SBI ClerkMains 2026 — Exam Pattern & Syllabus
190 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes — General/Financial Awareness 50Q/50M/35 min, General English 40Q/40M/35 min, Quantitative Aptitude 50Q/50M/45 min, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude 50Q/60M/45 min. 1/4 negative marking; minimum aggregate percentage as decided by the Bank, with no minimum per subject. Merit list drawn State-wise, category-wise from Mains aggregate.
SBI Clerk Mains objective paper, section by section
Every section is separately timed. Sections are not presented in a fixed sequence, and unused time in one section does not carry into the next.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | 50 | 50 |
| General English | 40 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 |
| Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude | 50 | 60 |
| Total · 160 minutes | 190 | 200 |
Negative marking of one fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned applies to every wrong answer in the objective tests. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.
What changes from Prelims to Mains
Preparing for Mains as though it were a longer Prelims is the most common way candidates lose the paper. The two stages differ in scale, in scope and in what the marks are worth.
Size and time
Prelims is 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes. Mains is 190 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes.
Marks are not one per question
In Prelims each question carries one mark. In Mains the sections are weighted differently — General / Financial Awareness carries 50 marks for 50 questions, and General English carries 40 marks for 40 questions. A question is not worth the same everywhere.
New sections appear
Mains adds ground Prelims never tests — General, Economy, Banking and Financial Awareness is pure recall and cannot be reasoned out on exam day. Start it as a daily habit months out, not a final-week cram.
These marks decide your rank
Preliminary marks are not carried forward. Everything that determines your position in the merit list is scored here.
SBI Clerk Mains mock tests
SBI Clerk Mains papers in production
Every paper is built to the blueprint above and every answer is verified before it goes live, so nothing is published early.
- SBI Clerk Mains Mock Test 1Free190 Q160 min200 marksComing soon
- SBI Clerk Mains Mock Test 2Premium190 Q160 min200 marksComing soon
- SBI Clerk Mains Mock Test 3Premium190 Q160 min200 marksComing soon
SBI Clerk Mains — FAQs
What is the SBI Clerk Mains exam pattern?
The SBI Clerk Main Examination is an online objective test of 190 questions for 200 marks in 160 minutes, with 4 separately timed sections. There is a penalty of one fourth of the marks assigned for each wrong answer in the objective tests.
How many sections are there in SBI Clerk Mains and how is time divided?
There are 4 objective sections, each separately timed: General / Financial Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks); General English (40 questions, 40 marks); Quantitative Aptitude (50 questions, 50 marks); Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude (50 questions, 60 marks). Sections are not presented in a fixed sequence, and you cannot carry unused time from one section into another.
Do Preliminary marks count in the SBI Clerk final merit?
No. The Preliminary Examination is a screening stage only. 190 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours 40 minutes — General/Financial Awareness 50Q/50M/35 min, General English 40Q/40M/35 min, Quantitative Aptitude 50Q/50M/45 min, Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude 50Q/60M/45 min. 1/4 negative marking; minimum aggregate percentage as decided by the Bank, with no minimum per subject. Merit list drawn State-wise, category-wise from Mains aggregate.