The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 is 29 October 2026 for backlog vacancies, as per the latest recruitment schedule. The State Bank of India (SBI) released the Mains admit card for backlog recruitment on 19 October 2026. Meanwhile, the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026 for regular vacancies is expected in November 2026, with 23 November being a tentative date that is yet to receive official confirmation. The SBI Clerk Prelims Exam was conducted on 16 September for backlog vacancies and on 26 and 27 September 2026 for regular vacancies.
Candidates appearing for the SBI Clerk Mains examination can check the complete exam schedule, important dates, admit card updates, exam pattern, shift timings, and preparation details below.
The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 for backlog vacancies is 29 October 2026. The State Bank of India is conducting the examination under the Special Recruitment Drive for SC/ST/OBC backlog vacancies. Candidates shortlisted through the preliminary examination can appear for the Mains examination.
For regular Junior Associate recruitment, the SBI Clerk Mains examination is expected to take place in November 2026. Although 23 November 2026 is being reported as an expected date, candidates should wait for an official announcement before considering it final.
| Recruitment Category | SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 | Status |
| SBI Clerk Backlog Vacancies | 29 October 2026 | Scheduled |
| SBI Clerk Regular Vacancies | November 2026 | Tentative |
| Expected Regular Mains Date | 23 November 2026 | Not officially confirmed |
| Backlog Mains Admit Card | 19 October 2026 | Released |
| Regular Mains Admit Card | November 2026 | Expected |
Candidates should check the official SBI Careers website for recruitment notices and examination updates.
The State Bank of India released separate recruitment notifications for regular Junior Associate vacancies and backlog vacancies in August 2026. Therefore, the application dates, preliminary examinations, and Mains schedules are different for both recruitment drives.
The following table provides the SBI Clerk Exam Date 2026 schedule for regular and backlog vacancies.
| Events | SBI Clerk Backlog Vacancies | SBI Clerk Regular Vacancies |
| SBI Clerk Notification 2026 | 7 August 2026 | 11 August 2026 |
| Online Application Start Date | 7 August 2026 | 11 August 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 27 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 |
| Prelims Admit Card | 9 September 2026 | 21 September 2026 |
| SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Date | 16 September 2026 | 26 and 27 September 2026 |
| Prelims Result | 17 October 2026 | To be announced |
| Mains Admit Card | 19 October 2026 | November 2026 (Expected) |
| SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 | 29 October 2026 | November 2026 (Tentative) |
| Mains Result | To be announced | To be announced |
The regular and backlog examination schedules should not be confused with each other. Candidates must follow the schedule applicable to their recruitment notification.
The SBI Clerk examination is conducted by the State Bank of India to recruit Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales). The recruitment process consists of a preliminary examination, a main examination, and a local language proficiency test wherever applicable.
Check the SBI Clerk 2026 recruitment overview below.
| Particulars | Details |
| Organization | State Bank of India |
| Exam Name | SBI Clerk 2026 |
| Post Name | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Regular Advertisement Number | CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 |
| Backlog Advertisement Number | CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 |
| Regular Vacancies | 9,766 |
| Backlog Vacancies | 1,538 |
| Selection Process | Prelims, Mains and Local Language Test |
| Examination Mode | Online |
| SBI Clerk Backlog Mains Date | 29 October 2026 |
| SBI Clerk Regular Mains Date | November 2026 (Tentative) |
| Mains Exam Duration | 2 Hours 40 Minutes |
| Mains Maximum Marks | 200 |
| Mains Questions | 190 |
| Official Website | https://sbi.co.in |
The preliminary examination is qualifying in nature, while the Mains examination plays an important role in determining final selection.
The SBI Clerk Backlog Mains Exam 2026 is scheduled for 29 October 2026. The examination is being conducted under the Special Recruitment Drive for backlog vacancies in the SC, ST, and OBC categories.
The preliminary examination for backlog vacancies was conducted on 16 September 2026, and the result was declared on 17 October 2026. Subsequently, SBI released the Mains admit card on 19 October 2026.
| Events | Important Dates |
| Notification Release | 7 August 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 7 August 2026 |
| Application Last Date | 27 August 2026 |
| Prelims Admit Card | 9 September 2026 |
| Prelims Exam | 16 September 2026 |
| Prelims Result | 17 October 2026 |
| Mains Admit Card | 19 October 2026 |
| Mains Examination | 29 October 2026 |
Candidates appearing for the backlog Mains examination should download their admit cards and verify the examination center, reporting time, and shift details.
Since the examination is approaching, candidates should prioritize revision and full-length Mains mock tests rather than beginning entirely new topics.
The SBI Clerk Regular Mains Exam 2026 is expected to be conducted in November 2026. The State Bank of India conducted the regular preliminary examination on 26 and 27 September 2026.
Candidates who qualify in the preliminary examination will be shortlisted for the Mains examination.
The expected SBI Clerk regular Mains exam date is 23 November 2026. However, this date has not been officially confirmed and may change depending on the recruitment schedule.
The exact SBI Clerk Regular Mains Exam Date 2026 has not yet been officially confirmed. November 2026 is the tentative examination period, while 23 November 2026 is an expected date.
Candidates should check the official SBI Careers website for the final schedule and avoid relying on an unconfirmed examination date.
The SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2026 for backlog vacancies was released on 19 October 2026. Candidates shortlisted for the backlog Mains examination can download their call letters through the SBI Careers portal.
For regular vacancies, the SBI Clerk Mains admit card is expected in November 2026, before the examination.
The admit card contains important details, including:
Candidates should carefully check the details printed on their admit cards and follow the reporting instructions provided by SBI.
