Your first week: measure, then plan
Most beginners waste the first month collecting books and videos. Do the opposite.
- Day 1: read the official notification and our exam pattern guide.
- Day 2: take one full Prelims mock (100 questions, 60 minutes, sectional timing) with no preparation. Write down your score in each section.
- Days 3 to 7: learn squares up to 30, cubes up to 20 and the fraction-to-percentage table. Start reading one newspaper editorial a day.
Your first mock score is not a judgement. It tells you which plan to pick and which section needs the most hours. If you score low everywhere, choose the 6-month plan. If one section is far weaker than the others, give it an extra 30 minutes a day for the first month.
The 3-month plan
Pick this if you have studied for aptitude exams before, or if the notification is already out.
| Weeks | Focus | Mocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Basics of every high-priority topic: simplification, approximation, percentage, ratio, profit and loss, puzzles basics, syllogism, inequality, RC, error detection, fillers | 1 Prelims mock a week |
| 5 to 8 | Remaining arithmetic, DI, number series, quadratic equations; all puzzle types; para jumbles, cloze. Start GA (banking basics) and Computer in parallel | 2 to 3 Prelims mocks a week plus sectional tests |
| 9 to 12 | Speed and accuracy. Mains topics: high-level DI, logical reasoning, Mains English types. Daily current affairs | Prelims mock every day or every second day; 1 Mains mock a week |
The 6-month plan
Pick this if you are starting from scratch, are in college, or are weak in Maths or English.
| Month | Focus | Mocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calculation basics, tables, squares, percentages; grammar basics (tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions); easy reasoning (direction, blood relation, ranking, inequality) | 1 mock at the start, 1 at month end |
| 2 | Arithmetic chapter by chapter; reading habit (one editorial a day); syllogism, coding, series | Sectional tests twice a week |
| 3 | DI, number series, quadratics; RC, fillers, error detection; puzzles and seating arrangement daily | 1 full Prelims mock a week |
| 4 | Advanced puzzles, caselet DI; para jumbles, cloze; begin static banking awareness and Computer Aptitude | 2 Prelims mocks a week |
| 5 | Speed building, previous papers, Mains-level English and reasoning; current affairs of the last 6 months | 3 Prelims mocks a week, 1 Mains mock every 2 weeks |
| 6 | Revision, mocks, error notebook, GA revision | Prelims mock daily; Mains mock weekly |
A daily routine that works
Four to five focused hours a day is enough for most people if they are consistent. A sample day:
| Time block | Activity |
|---|---|
| 60 min | Quant: one topic, 30 to 40 questions, timed |
| 60 min | Reasoning: 3 to 4 puzzles plus one miscellaneous topic |
| 45 min | English: one RC, one set of error detection or fillers, 15 new words |
| 30 min | Current affairs and banking news (from the Mains phase onward, or earlier if you can) |
| 20 min | Speed drill: 20 simplification or approximation questions in 10 minutes |
| 30 to 60 min | Mock or sectional test, plus analysis |
If you are in college, split it: speed drill and English in the morning, Quant and Reasoning in the evening.
Resources: less is more
- The official notification and Acquaint Yourself booklets from SBI's careers page. They show the exact pattern and sample question styles.
- One standard book or course per subject. Finishing one is better than starting three.
- One mock test series that follows the current pattern, plus topic-wise practice (this site's practice sets are organised by the same topics as the syllabus guide).
- One newspaper for reading and current affairs, and RBI and PIB press releases for banking and government news.
- An error notebook. Write down every question you got wrong and why. Revise it every Sunday.
How to use mock tests properly
A mock is only half the work. The other half is analysis. For every mock, spend at least as long analysing as you spent writing it.
- Write the mock in exam conditions: one sitting, sectional timing, no pausing, rough sheet only.
- Sort every question into four groups: right, wrong, skipped but could have solved, skipped and could not solve.
- Fix the "wrong" and "could have solved" groups first. That is where your quick marks are.
- Track three numbers per section: attempts, accuracy and score. Accuracy below 85% means you are guessing or rushing.
- Change one thing in the next mock, for example the order of puzzles, or a time limit per question. Then check whether it helped.
Beginner traps
- Learning dozens of tricks before learning the basic method. Tricks help speed only after the method is clear.
- Avoiding puzzles because they feel hard. They carry the most marks in Reasoning.
- Leaving GA for the last month. Banking awareness and six months of current affairs need steady reading.
- Writing mocks without analysing them.
Questions about this
Is 3 months enough to prepare for SBI Clerk?
Yes for many candidates, if they study 4 to 5 focused hours a day and already have some aptitude basics. Complete beginners usually do better with 5 to 6 months.
How many mock tests should I take?
There is no magic number. A practical target is 30 to 50 Prelims mocks and 10 to 20 Mains mocks across your preparation, but analysing each one matters more than the count.
Can I prepare for SBI Clerk without coaching?
Yes. The syllabus is standard and well covered by books, online practice and mock series. What coaching mainly gives is structure, which you can create with a written plan and weekly mocks.