SBI PO Previous Year Papers 2026: Topic Analysis & Practice Questions
- Prelims: 100 questions, 100 marks, 1 hour (sectional timing 20 min each)
- Reasoning & Data Interpretation is the make-or-break section in Mains
- 14 practice questions based on the real SBI PO pattern — not official papers
By RojgarDekho Team | Updated: June 2026
SBI PO is one of the most competitive banking exams in India — 1,500 posts against several lakh applicants. The exam rewards speed, accuracy, and smart section management more than raw knowledge. If you have been preparing for IBPS or other bank PO exams, the SBI PO pattern will feel familiar, but SBI consistently raises the difficulty bar, especially in Reasoning and Data Interpretation. This article breaks down the topic-wise pattern from past SBI PO papers and gives you practice questions so you focus where it matters.
SBI PO 2026: 1,500 posts. Apply by 8 July 2026. Phase I (Prelims) tentatively August 2026, Phase II (Mains) September 2026. Apply at sbi.co.in →
SBI PO Exam Pattern — Prelims & Mains
| Stage | Sections | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning | 100 | 100 | 1 hour (20 min/section) |
| Mains — Objective | Reasoning & Computer, Data Analysis, GA/Economy/Banking, English | 155 | 200 | 3 hours |
| Mains — Descriptive | Letter Writing + Essay | 2 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| Phase III | Psychometric Test + Group Exercise + Interview | — | 50 | — |
Final selection is based on Mains (objective + descriptive) plus the Group Exercise & Interview. Prelims is purely qualifying — your Prelims marks do not carry into the final merit. Negative marking of 1/4 applies in objective sections.
Prelims — Topic-Wise Question Frequency
| Section | High-Frequency Topics | Approx Questions |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Para Jumbles, Sentence Improvement | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Data Interpretation (tables, bar, pie, caselet), Arithmetic (SI/CI, time-work, percentage), Number Series, Quadratic Equations | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | Puzzles & Seating Arrangement (the biggest chunk), Syllogism, Inequality, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations | 35 |
In SBI PO Prelims, Puzzles and Seating Arrangement dominate Reasoning (15–20 of 35 questions), and Data Interpretation dominates Quant (15–20 of 35). If you master these two areas, you clear Prelims comfortably. Candidates who avoid puzzles because they feel slow end up losing the most marks.
Mains — What Changes
The Mains is a different beast. The Data Analysis & Interpretation section becomes far more complex — caselet DI, data sufficiency, missing-data DI. The Reasoning section adds high-level puzzles, machine input-output, and logical reasoning (statement-assumption, syllogism with possibility). The General Awareness section focuses heavily on Banking & Financial Awareness and the last 6 months of current affairs. Descriptive writing (letter + essay) tests clarity and structure under time pressure.
14 Practice Questions — Topic-Representative
These are practice questions modelled on the SBI PO pattern. They are NOT official SBI papers.
Quantitative Aptitude
1. A sum of ₹12,000 is invested at 10% per annum compound interest. What is the compound interest after 2 years?
Answer: A = 12000(1.1)² = 12000 × 1.21 = ₹14,520. CI = 14,520 − 12,000 = ₹2,520.
2. A train 150 m long crosses a platform 350 m long in 25 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?
Answer: Total distance = 500 m in 25 s = 20 m/s = 20 × 18/5 = 72 km/h.
3. The ratio of two numbers is 3:5 and their sum is 64. What is the larger number?
Answer: 5 parts of 8 = (5/8) × 64 = 40.
4. If 40% of a number is 240, what is 75% of the same number?
Answer: Number = 240/0.4 = 600. 75% of 600 = 450.
5. A and B together complete a work in 12 days; A alone in 20 days. In how many days will B alone complete it?
Answer: B's rate = 1/12 − 1/20 = (5−3)/60 = 2/60 = 1/30. So B alone = 30 days.
Reasoning Ability
6. In a certain code, BANK is written as CBOL. How is LOAN written?
Answer: Each letter +1 → L→M, O→P, A→B, N→O = MPBO.
7. If A > B, B ≤ C, C < D, which conclusion is definitely true: (i) A > C (ii) D > B?
Answer: (ii) D > B is true. From B ≤ C < D, we get D > B. (i) A > C is not certain.
8. Pointing to a photo, a man says "She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son." How is she related to him?
