The State Bank of India is one of the largest employers for banking professionals in India - managing staff across more than 24,000 domestic branches and 191 overseas offices. With a combined strength of multiple state units, it is also the best learning ground for those keen on a career in monetary systems, financial institutions and more.

The SBI clerk position is a junior assistant grade, which allows candidates to gain an opening into bank branch positions like cashiers and depositors. Their work involves interacting with clients and day-to-day operations. These junior assistants also join roles in customer support, inbound and outbound sales. In this article, we're covering the SBI clerk exam details for all the aspirants.

SBI Clerk Exam Date 2020:

The SBI clerk examination for the year 2019-2020 had advertised for 8000 vacancies across all different states. However, like other recruitment exams this year, this paper was postponed owing to the nationwide lockdown over the coronavirus epidemic. The SBI clerk mains exam was due on April 19, before it got canceled.

The exam dates for an SBI clerk exam are generally at the beginning of the year - February, March and April. For instance, online registration for the 2019-2020 exam took place at the beginning of the year, January, while the prelims were scheduled over February and March. Owing to the coronavirus break, here is the revised exam date break-up for this year's exam:

Vacancies and Salary Structure:

If we look at the number of vacancies available for this position, there are generally more than 8000 vacancies. SBI clerk 2019-2020 exam was organized for 8,653 jobs in 15 circles across all states and union territories. Out of these, 8000 vacancies are for general and socially disadvantaged groups, while the remaining also accounts for people with physical disabilities.

Adding to these, the organization also has a backlog of vacancies from the previous year. This means that qualified candidates who clear the test have a perfect shot at a junior associate position. The salary offered for the post is also suitable for an entry-level position.

The SBI clerk junior associate earns a basic pay of Rs 13,075. Combined with all perks and allowances, it's a pay package of Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 in hand. The benefits include furniture, newspapers, medical and special allowances, apart from the usual HRA and TA.

Eligibility criteria for SBI Clerk/junior associate positions:

To be eligible for the junior associate posts, a candidate needs to meet two minimum criteria - age and education. Education-wise, they need to be graduates from a recognized university.

Age-wise, they need to be a minimum 20 to a maximum 28 years in age, though there are certain age relaxations which are available to candidates from specific socio-economic backgrounds. 

These include:

1. SC/ST candidates are eligible for an age relaxation of 5 years.
2. OBC candidates are eligible for an age relaxation of 3 years.
3. PWD personnel get an age relaxation of 10 years. In case they also belong to SC/ST or OBC categories, they get a combined age benefit.
4. Ex-servicemen and disabled ex-servicemen get a relaxation for their active-duty years + 3 years. The maximum age limit in such a clause is for 50 years.
5. Widows divorced women and legally separated women get the age relaxation as well. It is seven years for general category candidates, OBC candidates get a 10-year relaxation, while SC/ST candidates receive one for 12 years.
6. Persons domiciled in J&K get a relaxation of up to 33 years.

Application Process for SBI clerk positions:

The application process for SBI clerk 2020 is an online registration process, which begins with the official notification. The 2019-2020 examination, for instance, was announced on January 3, 2020. It remains open for an allotted time (this time it was till January 26, 2020).

To apply, candidates need to visit the official website, fill the online registration form and pay a non-refundable registration fee. 

The selection process is a two-part process, though registrations become a filter point too, in case the form is incomplete, eligibility criteria don't match or documents are missing. Mainly, candidates need to clear both the prelims and the mains exams to get an offer from SBI as a junior associate. Note that candidates should keep a check on the SBI Clerk Exam Notification for more details on the same.

SBI Clerk Exam Syllabus and Paper Pattern:

Preparing for the SBI clerk exam requires a thorough understanding of the exam pattern and exam syllabus. By pattern, the exam has two parts -

i) Prelims

ii) Mains

Further, the prelims exam covers three subjects - 

a) Reasoning ability

b) Quantitative aptitude

c) English language

The first two exams fetch a maximum of 35 marks each, while the third is worth 30 marks. Usually, the minimum cut-offs for these exams stand at 5.5 for general candidates and nearly 3 points for candidates from socially disadvantaged groups. 

The mains, on the other side, covers the following subjects - 

a) Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude 

b) Quantitative Aptitude

c) General English 

d) General / Financial Awareness

The exam for reasoning ability holds the maximum weightage of 60 marks, followed by QA and financial awareness for 50 marks. The English segment is worth a maximum of 40 marks.

The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has given an extended timeline to prepare for the mains. Capitalize on this time and better your chances at clearing the paper. You'll love the career opportunities it would open for you. Good luck to all the SBI Clerk Exam aspirants!

SBI Clerk Exam Updates -

1. SBI Cleark Pre Exam Result Declared

1. SBI Cleark Main Exam Admit Card Released