How to Prepare Smartly for SBI PO 2025 Mains Exam

Are you waiting for the SBI PO Prelims result before starting your Mains preparation? If yes, then you might be making a mistake. Everyone knows that the Prelims are over, but instead of wasting time, this is the best moment to gear up for the next big step ,the SBI PO Mains exam. The Mains is much tougher, the competition is higher, and most importantly, the marks you score here will directly decide your final selection. So rather than just thinking about “how many questions to attempt,” it’s time to focus on “how many correct questions you can attempt.” Smart planning, regular practice, and proper analysis will be the key to cracking it. Also, read this blog you will find some useful tips that will help you score better in SBI PO Mains.

SBI PO 2025 Mains Exam Pattern & Syllabus

The SBI PO Mains Exam includes two parts: an Objective Test and a Descriptive Test. The Objective Test tests your skills in four main areas: Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Data Analysis & Interpretation, General Awareness / Economy/ Banking Knowledge, and English Language. The Descriptive Test focuses on Report Writing, Emails, and Precis/Situation Analysis to test your communication and decision-making abilities.

 Important Points : 

• The Mains exam carries 200 marks and must be completed in 3 hours.
  
• The Descriptive Paper is of 50 marks with 30 minutes allotted.
  
• Penalty for wrong answers: There will be a penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the students,1/4th of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted.
  
• There are sectional timings and sectional cut-offs, which means you must clear each section separately.
  
• The Descriptive Test includes 3 questions related to email/report/precis writing/Situation Analysis
  

 SBI PO Mains 2025 Exam Pattern (Revised)

**Please note: Some important details about the Descriptive test.

• Emails – One out of two options (Compulsory)
  
• Reports – One out of two options (Compulsory)
  
• Either Situation Analysis or Precis Writing – Choose one out of two options
  

How to Attempt Mock Tests For SBI PO Mains?

Students should start preparation with topic-wise mock tests. Once topics are strong, move to mini mocks that combine 2–3 topics to improve speed, accuracy, and time management.It’s not possible to give two full Mains mocks daily. Give one full mock every 2–3 days and use the rest of the time for mini mocks and revision of weak areas.

After every mock, analyze your mistakes. Check wrong questions or skipped questions, find the reason where you went wrong, and revise those topics. Keep a notebook of new formulas, concepts, and tricky questions for quick revision later.

Best Tips To Boost Your SBI PO Mains Score

Do you know that many students clear the Prelims but fail in the Mains because they do not change their preparation strategy. The Mains exam needs more depth, more accuracy, and a different approach. Here are some best tips that can help make preparation more productive and increase the chances of clearing the exam.

1. Check Last Year’s Cut-off to Set a Safe Score

The very first step in smart preparation is to check the previous year’s Mains cut-off. This gives you an idea of the minimum marks needed to be safe. But remember, cut-offs change every year based on paper difficulty, vacancies, and overall performance of candidates. Use it only as a guide and for at least 20 marks more than last year’s cut-off. 

2. Shift Focus to Mains-Level Questions Immediately

Prelims and Mains are completely different in difficulty level. While Prelims questions are direct, Mains questions are lengthy. The moment Prelims ends, the focus should shift to Mains-level Reasoning, Quant, and English practice. 

3. Make General Awareness Your High-Scoring Section

The General Awareness (GA) section is often ignored, but it doesn’t require calculations and can be learned with regular revision. Cover the last 6 months’ current affairs, starting from August and going back to March. Along with this, revise static GK, banking awareness, and important financial updates. 

4. Take One Full-Length Mock Test at the Start

Before making a study plan, take a full-length Mains mock test. This will show where the preparation currently stands and which sections need improvement. After the test, spend time analyzing mistakes and take a notes of it.

5. Use Topic-Wise and Mini Mocks for Daily Practice

Full-length mocks every day are not required in the beginning and not even practically possible. Start with topic-wise mocks for individual chapters. Once those are strong, shift to mini mocks that combine 2–3 topics.

6. Attempt Full-Length Mocks Every 2–3 Days

Giving too many full-length mocks without analysis is a waste of time and energy. Instead, attempt one every 2–3 days, and spend the remaining time working on weak areas found during the analysis.

7. Analyze Every Mock in Detail

After each mock, go through every wrong and skipped question. Ask the question Why did the mistake happen? Was it due to a lack of knowledge, a calculation error, or time pressure? Then work specifically on those weaknesses.

8. Maintain a Special Revision Notebook

Make a separate notebook to write down important formulas, tricky solutions, shortcuts, and new concepts found during practice. This notebook will be important for quick revision before the exam.

9. Practice Sectional Time Management

There should be a balance between speed and accuracy. Mains has a fixed time limit for each section, so speed alone is not enough; accuracy within time is what is important

10. Prepare for the Descriptive Paper in Advance

The descriptive paper carries 50 marks and plays an important role in the final selection. Practice emails, reports, précis writing, and situation analysis regularly. You need to Follow proper format, keep it brief, and make sure grammar is correct. Even a small improvement here can push the mains score higher.

Here is what the Successful Candidates say about the practice mock. Have a look. You never know may be you are the next one.

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