SBI Clerk 2021 Exam Pattern for Prelims and Mains
Updated On -
May 3, 2021
Exams Prepmaster
SBI Clerk exam is conducted once every year by the State Bank of India to recruit Junior Associates pan India. The SBI Clerk 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. While preparing for the exam, candidates should study the previous years' papers of the SBI Clerk exam.
Latest Update:
- The dates for the SBI Clerk 2021 are out. The applications have already been filled.
- The Prelims are supposed to be February or March.
- The Mains are on April 19, 2021.
- SBI authorities have released more than 8000+ vacancies.
SBI Clerk 2021- Important Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Stages in SBI Clerk exam | 2: Preliminary and Mains |
| Sections | Preliminary Exam: 3 Mains Exam: 4 |
| Total Questions | Preliminary: 100 Mains: 190 |
| Maximum Marks | Preliminary: 100 Mains: 200 |
| Negative Marking | 1/4th of the allotted marks. |
| Duration of Test | Preliminary: 1 Hour Mains: 2 Hours 40 Minutes |
SBI Clerk 2021 Exam Pattern
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.
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes (1 hour) |
- Each correct answer consists of 1 mark.
- Each incorrect answer deducts 0.25 marks.
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. The SBI Clerk 2021 Mains Exam is scheduled for April 19, 2021.
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 | 35 min |
| General English | 40 | 40 | 35 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
| Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 | 45 min |
| Total | 190 | 200 | 160 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes) |
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 1/4th of the allotted marks.
SBI Clerk 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.
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.
Reasoning and Computer Aptitude
| Important Topic | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Syllogism | 5 |
| Inequality | 3 |
| Seating Arrangement (Circular – Inward Outward) | 5 |
| Linear Arrangement (North-South) | 5 |
| Puzzle – Floor based | 5 |
| Coding-Decoding | 3- 5 |
| Miscellaneous Qs | 2 – 3 |
| Data Sufficiency | 3- 4 |
Quantitative Aptitude
| Important Topic | Questions/Sets | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Number series | 5 | Moderate |
| Data Interpretation (Tabular /Bar Graph / Pie Chart / Missing DI) | 2 (10 questions in each set) | Easy to Moderate |
| Simplification | 10 | Easy to Moderate |
| Quadratic Equation | 5 | Easy |
| Data Sufficiency | 5 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous Questions | 15 | Moderate |
General English
| Important Topic | Questions/Sets | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 1 set (10 questions in each set) | Moderate |
| Cloze Test | 10 | Moderate |
| Para jumbles | 5 | Moderate |
| Sentence Improvement | 5 | Easy |
| Spotting Error | 5 | Moderate |
| Fill ups | 5 | Easy to Moderate |
SBI Clerk 2021 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.
SBI Clerk 2021 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.
Since the exam dates are out, it is essential that the students know all about the exam pattern thoroughly to avoid any sort of confusion on the day of the exam.
FAQs
Ques: Is the exam pattern mentioned in the official notification of the SBI Clerk?
Ans. Yes, the exam pattern is mentioned in detail in the official notification released for SBI Clerk.
Quest: When will be the Pre-Examination Training conducted?
Ans. There is no official notice regarding the dates of Pre-Examination Training as of yet. However, they are generally conducted within a month before the exams.
Quest Where can I find the list of centers for Pre-Examination Training?
Ans. The list of centers for the Pre-Examination Training has not been released by the authorities of SBI yet.
Ques: Which topics have the most weightage in the reasoning ability section?
Ans. There are at least 10-15 questions from the ‘Puzzles’ section hence, it has the maximum marks weightage.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer to the official website of the exam.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.