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SBI PO Prelims Exam 2026 LIVE: Day 2 Shift 1 Ends, Check Question Paper Analysis, Difficulty Level and Good Attempts
The State Bank of India (SBI) held Day 2 Shift 1 of the SBI Probationary Officer (PO) Preliminary Examination 2026 on August 2. Thousands of banking aspirants attended different examination centers. As before, the papers were designed to have a good balance of easy, moderate, and a few high-level questions. Day 2 Shift 1 papers were designed similarly to the Day 1 papers, though a few test takers reported the Reasoning section was time-consuming.
The SBI PO Prelims Exam 2026 is targeting the recruitment of 1,500 Probationary Officers, one of the largest recruitment drives by SBI in the recent past. Those who qualify the prelims will be required to appear for the Mains, Psychometric Test, Group Exercise, and Interview.
SBI PO Prelims 2026 Day 2 Shift 1: Overall Difficulty Level
Based on the initial feedback from the test takers, the paper was at an easy-to-moderate level.
- English Language: Easy to Moderate
- Quantitative Aptitude: Moderate
- Reasoning Ability: Moderate to Slightly Difficult
Most test takers reported that the English section was the highest-scoring, whereas Reasoning took the most time due to the complexity of the seating arrangement and the reasoning puzzles. Quantitative Aptitude had an even distribution of the Arithmetic and Data Interpretation questions.
Section-Wise Analysis
English Language
This section was standard in terms of overall experience and level of difficulty. Questions were asked from:
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Para Jumbles
- Word Swap
- Sentence Fillers
- Sentence Rearrangements
Those who were able to manage their reading speed found this section a lot easier than the other two.
Reasoning Ability
Reasoning was still the most challenging section in terms of time. According to memory-based feedback, questions were asked from:
- Seating Arrangements
- Floor-Based Puzzles
- Circular Arrangements
- Linear Arrangements
- Order & Ranking
- Direction Sense
- Miscellaneous Logical Reasoning
Many of the candidates were of the opinion that in order to maximize the attempts in the given time, the right puzzle had to be solved first.
Quantitative Aptitude
This section was a blend of conceptual and calculative questions.
- Questions were asked from:
- Data Interpretation
- Caselet DI
- Table/Graph-Based DI
- Number Series
- Quadratic Equations
Candidates who had a strong command of arithmetic found this section manageable, but some sets of DI required lengthy and careful calculations.
Expected Good Attempts
Even though SBI does not publish official 'good attempts,' coaching experts predict that a competitive range for high accuracy is approximately 60-70 questions. This is entirely dependent on the level of competition and overall shift difficulty. Candidates should prioritize answering the questions correctly rather than attempting a high number of questions, as there is negative marking for incorrect answers.
Exam Pattern Remains Unchanged
The SBI PO Preliminary Examination retains the same pattern:
|
Section |
Questions |
Marks |
|---|---|---|
|
English Language |
40 |
40 |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
30 |
30 |
|
Reasoning Ability |
30 |
30 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
Candidates will have 60 minutes to complete the examination.
What Happens Next?
Candidates who qualify the preliminary examination will be called to the SBI PO Mains Examination. Final selection will be based on the Mains exam, the Psychometric Test, Group Exercise, and Interview.
Tips for the Upcoming Shifts
Candidates who will take the exam in upcoming shifts should:
- Focus on solving puzzles.
- Revise arithmetic shortcuts and concepts of DI.
- Maintain the same level of accuracy while attempting the questions.
- Reach the exam center before the reporting time mentioned in the admit card.
Since SBI has a multiple-shift exam system, the exact questions may differ, but the overall pattern remains consistent.
Final Thoughts
The SBI PO Prelims 2026 Day 2 Shift 1 paper appears to have a uniform level of difficulty. English has a higher score, Quantitative requires careful calculations, and Reasoning assesses a candidate's speed and logic. The exact cut-off will depend on a candidate's performance in all shifts, but a candidate's accuracy and the number of questions attempted will be the determining factors to qualify for the next level in the selection process.
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