Reviewing the SBI PO previous year question paper (PYQs) is crucial for aspirants. By analyzing the SBI PO PYQs, you can:
- Understand the latest pattern of the SBI PO exam
- Know the types of questions asked in SBI PO
- Assess the SBI PO exam difficulty level and
- Identify and prioritize SBI PO important topics and questions
Also, practicing SBI PO PYQs helps you assess your preparation level and tailor your SBI PO preparation strategy based on your performance.
Fill the form to download SBI PO previous year question papers (Prelims and Mains) in PDF format for free.
Now that you have access to the SBI PO PYQs, let’s dive into the analysis. But first, let’s explore why this analysis is important.
Why are SBI PO PYQ Important for Your Preparation?
SBI PO PYQs help you:
- Understand the Exam: Familiarize yourself with the exam pattern and syllabus.
- Identify Key Topics: Focus on high-weightage topics to prioritize first.
- Know the Difficulty Level: Practice questions that match the actual exam’s difficulty.
- Boost Confidence: Reduce anxiety by familiarizing yourself with the question format.
- Track Progress: Measure growth and learn from your mistakes.
After understanding the role of PYQs in your SBI PO preparation, let’s analyze the IRDAI Grade A PYQs to truly understand the topic-wise distribution of questions, difficulty level, and identify important topics.
SBI PO Previous Year Question Paper Analysis: Key Insights and Trends
Analyzing the SBI PO previous year question paper provides insights into the difficulty level and important topics. Below, my team of experts at EduTap has analyzed the past 4 years’ question papers of the SBI PO prelims and mains exams:
SBI PO Prelims Analysis for Maths
Here is the previous year question paper analysis of the Quant section of the SBI PO Prelims exam:
SBI PO Prelims Topic-Wise Distribution of Quant Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Data Interpretations | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Number Series | 3 | 5 | NA | 5 |
Mixture & Alligation | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Profit & Loss | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Ages | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Compound Interest | 2 | NA | 1 | 1 |
Time & Distance | 2 | NA | 1 | 1 |
Boats & Stream | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Partnership | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Time & Work | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Percentage | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Mensuration 2D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Quadratic Equations | NA | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Simple Interest | NA | 1 | 1 | NA |
Average | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Approximation | NA | NA | 5 | NA |
SBI PO Prelims Difficulty Level of Maths
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult quant questions in SBI PO Prelims.
SBI PO Prelims Quant Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 30 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
Easy | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Moderate | 27 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
Difficult | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
SBI PO Prelims Important Topics for Maths
Based on our previous year question paper analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important quant topics for SBI PO Prelims:
- Most Important Topics of Quant for SBI PO Prelims
- Simplification
- Number Series
- Data Interpretation
- Quadratic Equation
- Percentage
- Ratio & Proportion
- Moderately Important Topics of Quant for SBI PO Prelims
- Profit & Loss, Discount
- Simple & Compound Interest
- Time & Work
- Pipes & Cistern
- Time, Speed, & Distance
- Trains & Boats
- Mixture
- Average
- Ages
- Partnership
- Least Important Topics of Quant for SBI PO Prelims
- Area & Volume
- Probability
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Prelims Analysis for Reasoning
Here is the PYQ analysis of the reasoning section of the SBI PO Prelims exam.
SBI PO Prelims Topic-Wise Distribution of Reasoning Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Puzzle | 15 | 10 | 15 | 10 |
Seating Arrangement | 10 | 10 | 5 | 12 |
Syllogism | 2 | 3 | NA | 3 |
Inequality | 1 | NA | 4 | NA |
Chinese Coding Decoding | NA | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Blood Relation | NA | 3 | 3 | NA |
Direction Sense | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Data Sufficiency | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Alphanumeric Series | NA | NA | NA | 2 |
Order & Ranking | NA | 3 | NA | 1 |
Miscellaneous | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
SBI PO Prelims Difficulty Level of Reasoning
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult reasoning questions of SBI PO Prelims.
