The SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026 for Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) began on 26 September 2026. The exam runs in four shifts each day. This article covers the SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 for every shift of Day 1.
It includes the difficulty level, good attempts, and the topics asked in each section. Candidates with upcoming shifts can use it to see which topics carry the most weight and plan their time.
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026: Overview
We update this page after each shift ends, based on feedback from candidates who took the exam.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 |
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Post | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Exam Dates | 26 & 27 September 2026 |
| Shifts Per Day | 4 |
| Exam Mode | Online (CBT) |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 60 Minutes (20 minutes per section) |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks per wrong answer |
| Section Order | English → Numerical Ability → Reasoning Ability |
SBI Clerk Prelims Shift Timings 2026
| Shift | Exam Timing |
|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Each section has its own 20-minute timer. When a section’s time runs out, the next section opens automatically. This makes time management within each section important.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
SBI Clerk Shift 1 Exam Analysis 2026 (26 September)
Candidates rated the overall Shift 1 paper Easy to Moderate. English was the easiest section. Numerical Ability needed fast calculation, and Reasoning had four puzzle sets that took up much of the section’s 20 minutes.
Shift 1: Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
| Section | Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | Easy | 24–27 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 22–26 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 26–28 |
| Overall | 100 | Easy to Moderate | 72–83 |
Shift 1: English Language Analysis
The Reading Comprehension passage was a story about a cricketer. The remaining questions tested grammar and sentence structure.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (Cricketer-based story) | 8 |
| Phrase Replacement | 3–4 |
| Fill in the Blanks (Single Filler) | 3–4 |
| Sentence-Based Error Detection | 4 |
| Word Swap | 4 |
| Para Jumbles | 5 |
| Total | 30 |
Shift 1: Numerical Ability Analysis
This section had two DI sets. The Table DI covered marks in two subjects (Economics and History), and the second was a Line Graph DI. Simplification and Arithmetic made up most of the section.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Simplification / Approximation | 11–12 |
| Table DI (Economics & History marks) | 5 |
| Line Graph DI | 5 |
| Arithmetic | 14–15 |
| Total | 35 |
Shift 1: Reasoning Ability Analysis
Reasoning had four puzzle and arrangement sets. The rest was spread across short topics such as Syllogism, Inequality, Direction and Word Series.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Uncertain Number of Persons (max 14, North facing) | 3 |
| Box-Based Puzzle (8 boxes) | 5 |
| Month & Day-Based Puzzle (September to December) | 5 |
| Box-Based Puzzle (Number-based, 8 boxes) | 5 |
| Syllogism | 3 |
| Inequality | 3 |
| Direction & Distance | 3 |
| Word Series | 5 |
| Pair Formation (Word) | 1 |
| Odd One Out | 1 |
| Number-Based (Three-letter word) | 1 |
| Total | 35 |
SBI Clerk Shift 2 Exam Analysis 2026 (26 September)
In Shift 2, English was again rated easy. Numerical Ability was mostly calculation-based. Reasoning was puzzle-heavy, with four puzzle sets of five questions each.
Shift 2: Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
| Section | Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | Easy | 25+ |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Moderate | 18+ |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy | 30+ |
| Overall | 100 | Easy | 83+ |
Shift 2: English Language Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 10-11 |
| Fill in the Blanks | 3-4 |
| Correct/Incorrect | 3-5 |
| Phrase Replacement | 4-5 |
| Word Swap | 2-3 |
| Match the Column | 1-2 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 2-3 |
Shift 2: Numerical Ability Analysis
This shift also had two DI sets. The Table DI covered books and magazines sold by a library from Monday to Thursday. The Bar Graph DI covered laptops sold by A, B, C and D.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Table DI (Library: books & magazines, Mon–Thu) | 4-5 |
| Bar Graph DI (Laptops sold by A, B, C & D) | 5-6 |
| Missing Number Series | 2-3 |
| Arithmetic | 9–11 |
| Simplification | 11–12 |
| Total | 35 |
Shift 2: Reasoning Ability Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Linear Seating Arrangement (11 persons) | 5 |
| Date & Month-Based Puzzle | 5 |
| Square Seating Arrangement (8 persons, facing inside) | 5 |
| Month-Based Puzzle (January to August) | 5 |
| Number Series-Based Questions | 5 |
| Syllogism | 3 |
| Blood Relation | 2-3 |
| Miscellaneous | 3–5 |
SBI Clerk Shift 3 Exam Analysis 2026 (26 September)
Candidates rated the overall Shift 3 paper Easy to Moderate. This shift differed from the first two in a few ways. Numerical Ability had three DI sets instead of two. Reasoning had three puzzle sets instead of four. English included a Cloze Test and Misspelt questions, neither of which appeared in the earlier shifts.
