Can PwBD candidates use a scribe and get extra time in SBI Clerk?

Yes. SBI follows Government of India guidelines on scribes and compensatory time. Here is what the 2026 notification says.

Who can use a scribe

• Persons with a disability of 40% or more who have a physical limitation to write, including that of speed, if they wish.
• Also, under a 2022 Government office memorandum, persons with less than 40% disability who have difficulty in writing, if they produce a certificate from a competent medical authority of a government healthcare institution in the prescribed proforma.

Compensatory time

Candidates eligible for a scribe get 20 minutes for every hour of the exam, whether they use the scribe or not. For a one-hour Prelims, that is 20 extra minutes.

Rules you must follow

1. Indicate the need for a scribe carefully in the online application.
2. Arrange your own scribe at your own cost.
3. If you bring your own scribe, the scribe's qualification should be one step below yours, and you submit the scribe's details in the prescribed proforma.
4. Both you and the scribe give an undertaking in the prescribed format, with the scribe's passport-size photo, at the exam. For Prelims, the scribe form is collected at the venue.
5. Fill the online scribe declaration when the intimation email arrives, and bring its printout on exam day. SBI also uses a scribe portal (scribe.ibps.in) for updating details.

What gets you disqualified

• Using a scribe when not eligible under the guidelines.
• A scribe answering questions independently - the session is terminated and candidature cancelled, even if this is reported after the exam.
• Violating the guidelines can lead to removal from service without notice even after joining.

Other PwBD provisions

PwBD candidates pay no fee, get 10 to 15 years of upper age relaxation depending on category, 4% horizontal reservation, and 5% relaxation in Mains and language test qualifying marks.