SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026: 26 September Shift 1
The SBI Clerk Prelims Exam 2026 Shift 1 for 26 September is over. Candidates who took the exam have shared their first reactions. According to their feedback, the overall paper was Easy to Moderate.
Therefore, candidates appearing in the next shifts can use this SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 to understand the paper level and important topics.
This article covers the SBI Clerk Shift 1 difficulty level, good attempts, questions asked, exam pattern, section-wise review and shift timings.
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 Overview
First, check the main details of the SBI Clerk Prelims 26 September Shift 1 exam.
| Particular | Details |
|---|
| Exam Name | SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 |
| Conducting Body | State Bank of India |
| Post | Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) |
| Exam Date | 26 September 2026 |
| Shift | Shift 1 |
| Exam Time | 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM |
| Mode | Online |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 60 Minutes |
| Sections | English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning |
| Overall Difficulty | Easy to Moderate |
| Good Attempts | To be updated |
The analysis uses early feedback from candidates who completed Shift 1. So, students appearing later can use it as a quick guide.
However, question sets and difficulty may change from one shift to another.
SBI Clerk Shift 1 Difficulty Level 2026
The overall SBI Clerk Shift 1 difficulty level was Easy to Moderate.
English Language was the easier section. Meanwhile, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability required more care and time.
| Section | Difficulty Level |
|---|
| English Language | Easy |
| Numerical Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| Reasoning Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | Easy to Moderate |
Still, the level may feel different for each candidate. Preparation, speed and accuracy can affect the exam experience.
SBI Clerk Prelims Good Attempts 2026 Shift 1
Many candidates want to know the SBI Clerk Shift 1 good attempts.
At present, a reliable final range is not available. Therefore, we have not added an unverified number.
| Section | Total Questions | Good Attempts |
|---|
| English Language | 30 | To be updated |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | To be updated |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | To be updated |
| Overall | 100 | To be updated |
What Are Good Attempts?
Good attempts give candidates a rough idea of how many questions they may attempt with strong accuracy.
However, they do not guarantee selection.
Several factors can affect the good-attempt range:
- Paper difficulty
- Accuracy
- Number of correct answers
- Question selection
- Negative marking
- Overall competition
Therefore, candidates should focus on their actual score rather than only comparing the number of attempts.
SBI Clerk Questions Asked in Shift 1
The questions asked in SBI Clerk Shift 1 are also important for candidates appearing later.
Detailed topic-wise numbers are still being updated. However, the main areas include Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability and English Language.
Reasoning Ability Topics
Important areas include:
- Puzzles
- Seating Arrangement
- Syllogism
- Inequality
- Series
- Blood Relation
- Direction Sense
- Miscellaneous Reasoning
Numerical Ability Topics
Candidates should focus on:
- Simplification
- Number Series
- Data Interpretation
- Arithmetic
- Other calculation-based questions
English Language Topics
The key areas include:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Sentence Rearrangement
- Vocabulary
- Word Usage
- Grammar-based questions
As soon as reliable topic-wise counts become available, candidates can compare the exact distribution.
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
The SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 has three sections.
Candidates need to answer 100 questions for 100 marks.
| 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 |
Each section gets a separate 20-minute time limit.
Moreover, SBI applies negative marking. Candidates lose 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
So, accuracy remains just as important as speed.
SBI Clerk Reasoning Ability Exam Analysis 2026
The Reasoning Ability section has 35 questions for 35 marks.
Candidates rated this section Easy to Moderate.
Puzzle and seating arrangement questions form an important part of the section. In addition, candidates should prepare short questions from syllogism, inequality, series and other reasoning topics.
Reasoning Topic-Wise Analysis
| Topic | Number of Questions |
|---|
| Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 1 | To be updated |
| Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 2 | To be updated |
| Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 3 | To be updated |
| Syllogism | To be updated |
| Inequality | To be updated |
| Series | To be updated |
| Blood Relation / Direction | To be updated |
| Miscellaneous | To be updated |
| Total | 35 |
How to Approach Reasoning
First, solve short and direct questions.
Next, move to puzzle and seating arrangement sets.
This approach can save time. Moreover, it can prevent one difficult puzzle from taking up too much of the 20-minute limit.
SBI Clerk Numerical Ability Exam Analysis 2026
The Numerical Ability section contains 35 questions for 35 marks.
Candidates rated the section Easy to Moderate.
Since the section allows only 20 minutes, fast calculation becomes very important. However, candidates should not sacrifice accuracy for speed.
Numerical Ability Topic-Wise Analysis
| Topic | Number of Questions |
|---|
| Simplification | To be updated |
| Number Series | To be updated |
| Data Interpretation | To be updated |
| Arithmetic | To be updated |
| Other Numerical Questions | To be updated |
| Total | 35 |
Important Numerical Ability Topics
Candidates appearing in later shifts can quickly revise:
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Ratio and Proportion
- Average
- Time and Work
- Speed, Time and Distance
- Simple Interest
- Compound Interest
- Data Interpretation
- Simplification
In addition, candidates should practise basic calculations because they can save valuable exam time.
SBI Clerk English Language Exam Analysis 2026
The English Language section has 30 questions for 30 marks.
Candidates found this section Easy compared with the other two sections.
Therefore, English may help candidates improve their overall score if they maintain accuracy.
