If you are preparing for the SBI PO exam, knowing the topic-wise weightage is one of the smartest things you can do. It tells you exactly where to spend your time and which topics to prioritize first. This article covers the SBI PO topic-wise weightage for both Prelims and Mains based on the last five years of question paper analysis (2021–2025).
SBI PO Topic-Wise Weightage
The SBI PO topic-wise weightage refers to the number of questions each topic has contributed across the Prelims and Mains exams. It is taken from analyzing previous years’ question papers of SBI PO and helps candidates identify which areas carry the most marks. Focusing on high-weightage topics first ensures you cover the most scoring areas before moving to less frequent ones.
SBI PO Topic-Wise Weightage for Prelims
Below is a detailed topic-wise breakdown for each section. The SBI PO Prelims has three sections:
SBI PO Reasoning Ability Weightage in Prelims
Puzzles & seating arrangements are the most asked topic in the SBI PO Prelims Reasoning section. It has consistently dominated the section with 15 to 28 questions every year, making it the single most important topic to master.
Key Takeaway: Focus heavily on Puzzles and Seating Arrangement in 2024 and 2025; it alone covered 24–25 out of 30 questions. Syllogism is the second most consistent topic with 3–5 questions every year.
SBI PO Quantitative Aptitude Weightage in Prelims
Data interpretation has been the most asked topic in the SBI PO Prelims Quantitative Aptitude section. It has appeared with 10 questions consistently in 2024 and 2025 and has always been a high-priority area across all years.
Key Takeaway: Arithmetic and DI together account for over 20 questions in recent years. Never skip these two. Caselets have also become a regular feature with 5 questions in both 2024 and 2025.
SBI PO English Language Weightage in Prelims
The cloze test has been the most consistently asked topic in the SBI PO Prelims English Language section. It has appeared in every year from 2021 to 2025, carrying 5–7 questions, making it a non-negotiable topic in your preparation.
Key Takeaway: Reading comprehension is the highest-weightage topic at 8–10 questions. Cloze tests, para jumbles, and error detection are the other three topics you must prepare thoroughly. Note that the English section has been expanded to 40 questions from 2024 onwards.
SBI PO Topic-Wise Weightage for Mains
The SBI PO Mains exam is more advanced. It tests the same subjects with higher difficulty and includes data analysis & interpretation as a separate section.
SBI PO Reasoning Ability Weightage in Mains
Puzzles & Seating Arrangement has been the most asked topic in the SBI PO Mains reasoning section as well. With 15 to 25 questions every year, it is by far the single largest contributor to this section in Mains too.
Key Takeaway: Machine input/output has seen a sharp rise in 2025 (8 questions). Do not ignore it in your mains preparation. Logical reasoning is also consistently tested with 5–10 questions every year.
SBI PO Data Analysis & Interpretation Weightage in Mains
DI and caselets are the most asked topics in the SBI PO Mains Data Analysis & Interpretation section. It has always carried the highest weight, ranging from 10 to 24 questions, and demands thorough preparation with varied DI sets.
Key Takeaway: DI and arithmetic together cover the majority of marks in this section. Number series and quadratic equations are also regular; always keep them in your practice routine.
SBI PO English Language Weightage in Mains
Reading comprehension has been the most asked topic in the SBI PO Mains English Language section. With 10 to 18 questions every year, it is the backbone of the English section in Mains and requires strong reading speed and comprehension skills.
Key Takeaway: RC alone can make or break your Mains English score. Match the column has also become a high-weightage topic (5–9 questions). Para Jumbles returned strongly in 2025 with 7 questions.
What are the most important topics for the SBI PO exam?
Below is a list of the most important and high-scoring topics for the SBI PO exam:
- Puzzles and DI are non-negotiable: Together they cover the most questions in both prelims and mains.
- Arithmetic is consistently high-scoring: Cover topics like percentage, ratio, profit-loss, time-work, and SI/CI thoroughly.
- Reading Comprehension: Be the highest scorer in English. Practice at least one passage daily.
- Cloze tests and para jumbles are evergreen: They appear every single year in some form.
- Machine input/output has grown in importance: Especially for Mains; do not skip it.
- Track the pattern shift: English and Reasoning sections both moved to 40 questions from 2024 in Mains; prepare for the higher load.
FAQs
Q1. Which topic has the highest weightage in SBI PO Prelims Reasoning?
A1: Puzzles & Seating Arrangement alone covered 24–25 out of 30 questions in 2024 and 2025.
Q2. How many questions come from DI in SBI PO Prelims Quant?
A2: Data Interpretation contributes 10 questions every year. Along with caselets (5 questions), DI-based questions cover 15 out of 30 marks.
Q3. What is the most important topic in SBI PO Prelims English?
A3: Reading comprehension carries 7 to 10 questions every year. Cloze tests and para jumbles follow closely.
Q4. How many questions come from Puzzles in SBI PO Mains Reasoning?
A4: Puzzles & Seating Arrangement carries 15 to 25 questions in SBI PO Mains Reasoning, making it the highest-weightage topic in the section.
Q5. Which topics to focus on for SBI PO Mains Quant?
A5: DI & Caselets and Arithmetic are the two must-do topics that cover 60–80% of the marks in the Data Analysis section most years.
Q6. Has the SBI PO exam pattern changed recently?
A6: Yes. From 2024, English language expanded to 40 questions, while reasoning and quant reduced to 30 questions each in prelims.
Q7. What are the total marks for SBI PO Prelims?
A7: SBI PO Prelims is for 100 marks. 30 each for Reasoning and Quant and 40 for English Language.
Q8. Which section has the highest weightage in SBI PO Mains?
A8: Reasoning Ability and English Language both carry 40 marks each, making them the highest-weightage sections in SBI PO Mains.
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Hi, I’m Tripti, a senior content writer at Oliveboard, where I manage blog content along with community engagement across platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. With 3+ years of experience in content and SEO optimization related to banking exams, I have led content for popular exams like SSC, banking, railway, and state exams.