SBI Clerk 2026 for Maharashtra: 1,718 Posts, Marathi Language Test, Exam Pattern and Study Plan

SBI Clerk 2026 (Junior Associate, Customer Support and Sales) is the biggest bank clerk opportunity for Maharashtra this year. As per the vacancy table in SBI's advertisement, Maharashtra has 1,718 regular posts, the highest of any state. Candidates applying in Maharashtra take the exam with Marathi as the local language and must show they know Marathi. This guide explains where the 2026 cycle stands, the Prelims and Mains pattern, the syllabus, the Marathi language test, and a study plan for Mains and for the next cycle.

SBI Clerk 2026: where things stand

SBI publishes its recruitment notices on its careers page (sbi.bank.in, Careers, Current Openings). The vacancies, eligibility, pattern and language rules in this guide are from SBI's detailed advertisement (CRPD/CR/2026-27/17). The Prelims dates come from news reports, so confirm them and the Mains date on the SBI site.

Maharashtra vacancies in detail

The advertisement's table gives Maharashtra 1,718 regular posts, with Marathi as the local language. Tamil Nadu (1,410) and Odisha (1,100) come next. The category split for Maharashtra:

• The 1,718 posts are listed together for SBI's Maharashtra and Mumbai Metro circles. SBI asks Maharashtra applicants to check each circle's operational area on sbi.co.in before applying.
• The merit list is drawn state-wise and you are posted in the state you apply for. There is no inter-circle or inter-state transfer for the first 5 years of service; after that, only in exceptional cases. If you apply for Maharashtra, plan to work in Maharashtra.
• SBI says the vacancies are provisional and may change based on the bank's needs.
• Backlog vacancies (listed separately in the same advertisement) and the SC/ST/OBC special drive (CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16) are not part of these 1,718.

The Marathi language test

SBI recruits clerks state by state, and a clerk must be able to talk to customers in the local language. For Maharashtra, that language is Marathi.

• As per the 2026 advertisement, candidates who produce a 10th or 12th standard mark sheet or certificate showing they studied Marathi do not have to take the language test.
• Others must take the Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT). It is held after you qualify in Mains and before joining. Candidates who fail it are not offered appointment.
• SBI expects you to read, write, speak and understand the language. The test has a non-verbal part (objective and subjective questions on short passages) and a verbal part, with minimum qualifying marks set by the bank.

If you did not study Marathi in 10th or 12th, start now: read a Marathi newspaper daily, practise writing simple paragraphs, and speak in Marathi with family or friends. A few months of steady practice is usually enough for a basic test.

SBI Clerk Prelims exam pattern

• Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer.
• Each section has its own 20-minute timer.
• Prelims is qualifying. Its marks are not added to the final merit. About 10 times the number of vacancies in each category are shortlisted for Mains on aggregate Prelims marks; there is no sectional cut-off.
• Medium: English, Hindi and the local language of the state, so Marathi for Maharashtra (English section in English).

SBI Clerk Mains exam pattern

• Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer.
• Final merit is based on Mains marks (out of 200), followed by the language test where it applies.
• This is the pattern in the 2026 advertisement. You need a minimum aggregate percentage set by SBI (5% lower for SC, ST, OBC, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates). There is no minimum for individual sections.

SBI Clerk syllabus

Reasoning (Prelims 35, Mains 50 with Computer Aptitude)

• Puzzles and seating arrangement (the largest block): seating arrangement topic test
• Syllogism: syllogism topic test
• Inequality, coding-decoding: coding-decoding topic test
• Blood relations and direction: blood relations, direction
• Order and ranking, alphanumeric series: order & ranking, series
• Mains adds: input-output, data sufficiency, statement-based logical reasoning, and computer aptitude (hardware and software basics, MS Office, internet, networking, shortcuts, security)

Numerical Ability / Quantitative Aptitude

• Simplification and approximation
• Number series and quadratic equations
• Data interpretation (heavier in Mains)
• Arithmetic: percentage, ratio and proportion, average, profit and loss, SI and CI, time and work, time, speed and distance, mensuration, ages, partnership, mixture, probability
• Number system basics: number system topic test

English

• Reading comprehension (one or two passages)
• Cloze test, fillers (single and double)
• Error detection and sentence improvement
• Para jumbles and sentence rearrangement
• Word usage and vocabulary

General / Financial Awareness (Mains only)

• Current affairs of the last 4 to 6 months
• Banking awareness: RBI and its functions, repo and reverse repo, CRR and SLR, types of accounts, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS and UPI, financial inclusion schemes
• Budget, economic survey and government schemes
• Static GK: headquarters of banks and international bodies, national parks, dams, important days, currencies and capitals

Section strategy for Mains

General / Financial Awareness (50 questions, 35 minutes)

This is the section where preparation pays back most directly. There is no calculation, and 35 minutes is enough to read all 50 questions twice. Answer what you know in the first pass, then return to questions where you can remove two options. Banking terms (repo rate, CRR, NEFT and RTGS limits, priority sector lending) and recent RBI decisions appear in almost every paper.

