The much sought-after clerical jobs at both the Reserve Bank of India and State bank of India are undoubtedly prestigious jobs. With both the Banks providing tremendous growth opportunities, RBI Assistants can reach as high as Grade C posts in RBI. Whereas, an SBI Clerk is also a coveted job that is the dream of millions of aspirants looking for good exposure in the Banking sector. If you are someone who enjoys or is equipped with dealing with the public, SBI Clerk can be a perfect choice. But before making a decision you need to be well informed about the various aspects that lead to the growth in both the jobs!
So, let us then quickly highlight the various differences between RBI Assistant and SBI clerk that can lead to your career growth.
Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence!
| Exam | RBI Assistant | SBI Clerk |
| Conducting Body | Reserve Bank of India | The State Bank of India |
| Selection Stages | 3 (Prelims, Mains, Language Proficiency Test) | 2 (Prelims & Mains) |
| Exam Type | Online Mode | Online Mode |
| Post Offered | Assistant (Clerical Level) | Clerk (Clerical Level) |
| Participating Organisations | Reserve Bank of India | State Bank of India |
Let us take a look at RBI Assistant and SBI Clerk exams on the basis of the following parameters:
Take a look at the Exam pattern of both the exams to get an overview of the nature of both the exams and the contrast that occurs between them:
| Basis of Difference | RBI Assistant | SBI Clerk |
| Prelims | -RBI Assistant Prelims Exam has 3 sections: English language, Reasoning ability, Quantitative ability in the prelims test with a time duration of 1 hour. Negative Marking: 0.25 marks -You will have to clear the sectional as well as the overall cut-off in order to be eligible to appear in the Mains exam. Total marks for the exam will be 100. | – SBI Clerk Prelims Exam has 3 sections with a time allotment of 20 mins to each section and an overall time of 1 hour. Negative Marking: 0.25 marks -You will have to clear sectional and the overall cut-off to appear for the mains exams. |
| Mains | -It consists of 5 sections of this exam namely Computer, English Knowledge, Bank/economy/general awareness, numerical ability, and computer aptitude. The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours. -You will have to clear the sectional as well as the overall cut-off in this exam. Negative marking: 1/4th of the Mark. *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! | -It tests you with 4 sections, namely, Reasoning and computer aptitude, General/Financial Awareness, General English, Quant. Negative marking: 0.25 Marks. -Your Prelims score and the performance in the mains will decide your selection as SBI Clerk. *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! |
Given below is a brief comparison of both the salaries of both the posts, including the increments:
| SBI Clerk | RBI Assistant |
| –Basic Pay – 11,765/- INR (13,075 with 2 extra increments to graduates) –Pay Scale – 11765-655/3-13730-815/3-16175-980/4-20095-1145/7-28110-2120/1- 30230-1310/1-31450 –Gross Salary – 26,000/- INR (For Tier 1 city) *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! | Basic Pay – 13150/- INR –Pay Scale – 13150-750(3)-15400-900(4)-19000-1200(6)-26200-1300(2)-28800-1480(3)-33240-1750(1)-34990(20 years) –Gross Salary – 36091/- INR *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! |
Given below in the box are the job responsibilities that you will be required to fulfill while playing the job roles of both positions:
| Basis of Difference | RBI Assistant | SBI Clerk |
| Job Profile | -Maintaining files -Data Entry -Replying and maintaining Email logs | – File Handling -Query Handling -Customer Service -Cashier -Single Window Operator |
| Career Growth Prospects | After completing 2 years service period as an RBI Assistant, if you will qualify for the examination, you will be promoted to be Grade-A Officer or the Assistant Manager, which is the lowest grade in the hierarchy of Officer Cadre. After that, you can again apply for the promotion test. After passing it, you will be promoted to Grade B or Managerial Level. From there, you can continue your journey from Grade C or Assistant General Manager to Grade D or Deputy General Manager to Grade E or General Manager. And finally, you can become Grade F or Deputy Governor. *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! | There is a high chance you can get promoted as Trainee Officer in 3-4 years’ time. Trainee Officer is equivalent to Probationary Officer. With that, you need to keep in mind that working in SBI can provide you with more exposure as compared to other PSBs. *Do the best practice by taking the Best RBI Assistant/Clerk 2022 Mock Tests & clear the upcoming Exam with full confidence! |
Yes, the competition to beat RBI Assistant and SBI Clerk exams is tough as there is less number of vacancies available every year and they are ever-shrinking with every passing year. The difficulty level of both the exams is more or less the same. Both of these exams can test your capability, time management, and stress handling skills. They will test your speed with accuracy with questions. The more speed and accuracy you have, the more will be the chances of beating the exams. Both the exams have no interview round for the final selection. Therefore, your selection will only be based on the marks obtained in both the Prelims and Mains Exams.
In RBI, as an Assistant or Clerk, you will get the chance of developing knowledge of various aspects of banking, macroeconomics and development finance, and more. It is a knowledge-oriented job, and there is no business target pressure. At times you may have to face work pressure, to complete the given task on time. On the other hand, working with SBI, as a clerk, is like working in a commercial organization where business numbers matter. Plus, the State Bank of India is also a listed company and is competes with private banks for business. Therefore, you will learn and do business while working with SBI and you will be directly reaching millions of customers and learning to make lending decisions. Both Clerical jobs offer good career prospects and therefore are among the best banking jobs in the country. You can choose the right option for you, after analyzing all the comparisons mentioned above, and taking into care your personality, temperament, and ability.
IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026: Check 10th and 11th October, All Shifts Good Attempts,…
Here we are providing the NICL AO Syllabus 2025 & Exam Pattern 2025. Candidates can…
Follow these Last Minute Tips for IBPS Clerk Exam 2026 to revise high-value topics, improve…
Check NICL AO Salary 2026, in-hand pay, revised pay scale, salary slip, allowances and benefits…
Check IBPS Clerk Prelims Shift Timings 2026, reporting time, exam duration, gate closing time, and…
In this blog, we have provided the IBPS RRB PO Topic Wise Weightage & Last…
Thousands of aspirants have cleared exams using PracticeMock’s exam-level mock tests.