SBI Apprentice 2026: Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Dates

The SBI Apprentice programme is a 1-year, fixed-term, contractual engagement under the Apprentices Act 1961 — distinct from regular SBI clerical or officer cadre recruitment. Apprentices are deployed at branches as front-office / back-office support staff and are exposed to deposit operations, KYC, account opening, government scheme channels, cross-sell, and basic clearing/back-office reconciliation. The programme exists to address the temporary staffing gap created by branch expansion and to give fresh graduates structured banking exposure ahead of their full-time career.

Crucially, the SBI Apprentice contract is NOT a precursor to regular SBI employment. At the end of the 1-year engagement, apprentices are released from SBI with a completion certificate; they are NOT auto-absorbed into Junior Associate or Probationary Officer cadre. Apprentices who wish to continue with SBI must independently clear the SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) or SBI PO exam during or after their apprenticeship. The programme is best viewed as a paid 12-month branch-banking internship that builds CV credibility for subsequent banking exam attempts.

Stipend is fixed by SBI in line with Apprentices Act norms and revised periodically. The stipend is a flat Rs 15,000 per month for the one-year engagement — paid as a fixed monthly amount with no DA, HRA, leave encashment, NPS contribution, gratuity or LFC. There is no medical reimbursement, transfer facility or promotion path within the apprentice cadre. Postings are in the candidate's preferred state circle subject to the local language requirement, which is strictly enforced.

Who the programme suits: fresh graduates who want a year of real branch-banking exposure with a fixed stipend while they prepare for the SBI Clerk, SBI PO or IBPS exams, and who can prove proficiency in the local language of the state circle they choose. The online test has four equally weighted sections — General and Financial Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude — each with its own 15-minute window, so it is a speed test on the standard clerical syllabus rather than a test of banking depth. Candidates who have already prepared for a clerical-level bank exam usually need only a few weeks of sectional-timing practice to be ready.

How to use this page: the eligibility section states the age, degree and language conditions as notified; the pattern section gives the online test with its sectional timing and negative marking and the Local Language Test at joining; the syllabus lists topics per section; the preparation section sets out a short, focused plan; and the dates section tracks the cycle. Treat the apprenticeship as a paid learning year: use it to build the practical familiarity with deposit products, KYC, clearing and digital channels that the awareness sections of the Clerk and PO exams reward, and keep studying for those exams throughout, since the apprenticeship itself does not lead to a permanent post.