Answer: Grandfather's only son = the man's father. The father's daughter = the man's sister.
9. Six people sit in a row facing north. If P is to the immediate right of Q, and Q is third from the left, what position from the left is P?
Answer: Q is 3rd from left; immediate right of Q is the 4th position. So P is 4th from the left.
English Language
10. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) Accomodate (b) Accommodate (c) Acommodate (d) Accommadate
Answer: (b) Accommodate — double 'c' and double 'm'.
11. Identify the error: "Neither the manager nor the employees was present at the meeting."
Answer: "was" should be "were" — with "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the nearer subject (employees, plural).
Data Interpretation
12. A company sold 1,200 units in January and 1,500 in February. What is the percentage increase?
Answer: Increase = 300/1200 × 100 = 25%.
13. If a pie chart shows 90° for "Salaries" out of total expenses ₹4,80,000, what is the salary expense?
Answer: 90/360 × 4,80,000 = 1/4 × 4,80,000 = ₹1,20,000.
Banking Awareness (Mains)
14. What does "Repo Rate" mean?
Answer: The Repo Rate is the rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities. A higher repo rate makes borrowing costlier and helps control inflation.
Smart Preparation Strategy — 6–8 Weeks to Prelims
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1–2 | Master DI (all types) and Puzzles/Seating — the two highest-weight areas |
| Week 3–4 | Arithmetic word problems, Syllogism, Inequality, Coding; English RC & grammar |
| Week 5–6 | Sectional tests with strict 20-min timing; identify your slow areas |
| Week 7–8 | Full-length mocks daily; work on accuracy and attempt strategy under pressure |
SBI PO is dominated by giants — coaching institutes and lakhs of repeat aspirants. The difference between selection and rejection is rarely knowledge; it is speed and accuracy under sectional timing. Practising 50+ full mocks with detailed analysis is what separates selected candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where can I find official SBI PO previous year papers?
SBI does not release official answer keys or question papers in a downloadable bank for past PO exams. However, memory-based papers are widely available through coaching platforms (Adda247, Oliveboard, Testbook) and previous-year mock compilations. Practising IBPS PO papers is also highly relevant due to the similar pattern.
Q: Is there sectional timing in SBI PO Prelims?
Yes. SBI PO Prelims has sectional timing of 20 minutes per section (English, Quant, Reasoning). You cannot move back to a section once its 20 minutes are over. This makes time management and section strategy critical — practise with sectional timing from day one.
Q: How important is the descriptive paper in SBI PO Mains?
The descriptive paper (letter + essay, 50 marks) is part of the Mains score and counts toward the final merit. Many candidates underprepare for it and lose easy marks. Practise concise, structured letters and essays — banking, economy, and social topics are common themes.
SBI PO vs IBPS PO — How They Differ
Many candidates prepare for both SBI PO and IBPS PO together, and the overlap is large — but the differences matter. SBI PO is generally considered tougher, especially in Reasoning and Data Interpretation, where SBI introduces newer, more complex question types each year. SBI also has a Group Exercise and a Psychometric Test in the final phase, which IBPS does not emphasise the same way. The descriptive paper in SBI Mains carries real weight. If you can crack SBI PO, IBPS PO becomes comparatively manageable — so many aspirants treat SBI PO preparation as the higher benchmark and let IBPS follow.
One practical difference: SBI tends to set "innovative" questions that you will not have seen in coaching material, particularly in Reasoning puzzles and caselet DI. This rewards candidates who have built genuine problem-solving ability over those who have only memorised question types. Build your fundamentals deeply rather than relying on shortcuts alone.
Cut-Off Trends — What to Target
SBI PO does not release a fixed cut-off in advance; it varies year to year based on difficulty and vacancies. Based on past trends, the Prelims cut-off for the General category has typically been in the range of 50–60 marks out of 100, with sectional cut-offs also applicable. For Mains, the overall cut-off for the interview call has historically been around 40–50% of the total. These are indicative estimates from coaching analyses, not official figures — treat them as a target band, not a guarantee.
