State Bank of India (SBI) has released the Preliminary Examination admit card for the Special Recruitment Drive covering 1,538 backlog vacancies of Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales), under Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16. If you’re appearing for this exam, this guide covers not just the download steps, but everything you need to walk into the centre fully prepared — required documents, prohibited items, shift timings, and the mistakes that get candidates turned away every single exam cycle.
For eligibility, vacancy breakup, and salary details of this drive, see our full SBI Clerk recruitment notification for the 1,538 backlog posts.
1. Admit Card Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Post | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Advertisement No. | CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 |
| Recruitment Type | Special Recruitment Drive for SC/ST/OBC Backlog Vacancies |
| Total Vacancies | 1,538 |
| Exam Stage | Preliminary Examination |
| Admit Card Release Date | 9 September 2026 |
| Prelims Exam Date | 16 September 2026 |
| Exam Mode | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Official Website | sbi.bank.in |
2. How to Download SBI Clerk Admit Card 2026
- Visit the official SBI careers portal at sbi.bank.in/web/careers.
- Go to “Current Openings” and find Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 for Junior Associate Backlog Recruitment.
- Click “Download Online Preliminary Exam Call Letter.”
- Enter your Registration Number/Application Number, plus your Password or Date of Birth.
- Enter the CAPTCHA and submit.
- Verify your name, photograph, roll number, exam centre, and shift on screen.
- Download the PDF and print at least two copies.
3. SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Shift Timings
| Shift | Reporting Time | Exam Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 10:30 AM | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
Your shift is fixed on your individual admit card and cannot be changed — candidates who miss their allotted slot are not accommodated in a different one on the same day.
4. Documents to Carry — Mandatory Checklist
| Item | Required? |
|---|---|
| Printed admit card with photograph affixed | Yes |
| Original valid photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, Voter ID, or Driving Licence) | Yes |
| Photocopy of the same photo ID | Yes |
| One extra passport-size photograph (same as uploaded online) | Yes |
| PwBD certificate, if applicable | Yes, if applicable |
| Transparent water bottle | Allowed, centre-dependent |
Two IDs that are not accepted anywhere in SBI’s exam process: a Ration Card and a Learner’s Driving Licence. Carrying only one of these as your sole ID is one of the most common reasons candidates are denied entry.
5. Items Strictly Prohibited Inside the Exam Centre
- Mobile phones, smartwatches, fitness bands, or any wearable electronics
- Bluetooth devices, earphones, or microphones
- Calculators, pagers, or digital diaries
- Any written material, loose paper, or printed notes
- Metallic items, wallets, handbags, or purses
- Packaged or open food items (a transparent water bottle is generally the only exception)
Leave all of the above at home or in your vehicle — most centres have no secure storage, and getting caught with a phone (even switched off, even outside the hall) can lead to disqualification, not just confiscation.
6. Exam-Day Timeline: What Actually Happens
- Arrive at least 1 hour before your reporting time — not your exam start time. Verification queues move slowly.
- Entry gates close 30 minutes before the exam start time. Latecomers are not admitted under any circumstances, even by a few minutes.
- At the gate, your admit card and ID are checked, followed by a biometric or photograph capture at your seat.
- You’ll be assigned a system and given rough sheets — all rough work must stay on these sheets and be submitted before leaving.
- Once the exam starts, you cannot leave the hall until it ends or the invigilator permits it.
- Wear light, simple clothing without metal buttons, badges, or bulky accessories — these can trigger extra frisking delays.
7. Common Mistakes That Get Candidates Turned Away
- Bringing only a photocopy of the photo ID, with no original
- Forgetting to paste a photograph on the printed admit card where required
- Using an ID type that doesn’t match the one entered during registration
- Reaching within the reporting window but after the gate has already closed
- Carrying a smartwatch or phone “just in case,” assuming it’ll be allowed if switched off
Each of these has ended someone’s exam attempt in past SBI Clerk cycles — none of them are worth the risk for something you can prepare the night before.
8. Quick Recap: SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
Total: 100 marks in 1 hour, with separate sectional timers (you can’t shift time between sections) and 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. Full eligibility, salary, and selection details are in our SBI Clerk recruitment notification.
A practical tip for the day: since sections are individually timed, decide your section order and pacing in advance rather than deciding on the spot — most candidates lose more marks to rushed guessing in the final two minutes of a section than to genuinely hard questions.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
On 9 September 2026, for the Preliminary Examination on 16 September 2026.
1,538 backlog vacancies for Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales), reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates.
Only at sbi.bank.in/web/careers, under the relevant advertisement number — never through third-party links.
No. Ration Cards and Learner’s Driving Licences are not accepted anywhere in the SBI Clerk process.
You will not be permitted entry, even if you arrive before your exam start time — the 30-minute gate-closing rule is strictly enforced.
No. All wearable electronics are banned inside the centre regardless of whether they’re powered on.
Contact SBI’s official recruitment helpdesk immediately — don’t wait until exam day to report a discrepancy.
16 September 2026, conducted online in computer-based test (CBT) mode across four shifts.
10. Official Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Admit Card Download Portal | sbi.bank.in/web/careers |
| SBI Special Recruitment Drive Page | sbi.bank.in/web/careers/ja-spldrive-pet-2026 |
| Full Recruitment Notification (1,538 posts) | Read on Jobtheta |
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