SBI Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 7,150 Vacancies Open Across India — Apply Before 8 June

State Bank of India has released a major recruitment notification for apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961. A total of 7,150 training seats are on offer across 34 states and Union Territories, making this one of the largest apprenticeship drives in the banking sector this year. Online registration is open from 19 May 2026 and closes on 8 June 2026.

The advertisement carries the reference number CRPD/APPR/2026-27/07 and is issued by SBI's Central Recruitment and Promotion Department (CRPD), Corporate Centre, Mumbai.

Important Dates

•       Online Registration Opens: 19 May 2026

•       Last Date to Apply: 8 June 2026

•       Call Letter Download: Tentatively June 2026

•       Online Examination: Tentatively July 2026

Total Vacancies and Category-Wise Breakdown

The 7,150 seats are distributed across Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Section (EWS), and Unreserved (UR) categories, in accordance with prevailing Government of India reservation guidelines. The category-wise totals are as follows:

•       SC: 1,107 seats

•       ST: 586 seats

•       OBC: 1,672 seats

•       EWS: 699 seats

•       UR: 3,086 seats

Horizontal reservation is also available for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), covering Visually Impaired (VI), Hearing Impaired (HI), Locomotor Disability (LD), and other specified disability categories under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The total PwBD seats across VI, HI, LD, and d&e categories are 92, 79, 70, and 63 respectively.

State-Wise Highlights

Andhra Pradesh leads with 709 seats, followed by Uttar Pradesh (561), Maharashtra (504), Telangana (491), West Bengal (460), and Kerala (403). Smaller states and UTs like Manipur (6), Meghalaya (8), Goa (16), and UT Ladakh (15) also have dedicated seats.

Candidates can apply for only one state. The bank will allot a specific district for training based on administrative requirements and its own discretion. At the time of registration, candidates can indicate up to three preferred districts in their chosen state — though this does not guarantee placement in any of those districts.

Eligibility Criteria

Age

Candidates must be between 20 and 28 years of age as on 1 April 2026. That means applicants must have been born no earlier than 2 April 1998 and no later than 1 April 2006. The upper age limit of 28 applies to General and EWS candidates. Age relaxation is available for SC, ST, OBC, and PwBD candidates as per Government of India guidelines.

Educational Qualification

A graduation degree from a recognised university or institute is required. The qualification must have been attained as on 1 April 2026.

Candidates who have already completed an apprenticeship under any organisation, or who are currently undergoing one, are not eligible. Those who have acquired work experience or training of one year or more after completing their graduation also cannot apply.

Duration of Training and Stipend

The apprenticeship spans one year. During this period, selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 15,000. No other allowances or benefits are payable. It is important to note that apprentices will not be treated as employees of SBI, and the bank has no obligation to offer regular employment upon completion of the training period.

However, candidates who successfully complete their training — including the skill evaluation test (Trade Test) and receive a joint National Apprenticeship Certificate from SBI-NSDC or BFSI-SSC — may receive weightage or relaxation in SBI's recruitment process for Junior Associate posts, subject to the bank's prevailing recruitment policy.

Selection Process

Selection will be based on two stages:

•       Online Written Examination (Objective Type)

•       Test of Local Language

Online Written Examination

The online written test consists of 100 objective-type questions carrying 100 marks, to be completed in 60 minutes. Each section has a separate time limit. The structure is as follows:

There is negative marking — one-fourth of a mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. The General English section is available only in English. All other sections are available in English, Hindi, and 13 regional languages including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Konkani, and Manipuri — depending on the state applied for.

Candidates will be ranked state-wise and category-wise based on their aggregate score. Where two candidates share the same aggregate marks at the cut-off point, the older candidate will be ranked higher.

Local Language Test

After qualifying the written examination, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the specified local language of the state they applied for. This includes reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the language. Candidates who can produce a Class 10 or Class 12 mark sheet or certificate showing the specified local language as a studied subject are exempted from this test.

Medical Examination

Engagement is conditional on the candidate being declared medically fit as per the Bank's requirements.

Application Fee

•       General, OBC, and EWS candidates: Rs. 300

•       SC, ST, and PwBD candidates: Nil

The fee is non-refundable and cannot be adjusted against any other examination or process.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted online. No other mode of application will be accepted.

•       Step 1: Register on the NAPS portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in. This is mandatory before proceeding to the SBI application.

•       Step 2: Visit sbi.co.in/careers or sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings and open the online application form under Current Openings.

•       Step 3: Fill in the form carefully, upload scanned copies of your photograph, signature, left thumb impression, and handwritten declaration as per the specifications given in the advertisement.

•       Step 4: Pay the application fee online using a debit card, credit card, or internet banking.

•       Step 5: Save a printout of the e-receipt and application form for your records. Do not send any hard copy to SBI.

Call letters for the examination can be downloaded tentatively from the Bank's website in June 2026. No hard copy will be dispatched by post.

Things to Keep in Mind

•       Candidates can apply for only one state and appear in this recruitment process only once.

•       Change of category is not permitted after the online application is submitted.

•       Apprentices are not employees of SBI. The engagement is purely for training purposes under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

•       SBI has no obligation to absorb apprentices into regular employment after the training period ends.

•       Candidates with a default history in loan or credit card repayments with banks or financial institutions may not be eligible for engagement.

•       All candidates, except those from northeastern states, must produce an Aadhaar number at the time of contract signing.

•       No travel expenses will be reimbursed for attending the examination or the local language test.

•       A wait list will be maintained for one year from the date of result, or until the next engagement exercise — whichever is earlier.