SBI Clerk Mains Exam Preparation Tips 2025

The SBI Clerk Mains Exam is the second stage of the three stage selection process. The SBI Clerk Mains exam is generally more difficult to crack than the SBI Clerk Prelims exam. To clear the Mains exam, candidates are required to have very strategic and smart preparation. We have provided the candidates with some excellent subject-wise preparation tips to tackle each subject of the exam more effectively and crack the SBI Clerk Mains exam with flying colours.

Overview of the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2025

The SBI Mains exam is the second phase of the three stage selection process to recruit candidates for the Clerical positions in the State Bank of India. The Main exam consists of four subjects which are, General/ Financial Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude. 

• Number of Questions– 190
• Total Marks– 200
• Time Duration– 2 hours 40 minutes
• Subjects– General/ Financial Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude
• Negative Marking– 1/4th of the marks assigned to the particular question
• Languages– English and Hindi

Also Check, SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2025

Subject-Wise Preparation Strategy

Cracking the SBI Clerk Mains 2025 requires a well-structured approach to each subject. Since the exam tests candidates across multiple domains, a subject-wise preparation strategy is essential for maximizing scores. Every section demands a different skill set, General/Financial Awareness requires staying updated with current affairs, and Quantitative Aptitude focuses on accuracy and speed. Similarly, General English tests language proficiency, and Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude assesses a candidate’s logical thinking and technical knowledge. To excel in the exam, aspirants must make their study plans to strengthen weak areas while reinforcing their strengths.

General/Financial Awareness

• Read newspapers and monthly magazines and follow daily current affairs updates. Cover national, international, state-wise, sports, and defense news.
• Understand RBI policies, union budget updates, and important agreements/MoUs.
• Pay attention to topics like important awards, books & authors, important days, summits, and government schemes.
• Memorize key points of recent government reports, economic surveys, and international rankings.
• Download GA Capsule for SBI Clerk Mains 2025 and revise all important current affairs.

English Language

• Read editorials from newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express to enhance comprehension skills. Focus on understanding themes, tones, and contextual meanings.
• Practice new pattern cloze tests where multiple blanks appear in a passage. Strengthen grammar rules and improve contextual understanding.
• Work on arranging sentences logically and identifying transition words (furthermore, however, then, etc.) to link sentences effectively.
• Learn commonly used idioms and phrasal verbs and solve phrase replacement and connectors-based questions.
• Revise grammar rules (subject-verb agreement, tenses, modifiers, etc.). Attempt mixed-pattern error detection questions.
• Check Tips to score 30+ marks in Quantitative Aptitude

Quantitative Aptitude

• Improve calculation speed using Maths tricks. Practice daily 15-20 questions on approximation.
• Identify patterns in missing and wrong number series and try to solve quadratic inequalities quickly.
• Master different types of DI, like bar graphs, line charts, tabular DI, caselet DI, and pie charts. Focus on ratio, percentage, and average concepts for DI questions.
• Study topics like profit & loss, time & work, speed & distance, simple & compound interest and LCM & HCF, as they carry significant weightage in the section.
• Learn probability concepts and solve quantity comparison questions.

Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude

Reasoning Ability

• Practice different types like linear, circular, and floor-based puzzles. Start with simple ones and move to complex ones.
• Learn the patterns in coding-decoding questions. For machine input-output, find shortcuts to solve faster.
• Use Venn diagrams to solve syllogisms quickly. Focus on questions like statement-assumption, cause-effect, and conclusions.
• Use family trees to solve relation-based questions. Draw diagrams to solve direction-based problems easily.
• Arrange elements logically for order/ranking questions. In data sufficiency, check if the information given is enough instead of solving the whole problem.
• Check Smart Strategies to Score 40+ in Reasoning Ability in SBI Clerk Mains

Computer Aptitude

• Learn about computer parts (CPU, RAM, ROM), software types, and operating systems (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
• Revise the basics of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Memorize important shortcut keys.
• Understand basic networking (LAN, WAN, MAN) and cybersecurity concepts like firewalls and antivirus.
• Learn about databases (SQL, DBMS, Cloud storage) and common internet terms like IMAP, POP3, and SMTP.

General Preparation Tips for All Subjects

Following these tips along with the Subject-Wise tips will help candidates improve in all the subjects of the exam at the same time. These tips will help candidates in improving their accuracy, speed, etc. and help them prioritize the questions more effectively.

Strengthen Basics First

• Focus on concept clarity before moving to advanced questions.
• Revise fundamental math formulas, grammar rules, and reasoning tricks.
• Learn shortcut techniques for calculations and problem-solving.

Manage Your Time Well (Time Management is Important)

• Make a study plan covering all subjects daily.
• Spend more time on weaker sections while maintaining a balance.
• Use a timer while solving questions to improve speed.

Practice Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers

• Attempt full-length mock tests regularly to improve accuracy and time management.
• Solve previous year papers to understand the exam pattern and question types.
• Analyze mistakes in mock tests and work on weak areas.

Focus on Accuracy & Speed

• Avoid guesswork to minimize negative marking.
• First, attempt easy and scoring questions, then move to tougher ones.
• Use the elimination method in reasoning and English to find the correct answer.

Revise Regularly

• Keep short notes for formulas, current affairs, and computer shortcuts.
• Revise important topics every week to retain concepts.
• Use flashcards to revise more quickly.