The SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 covers the latest paper difficulty, section-wise questions, good attempts, and shift-wise trends to help candidates assess their performance. The SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 exam for the Special Recruitment Drive is scheduled for September 16, 2026, while the exam for Regular Vacancies will be held on September 27 and October 3, 2026, across multiple shifts. Our team will soon update the difficulty level and good attempts as soon the exam ends.
The SBI Clerk Exam analysis provides a detailed overview of the overall and section-wise difficulty level, topic-wise question distribution, good attempts, and important question patterns based on candidate feedback. SBI is recruiting 9,766 Junior Associates through regular vacancies and 1,538 through the Special Recruitment Drive. Candidates can use the shift-wise analysis and previous-year trends to understand the exam level, compare attempts, and assess their chances of qualifying for the Mains examination.
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 Highlights
- Exam Dates: September 16, 2026 (Special Drive), September 27 & October 3, 2026 (Regular Vacancies).
- Vacancies: 9,766 Regular Posts + 1,538 Special Drive Posts.
- Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate across shifts.
- Expected Safe Attempts: 72 to 85 questions with 90% accuracy.
- Negative Marking: -0.25 marks (-1/4th) deducted per incorrect response.
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026
The SBI Clerk Prelims exam analysis 2026 highlights an overall paper difficulty ranging from easy to moderate. Candidates get 60 minutes to attempt 100 multiple-choice questions, with individual sectional timers of 20 minutes enforced automatically.
The table below presents the core examination structure and expected overall attempt targets across all sections:
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Sectional Timing | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes | Easy | 24 – 27 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes | Easy to Moderate | 22 – 27 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes | Easy to Moderate | 26 – 30 |
| Overall Total | 100 | 100 | 60 Minutes | Easy to Moderate | 72 – 85 |
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026- All Shifts
An SBI Clerk exam analysis 2026 shift 1 review serves as a benchmark for candidates taking the test in subsequent shifts. Tracking shift-wise variance ensures that you adjust your speed and question selection strategy accordingly.
Below is the consolidated matrix tracking the status and review of all shifts conducted across the scheduled exam dates:
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 All Day All Shifts
| Exam Dates | Shift 1 (09:00 AM) | Shift 2 (11:30 AM) | Shift 3 (02:00 PM) | Shift 4 (04:30 PM) |
| 16 September 2026 | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated |
| 27 September 2026 | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated |
| 03 October 2026 | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated |
SBI Clerk Prelims Previous Year Exam Analysis
The SBI Clerk reasoning section difficulty shift 1 and the quantitative aptitude sections remain pivotal in determining overall rank. Below is a topic-wise breakdown across all three subjects.
1. SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2025 [Reasoning]
The reasoning section tests logical speed and analytical agility. SBI Clerk Prelims puzzles and seating arrangement questions dominated the section with 15 to 20 total questions asked.
| Topic / Question Type | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Puzzles & Seating Arrangement (Floor, Box, Linear, Circle) | 15 – 20 | Easy to Moderate |
| Syllogism & Inequalities | 6 – 8 | Easy |
| Alphanumeric & Number Series | 5 | Easy |
| Direction Sense & Blood Relations | 3 – 5 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous (Pair formation, Meaningful word) | 2 – 3 | Easy |
| Total | 35 | Easy to Moderate |
2. SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2025 [Quantitative Aptitude]
The SBI Clerk Prelims quantitative aptitude topic-wise analysis indicates that speed calculations form the core scoring foundation. Simplification and approximation carried maximum weightage.
| Topic / Question Type | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Simplification & Approximation | 10 – 12 | Easy |
| Data Interpretation (DI) (Table / Bar Graph) | 10 | Easy to Moderate |
| Arithmetic Word Problems (Ages, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Time & Work, SI/CI) | 8 – 10 | Moderate |
| Missing / Wrong Number Series | 5 | Easy to Moderate |
| Total | 35 | Easy to Moderate |
3. SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2025 [English Language]
The SBI Clerk Prelims English questions asked from 2025 focused on reading fluency, core grammar rules, and vocabulary recognition.
