The SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025 consists of three key stages: Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and the Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT). To secure a Junior Associate post at the State Bank of India, candidates must understand each phase of the recruitment process clearly.
In this article, candidates get a detailed breakdown of the entire selection process, including the exam pattern, marking scheme, qualifying criteria, language requirements, and special provisions such as bonus marks for apprentices.
SBI Clerk Selection Procedure 2025 – Key Highlights
The SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025 has three main stages: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Language Proficiency Test (LPT). First, candidates need to qualify in the Prelims to appear for the Mains. The final selection is based on your performance in the Main exam. After that, candidates must clear the LPT to prove their knowledge of the local language of the state they’ve applied for. There is no interview in this process.
The entire selection is exam-based and depends on merit, along with document verification. So, it’s important to understand each stage clearly for better preparation.
| Phase | Name of Test | Nature | Weight in Final Merit |
| I | Preliminary Exam | Qualifying | No |
| II | Main Exam | Competitive | Yes (200 Marks) |
| III | Local Language Proficiency Test | Qualifying | Yes (Mandatory if applicable) |
SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025 – Phase I: Preliminary Exam
The Preliminary Exam is the first step in the SBI Clerk 2025 selection process. It is only qualifying in nature, which means the marks from this stage won’t be added to the final result. The exam is held online and includes three sections: English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. There are 100 multiple-choice questions in total, each worth 1 mark. You’ll get 60 minutes to finish the exam, with 20 minutes for each section. For every wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted. Candidates clearing the sectional and overall cut-offs will be eligible for the Main Examination.
Candidates can refer to the table below for a clear understanding of the Preliminary Exam pattern.
Exam Structure:
- Mode: Online (Objective Type)
- Total Marks: 100
- Total Questions: 100
- Duration: 1 hour (20 minutes per section)
- Negative Marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer
- Section-wise marks are not maintained
- No sectional or overall qualifying marks are prescribed
| Section | Medium | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| English Language | English | 30 | 30 | 20 mins |
| Numerical Ability | As per the state | 35 | 35 | 20 mins |
| Reasoning Ability | As per the state | 35 | 35 | 20 mins |
| Total | — | 100 | 100 | 60 mins |
Approximately 10x the number of vacancies (subject to availability) are shortlisted for the Mains based on the Prelims score.
SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025 – Phase II: Main Examination
The Main Examination is the second step in the SBI Clerk selection process. It is more detailed than the prelims and checks a candidate’s knowledge, awareness, and reasoning skills. Marks scored in this stage are very important as they decide the final selection. The detailed structure of the Main Exam is provided in the following section.
Exam Structure:
- Mode: Online (Objective Type)
- Total Marks: 200
- Total Questions: 190
- Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Negative Marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer
- Section-wise marks are not maintained
| Section | Medium | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
| General/Financial Awareness | As per the state | 50 | 50 | 35 mins |
| General English | English | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | As per the state | 50 | 50 | 45 mins |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | As per the state | 50 | 60 | 45 mins |
| Total | — | 190 | 200 | 160 mins |
Qualifying Marks:
To pass the exam, candidates need to score the minimum total qualifying marks set by SBI. However, SC, ST, OBC, PwBD, and Ex-Servicemen (including DXS) candidates get a relaxation of 5% in the qualifying marks. There are no separate cut-off marks for each section.
Bonus Marks for SBI Apprentices
SBI-apprentices who meet certain conditions can get bonus marks during selection. If eligible, they will be awarded 5 bonus marks out of the total 200 (which is 2.5%).
The candidate must have started their apprenticeship on or after 1st January 2022 and should complete one full year of training by 26th August 2025 to meet the eligibility criteria. They should also pass the Skill Evaluation Test (also called the Trade Test), hold a joint certificate from SBI and NSDC/BFSI-SSC, and have shown good conduct and performance throughout the training period.
SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025 – Phase III: Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT)
Who needs to take it: The test is mandatory for those who haven’t studied the specified local language in Class 10 or 12.
How it is conducted: This test is conducted by the SBI and is qualifying in nature. The marks are not added to the final merit list, but passing is essential.
Qualifying criteria: A minimum qualifying score is required to pass. Reserved category applicants receive a 5% relaxation.
Who is exempted: Those who provide a valid Class 10 or 12 mark sheet showing the local language as a subject are exempted from this test.
Important: Failing this test will lead to disqualification, even if the Mains exam has been cleared.
