SBI Apprentice

SBI Apprentice is the State Bank of India's engagement of graduates as apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961. Selected candidates train for one year in SBI branches in the state they apply for and receive a fixed monthly stipend. The latest cycle was notified through advertisement CRPD/APPR/2026-27/07, dated 19 May 2026, for 7,150 provisional seats across 34 states and union territories.

The 2026 cycle has moved well past the application stage. Registration closed on 15 June 2026, the online test was held in July 2026, and SBI has published the list of provisionally selected candidates on its careers page. This guide explains how the SBI Apprentice exam works, from NAPS portal registration and the online test to the local language test, stipend and state-wise seats, so you can plan for the next notification with clear facts.

Table of Contents

SBI Apprentice 2026 at a Glance

Official SBI careers page: https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings

Where the 2026 Cycle Stands

SBI released the 2026 advertisement on 19 May 2026. The original last date of 8 June 2026 was extended to 15 June 2026. The online written test was scheduled for July 2026, and the bank has since uploaded the list of provisionally selected candidates under the same advertisement on its Current Openings page.

If your roll number is on that list, the next steps are the formalities SBI specifies for engagement, which include the local language test where applicable, document checks and the medical examination. If you missed this cycle, there is nothing to apply for right now. SBI does not run apprentice engagement on a fixed calendar, so watch the careers page for the next advertisement and keep your NAPS profile and documents ready.

Important Dates

The advertisement gave only a tentative month for the call letter and the online test. The exact test date and result date above are as reported at the time and are not printed in the advertisement. Track the official Current Openings page and your registered email for every later step.

State-wise Seats for SBI Apprentice 2026

Seats are fixed state-wise, and the merit list is drawn up state-wise and category-wise. That makes the state you choose one of the most important decisions in the application. The table below follows the advertisement. The figures are provisional and the bank may change them.

The advertisement also earmarks seats for persons with benchmark disabilities within these totals: 92 for VI, 79 for HI, 70 for LD and 63 for the d and e category. Within a state, you can list up to three preferred districts, but the bank may engage you in any district of that state.

Eligibility in Brief

The rules are short, but two of them catch many applicants out: the bar on earlier apprenticeships and the bar on post-graduation experience. Read the full SBI Apprentice eligibility guide before your next application.

Educational qualification

You need a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institute, as on 1 April 2026. The advertisement does not set a minimum percentage.

Age limit

You must be at least 20 and not more than 28 years old as on 1 April 2026. In other words, you should have been born between 2 April 1998 and 1 April 2006, both dates inclusive. The upper age limit is relaxed for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates as per Government of India guidelines.

Other conditions

• No earlier apprenticeship: Candidates who have completed, or are currently undergoing, apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act with SBI or any other organisation are not eligible.

• Less than one year of experience: Training or job experience of one year or more after graduation makes you ineligible.

• One state, one attempt: You can apply for only one state and appear in the test only once under this engagement.

• Local language: You must be able to read, write, speak and understand one specified language of the state you apply for.

• Clean credit record: Unresolved loan or credit card defaults make a candidate ineligible.

• Ex-servicemen: Ex-servicemen are not engaged under this scheme, and no seats are reserved for them.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee is non-refundable, and online transaction charges are borne by the candidate.

Steps to apply

1. Read the BFSI SSC guidelines: The advertisement asks every candidate to read the registration guidelines on the BFSI Sector Skill Council website before applying.

2. Register on the NAPS portal: Create your candidate profile on apprenticeshipindia.gov.in. This is mandatory before the SBI application.

3. Prepare your scans: Photograph, signature, left thumb impression and a handwritten declaration, in the sizes the advertisement specifies.

4. Apply on the SBI website: Open the apprentice advertisement under Current Openings, fill in the form, choose your state and up to three districts, and capture a live photo.

5. Pay and save: Pay online where a fee applies, then save the e-receipt and the application printout. Nothing is sent to SBI by post.

