SBI Clerk 2020 Exam Pattern, Syllabus and Books

SBI Clerk exam is conducted once every year by State Bank of India to recruit Junior Associates pan India. The exam is conducted in two stages and a local language test after qualifying the mains. You need a minimum educational qualification of Graduation to meet SBI Clerk Eligibility criteria. The exam pattern and syllabus are such that you must have accuracy and speed in order to ace the exam. Both prelims and mains are conducted online and hence, basic computer aptitude is elemental for this exam.

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Latest Update:

• Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the SBI Clerk Mains 2020 have been indefinitely postponed from April 19, 2020.

• There are a total of 8653 vacancies all over India which will be filled through the SBI Clerk 2020 recruits.

SBI Clerk Application FormSBI Clerk Practice PaperSBI Clerk Admit Card SBI Clerk ResultSBI Clerk Practice Papers

SBI Clerk 2020- Important Highlights

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SBI Clerk 2020- Prelims Exam

There are 3 sections in the exam – Reasoning Ability, English Language and Numerical Ability. The time span of all the sections is 20 minutes each. The marks obtained in the preliminary exam are just the qualifying marks for the main exam, it does not offer any type of employment. 

SBI Clerk 2020- Exam Pattern for Prelims

• Total time offered: 1 hour

• Correct Answer: +1 mark

• Incorrect Answer: -0.25 mark

SBI Clerk 2020- Prelims Syllabus

The preliminary exam for SBI Clerk is divided into 3 major sections. The time duration for all the 3 sections are the same but the weightage of questions and marks is different.

SBI Clerk 2020 Syllabus for Reasoning Ability

Description

• Syllogism is deductive reasoning where there is one output that is deduced from two propositions. Example: All dogs are animals; all animals have 4 legs therefore, all dogs have 4 legs. The examinee needs to understand the relation between the propositions to reach a conclusion.

• Coding-Decoding questions comprise sentences written in code, the examinee needs to decode the codes and answer the questions based on it. 

• Seating arrangements and puzzles have various types such as puzzles such as box puzzle, floor puzzle, tabular and circular arrangements and more. These questions have different levels of difficulty – easy, moderate and difficult.

• Inequality questions consist of the relationship between two or more elements, questions are asked based on the relationship. The examinee needs to understand the relationship and choose the correct answer.

Further, the miscellaneous questions act on a wider scale, they may contain questions from diverse fields.

SBI Clerk 2020 English Language Syllabus

Description

• Reading Comprehension comprises one or more episode(s) in different paragraphs where the reader needs to understand and integrate what one already knows. The questions could be based on understanding, vocabulary, and references.

• Sentence Improvement tests require understanding a sentence and creating a better concise and precise form of the same. Examinee needs to select an option that describes the original form, the best.

• Para Jumbles are jumbled paragraphs where the examinee needs to understand the situation and arrange the sentences in an understanding manner.

• Cloze Test comprises paragraphs where some words are omitted, the examinee needs to make use of the best option for a perfect sense of the sentence.

SBI Clerk 2020 Numeric Ability Syllabus

• Data Interpretation questions test the ability of the examinee to extract the correct data through the given resources. Such questions are suitable for decision-making purposes, DI is the most suitable option for judging the managers’ ability.

• Sequence and Series comprise questions based on completion of the series. In math, arithmetic progressions are one such concept taught in the schools.

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SBI Clerk 2020- Reference Books for Prelims

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SBI Clerk 2020- Mains Exam

SBI Clerk Mains have a similar pattern like SBI Clerk Prelims but the difficulty level is usually higher for the second stage. There are four topics, namely- Finance and General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, General English and General Reasoning and Computer Aptitude. The syllabus is primarily based on 10+2 level subjects. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the SBI Clerk Mains have been indefinitely postponed, giving candidates more time and scope to cover the syllabus. Earlier, it was scheduled for April 19, 2020.

SBI Clerk 2020- Exam Pattern for Mains

The following are few crucial points regarding the SBI Clerk Mains exam which you must keep in mind in order to make the most of the preparation time as well as the exam duration.