General English (40 questions, 35 minutes)

Begin with the quick questions: fillers, error detection and word usage. Leave the reading comprehension passage for the second half, but do not skip it. RC questions are often easier than they look once you have read the passage once carefully.

Quantitative Aptitude (50 questions, 45 minutes)

Mains Quant is heavier on data interpretation than Prelims. A DI set gives four or five questions from one reading, so a well-chosen set is good value. Do simplification, series and quadratic questions first if they appear, then two or three DI sets, then arithmetic. Under one minute per question is the target.

Reasoning and Computer Aptitude (50 questions, 60 marks, 45 minutes)

Start with computer aptitude questions. They take 10 to 15 seconds each if you know the facts. Then do short reasoning questions (inequality, syllogism, coding), and leave puzzles for the remaining time. Choose puzzles with direct clues first.

Should Maharashtra candidates take the paper in Marathi?

If you studied in Marathi medium, reading Reasoning and Quant questions in Marathi can be faster and clearer. If you studied in English medium, stay with English. The rule is simple: practise your mocks in the medium you will use on exam day. Switching language at the last minute slows you down. Remember that the English section is always in English, whatever you choose.

30-day plan for SBI Clerk Mains

If you appeared in the September Prelims and expect to qualify, do not wait for the result. The advertisement puts Mains tentatively in November 2026, which leaves about four weeks.

Week 1

• General Awareness: banking terms and RBI basics, plus current affairs of the last 6 months in short notes. One hour a day.
• Quant: DI daily (2 sets), plus arithmetic chapters with topic tests.
• Reasoning: 3 puzzles a day; computer aptitude basics.

Week 2

• English: one RC passage and one cloze test daily; error detection drills.
• Reasoning: input-output and data sufficiency.
• Continue GA notes; revise them every third day.

Week 3

• Sectional practice with the Mains timings (35, 35, 45 and 45 minutes).
• Two full-length practice papers this week, with a full day of analysis after each.

Week 4

• Revision only: GA notes, formula sheet, vocabulary list, error log.
• Practise in the same time slot as your exam shift once you know it.
• Download the Mains call letter as soon as SBI releases it.

Plan for the next cycle (if you missed Prelims)

SBI recruits clerks regularly, but we will not guess the next notification date. Use the gap to build the base that every bank exam uses: IBPS Clerk, IBPS RRB and SBI Clerk share almost the same Prelims syllabus.

• First 30 days: arithmetic chapters, simplification and series daily; reasoning basics (syllogism, inequality, coding, blood relation, direction); daily English reading.
• Next 30 days: puzzles every day, DI every day, full sectional tests with a 20-minute timer per section, and weekly current affairs notes.
• If you are also preparing for IBPS RRB, our IBPS RRB Prelims Mock Test 1 is good Reasoning and Quant practice (it has no English section).

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for the Prelims result before starting Mains. The gap between the result and Mains is often short.
• Skipping General Awareness. It is 50 marks in Mains and needs the least calculation time. Many selections are decided here.
• Ignoring computer aptitude. It is part of the 60-mark Reasoning section and is easy to score with basic notes.
• Not preparing Marathi. Clearing Mains is not enough if you fail the language test.
• Forwarded-message dates. Only SBI's careers page is official.
• Overattempting. At 0.25 per wrong answer, random guesses in Mains reduce your score.

Frequently asked questions

How many SBI Clerk vacancies are there in Maharashtra in 2026?

SBI's advertisement shows 1,718 regular posts for Maharashtra, the highest of any state, out of 7,680 regular posts nationally. Backlog vacancies are listed separately.

Is the Marathi language test compulsory for SBI Clerk Maharashtra?

Only for some candidates. You must be proficient in Marathi. If your 10th or 12th mark sheet shows you studied Marathi, you are exempt. Otherwise you must pass the LLPT after Mains and before joining.

When was the SBI Clerk 2026 Prelims exam?

News reports say the Prelims for regular posts were held on 26 and 27 September 2026.

When is the SBI Clerk Mains 2026?

The advertisement says November 2026 (tentative). Some coaching sites report 23 November, but we could not confirm it on sbi.bank.in. Watch the site for the call letter.

Can I write SBI Clerk in Marathi?

Yes. The exam is offered in English, Hindi and the state's local language, so Marathi for Maharashtra. The English section is in English.

Are SBI Clerk Prelims marks counted in the final merit?

No. Prelims only shortlists candidates for Mains. Final merit is based on Mains marks.

What is the negative marking in SBI Clerk?

0.25 marks for each wrong answer in both Prelims and Mains.

Sources

• SBI Careers (official notices, call letters and results): sbi.bank.in/web/careers
• SBI, Recruitment of Junior Associates, Advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 (11 August 2026): sbi.bank.in advertisement PDF
• Careers360, SBI Clerk notification 2026: news.careers360.com
• Career Power, SBI Clerk state-wise vacancy 2026: careerpower.in
• Prelims dates as reported: CareerIndia, Careers360