The State Bank of India conducted Shift 2 of the SBI Clerk Prelims exam with balanced question distributions across all three sections. Evaluating section-wise difficulty, topic weightage, and standard attempt benchmarks helps candidates assess their performance and refine strategies for subsequent shifts.
SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026, 27th September Shift 1
The SBI Clerk Prelims 27 September Shift 2 Exam Analysis is presented here for candidates who appeared in the examination. The analysis covers the overall difficulty level, section-wise questions, good attempts and the types of questions asked in English Language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Candidates can use this analysis to review their performance and understand the overall exam pattern.
SBI Clerk Prelims 27 September 2026 Shift 2 examination recorded an overall difficulty level ranging from Easy to Moderate. Candidates with strong conceptual clarity achieved 80+ questions as a safe benchmark. Reasoning and Quantitative sections remained scoring, while English focused on direct comprehension and grammar applications.
The Shift 2 examination maintained an overall difficulty level ranging from Easy to Moderate. Consistent with standard banking exam patterns, candidates with strong conceptual clarity and time management recorded high attempt ranges with high accuracy (~95%).
Reported Attempts Range: 78 – 93+ questions
Good Attempt Benchmark: 80+ questions
Sectional Composition:
Reasoning Ability: Highly doable with a balance of standard puzzles and standalone analytical questions.
English Language: Easy to Moderate, driven primarily by Reading Comprehension and Grammar-based applications.
Quantitative Aptitude: Highly calculation-friendly with standard Simplification, Arithmetic topics, and short Caselet sets.
Also Check - SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026, 26 September: Shift 3 Review
The Reasoning section comprised 35 questions focused on analytical reasoning, logical deductions, and standard seating/puzzle frameworks.
| SBI Clerk Prelims 27 September 2026 Shift 2 Reasoning Ability Section Analysis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Topic / Question Type | No. of Qs | Difficulty Level |
| Month & Date Puzzle (4 Months/2 Dt) | 5 Questions | Easy to Moderate |
| Circular Seating (8 Inward-facing) | 5 Questions | Easy |
| Sequence / Order-Based Puzzle | 5 Questions | Easy to Moderate |
| Coding-Decoding | 5 Questions | Easy |
| Continuous Alphabet Series | 5 Questions | Moderate (Lengthy) |
| Syllogism (Only / Only a Few) | 3 Questions | Easy |
| Direction Sense | 3 Questions | Easy |
| Blood Relations | 3 Questions | Easy / Doable |
| Number-Based Operation | 1 Question | Easy |
| Meaningful Word Formation | 1 Question | Moderate |
Puzzles & Seating Arrangements (15 Questions):
Month & Date-Based Puzzle (5 Questions): 8 individuals scheduled across 4 months (March, April, June, July) on two distinct dates (18th and 27th).
Circular Seating Arrangement (5 Questions): 8 persons seated around a circular table, all facing inward.
Sequence Puzzle (5 Questions): 8 persons arranged sequentially resembling a single-variable linear/box layout.
Continuous Alphabet Series (5 Questions): Continuous letter string format. Questions were lengthy and condition-heavy (e.g., identifying a letter preceded by a consonant and followed by letters falling within a specific alphabetical interval such as S and K).
Syllogism (3 Questions): Predominantly featured "Only a Few" and "Only" logical constraints. No Either-Or conditions reported.
Blood Relations & Direction Sense (6 Questions):
Blood Relations (3 Questions): Standard family tree structure with direct relationships.
Direction Sense (3 Questions): 3-point mapping and distance calculations.
Coding-Decoding (5 Questions): Standard pattern-matching format; highly scoring.
Miscellaneous Standalone Questions (2 Questions):
Number Operation: Required subtracting 2 from digits strictly greater than 5 while keeping the remaining digits unchanged, followed by counting the resulting Prime Digits (Solution evaluated to 3).
Meaningful Word Formation: Formed using specified extracted letters starting with G.
Also Check - SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026, 26 September, Shift 2 Review
The Quantitative Aptitude section comprised 35 questions emphasizing fundamental arithmetic calculation, data interpretation, and operational speed.
| SBI Clerk Prelims 27 September 2026 Shift 2 Quantitative Aptitude Section Analysis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Topic | No. of Qs | Pedagogical Emphasis |
| Simplification | 9–10 Questions | Speed & Calculation |
| Caselet Data Interpretation (2 sets) | 5 Questions | Percentage & Ratio |
| Tabular / Bar Graph DI | 5 Questions | Direct Data Extraction |
| Arithmetic Word Problems | 10–11 Questions | Core Conceptual Topics |
Simplification (9–10 Questions): Basic arithmetic operations involving BODMAS, fractions, squares, and percentages (Memory Tip: Avoid intermediate calculation errors, as rushing through basic BODMAS operations creates costly rework that consumes time needed for Arithmetic).
Caselet Data Interpretation (5 Questions total): Unlike conventional 5-question standalone caselets, this shift featured two mini-caselets (one with 2 questions and one with 3 questions). These focused entirely on basic Percentage and Ratio conversions (Memory Tip: For candidates who have not practiced Caselet DI extensively, strategically skipping Caselets to target standard DI and Arithmetic secures 27–28 solid attempts without unnecessary time loss).
Standard Data Interpretation (5 Questions): Tabular/Bar Graph format with direct, non-convoluted values.
Arithmetic Word Problems (10–11 Questions): Distributed across high-frequency arithmetic topics including Partnership, Problems on Ages, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion, and Time and Work / Pipes and Cisterns.
Also Check - SBI Clerk Prelims Exam Analysis 2026, 26 September: Shift 1
The English Language section contained 30 questions assessing contextual reading, structural grammar, and vocabulary precision.
Reading Comprehension (8–9 Questions):
Theme: Consumer trends, social media hype cycles, and modern demand-consumption dynamics.
Question Types: Direct factual extraction, 1–2 inference-based questions, and 3 Vocabulary questions (2 Synonyms and 1 Antonym).
Para Jumbles (5 Questions):
Theme: Narrative regarding a newly published novel gaining momentum on social media toward an award nomination.
Pedagogical Note: Locating the opening sentence required careful scanning, while subsequent sentence pairings were straightforward.
Sentence Error Detection (2–4 Questions): Multiple complete sentences were presented; required isolating the grammatically erroneous sentence.
Single Fillers (4 Questions): Directly tested Grammar application such as verb tenses, prepositions, and structural agreement.
Sentence Improvement / Phrase Replacement (3–4 Questions): Contextual grammatical corrections within structured sentences.
Misspelt Words (4 Questions): Identifying incorrect spelling within full contextual sentences.
Excluded Topics: No questions appeared on Cloze Test, Word Swap, or Word Rearrangement.