The SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 for the backlog special recruitment drive was held on 16 September 2026, with Shift 1 conducted in the morning. Candidates can check the SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026 for Shift 1 to know the overall difficulty level, section-wise review, and expected good attempts based on candidate feedback.
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026, 16 September Shift 1
The SBI Clerk Backlog exam analysis covers the questions asked, important topics, section-wise difficulty level and expected good attempts. It can also help candidates appearing for the regular SBI Clerk Prelims 2026 on 26 and 27 September and 3 October understand the exam pattern and prepare accordingly.
SBI Clerk Exam 2026: Difficulty Level
The overall difficulty level of the SBI Clerk 16 September Shift 1 was Easy to Moderate, with a balanced paper across all three sections. English Language was relatively comfortable, while Reasoning and Numerical Ability required candidates to maintain good speed and accuracy.
| SBI Clerk Exam 2026, 16 September Shift 1: Difficulty Level | |
| Section | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | Easy to Moderate |
| English Language | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | Easy to Moderate |
SBI Clerk Exam 2026, 16 September Shift 1: Good Attempts
Based on the overall level of the paper, an estimated good attempt is around 74-83 questions, provided candidates maintained strong accuracy. The exact safe score may vary depending on the candidate’s category, state, vacancy position, and the final cut-off, so attempts should always be considered along with accuracy.
| SBI Clerk Exam 2026, 16 September Shift 1: Good Attempts | |
| Section | Good Attempts |
| Reasoning Ability | 26-29 |
| Numerical Ability | 23-26 |
| English Language | 25-28 |
| Total | 74-83 |
SBI Clerk 2026 Exam Section-wise Analysis, 16 September Shift 1
The SBI Clerk Shift 1 paper included familiar question types from Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability and English Language, with candidates needing to manage each 20-minute sectional limit effectively.
Reasoning Ability
The Reasoning Ability questions centred around familiar areas such as puzzles and seating arrangements, syllogism, inequality, alphanumeric/number-based series and miscellaneous questions.
| Topics | Number of Qs. |
| Sequence Based Puzzle | 5 |
| Day Based Puzzle(Monday to Sunday) | 5 |
| Comparison Based Puzzle(Height Comparison) | 3 |
| Parallel Row Seating Arrangement(10 Persons) | 5 |
| Blood Relation | 3 |
| Syllogism | 3 |
| Inequality | 3 |
| Alphanumeric Series(Number + Symbol) | 5 |
| Number Based | 1 |
| Meaningful Word | 1 |
| Odd One Out | 1 |
| Total | 35 |
Numerical Ability
The Numerical Ability questions from topics such as simplification, data interpretation and arithmetic, while calculation speed played an important role in completing the section within the allotted time.
| Topics | Number of Qs. |
| Simplification | 12 |
| Table Based DI(Cakes Baked, Cookies Baked) | 6 |
| Bar Graph DI(No. of Bags Sold) | 3 |
| Caselet DI(SI & CI) | 3 |
| Arithmetic | 11 |
| Total | 35 |
English Language
The English Language section was comparatively scoring, with questions based on areas such as Reading Comprehension, error detection, word-based questions and sentence-related concepts.
| Topics | Number of Qs. |
| Reading Comprehension(Bio Company-Tomato Based; Fashionable Product Shoes & Bag; Synonym – Formed & Choose; 1 Filler) | 9 |
| Error Detection(Traditional Based) | 5 |
| Column Based | 1 |
| Word Usage | 1 |
| Para Jumble | 5 |
| Phrase Replacement | 3 |
| Misspelt(Steps, Enlighted, Discovered, Gemstone) | 4 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 2 |
| Total | 30 |
SBI Clerk Exam Analysis 2026, 16 September Shift 1: Video Link
SBI Clerk 2026 Shift 1 Exam: Topic-wise Weightage
The SBI Clerk 2026 Shift 1 paper covered questions from all three sections, with a mix of easy and moderate-level topics. The major areas asked in the exam are highlighted below:
- Reasoning Ability: Puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality and alphanumeric series were among the key topics.
- Numerical Ability: Simplification, Data Interpretation and arithmetic questions formed the major part of the section.
- English Language: Reading Comprehension, error detection, para jumble, phrase replacement and misspelt words were asked.
- Overall: The paper had a balanced distribution of questions, with candidates needing to manage speed and accuracy across all three sections.
SBI Clerk Prelims 2026: What After the Exam?
After appearing for the SBI Clerk Prelims 2026, candidates should keep track of the upcoming stages and official updates. Candidates can follow these steps after the examination:
- Check the Answer Key: Review the questions and answers when the official or reliable memory-based questions are available.
- Estimate the Score: Calculate the expected score using the number of correct and incorrect answers.
- Check the Cut Off: Compare the expected score with the previous trends and the expected cut-off once available.
- Wait for the Result: Candidates who qualify the Prelims will be shortlisted for the next stage as per SBI’s selection process.
- Prepare for Mains: Candidates should start their Mains preparation without waiting for the Prelims result, focusing on General/Financial Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and Computer Aptitude, and English Language.
| Related Posts | |
| SBI Clerk Syllabus | SBI Clerk Salary |
| SBI Clerk Previous Year Papers | SBI Clerk Cut Off |




