SBI Clerk (Junior Associate) 2026 Prelims Syllabus & Exam Pattern
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The 2026 prelims has 100 questions in 1 hour: English 30, Numerical Ability 35 and Reasoning Ability 35, each timed at 20 minutes, with 1/4 negative marking and no minimum cut-off.
At a glance
| Organisation | State Bank of India (SBI) |
|---|---|
| Status | Current |
| Questions | 100 (English 30, Numerical Ability 35, Reasoning Ability 35) |
| Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 60 minutes (20 minutes per section, timed separately) |
| Negative marking | 1/4 of the marks of a question |
| Cut-off | No minimum marks for a section or in total; about 10 times the vacancies move to the mains |
| Counts for final merit | No, screening only |
Details
Source: SBI advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17 (applications 11 to 31 August 2026). The advertisement lists the sections and timing but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus; the "Acquaint Yourself" booklet that comes with the call letter has the sample questions. The topics below are the areas SBI Clerk prelims papers have commonly covered.
English Language (30 questions, 20 minutes): reading comprehension, cloze test, fill in the blanks, error spotting, sentence improvement, para jumbles, word usage, vocabulary.
Numerical Ability (35 questions, 20 minutes): simplification and approximation, number series, quadratic equations, data interpretation (tables, bar, line, pie, caselet), percentage, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, average, time and work, time, speed and distance, mixtures, mensuration, probability.
Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 20 minutes): puzzles and seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, input-output, data sufficiency.
Each section is timed separately, so you cannot carry time from one section to the next. A wrong answer loses 1/4 of the mark. No minimum marks are set for a section or for the total, and section-wise marks are not kept. About ten times the vacancies are shortlisted for the mains by total marks. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit. The pattern is unchanged in the advertisement; always confirm on the official SBI careers page.
How to use this
- Practise each section against a 20-minute clock.
- Do puzzles, simplification and number series first; they score fastest.
- Avoid blind guesses because of the 1/4 negative marking.
- Take full 100-question mocks, not 50-question ones.
Books for this exam
Choose a book for the topics you need to strengthen. Buying a book is optional; you can continue using our free practice resources.
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Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
By R. S. Aggarwal
An option for chapter-based arithmetic practice. Pair selected exercises with timed previous-year papers for your exam.
Find on Amazon ↗Magical Book on Quicker Maths
By M. Tyra
A commonly used reference for Quant shortcuts. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency
By Arun Sharma
A commonly used reference for Data interpretation. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
By R. S. Aggarwal
A commonly used reference for Reasoning. Check it against your syllabus and the editions your institution prescribes before buying.
Find on Amazon ↗Objective General English
By S. P. Bakshi
An option for revising grammar and vocabulary. Use your practice-test errors to choose the chapters to study next.
Find on Amazon ↗Banking and financial awareness guide
Browse current editions, years and reviews on Amazon, and match them to the latest official syllabus.
Find on Amazon ↗Links open Amazon search results in a new tab. Check the edition, language, seller, price and delivery details on Amazon before ordering.
This post is a plain-language summary prepared by Pratiyogita Kosh from public information. We are not the conducting body. Please verify all dates, eligibility and fees on the official website before you apply.