| Stage | Indicative General Cut-off | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims (out of 100) | ~50–60 | Plus sectional cut-offs |
| Mains (objective + descriptive) | ~40–50% of total | For interview shortlist |
| Final (Mains + Interview) | Varies by year/vacancy | Merit = Mains + GE/Interview |
Exam-Day Strategy — Prelims
With sectional timing of 20 minutes each, your order and selection within a section decide everything. A proven approach: in English, do the grammar/vocabulary questions first (faster) before tackling Reading Comprehension. In Quant, attempt the simplification, number series, and quadratic equations first to bank quick marks, then move to DI sets. In Reasoning, pick the easier puzzles first and leave the most complex arrangement for last. Do not get stuck on a single hard puzzle — it can cost you 5–6 easy questions elsewhere. Aim for high accuracy: in SBI PO, attempting 65–70 questions with 90%+ accuracy usually beats attempting 85 with 70% accuracy because of negative marking.
3 More Practice Questions
15. A boat travels 30 km downstream in 3 hours and returns in 5 hours. What is the speed of the boat in still water?
Answer: Downstream speed = 10 km/h, upstream = 6 km/h. Boat speed = (10+6)/2 = 8 km/h.
16. Three persons P, Q, R can do a job in 10, 15, and 30 days respectively. Working together, how long will they take?
Answer: Combined rate = 1/10 + 1/15 + 1/30 = 3/30 + 2/30 + 1/30 = 6/30 = 1/5. So 5 days.
17. In a seating arrangement of 8 people around a circular table facing the centre, if A is 3rd to the left of B, how many people sit between A and B (counting clockwise from A)?
Answer: 3rd to the left of B means going anticlockwise from B; counting clockwise from A to B there would be 2 people between them. (Draw the circle to confirm — circular arrangement questions reward diagramming.)
Final Word — The SBI PO Edge
SBI PO is winnable, but not by knowledge alone. The candidates who clear it have done two things consistently: they practise with sectional timing every single day, and they analyse every mock to find exactly which question types slow them down. Build a personal "error log" — note every question you got wrong or skipped, categorise it, and target those categories. Over 6–8 weeks, this disciplined feedback loop is what converts a near-miss into a selection.
Building Speed in Data Interpretation — The SBI PO Differentiator
Data Interpretation is where SBI PO is genuinely won or lost. In both Prelims and Mains, a large block of marks comes from DI sets, and SBI deliberately designs them to be calculation-heavy and time-consuming. The candidates who clear cut-offs are not those who know more formulas — they are those who can read a DI set quickly, identify what is being asked, and compute with mental-math shortcuts instead of long division. Train yourself to estimate: if a question asks for an approximate percentage, you rarely need an exact answer. Learn to use fraction-percentage equivalents (1/8 = 12.5%, 1/6 = 16.67%, 3/8 = 37.5%) instantly, square numbers up to 30 from memory, and cube numbers up to 15. These small efficiencies compound over a 20-minute section and are the single biggest reason some candidates finish DI while others run out of time.
Practise at least one caselet DI, one tabular DI, and one graphical DI every day. Caselet DI — where the data is given in paragraph form rather than a table — is the type most candidates fear and most often appears in SBI Mains. The trick is to first convert the paragraph into your own quick table on the rough sheet, then solve. Candidates who skip caselet DI surrender easy marks to those who practised it.
The Mains General Awareness Section — Banking Focus
In SBI PO Mains, the General/Economy/Banking Awareness section can be a silent game-changer because it is the one section you can answer almost instantly if you have read — no calculation, no reasoning, just recall. Focus on banking and financial awareness: RBI functions and monetary policy tools (repo, reverse repo, CRR, SLR, MSF), types of accounts and deposits, NPA and provisioning basics, important banking committees, recent RBI circulars, government financial schemes (Jan Dhan, Mudra, PM-Kisan, Atal Pension), and the last six months of banking current affairs. A strong GA score effectively buys you time in the calculation-heavy sections, because you bank those marks in minutes.
Mental Health and Mock Discipline
One under-discussed reality of SBI PO preparation: it is a marathon that tests persistence as much as aptitude. Many capable candidates fail not because they lack ability but because they burn out or lose confidence after a bad mock. Treat every mock as data, not a verdict. A low mock score in week 3 means nothing about your week 8 performance — what matters is whether you analysed it and fixed the gaps. Keep a steady routine, sleep well before the exam, and walk into the hall having already simulated the exact conditions dozens of times. Familiarity removes anxiety, and a calm candidate makes fewer silly errors under sectional timing.
