SBI Clerk Prelims Syllabus 2025 & Strategy to Clear in First Attempt

SBI Clerk exam syllabus.

It’s divided into Preliminary and Main exams.

1. Preliminary Exam (Objective)

Total Marks: 100 | Duration: 60 minutes
Sections:

1. English Language – 30 questions

Reading Comprehension

Short passages (story, economy, banking, daily life)
Inference, synonym/antonym, tone-based Qs

Grammar & Sentence-based

Error spotting
Sentence improvement/correction
Fill in the blanks (single/double)
Cloze test (paragraph with blanks)

Vocabulary

Synonyms/Antonyms
Word usage (choose the correct word in the sentence)
Para jumble (arrange sentences in order)
Error Detection
Sentence Correction
Cloze Test
Fill in the blanks
Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms)

🔑 Focus: Reading + Grammar + Vocabulary

2. Numerical Ability – 35 questions

Data Interpretation (Tables, Bar Graph, Line Graph, Pie Chart, Caselet)
Arithmetic Problems:

Simplification & Approximation

Profit, Loss & Partnership
Simple & Compound Interest
Time, Speed & Distance
Time & Work / Pipes & Cisterns
Mixture & Alligation
Ratio & Proportion
Percentage & Average
Problems on Ages

Number-based

Number Series (missing & wrong number)
Quadratic Equations

3. Reasoning Ability – 35 questions

Puzzles & Seating Arrangement

Linear arrangement (row facing north/south)
Circular arrangement (facing inside/outside)
Box/Month/Day-based puzzle
Floor arrangement
Mixed puzzle (combination of the above)

Inequalities & Coding

Direct inequalities
Coded inequalities
Coding-Decoding (new/old pattern)

Logical Relations

Blood Relations (direct & coded)
Direction sense
Ranking/Order

Miscellaneous

Alphanumeric/Number series
Syllogism (old/new pattern)
Input-Output (less frequent but important)

Note: Prelims is only qualifying; marks are not counted for final selection but you must pass the cut-off.

Target for Prelims

English: Aim 20+ marks (easy to score if grammar basics are strong)
Quant: Aim 22–25 marks (speed-oriented)
Reasoning: Aim 25–28 marks (puzzles + easy Qs)
Safe Score: 60+ (well above most General cutoffs)

2. Main Exam (Objective + Descriptive)

Total Marks: 200 | Duration: 160 minutes

Objective Sections:

1. General/Financial Awareness – 50 questions

Current Affairs (Banking, Finance, National & International)
Banking Awareness
Static GK
Economy & Budget

2. General English – 40 questions

Reading Comprehension
Cloze Test
Paragraph Completion
Grammar (Error Detection, Sentence Improvement)
Vocabulary

3. Quantitative Aptitude – 50 questions

Arithmetic (Same as Prelims, more advanced)
Data Interpretation (Line, Pie, Bar, Radar, Tabular)
Simplification / Approximation
Number Series

4. Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude – 50 questions

Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
Syllogism
Coding-Decoding
Blood Relations & Direction Sense
Computer Basics (Hardware, Software, Internet, MS Office)

Descriptive Test (Letter Writing & Essay) – 30 minutes | 25 marks

Topics: Banking, Finance, Social issues, or general topics
Tests writing skills and clarity of thought

The SBI Clerk exam cut-off marks vary by state and category. For the General (UR) category, the cut-offs for the Prelims can range from 45 to 80, depending on the state.

Smart strategy to follow

The key is speed + accuracy, because prelims are just qualifying.

1. Understand the Exam Pattern

Sections & Time:

English Language – 30 Q – 20 min
Numerical Ability – 35 Q – 20 min
Reasoning Ability – 35 Q – 20 min

Total: 100 Q – 60 min

You get roughly 1 min per question, so practice speed is crucial.

2. Section-wise Strategy

A. English Language

Focus on reading comprehension and grammar.
High-yield topics:

Cloze test, Fill in the blanks, Error spotting
Vocabulary (Synonyms & Antonyms)

Shortcut: Don’t waste time on hard RCs; pick easy passages first.

B. Numerical Ability

Focus on speed arithmetic:

Simplification/Approximation, Number series, Data Interpretation (DI), Time, Work, Profit & Loss, Percentage.

DI strategy: Attempt easy sets first, skip tough ones for later.
Practice mental math & tables for faster calculation.

C. Reasoning Ability

Focus on puzzles & seating arrangement: these take most time.
Other easy topics: Coding-Decoding, Inequalities, Directions, Blood Relations.
Time-saving tip: Do easy reasoning questions first, leave complex puzzles for last.

3. General Tips

Mock Tests: Take at least 3–5 full-length mocks per week, closer to the exam.
Sectional Accuracy: Target 80–85% accuracy. Don’t guess blindly—negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer.
Time Management: Don't spend too much time on any question, Leave the question if cant solve in the time.
Shortcut Tricks: Learn tables, squares, cubes, approximation techniques, and common puzzle patterns.
Cut-off mindset: For the General category, aim for 55–60 marks in the Prelims to safely clear.

SBI Clerk (Junior Associate / Clerk) exam competition

In 2024, the SBI Clerk Recruitment saw an overwhelming response with 19.9 lakh registrations for 14,191 vacancies. From these applicants, SBI shortlists around 10 times the number of vacancies for the Mains exam. This meant that nearly 1.4 lakh candidates (about 7.5% of the total applicants) cleared the Prelims.

Finally, out of those 1.4 lakh candidates, 14,191 were selected, matching the number of available vacancies.