SBI PO Prelims Reasoning Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 30 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
Easy | 3 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Moderate | 27 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Difficult | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SBI PO Prelims Important Topics for Reasoning
Based on our PYQ analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important reasoning topics for SBI PO Prelims:
- Most Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Prelims
- Inequalities
- Syllogism
- Blood Relations
- Directions and Distances
- Seating Arrangement
- Puzzle
- Moderately Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Prelims
- Coding and Decoding
- Alphanumeric Series
- Data Sufficiency
- Least Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Prelims
- Input Output
- Critical Reasoning
Here you can find the detailed SBI PO Pattern.
SBI PO Prelims Analysis for English
Here is the PYQ analysis of the English section of the SBI PO Prelims exam.
SBI PO Prelims Topic-Wise Distribution of English Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Reading Comprehension | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Error Detection | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Paragraph Rearrangement | 5 | 5 | NA | 5 |
Cloze Test | 5 | NA | 6 | NA |
Words Interchanged | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Idiom & Phrases | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Word Usage | 4 | NA | NA | NA |
Word Shuffle | 4 | NA | NA | NA |
Double Fillers | NA | NA | NA | 5 |
Single Fillers | NA | 4 | NA | NA |
Sentence Connectors | NA | 2 | NA | NA |
Sentence Rearrangement | NA | NA | 2 | NA |
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Prelims Difficulty Level of English
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult English questions of SBI PO Prelims.
SBI PO Prelims English Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 40 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Easy | 5 | 17 | 6 | 8 |
Moderate | 35 | 13 | 24 | 20 |
Difficult | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
SBI PO Prelims Important Topics of English
Based on our PYQ analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important English topics for SBI PO Prelims:
- Most Important Topics of English for SBI PO Prelims
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Parajumbles/Rearrangement
- Double Fillers
- Moderately Important Topics of English for SBI PO Prelims
- Word Shuffle
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Sentence Improvement
- Phrasal Verbs
- Least Important Topics of English for SBI PO Prelims
- Idioms & Phrases
- One Word Substitution
- Active Passive Voice
- Narration
Here you can find the detailed SBI PO Syllabus.
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Mains Analysis of Data Analysis & Interpretation
Here is the PYQ analysis of the Data Analysis & Interpretation section of the SBI PO Mains exam.
SBI PO Mains Topic-Wise Distribution of Data Analysis & Interpretation Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Data Interpretations | 15 | 15 | 21 | 27 |
Number Series | 2 | 4 | 2 | NA |
Quadratic Equations | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Quantity Comparison | 2 | NA | 3 | 3 |
Time & Work | 2 | NA | NA | NA |
Ages | 1 | 1 | NA | NA |
Percentage | 1 | 1 | NA | NA |
Mixture & Alligation | 1 | 1 | NA | NA |
Mensuration 3D | 1 | 1 | NA | NA |
Number System | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
Mensuration 2D | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
Ratio & Proportion | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
Boat & Stream | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Partnership | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Compound Interest | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Basic Fundamentals | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Speed & Distance | NA | 1 | NA | NA |
Data Sufficiency | NA | NA | 3 | 3 |
SBI PO Mains Difficulty Level of Data Analysis & Interpretation
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult Data Analysis & Interpretation questions of SBI PO Mains.
SBI PO MainsData Analysis & Interpretation Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
Easy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Moderate | 4 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Difficult | 26 | 20 | 23 | 18 |
SBI PO Mains Important Topics of Data Analysis & Interpretation
Based on our PYQ analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important Data Analysis & Interpretation topics for SBI PO Mains:
Here you can find the details regarding the SBI PO Salary, allowances, and various other perks.
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Mains Analysis of Reasoning Ability
Here is the previous year question paper analysis of the Reasoning section of the SBI PO Mains exam.
