{"id":203800,"date":"2026-06-19T14:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/?p=203800"},"modified":"2026-06-19T11:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T05:54:45","slug":"how-many-questions-should-you-attempt-in-sbi-po-prelims-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/how-many-questions-should-you-attempt-in-sbi-po-prelims-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Questions Should You Attempt in SBI PO Prelims 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/span> \u00bb SBI PO<\/a><\/span> \u00bb SBI PO Prelims Attempts 2026<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

If you have been taking sectional tests and wondering whether 72 attempts is “good enough” or whether you should be pushing for 85, you are asking the right question at the right time. Most aspirants preparing for SBI PO Prelims 2026 obsess over accuracy<\/em> and forget that the exam is won and lost on a second variable entirely: how many questions you choose to attempt in the first place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide breaks down exactly how many questions you should be attempting, section by section, based on the real SBI PO Prelims 2026 exam pattern, the 0.25 negative marking rule, and what the expected cut off actually demands from you. By the end, you will have a number in your head \u2014 not a vague feeling \u2014 that you can take into every mock test from today onwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Quick Answer: The Ideal Attempt Range for SBI PO Prelims 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For most General category aspirants, the safe and effective attempt range is 72\u201380 questions out of 100<\/strong>, with an accuracy of 85% or higher. This typically converts to a net score in the 65\u201372 range, which sits comfortably above the expected cut off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that number looks lower than what toppers post in their screenshots, that is intentional. A high attempt count with poor accuracy will hurt you more than a moderate attempt count with sharp accuracy, because every wrong answer in SBI PO Prelims costs you 0.25 marks. We will show you the exact math behind this in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SBI PO Prelims 2026 Exam Pattern: The Numbers You Are Working With<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before deciding how many questions to attempt, you need to know exactly what you are attempting. The SBI PO Prelims exam consists of 100 objective-type questions carrying 100 marks in total, split across three sections, each with its own independent 20-minute timer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Section<\/th>No. of Questions<\/th>Maximum Marks<\/th>Duration<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
English Language<\/td>40<\/td>40<\/td>20 Minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Quantitative Aptitude<\/td>30<\/td>30<\/td>20 Minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Reasoning Ability<\/td>30<\/td>30<\/td>20 Minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Total<\/strong><\/td>100<\/strong><\/td>100<\/strong><\/td>60 Minutes<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two details in this pattern directly shape your attempt strategy, and most aspirants underestimate both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the sectional timing is fixed and cannot be shifted. You cannot borrow five extra minutes from English to rescue a stuck Reasoning puzzle. This means your attempt number is not one decision made at the end of the exam \u2014 it is three separate decisions, made section by section, in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, there is no sectional cut off in Prelims. Only the overall aggregate score matters for shortlisting to Mains. This works in your favour: if Reasoning puzzles are eating your time today, you are allowed to lean harder on Quant or English to compensate, as long as your total score clears the bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why “How Many to Attempt” Matters More Than “How Many You Know”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here is the uncomfortable truth that separates candidates who clear Prelims comfortably from those who scrape through, or worse, fall just short: knowing the answer to a question and choosing to attempt it under exam pressure are two different skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For every incorrect answer in SBI PO Prelims, 0.25 marks are deducted. There is no penalty for a question you leave unattempted. This single rule should completely reshape how you think about borderline questions \u2014 the ones where you are 60% confident, not 95% confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s run the actual numbers so this stops being abstract:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scenario<\/th>Attempted<\/th>Correct<\/th>Wrong<\/th>Net Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
High attempt, low accuracy<\/td>90<\/td>60<\/td>30<\/td>60 \u2212 7.5 = 52.5<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Moderate attempt, high accuracy<\/td>75<\/td>68<\/td>7<\/td>68 \u2212 1.75 = 66.25<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Balanced attempt, strong accuracy<\/td>80<\/td>71<\/td>9<\/td>71 \u2212 2.25 = 68.75<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Notice that the candidate who attempted 90 questions scored lower than the one who attempted 75. This is not a one-off; it is what happens every single time a candidate chases volume over selection. The candidates who consistently post the highest scores are not the ones who attempt the most \u2014 they are the ones who attempt the right<\/em> questions and skip the traps designed to slow them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Section-Wise Attempt Strategy for SBI PO Prelims 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A single overall number is useful as a target, but you win or lose this exam section by section. Here is how to think about each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