Candidates can follow these steps to download their SBI Clerk Mains admit card:
Candidates should use the correct recruitment link for either regular or backlog vacancies.
The SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2026 consists of 190 objective questions carrying 200 marks. The total examination duration is 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The examination contains four sections: General/Financial Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude.
Check the section-wise SBI Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026 below.
| Sections | Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 Minutes |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 Minutes |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 Minutes |
The SBI Clerk Mains examination follows sectional time limits. Candidates must complete each section within its allotted duration.
There is also negative marking. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Therefore, candidates should focus on accuracy and question selection while attempting the examination.
The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Duration 2026 is 2 hours and 40 minutes (160 minutes). Candidates must attempt 190 questions across four sections within the prescribed time limits.
The section-wise duration is as follows:
| Section | Time Limit |
| General/Financial Awareness | 35 Minutes |
| General English | 35 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 45 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 45 Minutes |
Candidates cannot freely distribute the complete examination time among sections. As a result, practicing with sectional timers can help improve time management and reduce unnecessary mistakes.
The SBI Clerk Mains Shift Timings 2026 will be mentioned on the individual admit cards. The examination may be conducted in multiple shifts depending on the recruitment schedule and the number of examination centers.
Candidates should check their admit cards for the final examination timing, reporting time, and gate-closing instructions.
The total examination duration is 160 minutes. However, candidates may need to report earlier to complete identity verification and other examination formalities.
The final shift timing should always be verified from the official call letter.
Candidates can check the official SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 through the State Bank of India Careers portal.
Follow the steps below:
Candidates should verify all examination updates through the official SBI recruitment website.
Knowing the SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 helps candidates organize their preparation and complete revision before the examination.
The Mains examination requires preparation across four sections, including General and Financial Awareness. Therefore, candidates should allocate sufficient time to each subject.
Here are some reasons why checking the examination schedule is important:
Candidates should also check the latest SBI notifications regularly to avoid missing important recruitment updates.
Candidates preparing for the SBI Clerk Mains examination should focus on revision, accuracy, and time management.
The following preparation tips can help candidates use their remaining time effectively.
Attempting full-length mock tests helps candidates understand the examination difficulty level and practice completing 190 questions within 160 minutes.
Candidates can use the PracticeMock to practice SBI Clerk Mains-level questions and review their performance.
General/Financial Awareness carries 50 marks in the SBI Clerk Mains examination.
Candidates should revise banking awareness, financial terminology, important national and international developments, and recent current affairs.
Quantitative Aptitude carries 50 marks and has a sectional duration of 45 minutes.
Candidates should practice Data Interpretation, arithmetic, number series, and other important quantitative topics.
For additional practice, check Table DI Questions for SBI Clerk 2026.
Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude carries 60 marks, making it an important section of the Mains examination.
Candidates should focus on puzzles, seating arrangements, logical reasoning, and relevant computer aptitude concepts.
Practice using Important Puzzles for SBI Clerk 2026.
Candidates should review their performance after attempting each mock test.
Identify incorrect answers, skipped questions, and topics requiring excessive time. Then, revise weak areas before attempting another test.
Regular analysis can help candidates improve question selection and reduce mistakes caused by negative marking.
The SBI Clerk Selection Process 2026 consists of three stages:
There is no interview stage in the SBI Clerk recruitment process.
Candidates should therefore prioritize the Mains examination while ensuring they meet the applicable local language requirements.
Candidates preparing for SBI Clerk Mains 2026 can use the following resources for topic-wise practice and revision.
| Preparation Resource | Practice Link |
| SBI Clerk Preparation Strategy | Check Preparation Plan |
| SBI Clerk English Strategy | English Preparation Tips |
| SBI Clerk Table DI Questions | Practice DI Questions |
| SBI Clerk Important Puzzles | Practice Puzzles |
| SBI Clerk Seating Arrangement | Practice Seating Arrangement |
| SBI Clerk Number Series | Practice Number Series |
| SBI Clerk Coding-Decoding | Practice Coding-Decoding |
| SBI Clerk Previous Year Cut Off | Check Previous Year Cut Off |
The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 for backlog vacancies is 29 October 2026. The regular SBI Clerk Mains examination is expected in November 2026.
The SBI Clerk backlog Mains examination is scheduled for 29 October 2026. However, the exact Mains examination date for regular vacancies has not yet been officially confirmed.
The SBI Clerk regular Mains examination is expected in November 2026. The date of 23 November 2026 is tentative and should not be treated as confirmed.
The SBI Clerk backlog Mains examination is scheduled to be conducted on 29 October 2026 under the Special Recruitment Drive.
The SBI Clerk Prelims examination for regular vacancies was conducted on 26 and 27 September 2026. For backlog vacancies, the examination was conducted on 16 September 2026.
Yes, the SBI Clerk Mains admit card for backlog vacancies was released on 19 October 2026. The regular Mains admit card is expected in November 2026.
The SBI Clerk Mains examination lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes, or 160 minutes, with separate sectional timings.
The SBI Clerk Mains examination consists of 190 objective questions carrying a total of 200 marks.
Yes. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for every incorrect answer in the objective examination.
Candidates can check the official SBI Clerk Mains examination schedule through the State Bank of India Careers portal at https://sbi.co.in.
The SBI Clerk Mains Exam Date 2026 is 29 October 2026 for backlog vacancies, and the admit card was released on 19 October 2026. For regular vacancies, the Mains examination is expected in November 2026, with the exact date awaiting official confirmation. Candidates should regularly check the SBI Careers website for updates and focus on Mains-level mock tests, current affairs revision, and sectional practice to prepare effectively for the examination.
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