State Bank of India ran a special recruitment drive for 1,538 Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) backlog posts under Advt No. CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16. Here’s the important bit many miss: this drive was only for SC, ST and OBC candidates — there were no General or EWS vacancies in it.
Applications closed on 27 August 2026 and the preliminary exam was held around mid-September. If you appeared, the next milestone is the mains exam, tentatively in October/November 2026.
SBI Clerk Backlog Drive 2026 – Overview
| Bank | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Post | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Total Posts | 1,538 (SC: 207, ST: 1,219, OBC: 112) |
| Advertisement | CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 |
| Application Window | 7 August – 27 August 2026 (closed) |
Eligibility (for reference)
- Education: Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university.
- Age: 20–28 years as on 1 April 2026, with relaxation for reserved categories.
- Fee: Nil for SC/ST/PwBD; ₹750 for OBC.
Selection Process
- Preliminary Exam (qualifying)
- Main Exam
- Local Language Proficiency Test
What’s Next?
The mains exam is tentatively scheduled for October/November 2026. Keep checking the SBI careers page for the mains admit card — it’s usually released 7–10 days before the exam. Don’t confuse this with SBI’s separate regular clerk drive (Advt 17), which had its own 7,680+ posts.
Important Links
| SBI Careers | sbi.co.in/careers |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many posts are in the SBI Clerk backlog drive 2026?
1,538 posts — SC: 207, ST: 1,219, OBC: 112. Only reserved-category candidates were eligible.
When is the SBI Clerk mains exam 2026?
Tentatively October/November 2026. The exact date will be announced on sbi.co.in careers.
Can general category candidates apply?
Not in this special drive — it was exclusively for SC, ST and OBC backlog vacancies.
Where do I download the admit card?
From the SBI careers portal under Current Openings, using your registration number and password/date of birth.