SBI PO Mains Topic-Wise Distribution of Reasoning Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Puzzle | 11 | 17 | 10 | 10 |
Critical Reasoning | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Seating Arrangement | 7 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
Input Output | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Direction Sense | 4 | NA | NA | 5 |
Data Sufficiency | 2 | NA | 4 | 4 |
Miscellaneous | 1 | 1 | NA | 1 |
Inequality | NA | NA | 2 | NA |
Blood Relation | NA | NA | 5 | NA |
Syllogism | NA | NA | NA | 3 |
Coding Decoding | NA | NA | 2 | NA |
SBI PO Mains Difficulty Level of Reasoning Ability
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult reasoning questions of SBI PO Mains.
SBI PO Mains Reasoning Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
Easy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Moderate | 18 | 21 | 25 | 25 |
Difficult | 22 | 19 | 15 | 20 |
SBI PO Mains Important Topics of Reasoning Ability
Based on our PYQ analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important reasoning topics for SBI PO Mains:
- Most Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Mains
- Seating Arrangement
- Puzzle
- Data Sufficiency
- Input Output
- Syllogism
- Coding and Decoding
- Moderately Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Mains
- Blood Relations
- Directions and Distances
- Least Important Topics of Reasoning for SBI PO Mains
- Critical Reasoning
- Alphanumeric Series
- Inequalities
Here you can find the previous SBI PO cut off of the past 5 years.
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Mains Analysis of English
Here is the PYQ analysis of the English section of the SBI PO Mains exam.
SBI PO Mains Topic-Wise Distribution of English Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Reading Comprehension | 18 | 18 | 15 | 12 |
Idiom & Phrases | 5 | NA | NA | 5 |
Clozer Test | 5 | NA | NA | NA |
Words Interchanged | 4 | 2 | NA | NA |
Match the Column | 3 | NA | NA | NA |
Sentence Rearrangement | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Correct Usage of Words | 2 | NA | 4 | 5 |
Odd One Out | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
Paragraph Rearrangement | NA | 7 | 6 | NA |
Double Fillers | NA | 4 | NA | NA |
Error Detection | NA | 2 | 5 | 5 |
Sentence Connectors | NA | NA | NA | 3 |
Sentence Fillers | NA | NA | 3 | 3 |
SBI PO Mains Difficulty Level of English
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult English questions of SBI PO Mains.
SBI PO Mains English Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
Easy | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Moderate | 33 | 24 | 28 | 29 |
Difficult | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
SBI PO Mains Important Topics of English
Based on our previous year question paper analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important English topics for SBI PO Mains:
- Most Important Topics of English for SBI PO Mains
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Para Jumbles/Rearrangement
- Match the Column
- Moderately Important Topics of English for SBI PO Mains
- Paragraph Based Questions
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Phrasal Verbs
- Least Important Topics of English for SBI PO Mains
- Idioms & Phrases
- One Word Substitution
- Active Passive Voice
- Narration
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management
SBI PO Mains General, Economy, and Banking Awareness Past Year Paper Analysis
Here is the PYQ analysis of the General, Economy, and Banking Awareness section of the SBI PO Mains exam.
SBI PO Mains Topic-Wise Distribution of General, Economy, and Banking Awareness Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
General Awareness | 34 | 24 | 21 | 16 |
Banking and Finance Current Affairs | 6 | 17 | 13 | 10 |
Schemes | 8 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reports | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Banking Awareness | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Static GA | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
SBI PO Mains General, Economy, and Banking Awareness Difficulty Level
Here is the year-wise distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult General, Economy, and Banking Awareness questions of SBI PO Mains.
SBI PO Mains General, Economy, and Banking Awareness Difficulty Level | ||||
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Total Questions | 50 | 50 | 50 | 40 |
Easy | 12 | 14 | 24 | 18 |
Moderate | 38 | 31 | 21 | 20 |
Difficult | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
SBI PO Mains General, Economy, and Banking Awareness Important Topics
Based on our previous year question paper analysis, here are the most, moderately, and least important General, Economy, and Banking Awareness topics for SBI PO Mains:
Learn how to check the SBI PO result and download admit card.
