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Post-examination analysis provides the most direct intelligence available about what the State Bank of India actually tests in its Junior Associate recruitment. Every year's paper tells a precise story: which topics were emphasised, what difficulty level was maintained, how many questions a well-prepared candidate could attempt with confidence, and where the examination is evolving. Aspirants who study this analysis and prepare accordingly enter the next cycle with structural advantages over those who prepare from a generic syllabus without reference to actual paper patterns.
This page covers the complete exam analysis for the SBI Clerk 2025 cycle - Prelims conducted on 20th, 21st, and 27th September 2025, and Mains on 21st November 2025 - with section-wise difficulty breakdowns, topic-wise observations, good attempt estimates, and preparation insights for the 2026 cycle.
For the complete examination guide, visit the SBI Clerk main page. For cutoff marks from the 2025 cycle, see the SBI Clerk Cutoff page.
The SBI Clerk Prelims 2025 was conducted across three days in multiple shifts (20th, 21st, and 27th September 2025). The overall difficulty was rated as Easy to Moderate across most shifts - consistent with the SBI Clerk's characteristic accessibility compared to SBI PO or IBPS PO at the Prelims level.
| Section Questions Marks Difficulty Good Attempts | ||||
| English Language | 30 | 30 | Easy to Moderate | 24 to 28 |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | Moderate | 22 to 27 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | Easy to Moderate | 26 to 31 |
| Overall | 100 | 100 | Easy to Moderate | 72 to 82 |
The 2025 Prelims was rated slightly easier than the 2024 Prelims across most parameters. This contributed to higher Prelims cutoffs compared to some previous years - when papers are more accessible, more candidates score in the 70 to 85 range, pushing the cutoff for the competitive states higher.
Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
English Language was the most accessible section in the September 2025 Prelims across most shifts. Candidates with consistent reading habits found this section straightforward.
Topic-wise breakdown observed across shifts:
Key observations: RC passages in 2025 were noticeably more straightforward than in the 2024 Prelims. Candidates who read editorials regularly found RC completable in under 8 minutes, leaving 12 minutes for the remaining 20 to 22 questions - a comfortable pace.
Strategic implication for 2026: A daily editorial reading habit (The Hindu or Indian Express) remains the single most valuable English preparation activity. Error Detection grammar rules (especially subject-verb agreement and tense consistency) should be practised explicitly, not by ear alone.
Overall Difficulty: Moderate
Numerical Ability was the most challenging section in the 2025 Prelims across most shifts, consistent with the pattern of DI sets requiring multi-step calculations under the strict 20-minute time pressure.
Topic-wise breakdown:
Key observations: Several shifts reported DI sets that were slightly more calculation-intensive than typical SBI Clerk difficulty. Candidates who had practised DI under strict 20-minute sectional timers handled these comfortably; those who had practiced DI without time limits were caught off-guard.
Simplification questions provided a stable base for score building - candidates who completed these in under 3 minutes had more time for DI and Arithmetic.
Strategic implication for 2026: DI practice must happen daily under timed conditions. Selecting which DI sets to attempt and which to skip based on a 30-second assessment of difficulty is a skill built only through repeated timed practice. Simplification should be practised in speed-building mode - 5 to 7 questions in under 3 minutes is the target.
Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Reasoning Ability was the second most accessible section in the 2025 Prelims. Puzzle complexity was at the standard SBI Clerk level - harder than basic exams but well within reach for candidates who had practised puzzle-solving systematically.
Topic-wise breakdown:
Key observations: Input-Output was present in some shifts in 2025, unlike its absence from most 2024 shifts. Candidates who had excluded Input-Output from preparation were caught off-guard in those shifts. Puzzles dominated the section as always, accounting for over 50% of Reasoning questions.
Strategic implication for 2026: Input-Output cannot be ignored. While it does not appear in every shift, its presence in some shifts means preparation must include it. Puzzles remain the primary focus (15 to 22 questions), but non-puzzle topics (Syllogisms, Inequalities, Blood Relations) should be covered thoroughly for the guaranteed 12 to 18 questions they represent.
The SBI Clerk Mains 2025 was conducted on 21st November 2025 in two shifts. The overall difficulty was rated as Moderate - consistent with the SBI Clerk Mains standard across recent years.
| Section Questions Marks Difficulty Good Attempts | ||||
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | Moderate | 30 to 40 |
| General English | 40 | 40 | Moderate | 27 to 33 |
| Quantitative Aptitude and DI | 50 | 50 | Moderate to Difficult | 28 to 36 |
| Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | Moderate | 30 to 38 |
| Total | 190 | 200 | Moderate | 115 to 135 |
Difficulty: Moderate
Banking Awareness was the most differentiating section in the 2025 Mains, consistent with every recent SBI Clerk cycle. Candidates who maintained 6 months of consistent banking news reading scored 35 to 45 out of 50; those who did not scored 15 to 25.
