Home » SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026: Shift 1 Review

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.

ParticularDetails
Exam NameSBI Clerk Prelims 2026
Conducting BodyState Bank of India
PostJunior Associate (Customer Support & Sales)
Exam Date26 September 2026
ShiftShift 1
Exam Time9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
ModeOnline
Total Questions100
Total Marks100
Duration60 Minutes
SectionsEnglish, Numerical Ability and Reasoning
Overall DifficultyEasy to Moderate
Good AttemptsTo 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.

SectionDifficulty Level
English LanguageEasy
Numerical AbilityEasy to Moderate
Reasoning AbilityEasy to Moderate
OverallEasy 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.

SectionTotal QuestionsGood Attempts
English Language30To be updated
Numerical Ability35To be updated
Reasoning Ability35To be updated
Overall100To 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.

SectionQuestionsMarksTime
English Language303020 Minutes
Numerical Ability353520 Minutes
Reasoning Ability353520 Minutes
Total10010060 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

TopicNumber of Questions
Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 1To be updated
Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 2To be updated
Puzzle / Seating Arrangement 3To be updated
SyllogismTo be updated
InequalityTo be updated
SeriesTo be updated
Blood Relation / DirectionTo be updated
MiscellaneousTo be updated
Total35

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

TopicNumber of Questions
SimplificationTo be updated
Number SeriesTo be updated
Data InterpretationTo be updated
ArithmeticTo be updated
Other Numerical QuestionsTo be updated
Total35

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

TopicNumber of Questions
Reading ComprehensionTo be updated
Cloze TestTo be updated
Error DetectionTo be updated
Sentence RearrangementTo be updated
Word Usage / VocabularyTo be updated
Other QuestionsTo be updated
Total30

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.

SectionQuestionsDifficulty Level
English Language30Easy
Numerical Ability35Easy to Moderate
Reasoning Ability35Easy to Moderate
Overall100Easy 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.

ShiftExam TimingReporting Time
Shift 19:00 AM to 10:00 AM8:00 AM
Shift 211:30 AM to 12:30 PM10:30 AM
Shift 32:00 PM to 3:00 PM1:00 PM
Shift 44:30 PM to 5:30 PM3:30 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.

ParticularDetails
ExamSBI Clerk Prelims 2026
Date26 September 2026
ShiftShift 1
Exam Time9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Total Questions100
Total Marks100
Duration60 Minutes
English DifficultyEasy
Numerical Ability DifficultyEasy to Moderate
Reasoning DifficultyEasy to Moderate
Overall DifficultyEasy to Moderate
Good AttemptsTo 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.

 

 

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About the Author: Mission Gyan