BFSI Sector Skill Council website: https://bfsissc.com/

Data cannot be changed after final submission, and only the last complete application is kept if you apply more than once. Choose your state and category carefully the first time.

Selection Process

1. Online written test: 100 objective questions for 100 marks. SBI fixes a minimum aggregate, relaxed by 5% for SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates. There is no sectional minimum.

2. Test of local language: Held after the online test for the language of the state you applied for. Candidates who studied that language in Class 10 or Class 12 and produce the mark sheet or certificate are exempt.

3. Medical examination and checks: Engagement depends on medical fitness and on verification of eligibility and documents.

The final list is prepared state-wise and category-wise from online test marks. If two candidates tie at the cut-off, the older candidate ranks higher. A wait list is kept for one year or until the next engagement, whichever is earlier.

SBI Apprentice Exam Pattern

Each wrong answer costs one-fourth of a mark, and unanswered questions carry no penalty. Except for General English, questions are set in 13 regional languages, and the media available to you depend on the state you apply for.

What this means for you

• 36 seconds per question: Every section gives you 15 minutes for 25 questions, so you cannot borrow time from a section you find easy.

• Four wrong answers wipe out one right answer: Guessing blindly on 8 questions and getting 6 wrong costs you 1.5 marks.

• General Awareness is the fastest section: You either know the answer or you do not, so it can bank marks and confidence early.

Older pages may describe a different medium or section order, so follow the current advertisement. The SBI Apprentice exam pattern page breaks down marking and timing in detail.

Syllabus Summary

SBI names the four tests but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus for the apprentice exam. The topics below are built from the advertisement and from the level of SBI's clerical-level tests. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.

See the full SBI Apprentice syllabus for sub-topics and a study order.

Local Language Test

The local language test checks that you can work with customers in the language of your state. It is held only for candidates who qualify the online test, at a centre the bank decides, and you bear your own travel cost. If you fail it, you are not engaged, however good your written score is.

The simplest way to avoid the test is the exemption. If your Class 10 or Class 12 mark sheet or certificate shows that you studied the specified language, keep it ready. If it does not, practise reading, writing and speaking that language before the test.

Stipend, Training and What Comes After

The apprenticeship does not lead to a job automatically. The bank has no obligation to offer regular employment. However, candidates who complete it successfully may get weightage or relaxation in SBI's Junior Associate recruitment, as per the bank's policy at the time. For many graduates, the real value is a year of branch exposure and a recognised certificate before attempting clerical and officer exams.

How to Prepare for the SBI Apprentice Exam

The test is short and sectionally timed, so preparation is mostly about speed with accuracy in each 15-minute block.

• Build the base first: Spend the first four to six weeks on arithmetic, puzzles, grammar and banking terms.

• Read for awareness daily: 30 minutes on banking and economy news, with monthly revision notes.

• Add computer aptitude early: It shares a timer with reasoning, so a few quick computer questions save time for puzzles.

• Move to sectional tests: Practise 25 questions in 15 minutes for each section until you finish with time to review.

Mock tests for SBI Apprentice

SBI does not publish an official mock test for the apprentice exam. The advertisement says an "Acquaint Yourself" booklet with exam details is made available to eligible candidates along with the call letter. Check the official SBI careers page for that booklet and all updates: https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers

For timed practice in the current pattern, you can attempt SBI Apprentice mock tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to see where you lose time. Pair full mocks with short sectional tests, and keep an error log of every wrong or slow question. Testkart's SBI Apprentice study notes can help with quick revision of banking awareness and computer basics.

Cut-off and Merit List

Selection is decided state-wise and category-wise, so the qualifying score in a large state with many seats can differ from that in a small state with few seats. SBI's list of provisionally selected candidates shows roll numbers; we could not verify official state-wise cut-off marks for the 2026 cycle on the SBI website.

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, seats and the number of applicants. Treat any figure you see as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above it rather than a bare pass. The SBI Apprentice cut-off guide explains how to set a realistic target score.