English Language: Attempt 28\u201332 out of 40<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

English is typically the most time-flexible section because grammar and vocabulary-based questions (Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fillers) can be solved in under 20 seconds once your concepts are clear. Reading Comprehension is where most of your 20 minutes will go, and it is also where accuracy tends to drop if you rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treat the RC passage as a guaranteed-attempt zone, but read it once for comprehension rather than skimming twice. For Cloze Test and Para Jumbles, attempt only if you can eliminate at least two options confidently \u2014 these are designed to look solvable in 10 seconds and actually take 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantitative Aptitude: Attempt 22\u201326 out of 30<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quant rewards selection more than any other section. Simplification and Approximation questions should be your opening move in every mock \u2014 they are calculation-heavy but conceptually simple, and they bank your first 6\u20138 marks fast. Number Series and Quadratic Equations follow next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Interpretation sets are the section’s biggest time trap. If a DI set requires you to calculate values you cannot estimate quickly, it is often more efficient to solve 2 out of 5 questions in that set and move on, rather than getting all 5 at the cost of 6 minutes you do not have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reasoning Ability: Attempt 22\u201326 out of 30<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Puzzles and Seating Arrangement dominate this section’s weightage, and they are binary in nature \u2014 you either crack the full arrangement or you are stuck guessing on every question tied to it. The smarter approach is to scan all puzzle sets in the first 60 seconds and start with the one that gives you the most direct starting clue (a fixed position, a definite “sits immediately left of” statement).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syllogism and Inequality are comparatively faster once the rules are second nature, and they should be near-100% attempt zones for anyone who has practiced them properly. Coding-Decoding and Blood Relations are moderate-speed, moderate-risk \u2014 attempt these after you have locked in the safer marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Your Attempt Number Should Change With Your Accuracy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is no single “correct” attempt number for every aspirant \u2014 it depends entirely on how accurate you are when you attempt a question. Use this as a working guide during your mock test phase:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Typical Accuracy<\/th>Recommended Attempts<\/th>Why<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
95%+ (Very High)<\/td>85\u201392<\/td>You can afford to attempt borderline questions; wrong-answer risk is minimal.<\/td><\/tr>
85\u201394% (High)<\/td>75\u201384<\/td>The safe zone for most well-prepared aspirants \u2014 strong net score with controlled risk.<\/td><\/tr>
70\u201384% (Moderate)<\/td>65\u201374<\/td>Focus on consolidating accuracy before pushing attempt count higher.<\/td><\/tr>
Below 70% (Building)<\/td>55\u201364<\/td>Prioritise concept clarity first; chasing volume here will hurt your net score.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you genuinely don’t know your accuracy percentage yet, that is the first gap to close \u2014 not your attempt count. Every full-length mock you take should end with you calculating this number, because it is the single input that tells you whether to push harder or pull back next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test Yourself: SBI PO Prelims 2026 Mini Mock<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reading about attempt strategy only gets you halfway there. The real test is whether you can apply “attempt or skip” decisions under an actual ticking clock. Below is a 20-question timed mini mock covering all three sections in the same ratio as the real exam \u2014 give yourself 12 minutes and see where your instincts land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SBI PO Prelims 2026 Mini Mock \u2013 Real-Time Quiz<\/h2>\n\n

Instructions:<\/b> Select one option for each question and click Submit Test. Your score will be calculated instantly.<\/p>\n\n

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Q1. CP = SP of 16 articles when CP = 20 articles. Profit %?<\/h3>\n