Is there normalisation of marks in SBI Clerk, and how does it work?

This is one of the most searched questions, and the honest answer has two parts.

What SBI's documents say

The 2026 Junior Associate notification and the Prelims and Mains "Acquaint Yourself" booklets describe the sections, timing, negative marking and how candidates are shortlisted in descending order of aggregate marks. They do not describe a normalisation method or publish a formula. So there is no official SBI statement for this exam that we can quote on how scores from different shifts are adjusted.

Why people expect normalisation

Prelims is held over several days and shifts (in 2026, on 26 and 27 September, with multiple shifts each day), and each shift has a different question paper. Some papers turn out easier than others. Normalisation is a way to put scores from different shifts on a common scale so that candidates are not helped or hurt by their shift.

What the commonly described method is

IBPS, which handles registration and call letters for the SBI Junior Associate exam, has described an equipercentile equating method for its own multi-shift exams. Education sites explain it like this:

1. Candidates in each shift are ranked by raw score and given percentile ranks.
2. A raw score in one shift is treated as equal to the raw score with the same percentile rank in a reference shift.
3. So a 60 in a hard shift may be equated to a higher score in an easier shift.

Whether SBI applies exactly this for Junior Associates is not stated in its notification.

What you should take from this

• Do not panic over a "tough shift". If adjustment is applied, its purpose is to remove that disadvantage.
• Do not compare raw scores across shifts with friends to predict results. Your marks as published by SBI are the figure that counts.
• Focus on accuracy. Whatever the method, a better rank within your own shift helps.