SBI PO Prelims Mock Test 2026

The SBI PO preliminary examination is the first of three stages for Probationary Officer recruitment at the State Bank of India, followed by Mains and then a group exercise and interview. It is the most competitive banking recruitment exam in India by applicant volume, routinely drawing well over a million candidates for a few thousand posts.

The prelims paper carries 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, with sectional timing of 20 minutes each. For the 2026 cycle the split is English Language 40 questions for 40 marks, Quantitative Aptitude 30 questions for 30 marks and Reasoning Ability 30 questions for 30 marks. There is a penalty of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer, and nothing is deducted for a question left blank.

Two features of this paper decide outcomes more than raw knowledge. First, sectional timing means unused minutes cannot be carried forward, so being fast in reasoning does not buy you time for quantitative aptitude. You have to be independently quick in all three. Second, prelims is purely qualifying. Your score gets you into Mains and then disappears, it never enters the final merit list. The correct strategy is therefore to clear the cutoff safely and efficiently rather than to chase a maximum score.

Note that the English Language weighting was raised for this cycle, which shifts preparation priorities compared with older question banks. Practising against outdated papers built on the previous split is a common and costly error.