What is the safe number of questions to attempt for the SBI Clerk Prelims 2021?

SBI Clerk Prelims 2021: How many questions should one attempt during the exam of SBI Clerk prelims is one of the most burning questions of all time in the history of banking exams in India.  

Every aspirant has his or her theory behind this question. Some do benefit and some don’t. Many call it a strategic input.  However, some aspirants do not consider this issue as relevant as others do. A variety of views are available for the number of attempts to be made in such kinds of exams.  

Many other banking exams also have the same notion attached to them. Moreover, there are definitely exams where attempting a limited number of questions does matter. Or you can say questions are to be left purposely to save time for other types of questions. 

So, what about the SBI Clerk Prelims strategy? 

Let’s first look at both the exam pattern and syllabus for the SBI Clerk exam 2021.  

Exam Pattern for SBI Clerk 2021 Prelims

English Language	30	30	20 minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	35	35	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 minutes

Syllabus for SBI Clerk 2021 Prelims

Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude

Without a doubt, quantitative aptitude is the toughest section of all the other sections. A very wide syllabus, indeed. Many of the aspirants feel that 20 minutes of time is quite low for attempting 35 questions which include high-intensity calculations and problem-solving techniques. And you will be penalized for o.25 marks for each wrong answer.  

Don’t be left behind others, read this article for boosting your calculation speed with the help of speed math tricks.  

SBI Clerk Prelims Quantitative Syllabus	Expected number of Questions
Equation and Algebra	3
Data Interpretation	15
Work and Time	2
Volume & Surface area	3
Upstream and Downstream	1-2
Time & Distance	2
Simplification	5
Surds & Indices	1-2
Stock & Shares	1-2
Simple Interest and Compound Interest	1-2
Sequence & Series	5
Ratio & Proportion, Percentage	3
Profit and Loss	2
Probability	5
Permutation and Combination	5
Averages	2
Partnership	1-2
Number Systems	2-3
Mixtures and Alligations	1-2
Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere	1-2

Syllabus for Reasoning Ability

The reasoning section will consist of both verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Even this section would be time-consuming. So, it is advised that you attempt questions that can be solved in a quick span of time first. The rest you can do later. Same criteria for negative marking.  

5 Mistakes to Avoid for SBI Clerk – Reasoning 

SBI Clerk Prelims Reasoning Syllabus	Expected Number of questions
Puzzle	10
Seating Arrangement	5-10
Blood Relations	2
Direction Test	2-3
Syllogism	3-4
Coding-Decoding	1-2
Input-Output	0-5
Order and Ranking	1-2
Statement and Assumptions	2-3
Inequalities	1-2
Alphanumeric Series	2-3
Data Sufficiency	1-3

English Language Syllabus

The syllabus for English may not be that vast but underprepared or overconfidence at times make aspirants suffer in this section. It’s better you give the deserved time to English as well.  

6 mistakes to avoid for SBI Clerk – English Language Section 

SBI Clerk Prelims English Syllabus	Expected Number of Questions
Reading Comprehension	10-15
Fill in the Blanks	5-10
Synonyms and Antonyms	4-5
Sentence Rearrangement	5
Sentence Correction	5-10
Cloze Test	5-7
Idioms and Phrases	1-2
Vocabulary	1-2

The answer to the million-dollar question – What is the safe number of questions to attempt for the SBI Clerk Prelims 2021?

Once you understand what SBI Clerk prelims demand you will have your answer. You need to understand the simple fact that the agenda of SBI clerk prelims is to test your speed-based accuracy. The level of difficulty is not as stringent as the mains. So, your aim should be to cover the entire syllabus and get as many questions right as possible. And never fall for previous year cut-offs. Let’s decode this with a hypothetical example.  

The paper might have been easy last year and the cut-off went high because aspirants attempted more questions than usual. This year’s paper came way too hard so the cut-off went low. And let’s assume you followed the previous year’s pattern and attempted the total number of questions accordingly. Guess what is going to happen now? 

Conclusion

You will end up attempting way too many questions and fall into the trap of negative marking.  

The best way to approach SBI Clerk is by giving enough mock tests because that way you will be able to make better judgments about the exam. A safe and good number of attempts for SBI Clerk is only possible for individuals who know how to judge the exam really well. Get a free SBI Clerk mock test today for improving your judgments. 

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