer 190 questions for a maximum of 200 marks during this period.

Unlike the prelims examination, the SBI Clerk Mains exam has four sections and separate sectional timings. Candidates cannot freely distribute the complete 160 minutes among the sections.

The section-wise time allocation is:

• General/Financial Awareness – 35 minutes
• General English – 35 minutes
• Quantitative Aptitude – 45 minutes
• Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude – 45 minutes

Therefore, practicing questions under sectional time limits should be an important part of the final preparation strategy.

SBI Clerk Mains Shift Timings 2026

The SBI Clerk Mains shift timings 2026 will be mentioned on the candidates’ admit cards. SBI may conduct the examination in multiple shifts depending on the number of candidates and examination centers.

Candidates should rely on their individual call letters for the final reporting time, gate-closing time, exam time, and venue.

They should reach the examination center well before the reporting time because late entry may not be permitted.

How to Check SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026?

Candidates can check the SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 from the official State Bank of India Careers portal once SBI publishes the relevant notice or call letter.

Follow these steps:

1. Visit the official State Bank of India website.
2. Open the Careers section.
3. Select Current Openings.
4. Find Recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales).
5. Look for the Mains examination notice or call-letter link.
6. Open the official notice and check the SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026.
7. Download or save the notice for future reference.

Candidates should preferably verify exam-related information from the SBI Careers portal rather than depending solely on unofficial schedules.

What Should You Prepare Before SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026?

Candidates preparing for SBI Clerk Mains should shift their focus from prelims-oriented speed practice to a combination of accuracy, current affairs preparation, sectional strategy, and full-length mock tests.

The Mains examination covers General/Financial Awareness in addition to General English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude.

During the remaining preparation period, candidates should:

• Attempt SBI Clerk Mains full-length mock tests.
• Revise recent banking and financial current affairs.
• Practice Data Interpretation and arithmetic questions.
• Solve high-level puzzles and seating arrangements.
• Revise important computer aptitude concepts.
• Practice reading comprehension and grammar questions.
• Analyze every mock test to identify weak topics.
• Avoid excessive guessing because of negative marking.

A preparation plan based on the tentative exam date can help candidates complete revision early instead of waiting for the final admit card.

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026: Preparation Strategy

With the Mains examination expected in November 2026, candidates should use the available preparation period strategically.

1. Prioritize Mains-Level Questions

The difficulty level of the Mains examination is higher than prelims. Candidates should therefore move beyond basic prelims-level questions and practice moderate-to-difficult questions.

2. Focus on General and Financial Awareness

General/Financial Awareness carries 50 marks. Regular revision of banking awareness, financial awareness, and current affairs can help candidates strengthen this section.

3. Attempt Full-Length Mains Mock Tests

Full-length mock tests help candidates understand whether they can maintain speed and accuracy throughout the 160-minute examination. Check PracticeMock to get industry prepared mock tests and prepare for SBI Clerk Mains.

4. Analyze Mock Test Performance

Simply attempting mocks is not enough. Candidates should review incorrect answers, skipped questions, time-consuming topics, and accuracy after every test.

5. Follow Sectional Time Limits

Since SBI Clerk Mains has sectional timings, practice sessions should follow the same time restrictions as the actual examination.

SBI Clerk Selection Process 2026

The SBI Clerk 2026 selection process primarily consists of:

1. Preliminary Examination
2. Main Examination
3. Test of Specified Opted Local Language, wherever applicable

The preliminary examination is used to shortlist candidates for the Mains examination. Marks obtained in prelims are not added to the final selection score.

Candidates must qualify in the Mains examination according to SBI’s prescribed criteria. The local language test is applicable according to the conditions mentioned in the recruitment notification.

Therefore, the Mains examination is the most important scoring stage for candidates aiming for final selection as an SBI Junior Associate.

Related SBI Clerk Blogs

SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 FAQs

Q1. What is the SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026?

The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 is tentatively expected to be 23 November 2026 for regular Junior Associate recruitment. Candidates should wait for SBI’s official confirmation of the exact date.

Q2. Is SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 officially announced?

SBI has indicated November 2026 for the regular Mains examination, but the exact 23 November 2026 date should currently be treated as tentative/expected until officially confirmed.

Q3. When was the SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026 conducted?

The regular SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026 was conducted on 26 and 27 September 2026.

Q4. When will the SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026 be released?

The SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026 is expected to be released in November 2026, before the Mains examination.

Q5. What is the SBI Clerk Mains exam duration?

The SBI Clerk Mains examination has a total duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes (160 minutes).

Q6. How many questions are asked in SBI Clerk Mains?

The SBI Clerk Mains examination consists of 190 questions for 200 marks.

Q7. Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk Mains 2026?

Yes. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each incorrect answer in the objective examination.

Q8. Where can I check the official SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026?

Candidates can check the official exam date through the State Bank of India Careers → Current Openings → Recruitment of Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) section.

Q9. What is the SBI Clerk backlog Mains Exam Date 2026?

The Mains examination for SBI Clerk Special Recruitment Drive backlog vacancies is expected during October/November 2026. Candidates should check SBI’s official recruitment page for the final date.

Q10. Is 23 November 2026 the confirmed SBI Clerk Mains date?

No. 23 November 2026 is currently a tentative/expected date. Candidates should consider the date confirmed only after SBI publishes an official Mains examination notice or the Mains admit card.

• Sign Up on Practicemock for Updated Current Affairs, Topic Tests and Mini Mocks
• Sign Up Here to Download Free Study Material