SBI PO Mains Descriptive English Past Year Paper Analysis
Till 2023, the descriptive English syllabus for the SBI PO exam includes 2 questions—Essay and Letter. However, in the 2024 SBI PO notification, SBI specifically highlighted key components such as Emails, Reports, Situation Analysis, and Precis Writing. Below, I have mentioned the questions asked in the descriptive English:
SBI PO Mains Topic-Wise Distribution of Descriptive Questions | ||||
Number of Questions | ||||
Topic | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Report | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Precis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Situation Analysis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Essay | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Report | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
SBI PO 2024 Descriptive English Questions
- Email: Write an email to your bank requesting an address change.
- Precis: An Artificial Intelligence-based paragraph was given.
- Report: Make a report on an incident of fire which broke out in a cinema hall.
- Situation Analysis:
- The behaviour of your supervisor is not good towards the employees.
- You are not happy with the recent behaviour of your friend who just got a job.
SBI PO 2023, 2022, & 2021 Descriptive English Questions
Below are the descriptive English questions asked in the SBI PO exam before 2024.
1. Essay
You have to choose one out of multiple topics and write an essay in 250 words. Listed below are the essay topics asked in previous years:
2023
- The role of women in the Banking and Finance sector.
- Climate change and its impacts on economic growth.
2022
- What are the necessary steps that need to be taken to provide equal opportunities for all?
- How can natural resources be efficiently used to mitigate global warming?
2021
- Benefits of privatization of Banks.
- Gender stereotyping.
- Importance of education for the economy.
2. Letter
You have to choose one out of multiple topics and write a letter in 150 words. Listed below are the letter topics asked in previous years:
2023
- You have ordered a camera from a reputable company but when you received the article, you found that it was not the same article as you had ordered. Write a grievance redressal letter to the concerned company.
- You are Rohit/Reema and write a letter to your cousin who is going through depression.
2022
- Write a letter to the bank manager to convert a minor account into a major account
- Write a letter to your friend describing your boarding school experience.
2021
- Write a letter to the manager for employee training.
- Write a letter to the HR manager to apply for a position in the organization.
- Write a letter to the editor for inspiration towards sports.
SBI PO Mains Descriptive English Important Topics
Here are the important topics to focus on:
- Emails
- Get familiar with the subject line, greeting, body (introduction, purpose, closing), and signature.
- Understand the difference in tone, structure, and language of the formal vs informal emails.
- Reports
- Understand different types of reports—business, event, progress, and incident.
- Learn how to write title, introduction, main body (findings or analysis), conclusions, and recommendations.
- Situation Analysis
- Understand the core issues from a given situation.
- Break down the problem into smaller parts and evaluate it logically.
- Be clear in your assessment and suggest practical, actionable solutions.
- Precis Writing
- Practice how to condense a lengthy passage into a concise summary while retaining the main ideas.
- Use your own words; avoid copying phrases from the passage.
- Extract the key ideas, omitting unnecessary details.
Important Note: The SBI PO 2025 notification specifies that there will be 1 email writing question (choose 1 out of 2 options), 1 report writing question (choose 1 out of 2 options), and 1 question from either Situation Analysis or Precis Writing (choose 1).
Conclusion
Familiarizing yourself with SBI PO previous year question paper (PYQs) is an essential step towards understanding how to prepare for SBI PO exam. PYQs help you understand the exam format, past year trends, frequently tested topics, etc. This knowledge empowers you to:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to tailor your preparation accordingly.
- Choose the right study material, ensuring it aligns with the exam requirements.
- Identify any evolving trends, ensuring your preparation aligns with the latest demands of the exam.
Practice actual exam questions, improving your time management strategies and overall exam confidence.
- Decoded Syllabus
- PYQs analysis
- Winning Strategy
- Time Management