| Topic / Question Type | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Reading Comprehension (RC) (Narrative / Economy-based) | 8 – 10 | Easy to Moderate |
| Error Spotting & Sentence Improvement | 5 | Easy |
| Cloze Test / Fillers | 5 | Easy |
| Para Jumbles / Sentence Rearrangement | 5 | Easy to Moderate |
| Word Swap & Misspelt Words | 3 – 5 | Easy |
| Total | 30 | Easy |
SBI Clerk Prelims Previous Year Difficult and Good Attempts
Analyzing previous year exam trends allows candidates to spot repeating question frameworks and anticipate section-wise difficulty shifts.
The table below outlines historical performance metrics observed during the previous prelims cycle:
| Section | Questions Asked | Historical Difficulty Level | Average Good Attempts |
| English Language | 30 | Easy | 24 – 26 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 26 – 28 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 27 – 30 |
| Overall Paper | 100 | Easy to Moderate | 78 – 84 |
SBI Clerk 2026 Exam Shift Timings
The SBI Clerk Prelims shift timings 2026 require candidates to report at the exam center strictly 1 hour prior to the official test start time.
The daily 4-shift operational timetable is detailed below:
| Shift Phase | Reporting Time | Exam Start Time | Exam End Time |
| Shift 1 | 08:00 AM | 09:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 10:30 AM | 11:30 AM | 12:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 01:00 PM | 02:00 PM | 03:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 03:30 PM | 04:30 PM | 05:30 PM |
SBI Clerk Junior Associate Expected Safe Score & Cut-Off Trends
The SBI Clerk Junior Associate expected safe score ranges between 72 and 84 attempts with high accuracy. However, qualifying thresholds vary across states due to region-specific vacancy distributions.
Factors Influencing SBI Clerk Prelims State Wise Expected Cut Off 2026
- Total state-wise vacancies released in the official notification.
- Total number of candidates appearing per state.
- The overall SBI Clerk 2026 overall paper difficulty level observed across all shifts.
- Historical benchmark cut-offs (generally ranging between 60 to 72 marks for the General category).
Conclusion
Mastering the preliminary examination requires continuous practice, speed optimization, and mock test evaluation. Candidates targeting upcoming shifts should focus on high-weightage topics like simplification, syllogism, and short puzzles to maximize their scores. For comprehensive mock tests, memory-based practice sets, and live exam prep, visit PracticeMock to elevate your preparation and clear the SBI Clerk exam with confidence.
| Also Read | |
| SBI Clerk Notification | SBI Clerk Exam Pattern |
| SBI Clerk Syllabus | SBI Clerk Salary |
| SBI Clerk Cut Off | SBI Clerk Previous Year Question Paper |
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the overall difficulty level in SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026?
The overall paper difficulty level across shifts remains Easy to Moderate. Reasoning and English are typically high-scoring sections, while Quantitative Aptitude involves moderate calculation work.
Is SBI Clerk 2026 prelims shift 1 hard compared to other shifts?
Shift 1 maintains an Easy to Moderate difficulty level. Questions follow standard SBI trends, though individual perception depends on calculation speed in arithmetic and DI sets.
What are the safe attempts for SBI Clerk Junior Associate prelims?
Attempting 72 to 85 questions with $\ge 90\%$ accuracy is considered a safe score to clear the preliminary cutoff and qualify for the Mains examination.
What questions asked in SBI Clerk Prelims today memory based are most important?
Key memory-based topics include floor/box puzzles, simplification (10–12 marks), table/bar data interpretation, error spotting, and reading comprehension passages.
Where can I check the SBI Clerk Prelims paper review for upcoming shifts?
Real-time shift reviews, candidate analysis, memory-based question breakdowns, and sectional difficulty analysis are updated immediately after every shift on this page.
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