Shift 3: Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
| Section | Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | Easy to Moderate | 23–26 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 27–30 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 30–33 |
| Overall | 100 | Easy to Moderate | 80–86 |
Shift 3: English Language Analysis
The Reading Comprehension passage was based on a festival, and the Cloze Test was on the use of mobile phones.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (Festival-based) | 8-9 |
| Cloze Test (Usage of Mobile Phones) | 6-7 |
| Column-Based | 3-4 |
| Misspelt | 5-6 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 3-4 |
| Sentence-Based Error Detection | 5-6 |
| Total | 30 |
Shift 3: Numerical Ability Analysis
This section had three DI sets: a Line Graph DI, a Table DI and a Caselet DI. Together they made up 15 questions. Simplification had fewer questions than in the first two shifts.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Simplification | 8-9 |
| Missing Number Series | 3-4 |
| Line Graph DI | 4-5 |
| Table DI | 5-6 |
| Caselet DI | 4-5 |
| Arithmetic | 8-9 |
| Total | 35 |
Shift 3: Reasoning Ability Analysis
Reasoning had three puzzle sets of five questions each. Coding-Decoding (4 questions) appeared in this shift, while Inequality was not asked.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Double Row Puzzle (10 Persons) | 4-5 |
| Sequence-Based Puzzle | 5-6 |
| Week-Based Puzzle | 4-5 |
| Blood Relation | 2-3 |
| Syllogism | 2-3 |
| Order & Ranking | 3-4 |
| Direction & Distance | 2-4 |
| Alphanumeric Series | 4-5 |
| Pair Formation | 1 |
| Coding-Decoding | 4 |
| Meaningful Word | 1 |
| Total | 35 |
SBI Clerk Shift 4 Exam Analysis 2026 (26 September)
The Shift 4 analysis will be added after the exam ends at 5:30 PM.
Shift 4: Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
| Section | Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
| Overall | 100 | [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
Shift 4: English Language Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
Shift 4: Numerical Ability Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
Shift 4: Reasoning Ability Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| [UPDATE] | [UPDATE] |
Day 1 Trends: What Upcoming Candidates Should Know
Across the Day 1 shifts analysed so far, the paper has followed a consistent pattern. Candidates appearing on 27 September can prepare with these points in mind:
- Reasoning is puzzle-heavy. Both shifts had four puzzle or seating sets, which account for about 20 of the 35 questions. Month-based and box-based puzzles came up repeatedly, so practise these the most.
- English is the scoring section. Both shifts rated it easy. Aim to finish it with high accuracy so that you enter the next sections calmly.
- Numerical Ability rewards speed. Simplification and Arithmetic together made up 20 to 27 questions. Both shifts had two DI sets that were mostly direct calculation.
- Watch the sectional timer. Each section locks after 20 minutes. Don’t spend more than 3 to 4 minutes on a single puzzle if it isn’t working out.
Why Accuracy Matters More Than Attempts
With 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer, attempting more questions with poor accuracy can lower your score. The table below shows how this works:
| Total Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Net Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 66 | 4 | 65.00 |
| 80 | 72 | 8 | 70.00 |
| 85 | 70 | 15 | 66.25 |
| 90 | 74 | 16 | 70.00 |
A candidate who attempts 80 questions accurately scores the same as someone who attempts 90 with more mistakes, while using less time and taking less risk.
What After SBI Clerk Prelims 2026?
Candidates who clear the Prelims move on to the Mains exam. The Prelims is only a qualifying stage, and final selection depends on Mains marks and the local language proficiency test. Candidates should start Mains preparation now rather than waiting for the Prelims result.
FAQs
Q1. What was the difficulty level of SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 Shift 1 on 26 September?
The overall difficulty level of Shift 1 was Easy to Moderate.
Q2. What were the good attempts in SBI Clerk Shift 1 2026?
Overall good attempts in Shift 1 were 72–83.
Q3. Which section was the easiest in SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 Day 1?
English Language was rated easy in both Shift 1 and Shift 2.
Q4. Which topics carried the most weight in Reasoning?
Puzzles and seating arrangements made up the largest share, with about 18–20 questions in each shift.
Q5. Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk Prelims 2026?
Yes. 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer.
Q6. When will SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 Shift 3 and Shift 4 analysis be available?
The analysis for each shift is added to this page shortly after the shift ends.