Medium of Examination by State
The medium of examination varies by state and includes English, Hindi, and one or more local languages. The table below lists the languages available for each State and Union Territory, which candidates can check to see the medium of their Local Language Test.
| State/UT | Medium of Exam |
| Andaman & Nicobar | English, Hindi |
| Andhra Pradesh | English, Hindi, Telugu, Urdu |
| Arunachal Pradesh | English, Hindi |
| Assam | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali |
| Bihar | English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Chhattisgarh | English, Hindi |
| Delhi | English, Hindi |
| Goa | English, Hindi, Konkani |
| Gujarat | English, Hindi, Gujarati |
| Haryana | English, Hindi, Punjabi |
| Himachal Pradesh | English, Hindi |
| Jammu & Kashmir | English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Jharkhand | English, Hindi |
| Karnataka | English, Hindi, Kannada |
| Kerala | English, Hindi, Malayalam |
| Ladakh | English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Lakshadweep | English, Hindi, Malayalam |
| Madhya Pradesh | English, Hindi |
| Maharashtra | English, Hindi, Marathi |
| Manipur | English, Hindi, Manipuri |
| Meghalaya | English, Hindi |
| Mizoram | English, Hindi |
| Nagaland | English, Hindi |
| Odisha | English, Hindi, Odia |
| Punjab | English, Hindi, Punjabi |
| Rajasthan | English, Hindi |
| Sikkim | English, Hindi |
| Tamil Nadu | English, Hindi, Tamil |
| Telangana | English, Hindi, Telugu, Urdu |
| Tripura | English, Hindi, Bengali |
| Uttar Pradesh | English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Uttarakhand | English, Hindi |
| West Bengal | English, Hindi, Bengali |
Final Selection Criteria
The final selection of candidates will be based only on the marks obtained in the Main Examination. Marks from the Preliminary Exam will not be considered. A separate merit list will be prepared for each state and category. However, the selection will remain provisional until the candidate’s eligibility and documents are successfully verified. Additionally, candidates must also qualify for the Local Language Test, if applicable.
The result will be published on SBI’s official website, and the final merit list will be prepared State-wise and Category-wise. SBI will also maintain a waitlist of up to 50% of the total vacancies.
SBI Clerk 2025 Exam Centers
SBI conducts exams across various cities in India. Here are some major exam centers for the Prelims and Mains:
| SBI Clerk Exam Centers 2025 | |
|---|---|
| State/UT | Exam Centers |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Anantapur, Guntur/Vijayawada, Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun, Papumpare |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea |
| Chandigarh | Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai Nagar, Bilaspur, Raipur |
| Delhi NCR | Delhi/NCR (All NCR cities) |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, Anand/Vadodara, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat/Bardoli |
| Haryana | Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Kurukshetra |
| Himachal Pradesh | Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Baddi, Solan, Una |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Baramulla, Jammu, Pulwama, Samba, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru, Belagavi (Belgaum), Davangere, Gulbarga, Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Udupi |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Idukki, Kannur, Kochi/Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur |
| Ladakh | Leh, Kargil |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar), Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai/Thane/Navi Mumbai/MMR, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Raigad, Sangli, Satara, Solapur |
| Manipur | Imphal, Churachandpur, Kakching |
| Meghalaya | Shillong, Tura |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Dimapur, Kohima |
| Odisha | Balasore, Berhampur (Ganjam), Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Baripada, Puri |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala, Moga, Phagwara |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Erode, Karur, Madurai, Nagercoil, Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Virudhunagar |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Faizabad, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida & Greater Noida, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Durgapur, Greater Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, Kalyani, Siliguri, Burdwan, Bankura |
Candidates can choose their preferred exam city while applying. SBI reserves the right to allot any center other than the one chosen by the candidate.
SBI Clerk Selection Process 2025: FAQs
Q1. How many stages are there in the SBI Clerk 2025 selection process?
Ans: There are three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Local Language Proficiency Test.
Q2. Is there any interview in the SBI Clerk recruitment process?
Ans: No, SBI Clerk selection does not include an interview stage.
Q3. Are Prelims marks considered for final selection?
Ans: No, only the Main exam marks are counted in the final merit list.
Q4. What is the weightage for SBI Apprentices in selection?
Ans: Eligible trained apprentices get 5 bonus marks in the Main exam.
Q5. Is the Local Language Test compulsory?
Ans: Yes, for those who haven’t studied the local language in Class 10 or 12.
Q6. Can I change my exam center later?
Ans: No, once chosen, the exam center cannot be changed. SBI may reassign centers if required.