Quick answer
SBI Clerk Prelims has 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes (3 × 20). Sections: English Language (30 questions, 20 min), Numerical Ability (35 questions, 20 min), Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 20 min). 1 mark for each correct answer; a quarter of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and a blank costs nothing.
Section-wise pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Time per question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 min | 40 seconds |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 min | 34 seconds |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 min | 34 seconds |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes (3 × 20) |
Marking scheme
1 mark for each correct answer; a quarter of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and a blank costs nothing.
On exam day
Each section has its own 20-minute timer and opens in order. You cannot return to a section once its time ends. The English section stays in English; Numerical and Reasoning can be switched to Hindi (SBI also offers some regional languages, which our mocks do not).
Practise on the real SBI Clerk pattern
2 full mocks with the same sections, timer and marking. The first two are free.
Questions students ask
How many questions are there in SBI Clerk Prelims?
100 questions for 100 marks, in 60 minutes (3 × 20).
Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk?
1 mark for each correct answer; a quarter of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and a blank costs nothing.
What is the SBI Clerk exam interface like?
Each section has its own 20-minute timer and opens in order. You cannot return to a section once its time ends. The English section stays in English; Numerical and Reasoning can be switched to Hindi (SBI also offers some regional languages, which our mocks do not).
What is the SBI Clerk Prelims exam pattern?
100 questions in one hour, in three separately timed sections of 20 minutes each: English Language (30 questions, 30 marks), Numerical Ability (35, 35) and Reasoning Ability (35, 35), as per advertisement CRPD/CR/2026-27/17.
Is there negative marking in SBI Clerk Prelims?
Yes. A quarter of the mark assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer.
Is there a sectional cutoff in SBI Clerk Prelims?
No. The 2026 notice says no minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for individual tests, and section-wise marks are not kept. About 10 times the vacancies are called for Mains.