English Topic-Wise Analysis
| Topic | Number of Questions |
|---|
| Reading Comprehension | To be updated |
| Cloze Test | To be updated |
| Error Detection | To be updated |
| Sentence Rearrangement | To be updated |
| Word Usage / Vocabulary | To be updated |
| Other Questions | To be updated |
| Total | 30 |
How to Approach English
First, attempt short grammar and vocabulary questions.
Then, move to longer questions such as Reading Comprehension.
As a result, candidates can avoid spending too much time on a single passage.
SBI Clerk Shift 1 Section-Wise Review
The table below gives a quick view of all three sections.
| Section | Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|
| English Language | 30 | Easy |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | 100 | Easy to Moderate |
English was the easier section. On the other hand, Numerical Ability and Reasoning needed a better balance of speed and accuracy.
SBI Clerk 26 September Shift 1 Exam Review
Overall, candidates who prepared with mock tests may have found the paper manageable.
The main points from Shift 1 are:
- Overall paper was Easy to Moderate
- English Language was Easy
- Numerical Ability was Easy to Moderate
- Reasoning Ability was Easy to Moderate
- Each section had a 20-minute limit
- Speed and accuracy were important
- Puzzles remained important in Reasoning
- Numerical Ability needed quick calculations
However, candidates in later shifts should not expect the same questions.
Instead, they should use this analysis to understand the paper trend.
SBI Clerk Shift Timings 2026
The SBI Clerk Prelims exam runs in four shifts.
| Shift | Exam Timing | Reporting Time |
|---|
| Shift 1 | 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM | 10:30 AM |
| Shift 3 | 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM | 3:30 PM |
Candidates should also check the reporting time on their admit card.
Moreover, they should reach the exam centre early to avoid last-minute problems.
SBI Clerk Shift 1 Analysis for Upcoming Shifts
Candidates appearing in the next shifts can use this review for final revision.
Revise Important Topics
Focus on commonly tested areas such as:
- Puzzles
- Seating Arrangement
- Simplification
- Data Interpretation
- Arithmetic
- Reading Comprehension
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
Focus on Accuracy
Do not attempt a question only to increase your attempt count.
Instead, choose questions that you can solve with confidence.
Attempt Easy Questions First
Start with simple questions.
After that, move to longer puzzles, calculations and passages.
This strategy can help you use the sectional timer better.
Avoid New Topics
At this stage, revision is more useful than starting a completely new topic.
Therefore, review formulas, grammar rules and common question types.
SBI Clerk Prelims Negative Marking 2026
SBI uses negative marking in the Prelims exam.
For every wrong answer, candidates lose 0.25 marks.
Therefore, random guessing can lower the score.
If you are unsure about an answer, skip it and move to the next question.
This approach can help protect your accuracy.
SBI Clerk Good Attempts vs Cut Off
Good attempts and cut-off are not the same.
Good attempts give an unofficial estimate based on paper difficulty and candidate feedback.
In contrast, the SBI Clerk cut-off is the official score level used during the recruitment process.
Therefore, candidates should not treat a good-attempt range as a guaranteed qualifying score.
The actual result depends on:
- Final score
- Accuracy
- Applicable cut-off
- Competition
- Recruitment rules
What to Do After SBI Clerk Prelims 2026?
Candidates should not stop preparing after the Prelims exam.
Instead, they should continue with SBI Clerk Mains preparation.
This can save valuable time before the next stage.
For Mains, candidates should focus on:
- General / Financial Awareness
- General English
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning Ability
- Computer Aptitude
Moreover, regular mock tests can help improve both speed and accuracy.
SBI Clerk Prelims Shift 1 Highlights
Here is a quick summary of the exam.
| Particular | Details |
|---|
| Exam | SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 |
| Date | 26 September 2026 |
| Shift | Shift 1 |
| Exam Time | 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 60 Minutes |
| English Difficulty | Easy |
| Numerical Ability Difficulty | Easy to Moderate |
| Reasoning Difficulty | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall Difficulty | Easy to Moderate |
| Good Attempts | To be updated |
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 FAQs
What was the difficulty level of SBI Clerk Shift 1 on 26 September 2026?
Candidates rated the overall paper Easy to Moderate.
Was SBI Clerk English Shift 1 easy?
Yes. Candidates rated the English Language section Easy.
What was the difficulty level of SBI Clerk Reasoning?
Candidates rated Reasoning Ability Easy to Moderate.
What was the difficulty level of SBI Clerk Numerical Ability?
Candidates also rated Numerical Ability Easy to Moderate.
How many questions are there in SBI Clerk Prelims?
The exam has 100 questions for 100 marks.
How many English questions are there in SBI Clerk Prelims?
The English Language section has 30 questions.
What is the duration of SBI Clerk Prelims?
Candidates get 60 minutes in total. Each section has a separate 20-minute limit.
Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk Prelims?
Yes. SBI deducts 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.
What are the good attempts for SBI Clerk Shift 1?
A reliable final good-attempt range is not available yet. Therefore, candidates should wait for enough verified exam feedback.
Conclusion
The SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 for 26 September Shift 1 shows that the paper was Easy to Moderate overall.
English Language was the easier section. Meanwhile, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability required a good mix of speed and accuracy.
Therefore, candidates appearing in the upcoming shifts should revise important topics, avoid random guesses and manage the sectional timer carefully.
Also, keep checking this page for updates on SBI Clerk Shift 1 good attempts, questions asked and topic-wise question distribution.