Topics prominently tested in the 2025 Mains GK section:
Key observation: The split in the 2025 GK section was approximately 60% current affairs (last 6 months) and 40% static banking knowledge. Candidates who excel in both components consistently score above 35 marks in this section.
Difficulty: Moderate
Mains English was more demanding than Prelims English but within manageable range for candidates who read regularly.
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
QA was the most challenging section in the 2025 Mains. Caselet DI and advanced arithmetic questions drove the difficulty.
Difficulty: Moderate
Reasoning at Mains level was more complex than Prelims but within the expected SBI Clerk Mains range.
Computer Aptitude questions were straightforward for candidates who prepared dedicated Computer Aptitude topics. Candidates who had not prepared Computer Aptitude at all lost 10 to 15 marks in this section - a significant gap given the competitive state-level cutoffs.
| Year Prelims Difficulty Mains Difficulty Notable Feature | |||
| 2025 | Easy to Moderate | Moderate | 6,589 vacancies; Input-Output returned to some Prelims shifts; Caselet DI prominent in Mains |
| 2024 | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | 14,191 vacancies; Higher DI complexity in Mains; Banking Awareness most differentiating |
| 2023 | Moderate | Moderate | 8,283 vacancies; Standard cycle across both stages |
| 2022 | N/A | N/A | No SBI Clerk recruitment conducted |
| 2021 | Easy to Moderate | Moderate | 5,454 vacancies; First post-COVID cycle; similar difficulty profile to 2025 |
Insight 1: DI and Puzzles remain the highest-return investment. In every cycle, DI accounts for 30 to 45% of Numerical Ability questions and Puzzles account for 45 to 60% of Reasoning questions. Time invested in these two topics produces disproportionate score improvement.
Insight 2: Banking Awareness separates candidates at the Mains stage. The single most consistent finding across 2021 to 2025 is that GK/Banking Awareness is where score gaps between candidates are largest. Sustained 6-month daily preparation is required - it cannot be substituted with 2-week pre-Mains cramming.
Insight 3: Computer Aptitude is not optional. SBI Clerk Mains retains Computer Aptitude (unlike IBPS Clerk which removed it in 2025). The 10 to 15 questions from Computer Aptitude are among the quickest to prepare (2 to 3 weeks of focused study from a standard Computer Aptitude banking book) and among the quickest to answer in the examination (1 minute per question or less for well-prepared candidates).
Insight 4: Input-Output must be included in Reasoning preparation. Its re-appearance in some 2025 Prelims shifts after absence from many 2024 shifts confirms that SBI can include it in any cycle. Candidates who exclude it risk losing 5 questions in shifts where it appears.
Insight 5: Begin Mains preparation on Prelims day. The gap between Prelims and Mains is 7 to 9 weeks. Candidates who begin Banking Awareness and Mains-level DI and Reasoning preparation on the Prelims examination date (not after the result) gain 3 to 4 critical weeks of preparation.
The SBI Clerk Prelims Test Series on Aspirant Mitraa provides mock tests calibrated to actual SBI Clerk difficulty with strict sectional timers and section-wise analytics. Use the SBI Clerk Syllabus Tracker to ensure systematic coverage across all Prelims and Mains topics before the first full-length mock.
How many questions should I attempt in SBI Clerk Prelims? Based on the 2025 Easy to Moderate difficulty assessment, targeting 72 to 82 quality attempts out of 100 with above 78% accuracy produces a net score of 55 to 65 marks, comfortably covering the Prelims cutoff in most major states for General category.
Is Computer Aptitude difficult in SBI Clerk Mains? No. Computer Aptitude questions in SBI Clerk Mains test awareness rather than technical depth. Topics like networking basics, cybersecurity awareness, MS Office functions, and database fundamentals are accessible with 2 to 3 weeks of focused preparation from a Banking Exams Computer Aptitude book.
Was the 2025 Mains harder than 2024? The 2025 Mains was rated Moderate overall, while the 2024 Mains was rated Moderate to Difficult. The 2024 DI and Reasoning sections were more challenging than 2025. However, the 2025 Mains cutoffs were higher in many states due to the much lower vacancy count (6,589 vs 14,191).
Did any new question types appear in the 2025 paper? Input-Output returned to some Prelims shifts in 2025 after being largely absent in 2024. Critical Reasoning (strengthen/weaken) appeared in some Mains Reasoning shifts. These re-appearances reinforce the need to prepare all topics in the official syllabus rather than excluding less frequently tested topics.
How many months of current affairs are needed for SBI Clerk Mains GK? The General/Financial Awareness section covers the last 6 months of current events before the Mains date. For a Mains scheduled in November 2026, the relevant period is approximately May to November 2026. Banking static knowledge (types of banks, RBI functions, SARFAESI, BASEL norms) supplements the current affairs component.