• The exam duration is 2 hours and 40 minutes

• There are a total of 190 questions that have to be solved within the allotted time. There are section-wise time duration as well for the Mains.

• The total marks is 200. For each wrong answer there will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks.

SBI Clerk 2020- Mains Syllabus

Unlike SBI Clerk Prelims, the Mains have four topics for evaluating the candidates. The syllabus for each topic is provided in the table format and as follows:

SBI Clerk 2020 Financial/ General Awareness Syllabus

The questions from these sections are primarily based on current affairs and recent financial news but you will also get conceptual questions from economics, and history of banking and finance. Hence staying updated with the concepts related to the latest financial measures is a wise way to strategically approach Preparation for SBI Clerk Mains 2020. There will be 40 questions to be completed in 35 minutes, from this section.

SBI Clerk 2020 English Language Syllabus

There is no well-defined syllabus for the main examination. But, according to the observation few topics have been listed. The following are the important topics for English language section:

• Comprehension

• Cloze test

• Sentence improvement

• Spotting error

• Sentence re-arrangement

You will get 50 questions and 45 minutes to solve them. The key to acing this section is very clear grammatical conception and constantly practicing different comprehensions. Specifically choose passages based on banking and finance. Also, make it a habit to read regularly and learn new words.

SBI Clerk 2020 Quantitative Aptitude/ Numeric Ability Syllabus

• Simplification comprises questions in a complex mathematical form, the examinee needs to simplify and select the most appropriate option.

• Quadratic Equations that comprises the equation with at least one of the figures is in squared form. The examinee needs to solve the problem and select the correct option.

• Data Sufficiency questions have a few sentences with data. One needs to find whether the data provided is enough for the correct answer or not or which sentences provide complete information. It is not calculative.

• You will have to solve 50 questions in 45 minutes which calls for extreme accuracy and speed in problem solving.

SBI Clerk 2020 Reasoning & Computer Aptitude Syllabus

• Puzzle based questions are way too tricky. One needs to keep a few things in mind to select the correct path and analyze it. Number of parameters, number of positive statements, independent statements and pattern of question.

• There are 50 questions and 45 minutes is allotted for solving them.

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SBI Clerk 2020- Reference Books for Mains

Needless to say, your SBI Clerk prelims books will not be of much use for preparing for the Mains, except for English. The following are few reference books specifically for the mains which you can consult:

Besides the books, also subscribe for National level newspapers like “The Hindu”, “The Statesman” etc. to brush up your vocabulary in English as well as stay updated with the latest news.

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SBI Clerk 2020- Topic-wise Weightage

SBI Clerk Mains have four sections that should be prepared. If you are aware of the topic-wise marks weightage for all these sections, the preparation becomes much easier. The following are the tables depicting the marks weightage that you can expect for certain topics, and plan the preparation schedule accordingly.

SBI Clerk- General/financial Awareness

Financial and general awareness questions generally are based on the relevant events that have happened over the past three to four months. You should be prepared with the current affairs till date but the news at least 1- 1.5 months before the exam is extremely important.

SBI Clerk- Reasoning and Computer Aptitude

SBI Clerk - Quantitative Aptitude

SBI Clerk - General English

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SBI Clerk 2020- Local language Test

The local language test is conducted for candidates who have qualified the Mains. It is based on the local language you have chosen during SBI Clerk Application and registration. However, the exam is only mandatory if you are unable to produce your class 10 mark sheet or have not appeared for it. Those who have the mark sheet and the required marks can skip the exam. If you are unable to qualify the local language test, you will be disqualified from the recruitment process.

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SBI Clerk 2020- Pre-examination Training

SBI might arrange pre-examination training for SC/ST/XS/Religious Minority Community at different centers. The guidelines for the same will be decided by the Government of India. If the candidates belonging to the mentioned category are ready to apply for the training at their own cost, they may apply under the relevant column while applying online at the official website.

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