SBI Clerk Mains Exam Analysis 2025 (OUT): Check Exam Review, Good Attempt & Difficulty Level

The difficulty level of the prelims exam is usually easy. The English and Reasoning sections are easy, whereas, Maths section is easy to moderate. The Mains exam paper is usually moderate. The difficulty level of the English Language section is easy, Quant section is moderate, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude section is moderate and General/Financial Awareness section is moderate. The prelims exam of SBI Clerk carries questions from Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude. The total marks allotted to the test are 100. The mains exam of SBI Clerk carries questions from General/ Financial Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude. The total marks allotted to the test are 200. Candidates qualifying the mains exam are called for Language Proficiency Test.

The tips and tricks to score 80 marks in SBI Clerk exam are given below:

• Avoid learning new topics and focus on revising already covered concepts
• Solve previous years' question papers to get familiar with the exam pattern
• Attempt at least one full-length mock test to assess time management
• Read all instructions carefully before attempting the exam
• Stay calm and confident, and attempt easier questions first

Candidates are required to score a minimum percentage marks on aggregate (For SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/XS/DXS candidates, 5% relaxation available thereon). Minimum qualifying marks on aggregate will be as decided by the bank. No minimum qualifying marks for individual subject are prescribed. Section wise marks will not be maintained.

State Bank of India are basically divided into Clerical cadre and Officer cadre. Candidates are directly recruited as Clerks and Officers through SBI Clerk and SBI PO exams. However, after working for a certain period of time, clerk can shift to Officer cadre. A Clerk can be promoted to the Officer cadre as TOs (Trainee Officers) to JMGS-1 (Junior Management Grade Officer Scale -1). Candidates can make PO in SBI in the following ways:

Internal Exam: Public Sector Banks (PSBs) conduct an internal exam every two years for employees who want to shift to officer cadre. A clerk becomes eligible for an internal exam after three years of service, along with completion of the CAIIB (Certified Association of the Indian Institute of Bankers) exam, or four years of service, along with completion of the JAIIB (Junior Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers) exam, or minimum six years of service. The perks and salary received by a Trainee Officer are equivalent to that of a PO. Once the clerk is promoted he's put under probation for two years. After the probation period, the TO is either promoted to MMGS-II or back to Clerical cadre based on his/her performance. 

OJM Internal Exam: To appear for this internal exam, candidates should complete six years of service as Clerk under the fast track promotion or 12 years of service under normal promotion channel. The perks are equivalent to that of a PO but the salary is relatively lesser.

Direct Recruitment as PO: If candidates want to become a PO, they can appear in the SBI PO exam conducted by the State Bank of India and get directly recruited as a Probationary Officer through the regular selection process.

In the General Awareness section of SBI Clerk exam, candidates need to cover Current Affairs Static General Awareness, Banking, and Financial Terms, Banking Awareness, Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Important Government Schemes, Awards, and Honours, etc. To prepare this section, candidates need to be thorough with the Current Affairs of past six months or one year. Candidates should read newspapers to know the important national and international events. SBI Clerk syllabus for General Awareness is given below:

• Current Affairs – news on the banking industry, awards, and honours, books, and authors, latest appointments, obituaries, new schemes of central and state governments, sports, etc.
• Static GK – country-capital, country-currency, headquarters of financial organizations (of insurance companies), constituencies of ministers, dance forms, nuclear and thermal power stations
• Banking/Financial terms
• Static Awareness
• Banking and Financial Awareness